What sort of university will QUT be without a Bachelor of Arts degree?

Without Humanities, QUT will be closer to revealing itself as it truly is: a technical college with delusions of grandeur. Clearly, QUT believes that these courses are of no value as they no longer fit their “image” and besides, nobody seems to make much money out of it. How sad. Seriously, this leads to two debates this country needs to have….

Firstly, what is the place of universities in the higher education mix? Should they only provide tuition that leads to the acquisition of skills for a specific job, like a TAFE college but with a fancier and better paid kind of job at the end? Or is their greater strength in research and furthering human knowledge. As institutions, it seems universities are trying to be too many things to too many people.

Secondly, what value do we, as a society, place upon Humanities? Given the renewed interest in history and geography, in particular, during recent debate concerning primary and secondary schooling, QUT seems a little out of step. Anzac Day was just a few weeks ago and Australians show no signs of dwindling interest either in their nation’s history or taking part in the rituals and remembrances that keep this sense of history alive. Maybe QUT is right, we should cancel Anzac Day; we cannot possibly justify having a Public Holiday for the sake of historical observance when there is more money to be made.

Gary,
Very vailid and concerning points you have brought up. I am currently studing B Arts (Society and Change)/B Business (Advertising and PR), a dual degree I enjoy more every year. What a shame that next year's university students will no longer have the choices that I have had avaliable to me. QUT is too concerned with political and economic agendas and has lost site of the things that make a great university, it's teachers and students. Anyway, I must get to your HHB121 lecture now!

The issue is being clouded. Nobody should be (or is) suggesting that humanities be dispensed with completely. In fact quite the opposite. There has long been a push for more geography, history etc. The issue isn’t that humanities should not be taught, but rather what is taught (and therefore considered for the application of public money ie HECS).

The elitist academia in this country has dudded us all though, and can only blame itself for the rationing of subjects. Legitimate subjects such as history and geography have had their syllabus’ completely hijacked by an ideological agenda. The examples of this are endless. Instead of learning the fundamentals of a major event like WWII, students are asked ‘What is the feminist, marxist view point of WWII’. Australia Day is referred to as ‘Invasion Day’. Anzac Day and whether it is ‘exaggerated’ or not is constantly challenged. Kids know that all the problems of Africa were caused by colonialism but don’t comprehend the difference between ‘Africa’ THE CONTINENT and ‘South Africa’THE COUNTRY! What hope?

Bit slow getting on to this - only heard about it - thought for a while it was only just a rumour.

Anyhow, as one who in his long retirement gained Honours in the Social Sciences, majoring in Third World Problems, and now getting too bloody old, still became very perturbed when I found out.

Can't understand what Howard is up to. From my experience most universities have an unwritten law to be ethical, as well as both cosmopolitan and ecumenical because of the hundreds of mixed overseas nationalities now attending our universities.

Indeed, the deliberate weakening of the Schools of Humanities by an elected government, especially if other Western governments follow, and the very fact that it could be breaking democratic rules, could have Australia facing a World Court.

Howard must be losing his mind. What's going to happen if Kevin Rudd gets wind of this?

wre, the approach to history you were exposed to sounds very frustrating. The issue with history, I suppose, is that historical events are viewed through different prisms. Historical dates are easy, but what it was that led to that date, what the consequences were and how it was resolved depends on who tells the story.

Looking at events from another's perspective should expand your universe. The problem comes when it is suggested that one perspective is better than the other without a rational argument.

I was not educated in English, my history, fundamentals and description of events, were not from a British viewpoint, but from another European nation. Years ago, because I love history, when I read about historical events in English I cannot begin to tell you how incensed I was about the 'lies' and 'twisting' of 'facts'. Now of course I realize that the 'truth' probably lies somewhere in between. This is not only in cases of Victors vs Vanquished, but all sorts of events.

Re training and education. There is absolutely nothing wrong in either. I agree with you that 'uni' is seen as 'better', trades as 'lower', which is absolutely ridiculous. It is a perverse kind of snobbism.

I have one son who is doing Economics and Science, no issues at school, lots of encouragement. I have one son who is now in a full-time apprenticeship. Plenty of issues. Not behavioural, but insinuations and pressures. His confidence in what he wanted to do took quite a beating! Both are doing very well in their chosen pathways.

There is a natural rule about even running a modern farm, to look back over the years and learn from the mistakes.

As an old cockie with low early schooling and who found himself as a lad in the military beating college boys and as a top specialist mixing with officers rather than down in the ranks - yet at the same time sad to be unable to make use of the acquired Marksman certificate one had in his paybook, reckon there must be something we learn in the bush that others miss out on.

Yet it really is all about looking back as well as forward, as Churchill gave the quote that he preferred his top generals to have a good knowledge of historical battle tactics, which go right back to the days of the Greeks.

Yet even with the media these days, there is never mention much about past mistakes. Are even our journalists now showing the pressures of men like Murdoch whose skill has nothing to do with historical knowledge as is learnt in the Humanities, but more the acute sense of the skilled gambler or racketeer.

As an original bush larrikan lad, one has learnt to worry about what is happening with us right now...