Page 3185 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 August 2013
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in hotel management and graphic design being comparative. That is quite wrong, Minister Burch. Hotel management is in fact almost half the cost. Another comment was that the graphic design course is not the first course offered under a cost recovery model. Which is it?
We were told that the course was losing student numbers because of the cost of the course, but that now it has tripled in cost, enrolments are up. So these are all the rationales and the reasons given. It was claimed that it is a trial and that it is not a trial. It was claimed that it is or it is not the first course to be subject to higher fees. Minister Burch, I think there are a number of questions that we would like answered and clarified.
Throughout estimates the evidence is conflicted and responses are varied. The minister’s answer to at least one question is misleading and on the others, her responses are evasive.
Ms Burch: Madam Speaker, I am being accused of misleading the committee and I ask that he withdraw that.
MADAM SPEAKER: Sorry, I did not hear it, Mr Doszpot. If you accused Ms Burch of misleading the committee I have to ask you to withdraw it. You can only do that in a substantive motion.
MR DOSZPOT: Madam Speaker, I will withdraw.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you.
MR DOSZPOT: The minister’s answer to at least one question is questionable and on others, her responses are—(Second speaking period taken.)
I will repeat that last sentence. Throughout the estimates the evidence is conflicted and responses are varied. The minister’s answer to at least one question is questionable and on the others her responses are evasive. I think the reality is that CIT need to improve the bottom line. They looked around for a popular course that could take a fee hike hit and they landed on graphic design.
It was popular and their strategy was right, if their enrolment figures are to be believed. The course enrolments did not suffer this year, but they may next year when students are fully informed as to what the full course will cost them, because students who undertake the advanced diploma in graphic design at CIT will be charged $22,000. If they need to utilise VET FEE-HELP, the TAFE equivalent of HECS, it will add an additional 20 per cent surcharge, referred to as a “loan fee”. So graphic design diploma students face $26,928 for two years of study. This is by any measure excessive.
Evidence given during estimates and through questions taken on notice has failed to explain how and why the CIT arrived at this decision for this course. The recommendation in the estimates report asks CIT to provide the Assembly with an outline of modelling done to determine the costs of the CIT graphic design course and also which courses are likely to move to full fee recovery.
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