Southern Cross University has terminated degrees in contemporary music, art and design and digital media and will no longer offer a standalone Bachelor of Arts.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Carlin told the ABC that declining demand meant that the university could no longer provide the degree, with Arts only offered as a double degree paired with the Bachelor of Education.
Despite the discipline loss, Professor Carlin said Southern Cross had seen an increase in demand for health, exercise, sports science, teaching and diploma programs.
In a statement, the university said demand for creative arts courses had steadily declined in recent years and recognised that it had, ”a long history of providing creative degrees in the NSW Northern Rivers region.”
The decision has caused widespread dismay in the Northern Rivers, with arts leaders saying the decision was a significant blow to Lismore and its creative community.
Associate Professor Charles Robb, a Board Member of the Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools said the closure signalled ‘a national crisis in arts education.’
“This isn’t about natural market forces – it’s the direct result of misguided policies that fail to recognise how the arts enrich our society through cultural, social and personal contributions – as well as their economic ones,” Associate Professor Robb said.
The University said it remained “fully committed” to education in Lismore and “remains focused on areas where it can deliver the most value to students, staff, and the wider community.”
