The University of Sydney has invited staff to comment on the text of a draft MOU, “to guide the next stages of the university’s engagement with the Ramsay Centre (for Western Civilisation)”.

“I encourage any interested staff to consider responding to this survey in order for the university to gain an accurate reflection of the general consensus. I have been proud of the respectful tone of our debate regarding these issues so far, when so much of the external commentary has been rather shrill … it is also important to allow those who feel less comfortable with public discussion to have their point of view heard,” Vice Chancellor Michael Spence said yesterday.

Dr Spence says, “the results of the staff consultation process will be taken into consideration when arriving at a final draft MOU.” Once settled the MOU will go to the Ramsay Centre as the university’s non-negotiable base for any negotiation on the centre funding courses and scholarships at the university.

For any negotiation to proceed the university’s draft requires:

* university staff develop curriculum, subject to “normal course approval processs”

* students in the Ramsay programme free to take other studies on offer

* Ramsay scholarships governed by “normal university scholarship processes”

* Ramsay to have one academic member on selection panels for centre staff

* staff appointed or seconded to the program will be free from any interference or oversight outside of normal university mechanisms

* Ramsay Centre to review programme after it is taught to “four cohorts” of students with a view to renewing or not.