Parts of Muresk course are likely to continue

In a letter circulated last week to industry supporters of Muresk and its three-year CSU degree, Central Regional TAFE (CRTAFE) director training services Jo Payne confirmed BABM course elements may be available at Muresk to new students.

Ms Payne’s letter pointed out CRTAFE staff will no longer be “marketing” CSU’s BABM course at Muresk following last month’s announcement of an end to a $20 million funding subsidy agreement that operated for the past three years.

“Responsibility for marketing of the BABM program now reverts to CSU,” Ms Payne said.

“Similarly, all new enrolments from this point onwards will be directed to CSU and CSU will communicate with applicants to the BABM course,” she said.

Ms Payne pointed out new students interested in the BABM course could enrol for next year and future years with CSU at Wagga Wagga in New South Wales or “join 120 other students from across Australia studying the degree online”.

“There may be some opportunities to enrol in some face-to-face subjects at Muresk depending on enrolment numbers,” she said, confirming what some current BABM students at Muresk claim they were told weeks ago.

“We are seeking the ongoing support of industry stakeholders through involvement in the Agribusiness Industry Advisory Committee; the provision of workplace projects, field trips, guest speakers and learning opportunities as well as through the support of donors of scholarships and prizes.

“Industry involvement has underpinned the BABM from its inception and continues to be a critical component in enabling high quality learning experiences for the students,” Ms Payne concluded.

As previously reported, 45 current BABM students have been assured they will be able to complete their degree at Muresk by the end of semester one, 2020 under the previous agreement between CSU and CRTAFE which now controls Muresk near Northam.

At the same time as she announced an end to the BABM subsidy, Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery also announced a new two-year associate degree in agribusiness to be offered from 2019 by Curtin University (CU) with “face-to-face teaching at Muresk and Curtin’s Bentley campus”.

The associate degree would feed students into CU’s three-year Bachelor of Agribusiness degree at Bentley, she said.

Ms Ellery pointed out the return of CU to Muresk’s campus did not preclude CSU continuing to offer its BABM course there too independently, but without government subsidy.

CU’s previous 40-year relationship with Muresk ended in 2012 when it moved its agribusiness degree to Bentley, angering prominent and influential Muresk ‘old boys’ who had studied agriculture there.

The subsidy agreement with CSU was put together to ensure an agriculture degree remained at Muresk.

Since Ms Ellery’s announcement CSU has confirmed termination of the funding agreement and current students being able to complete their degree, but has avoided indicating publically whether it is prepared to continue with the BABM at Muresk independently without subsidy and in competition to CU’s associate degree.