In the last issue a letter that revealed the extent and probable consequences of the cut that were coming. Two days after it came out, muddling Merv Wellington went public and announced the cuts. So now we know: $3 million off the current universities grant.

The Vice Chancellors' Committee says the money cannot come but of non-salary items because there's nothing more to come out there. Its view is that salaries must suffer, We're not so sure: with no spending to be cut back anywhere without seriously jeopardising the area from which it comes, who is in a position to argue one side against the other? The simple fact is, if the cuts are accepted, the universities are in big trouble.

At Victoria, it looks like we are in especially big trouble: we have heard that Vic will have to shoulder more than its share of the burden.

a)	because we don't have so many expensive departments that need to be kept running properly
b)	because the Government could be thinking there's too much university education in this country and be looking to wind one or two of the "less important" universities down (eg. Victoria and Waikato)
c)	because we are only a telephone call away from Treasury and all sorts of harmful information might have been unwittingly given by university personnel thinking they were having a friendly chat with an old mate working for the Government.

Whatever the case, we have a clear choice either we accept the cuts and do our best to implement them (ie. give in), or we fight back. It doesn't seem much of a choice really.

Last week the Education Fightback campaign kicked off properly.

Monday: the first organising meeting was held. General areas of work have been decided upon, ranging from production of on-campus publicity to speaking to school committees and community groups. The key to this campaign will be the large scale involvement of students.

Anyone who has an hour or two free and would like to take part, see the Campaign Organiser in the Campaign Room, along the corridor on the middle floor of the Union Building. The campaign also needs information on the specific nature of the coming cuts. Any such information can be dropped in to the Campaign Room, sent through the internal mail, or phoned in (738.566 ext. 59 )

Tuesday: Merv Wellington met with NZUSA National Officers about nothing at all. They were told they would be informed of something relating to bursaries, but on arrival Merv demanded that they furnish him with information on hardship cases. NZUSA has been collecting this information, but doesn't have it ready yet. A phone call could have established that. President Chris Gosling called the meeting a "total waste of time."

Why did Merv call it? Was he going to tell them the cuts were about to be announced, but chickened out at the last moment? The meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday, the day the AUT was officially informed, but Merv's Private Secretary unwittingly moved it forward.

But consider this: with nothing else to talk about, Merv chose hardship allowances. He has a bee in his bonnet about them. Now we know that the Government wants to chop $5 million out of the bursaries grant. If we take the number of students on the Unabated rate, multiply it by $11 (the difference between the two rates) and again by 37 (the number of weeks for which the STB is paid), we get approximately $5,200,000.

Add to this some recently noted signs of support for a loans scheme from the UGC and Treasury, add also Merv's hardship fixation, and what do we have. A budget announcement that the STB will go onto the abated rate for all recipients, with loans available for cases of genuine hardship ministration costs would go up, but a scheme will inevitably be prohibitive [unclear: en] to stop most students applying for it. A saving of at least $5 million (and the end the STB even in the inadequate shape [unclear: the] we know it.)

Thursday: a snap picket was [unclear: cafl] day after the cuts were announced. [unclear: A] students congregated outside Parliament test at the stupidity of the Government [unclear: de] A few managed to see local member [unclear: Ken ber], who made the usual inane remarks; the Minister himself, stayed well out of [unclear: the]

A paper on the new [unclear: discnminat] facing overseas students was prepared for Professorial Board. This university has [unclear: in] past recognised its responsibility to [unclear: ovl] students and against Government [unclear: atte] impose racist standards on it. Because [unclear: the] university is bound by the University [unclear: act] impose only such fees as are provided for its regulations, it therefore is in a position reject the Government policy that [unclear: ovel] students will pay $1,500 per year.

If the Professorial Board adopts the [unclear: me tion] presented in the paper that runs [unclear: afl] these lines and the University Council [unclear: for] lows suit, and if other universities take up Victoria's position, there is a chance that discriminatory fees may be thrown out.

Friday: Open Day 1979 at [unclear: Victl] in which the university displayed its [unclear: gfl rious] wares to the public at large. The Education Fightback campaign set up three displays around the theme "Closing Day 1980?" to inform the public of the [unclear: prd] posed cuts to education spending and the campaign being organised against them. [unclear: but] leaflet was also produced, and at the official ceremony, the President presented [unclear: a] mission prepared by campaign workers [unclear: on] the Association's attitude to the cuts. [unclear: Taj] submission has been released to the daily press.

Forthcoming Events:

Monday: VUW Council meets 2.30 pm in the Conference Room at the top of [unclear: Easfl] field. All welcome (for part of the [unclear: meet] at least.)

Wednesday: The Association of [unclear: Univerl] Teachers (AUT) meets to discuss the [unclear: cufl] The Students Association hopes to be able to find some common ground for action with it.

Thursday: Professorial Board meets, to [unclear: discuss] cuss the cuts and overseas students' [unclear: disci] minatory fees, among other things. These meetings are not open.