AFTER six years, the Muresk Institute in Northam will no longer facilitate Charles Sturt University's (CSU) Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management degrees.
Based on a review of future funding for the CSU degree at Muresk, the State government announced an end to funding support in September 2017, but under the agreement with CSU, all students already enrolled were able to continue their degrees in a "teach out".
With the final graduating class' graduation ceremony scheduled for this month postponed due to COVID-19 regulations, Central Regional TAFE managing director Bill Swetman said the six graduating students would still receive their qualification.
Seventeen others still enrolled in the course have been given the option to complete their degrees remotely with CSU.
Mr Swetman said Central Regional TAFE would work with its partners and stakeholders to make new arrangements for the graduation ceremony once the State government restrictions on events were lifted.
"Central Regional TAFE is also planning to acknowledge all the supporters and sponsors of the program in the future," Mr Swetman said.
Central Regional TAFE (formerly CY O'Connor Institute) had been supporting CSU to deliver the degree at Muresk Institute as a response to Curtin University's decision not to enrol further students for its agribusiness degree at Muresk in 2009.
At the time of the decision, an advisory committee, made up of leaders in the agricultural and agribusiness industry, was formed to oversee the introduction and delivery of an alternative agribusiness degree at Muresk.
After extensive consultation with industry, a partnership agreement with CSU was signed in 2013 for the delivery of its Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management degree.
By March 2014, 24 students started studying the degree at Muresk.
Throughout its six years, the collaboration between Muresk, CSU and Central Regional TAFE had been supported by many industry groups and businesses, which provided scholarships and academic awards to students enrolled in the course.
Its students were introduced to a broad range of agribusinesses and given the opportunity to tour interstate and overseas agricultural areas, with study tours to Europe, South Africa, New South Wales, Queensland and most recently the WA Kimberley and Northern Territory in 2019.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery said in Term 2 WA's TAFE courses would incorporate blended styles of delivery, including online and interactive technologies and face-to-face delivery where required, with adequate social distancing measures implemented.
"The new blended delivery model will be flexible, nimble and adaptable in training people for jobs that will be needed during the pandemic and for those jobs that will have a massive role in the recovery process," Ms Ellery said.
"The model will also provide safety and security for students and staff.
"TAFE colleges are making every effort to support students and are working to ensure any changes to training delivery do not compromise the expected industry outcomes or the quality of training."
