Political Economy imminent shutdown (1 Viewer)

[bustinjustin]

Just to let you know, the Faculty of Economics and Business are about to announce 'restructuring' changes to the faculty, which will most probably involve the abolition if the 'school' level of administration (i.e: the School of Business (SBUS), and the School of Economics and Politics (SEPS)will be dissolved, with the former being given greater leverage over the latter in line with the faculty's strengthened focus on 'business' in all forms).

Though this restructuring will have dire implications for all SEPS - Economics, Econometrics and Government, Political Economy, an unprofitable 'dissident' discipline, will be the hardest hit and is most vulnerable, with its closure as a distinct, separate discipline not out of the question. There is already a staffing freeze, meaning lecturers are not replaced as they retire, placing a squeeze on already strained resources. This will only be reversed when the department makes a profit. Go figure.

Nothing is certain as yet, but all will be announced tomorrow at 2PM. However, Gavan Butler's recent article in The Australian is indicative of what's to come.

ECOPSOC (the Political Economy Society) is meeting regularly at 5PM Tuesdays at Hermann's, to discuss the campaign to save ECOP, amonst other things.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19004479-12332,00.html


Will keep you posted.

 

[hiphophooray123]

frank told me that the units will still be offered etc, all that is happening is that they will be underfunded and won't be able to make staff changes (add/drop)

 

[what971]

Hey...Can you please tell me which subjects would be cancelled?

I'm seriously thinking of transferring into IS ASAP, but I want to know what I'm getting into first.

Thanks...

 

[Silver Persian]

I love Frank so much.

And I love political economy.

I want to hear the story of how students occupied Merewether to get the Political Economy course instated.

 

[absolution*]

Everyone I know that does Political Economy loves it. Including me. This is just fucking bullshit.

 

[ujuphleg]

Good to see you around again Jon. Long time no see

Some advice has been that the units won't be dropped (as it was with Economic History) but rather the discipline will just be incorporated (pun not intended) into the Economics discipline, which will mean that Political Economy will lose its autonomy and its image as the dissident discipline.

I'm HATING ECOP 2011 at the moment so its hard to drudge up sympathy... but all I have to do is think of Frank and its so definatley worth fighting for

 

[absolution*]

Good to see you around again Jon. Long time no see

Some advice has been that the units won't be dropped (as it was with Economic History) but rather the discipline will just be incorporated (pun not intended) into the Economics discipline, which will mean that Political Economy will lose its autonomy and its image as the dissident discipline.

I'm HATING ECOP 2011 at the moment so its hard to drudge up sympathy... but all I have to do is think of Frank and its so definatley worth fighting for

ECOP2011 aint so bad, joe is a highly lovable character. And the coursework is really easy.
In some ways im surprised ECOP has lasted so long. I think it says a lot about Frank. I mean, pretty much every single lecturer in the school of political economy is overtly left-wing and very contra-the rest of the faculty. Its good to have such diversity though. I believe Political Economy needs to be taught, whether its incorporated into the school of economics or not.

 

[cimbom]

What about the other disciplines within the school of economics+political science.... econ, ecmt and govt?

 

[what971]

^ I'll be asking the same, what subjects are actually affected, just ECOP or are others affected as well?

 

[ujuphleg]

What about the other disciplines within the school of economics+political science.... econ, ecmt and govt?

Its safe to say that ECON and ECMT will be very safe - they each have HUGE enrollment numbers and are two of the most profitable disciplines (as both of these subjects like ACCT are compulsory units for the more popular degrees like B. Commerce)

However, GOVT and ECOP which are only compulsory for 2 relatively un-popular degrees (or amongst the International Students anyway, and they are the ones funding the Faculty and the University) and are currently turning over little to no profit.

Thus, I suppose if the reforms are gone through, the discipline level of administration for GOVT and ECOP will be dissolved and will be administered by the School of Economics. We'll have less subject choices and less staffing - basically at the whim of an administration which won't understand the needs and requirements of the Social Sciences.

 

[Wolfowitz]

Dad says this has happened time and again, and Frank always survives.

You really love your dad, don't you?
The last Wiki comment I read was about his 'firing jacket'.

Is this some sort of inverted Oepdipalism?

 

[melbournian]

http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/86is/JonesStilwell.html

 

[melbournian]

Anyone heard anything?
I haven't got an email from anyone yet, so I am hoping the best.

In too weeks I'm having a dinner with the Dean and the Vice Chancellor.....I'm certainly going to make my feelings known.

I'm doing 3rd year pre-honours and this is such a major thing for me. I was wanting to defer my honours year, but since talk of this escalated a couple of weeks ago (the staffing freeze last year was worrying enough) I have become quite concerned about whether this is a good idea. Academics will start to leave, finding a supervisor etc.

Also, ECOP is unique. I moved from Melbourne just for ECOP. There is nothing like it.

Also, the only person in the entire faculty getting published in the top tier journals (ie. Econometrica etc.) is none other than Jo Halevi. Surely this says they have a good thing happening with ECOP. They can attract someone to an Associate Professorship, when Jo could quite easily get a Professorship or Chair at nearly any uni in the world.

 

[bustinjustin]

I suppose my post was slightly exaggerated, but only just, the threats, though not new, are pretty serious. Econ and metrics will be safe, but they too are all opposed to the restructuring because of the movement away from 'theory' and onto vocation.

There was a meeting on today at 2Pm in Merewether lecture 1, and a group of ECOP students were there as a sign of solidarity (me not included, I didn't make it due to my sheer ineptitude). It was there that the Dean was meant to announce exactly what 'restructuring' entailed - was anywhere there to hear it today?

At the ecopsoc meeting, Frank and Joe talked about how the Dean actually approached them and told them that if any one of them wanted to move to the Arts Faculty, he would support them all the way. Unfortunately, the Arts faculty is refusing to take on any Ecop lecturers, let alone the discipline as a whole - their 'deficit' is large enough... (*Sigh*)

I too am hoping the best, I was pretty intent, maybe even hell bent on majoring in ecop, and even doing honours in it. Even if they don't shut us down immediately, with the staffing freeze, the Faculty will bleed us dry nonetheless.

 

[melbournian]

Yeah, I should have went today. But unfortunantly my dad was in town (I haven't seen him in over a year).

Still no emails. Maybe I should phone some people in the morning to find out.

 

[bustinjustin]

http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/86is/JonesStilwell.html

Having read that, I suddenly feel (even more) repressed.

 

[adambra]

I'm not happy, ECOP is the only subject I enjoy in my commerce degree. Frank is a truly inspiring lecturer and the sheer enthusiasm he has for the content is refreshing. This is the problem when education becomes a commodity. Am I the only sickened and scared by the fact that not only the funding but survival of University subjects are decided by the profit they attract from international students and/or corpoprate sponsorship? Students not only deserve the right to study this subject, but we also NEED students with alternative ideas. Imagine if all students studied ECON and took it as gospel. No matter what your politics, I'm sure must agree ECOP is one subject in the Faculty of Business and Economics that allows for independent thought and a challenge of prevailing ideals. SAVE ECOP!

 

[ujuphleg]

I just sent out a post from the ECOPsoc forum, so lets see what happens...

 

[bustinjustin]

I just sent out a post from the ECOPsoc forum, so lets see what happens...

Just read it. I've been religiously checking in in the hope that el presidente Amanda, Osmond or Monika post an update, though for all we know they could be drowning their sorrows in beer over the news...

On a wintry night, guess all I/we can do is watch something mind-numbing (Big Brother, Sweet Home Alabama)..

 

[adambra]

I just sent out a post from the ECOPsoc forum, so lets see what happens...

Link? I'm a member.