Petition Demands:
We, the undersigned staff, students, and concerned members of the UNSW community, call upon UNSW leadership to commit to establishing formal mechanisms so the NTEU can actively participate in all decision-making related to the planning and ongoing monitoring of the implementation 2028 Academic Calendar.
This should include an NTEU-nominated member on all implementation committees and working groups for the new calendar.
Having a genuine staff voice in decisions will help ensure UNSW is a truly excellent and equitable place to work and study. Please sign and join our campaign.
Why are we petitioning?
UNSW’s Academic Calendar is changing. NTEU’s involvement is essential to ensure the transition to a new calendar is fair, transparent, and beneficial to all staff and students, not burdensome.
That’s why we’re calling for staff union representation in all decisions implementing the new calendar. Having a genuine staff voice in decisions will help ensure UNSW is a truly excellent and equitable place to work and study.
An NTEU staff voice will help to ensure:
FAIRER WORKLOADS:
The transition period will inevitably create additional work and uncertainty for both academic and professional staff.
Without proactive measures, staff face the threat of unmanageable workloads, leading to stress, burnout, and a potential decline in the quality of teaching, research, and support services.
The new Academic calendar must ensure all staff are employed with secure work, fair workloads and have the ability to engage in meaningful professional development.
TRANSPARENCY AND VOICE:
Staff deserve to have a genuine voice in decisions that will impact our work. Decisions made without meaningful input from staff (represented by unions) and students can lead to poorly designed processes and unfair outcomes.
STUDENT IMPACT:
Changes to academic structures can create uncertainty and challenges for students. Their interests must be proactively protected to ensure students continue to experience high-quality education and a diverse range of course offerings.
What is the new Calendar?
UNSW management has announced its decision to ditch trimesters and move to a ‘flex-semester’ Academic Calendar, effective 2028. The new Academic Calendar will include:
- Two standard 12-week teaching semesters;
- A dedicated mid-semester break aligned with school holidays;
- Optional summer and winter terms for intensive or catch-up courses and accelerated study;
- Alignment with UNSW’s existing hexamester (six-term) calendar to expand existing courses designed for specific student groups, typically postgraduates, alumni and professionals looking to upskill and continue lifelong learning.
We support UNSW’s mission to deliver transformative education and innovative research. But to do this, the transition to a new Academic Calendar must be fair, transparent, and genuinely consultative to achieve the best outcome for all UNSW staff and students.
Without ongoing input from staff and students, UNSW management’s new Academic Calendar could have a detrimental impact on the quality of students’ education, as well as staff workloads and wellbeing.
Who are we petitioning?
1. Attila Brungs, The Vice-Chancellor and President of UNSW
2. UNSW Council members
3. Relevant University Leadership
Why Your Signature is Crucial
Individually we can only do so much. It is when we come together as a staff collective that we have the power to shape these outcomes for the better.
By signing this petition, you are standing up for the future of UNSW and supporting the NTEU’s member-led campaign for fair workloads, secure jobs and pay for all work performed at UNSW.
Together we can make UNSW a truly excellent and equitable place to work and study.