The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has spoken out after it’s executive cut student magazine Vertigo out of a funding deal with the university student union.
A UTS spokesperson told The Tertangala the university supports student journalism but is concerned with the accessibility, relevance and timeliness of content produced by Vertigo for UTS students.
“We have asked UTSSA (University of Sydney Students’ Association) to consider certain changes to Vertigo to make it a more accessible and student-focused magazine. These include a move to an online interactive format that can be viewed more conveniently by a wider range of students, including our 5000 students currently living overseas due to pandemic restrictions, changing the high production quality of the paper version of the magazine to make it more affordable for the UTSSA to print and more eco-friendly, and increasing the UTS-relevant content beyond the presently mandated 30%,” they said.
“Because these efforts by UTS over a number of years have not led to noticeable improvement, the university will now undertake a benchmarking review of comparable student publications across the Australian university sector with the aim of helping the UTSSA improve what Vertigo delivers.
“We understand that the UTSSA also holds $2.8m in reserve funds which can be directed to student services at its discretion, so it has the option of topping up Vertigo’s funding should it wish to do so.
“However the university supports UTSSA’s decision to prioritise directing those funds to the Bluebird Brekkie and Night Owl Noodle Bar instead and thanks them for their additional contribution from reserves to those services this year.”
In an interview with Australia National University’s Woroni, a Vertigo spokesperson said UTS had not surveyed the student population for feedback on the magazine, rejecting a claim made by Vice-Chancellor Shirely Alexander that the magazine was not relevant to students.
The spokesperson also said high production quality should feature in the student publication of a design heavy university.
Regarding the $2.8 million reserve fund held by the UTSSA, President Anna Thieban told the Tertangala:
“Our reserves are a safeguard to protect the independence of our organisation from UTS management and pay out our staff and other costs if the organisation were to fold. They unfortunately cannot be used to fund Vertigo.”
Vertigo staff had requested a budget increase to $245 000, which Thieban said the union approved. That was more than double the $129 000 UTSSA allocated last year.
The UTS Executive later approved a 16.2 per cent increase to the UTSSA budget, but under condition it would not go to Vertigo.
The student magazine is running a petition to reverse the decision.