Journalism students from Macleay College are saying their degrees have been cancelled just two weeks into the course.
Macleay is a private tertiary institution with campuses in Sydney and Melbourne. Macleay students say that on Friday arvo, they were sent an email saying their degrees would be cancelled due to low enrolment numbers.
The email states that first-year students can either switch to a digital media course or withdraw and receive a statement of attainment for their completed units.
Macleay College also requests that the students inform it of their decision by the census date on March 18.
This would leave the students with an extremely short time to make such an important decision.
PEDESTRIAN.TV reached out to first-year student Ezra Bell about the course’s sudden cancellation.
Since the unexpected email on Friday afternoon, Ezra noted that the uni hadn’t provided any further support to students.
“There’s been no communication from the uni they’ve really just hung us out to dry.”
“Why couldn’t they have said this to our faces?”
Ezra doubted that enrolment numbers were the reason for the shutdown.
“What’s the real reason because we all know low enrolments is not the case.”
This point was echoed by another Macleay journalism student Kelsey Richmond. Richmond claimed that student enrolment numbers had actually increased.
The journalism student enrolment numbers were going up. The claim that the cohort was too small is false. This is a sad outcome for everyone in this course.
— Kelsey Richmond (@KelsRichmond) March 12, 2022
Macleay students have taken to Twitter to vent about the experience.
https://twitter.com/ezrabell_/status/1502177463505338369?s=20&t=hNHTn5nJjfVFKrJkRYQkEQ
I quit my job, moved four hours away and paid ridiculous amounts in rent to go study journalism, I imagine many of these students would have done the same. My thoughts are with them https://t.co/8Pe8WphmXs
— Grace Crivellaro (@gracecrivellaro) March 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/lauradefraine/status/1502201534263615491?s=20&t=hNHTn5nJjfVFKrJkRYQkEQ
The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) confirmed on Saturday that the degree had been cancelled. The union estimated around 48 students would be impacted.
About four dozen journalism students have been given three days notice of the cancellation of their course; staff will also have to look for new jobs. Sad day for journalism education in Australia. Not good enough @MacleayCollege. #MEAAmedia https://t.co/H0exhKLKGn
— MEAA (@withMEAA) March 12, 2022
Student Chelsea Caffery claimed the college told students to reach out to psychologists if they need it. But the university’s mental health services don’t re-open until Monday.
Macleay College advised the dumped journo students to reach out to the psychologist if needed. Funny that. The psychologist isn’t open until Monday morning, and we were informed of the cancellation Friday afternoon. So I guess mental health can just wait til Monday, right?
— Chelsea Caffery (@ChelseaCaffery) March 11, 2022
Chelsea further alleged that staff weren’t aware that the degree was going to be cancelled.
“To be told on a Friday afternoon after hours is really heartless,” Chelsea told news.com.
“The head of Journalism only found out minutes before the students did… after 5pm… on a Friday…”
It seems all the incredible staff from the Journalism department was blindsided as well. The head of Journalism only found out minutes before the students did… after 5pm… on a Friday… seems like they didn’t want to give anyone a chance to question it.
— Chelsea Caffery (@ChelseaCaffery) March 11, 2022
The college hasn’t released a statement about the situation yet, but it’s already copping flack online.
As a @MacleayCollege graduate I am appalled by the way it has cancelled its journalism course. The future of our industry needs to be nurtured, and their dreams encouraged. If any students would like to get in touch for any advice or just to chat, please, please do.
— Matt Connellan (@MattConnellan) March 13, 2022
You have failed in your duty of care @MacleayCollege https://t.co/3nDmFZ0414
— Michelle Stephenson (@MishStephenson) March 11, 2022
I have been a lecturer with Macleay for 6 years. Some incredible journalists have come through this place and to pull a course with no thought for the current students is just so heartless https://t.co/eHuUmDVgh1
— Michelle Stephenson (@MishStephenson) March 11, 2022
https://twitter.com/gzy_d/status/1502235336704806912?s=20&t=hNHTn5nJjfVFKrJkRYQkEQ
The journalism student enrolment numbers were going up. The claim that the cohort was too small is false. This is a sad outcome for everyone in this course.
— Kelsey Richmond (@KelsRichmond) March 12, 2022
As pointed out by RMIT Journalism lecturer Dr Alexandra Wake, most universities have now closed their enrolments.
This means it could be really hard for those students to re-enrol in other degrees.
It’s a very difficult time for this decision to have been made with first semester enrolments now closed at most universities – and it’s a long weekend in Victoria. Not sure what offer other unis can make but am looking into it.
— Alexandra Wake, PhD (@WakeinFright) March 11, 2022
On top of everything else, Macleay college’s degree in journalism isn’t cheap.
It costs a whopping $54,000 to complete all 24 units so the potential financial burden on students is enormous.
The university is owned by fashion entrepreneur Sarah Stavrow. She told news.com that she would not be commenting.
At the time of writing, Macleay college has not responded to PEDESTRIAN.TV for comment.
