Students and staff at Adelaide University will stage a campus sit-in on Monday after the newly amalgamated institution announced it would cancel most in-person lectures when it officially opens next year.
The protest, to take place outside the office of the vice-chancellor, is the latest escalation in the Save Our Lectures campaign, initiated by students at the University of Adelaide and UniSA after staff were informed last September that traditional lectures would no longer form a part of courses.
The move, criticised at the time as accelerating the “death of campus life” by the National Tertiary Education Union (Nteu), led to the Group of Eight (Go8) universities releasing a statement the next month saying the majority of learning would remain in person, where it suited the subject.
Interim vice-chancellors Peter Hoj and David Lloyd said in the statement that “in an era marked by rapid technological advancement … we have arrived at a point of much needed re-evaluation and reinvention”.
“The new Adelaide University is setting out to deliver the most contemporary, accessible and future-focused curriculum in the nation,” they said.
Student organiser for the campaign, Poppy Pilmore, said despite the university’s official communications, staff had privately confirmed that most lectures would be pre-recorded digital content, raising concerns about transparency and education standards.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
“This is not flexibility. It’s the worrying trend of students losing choice,” she said.
“Many students learn best through face-to-face classes. Removing in-person lectures disadvantages those who need structure, community and direct engagement with teaching staff.”
Pilmore said the decision was made without proper consultation with students and staff, who were yet to receive clarification on exactly which courses were moving to online lectures.
A spokesperson for Adelaide University said the institution was not removing face-to-face lectures, as it had clarified last year.
They said more than 3,000 students, academics and “teaching innovation experts” had been engaged to design the university’s curriculum and courses.
“Our students deserve dynamic, collaborative and supportive learning environments and the university will offer both on-campus and online lectures to enable the best mode of delivery, which will vary by course and discipline,” they said.
“To support enrolments and to ensure a successful transition to Adelaide University, individual study plans are being provided. They will outline the student’s new Adelaide University program, previously completed courses and credit, and the remaining courses needed to complete their degree.”
Before the sit-in, about 550 people had signed a petition by Save Our Lectures calling for no axing of face-to-face classes.
Emily, a first year student and signatory, said video lectures created a “lack of connection” to subjects and the teacher.
“I do so much better in subjects with face-to-face lectures. I think I will leave [Adelaide University] for Flinders University if this happens,” she said.
James, another signatory, said “the only thing that makes the information we learn from university any different from what we can gather online by ourselves is the in-person lectures performed by actual professors in our fields of study”.
“Removing lectures would be a travesty,” he said.
Adelaide University is not alone. In 2020, Curtin University and Murdoch University released plans to move away from face-to-face lectures, even after the pandemic.
The next year, the University of the Sunshine Coast did the same, citing a “gradual shift” from the number of students wanting to attend lectures, as did the University of Tasmania.
More than 900 degrees across about 30 Australian universities can now be attained entirely online, according to Open Universities Australia, which partners with tertiary institutions to make higher education more accessible.
The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.
If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.
Secure Messaging in the Guardian app
The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.
If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select ‘Secure Messaging’.
SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post
If you can safely use the tor network without being observed or monitored you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform.
Finally, our guide at theguardian.com/tips lists several ways to contact us securely, and discusses the pros and cons of each.
