BY EMMA ANVARI AND JOSEPH LEW

In a culmination of events, Monash University has officially confirmed its plans to abolish the theatre major and combine the Centre for Theatre and Performance (CTP) with the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music. 

The changes were listed in a consultation report sent to staff earlier this week, which also stated the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music would be retitled to the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance.

A spokesperson from Monash University said the final decision, which sees the minor area of study maintained, was made following a consultation process concluded on September 30.

“In response to the financial downturn in revenue caused by the global pandemic, Monash University negotiated an Enterprise Agreement Variation with Monash staff and the National Tertiary Education Union, which was then approved by the Fair Work Commission,” the spokesperson said.  

“The Enterprise agreement variation has protected 190 jobs and received overwhelming support from eligible staff, with 89 per cent voting in favour of the changes.

“We have listened carefully to all of the specific concerns across the University, and have considered all alternative views.”

The announcement follows widespread student and community outrage at the leaked September 17 proposal to close down the Centre, which saw over 7500 sign a petition in opposition. 

It was as a result of this initial proposal the ‘Save Our CTP’ campaign was born, a movement by theatre and non-theatre students which quickly gained mass recognition on both a national and international scale. 

When #SaveOurCTP campaign coordinator and theatre and musical theatre double-minor student, Tara Cunneen, heard the news, she said it sounded “very much like a worst-case scenario”.

“I've had a couple of students say to me that they're considering leaving next year, or they have decided that they're leaving next year,” she said.

“It’s not what you want to see, and it's not what you want to feel. 

“It makes you feel horrible.”

Although campaigners eventually managed to get into contact with Professor Sharon Pickering, Dean of Arts, Ms Cunneen said the Dean was unwilling to meet with students until after the consultation period had ended. 

“[It] very much defeated the purpose of the consultation period,” Ms Cunneen said.

“We are pretty vital stakeholders in this decision, and we didn't get to speak to anyone.”

CTP Theatre major and active campaigner, Alexandras Bartaska, said he is unsurprised at the University’s “audacity” and believes if students had been involved in the consultation process, the outcome would not have been an elimination. 

“I would love to comment on the consultation process and what I thought about it but I can’t, because I was completely excluded from it as a student of the Centre for Theatre and Performance,” Mr Bartaska said. 

“We were deliberately excluded from that process despite our efforts, which is really, really disappointing.”

As a third-year student who had intended on completing an Honours component for his theatre major, Mr Bartaska said he is now contemplating alternative tertiary institutions for further study.

“On moral principle as an ethical consumer, I will have to consider taking my business elsewhere,” he said. 

“We’ve been told that we’ll be able to complete our majors and as always the University has assured us that the quality of education will not be compromised -- I think that’s a laughable statement. 

“They have demonstrated to us that this discipline is disposable in their eyes.”

Despite this devastating outcome, the CTP campaigners say the fight is far from over.

"We always knew that it would be a long term campaign," Ms Cuneen said.

"We still want to keep fighting this, even if the tutors don't."