Uni Sydney plans shorter semesters – perhaps management hoped critics would not notice. They have

The university announced one week less of classes from second semester – meaning 12 weeks of teaching preceded by a “light introductory and course guidance week.”

A university representative told CMM that a trial last year, “showed that we were able to provide effective learning experiences and good academic outcomes with 12 contact weeks.” (CMM March 9).

Which isn’t what Student Representative Council president Swapnik Sanagavarapu thinks, calling it one of the university’s “degradations of the student experience.”  The SRC surveyed 374 students, with 350 opposed to one less week of classes.

A grand alliance of university staff unions and student organisations has convened a protest on Thursday.