A campaign to save the creative industries course at Charles Sturt University has been dealt a disappointing blow with the university announcing it will scrap the course offered in Wagga Wagga for future students.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Save Creative Industries campaign has inspired more than 1200 students and alumni from across Australia and the globe to demand the course continues at Wagga's campus.
However, January 18 the university announced the course would be discontinued, leaving future students particularly from Riverina without that study option close to home.
"I'm just hoping they keep at least some of the program alive in Wagga because it's quite literally the place to be for anyone that is in Griffith or other small regional Riverina towns," Ava Castellaro, Griffith local and current student at CSU studying creative industries.
"It's a big move going from somewhere like Leeton or Griffith to Sydney. It's a complete culture shock. So having Wagga being so close is great for students to have that option to express themselves creatively.
"This is why I came here. I wanted to be close to home but I still wanted to get that professional learning experience. Why get rid of something that is so great?"
Miss Castellaro who is the president of the Creative Industries Union at CSU, has been instrumental in the fight against the cuts but says she is willing to keep pushing to reverse the decision when she meets with the university dean February 22.
"We have heaps of alumni with written testimonials who have said how great the course was and the opportunities are and how great Wagga is as a creative hub," Miss Castellaro said.
"We are just going to provide all the facts that we can and voice our concern at the decision to remove this course and see if there is something that we can work out together.
"We want to show that the community and the students want this course to stay and how much it benefits them and Wagga as well."
Miss Castellaro urged all members of the community across the Riverina to to get behind the campaign and sign the petition.
"We are just going to keep fighting and pushing to get more signatures. Even if the Dean does say that there is nothing they can do now, we can take it bigger. We will use our platforms to try and push this petition."
MORE NEWS