Concerns are mounting over the potential downsizing or closure of courses in key fields at the University of Wollongong as it proposes 90 full-time equivalent academic job cuts. Photo: UOW.
Former University of Wollongong (UOW) student Dr Katie Buchhorn believes the school will be doing the Illawarra a disservice if it cuts academic staff and subjects within faculties such as mathematics.
UOW plans to cut about 90 full-time equivalent academic jobs to save a recurrent $15-20 million after significant revenue losses from declining international enrolments.
Potentially affected staff across 25 disciplines in its four faculties were contacted on 4 November and given four weeks to consider and consult on a Draft Workplace Change Proposal as part of its next round of consultation.
Not all disciplines in scope will be disestablished – some may be downsized or consolidated into other teaching areas.
However, union representatives have raised concerns about the future of degrees in fields including history, mathematics and languages.
Katie, who studied a Bachelor of Mathematics at UOW from 2011-2015, has since gone on to gain a PhD in statistics and work as a data scientist.
She also released the children’s book Wondrous Worlds: The Extraordinary Adventures of a Curious Mathematician and delivered a TED Talk entitled How Mathematics Helps Humankind, which detailed a personal journey in understanding the impact of maths in everyday life.
More recently, she launched Signature Scent AI, an AI-driven service matching customers to their ideal perfume.
“I studied mathematics at UOW, which taught me the language of logic – a way of seeing the world that’s hard to quantify in terms of immediate societal impact,” she said.
“A decade later, its value is evidenced in my work as a data scientist. I work at the Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
“I utilise my mathematical skillset to study safety and its constituent parts, and this evidence will be used to inform policy makers and regional leaders in the Asia-Pacific.”
Dr Katie Buchhorn’s AI-driven service matches customers to their ideal perfume. Photo: Signature Scent.
Katie said the applications of mathematics were far reaching, relying on it for future innovations in engineering, technology and science.
“We would be doing our region a disservice by cutting academic staff and the variety of subjects in the faculty of mathematics, and I’m afraid the real cost of this isn’t being taken into account – that is, the opportunity cost of a mathematically skilled workforce leading us into the future of Artificial Intelligence,” she said.
“By way of example, algorithms in computer science are deeply rooted in mathematical principles.”
She said without them, machine learning models and software development wouldn’t have the innovation they could otherwise have.
University of Wollongong interim Vice-Chancellor and president, Professor John Dewar AO, said the draft proposal would significantly reduce recurrent expenditure by addressing unviable teaching areas after suffering a $35 million drop in revenue this year.
“No decisions have been made about the future of the disciplines identified,” Prof Dewar said.
“We are committed to a genuine consultation process with potentially affected staff, to determine whether a discipline is disestablished, downsized or consolidated into other teaching areas.
“The feedback we receive through this consultation process will inform any revisions we make to the proposal.
“We will be working closely with potentially affected staff so they have every opportunity to have their say.”
He said some areas of the university with low student enrolment could no longer justify current staffing levels.
“While we have taken some important steps to stabilise this year’s budget, these are not long-term solutions,” he said.
“The decision to initiate this process has not been an easy one. But we must make tough choices now to set the university up for a brighter future.”
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