By Vicki Genet
MELBOURNE — Since August 20, more than 100 students have been occupying the RMIT Strategic and Financial Planning Department on the fourth floor of Kay House on Swanston Street. Students are protesting against the introduction of up-front fees for 12.5% of RMIT undergraduate domestic students in 1998. At the time of writing, the occupation had entered its ninth day with no sign of ending.
The students intend to stay until their full demands are met. Their demands include the convening of an emergency meeting of the RMIT university council to reconsider the decision on fees and that classes be cancelled to allow all students to attend.
Students are also demanding that Vice-Chancellor David Beanland issue a statement condemning the federal government's funding cuts and calling for a fully funded staff pay rise, and that he take responsibility for the fees issue and negotiate with the occupation directly.
The occupation has prompted several loud and disruptive protests, an ongoing 24-hour vigil outside Kay House and a flurry of activity to broaden the campaign around campuses and the wider community.
On August 21, the day after the occupation began, about 200 students staged a solidarity rally outside Kay House. The next day, the same number of protesters held a half-hour sit-in in the RMIT office of prospective students.
On August 24, protesters from the statewide rally against racism marched to Kay House to show their solidarity.
On August 25, another 200 students marched noisily around the city and briefly occupied the foyer of the accounting firm Price Waterhouse in Spring Street, one of whose partners is on the RMIT council and had voted in favour of fees.
In addition, students from University High and Princes Hill High went home early on August 22 in support of the occupation, and there was a similar mass walkout at Footscray Secondary College on August 25. There has also been a great deal of support from other high schools.
On August 27, some 500 students and staff joined in a rally on Swanston Street, outside Kay House. Speakers included representatives from the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union (NTEU) and secondary, TAFE and other tertiary students.
The rally marched to Building 1, which students redecorated by chalking up anti-fees slogans. The rally then marched to the main administration building at Melbourne University, where anti-fees chanting echoed through the foundations of the building.
The RMIT branch of the NTEU supports the aims of the occupation. "RMIT staff fully share the students' opposition to up-front fees ... RMIT staff and students stand together against this assault on the higher education system", the branch states.
Other trade unions that have offered support include the Electrical Trades Union, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Health Services Union.
For the first seven days of the occupation, RMIT flatly refused to meet the protesters' demands. The vice-chancellor has refused to participate in any negotiations with the protesters, and this has prevented any speedy resolution.
RMIT initially closed the computer centre and library located in Kay House, blaming students for the disruption. However, a few days later, the centre was reopened.
Why is RMIT introducing up-front fees? In the 1996 federal budget, the government not only cut funding to higher education, but also gave universities the power to introduce up-front fees for domestic undergraduate students in 1998. Already, international students and postgraduates pay up-front fees, and Australian undergraduate students are saddled with a HECS debt.
So far, eight universities have taken advantage of the government's move. Melbourne University was the first to introduce new up-front fees.
Universities and the government argue that up-front fees will give people choice. However, the real effect will be to restrict university educations to those who can afford the fees. Some degrees will now cost up to $100,000.
Students across Australia have campaigned against the government and university administrations. The message that actions such as the RMIT occupation send are that students, staff and the general community will not accept the privatisation of the education system.