Domovina Urednistvo
Calling all Croatian organisations, businesses and supporters! Help save the Croatian language from cancellation. If you want to support or send a letter of support, contact us at mucroatianstudents@gmail.com
17 Nov 2023
Professor S. Bruce Dowton
Vice Chancellor and President
Macquarie University
Dear Professor Dowton,
RE: Proposed Discontinuation of Croatian Studies
It is with a heavy heart that we, the students of Croatian Studies at Macquarie University, write to you today. We have recently been informed that unfortunately, the University is considering discontinuing the Croatian Studies program. In this letter, we seek to voice our collective disappointment with this announcement, and urge Macquarie University to allow the program to continue.
For more than forty years, the Croatian diaspora in Australia have faithfully supported Croatian Studies at Macquarie University. Their generous financial, promotional and volunteer support of this program has enhanced the University’s own prestige and formed a lasting relationship between Macquarie and the Croatian community.
Croatians have a long and vibrant history in Australia, stretching back to the gold rushes of the 1850s. There is now a growing population of 164,362 Australian residents of Croatian descent (Census 2021), many of whom have demonstrated significant support for Macquarie University’s program over the years. Internationally, the Croatian Government has also expressed strong support over the years, including significant financial support, and remains committed to providing assistance.
Macquarie University is the only institution in Australia that offers a Diploma of Croatian Studies. This means that discontinuing the program will deprive future students the opportunity to learn the Croatian language at a diploma level in Australia. This is a cruel blow to the Croatian community in Australia who have long advocated for the program, and for whom the program is a source of pride. The language itself is a vessel for Croatian cultural identity and fosters a sense of community between members of the diaspora. Another significant consideration is that the existence of this unique course attracts a large cohort of people to the University who otherwise may not have considered Macquarie University as an option for their tertiary education.
Also worthy of consideration is that in 2017, it became possible for students to study entirely online. Since then, the online mode of delivery has increased in popularity. The enormous potential for increased student enrolment through the online mode of study has not yet been fully realised. The Croatian diaspora is a passionate, proud and professional population who will continue to seize this opportunity in growing numbers, now that the course is more easily accessible. With some more time and increased awareness, this course has the potential to attract significantly more students from across the country to Macquarie University.
This decision appears to have been both hasty and last-minute. This is a change due to take effect in Semester One 2024, yet we are only hearing about it for the first time in November 2023. It has been poorly communicated with no correspondence from University leadership about the proposal. This has led to uncertainty and undue stress in what is already a stressful exam period for students. That said, we commend our passionate, skilled and committed lecturer Dr Jasna Novak Milić, for the way that she has professionally handled sharing this disappointing news with us.
The hastiness of the decision could be construed as short sighted on the part of the University. Macquarie University has historically taken the lead in promoting language learning, and it has developed a prestigious reputation in that undertaking. The University knows that in an increasingly globalised economy, students need opportunities to gain marketable skills for a cosmopolitan society. The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade forecasts Croatia and Australia will have “increased growth in two-way trade and investment, supported by an Australian-EU trade agreement, and continued development of bilateral links” (2023).
The Croatian Studies program has been a valuable and enriching part of our academic experience. We understand that universities face budget constraints and need to allocate resources efficiently. However, we implore you to reconsider this decision. As advocated by research fellow Andrew Scrimgeour, Australian educational institutions should be prioritising community languages over “prestige” languages that do not reflect the diverse profile of our multicultural country[1]. By embracing community languages like Croatian, the University is demonstrating that it values diversity.
We urge you to give our plea the consideration it deserves and engage in a dialogue with us to find a way to preserve the Croatian Studies program. As students, we are willing to work with the University to explore options to keep the Croatian studies program alive. We believe that its continuation is in the best interest of the students, the University and the broader community.
Yours Sincerely,
Students of Croatian Studies
[1] (Scrimgeour, Andrew et al, ‘Refocusing on Community Languages’ [2019] Babel).
