Hi for all of you looking for an education with an Aussie Uni, let me relate to you an experience that we would not have thought that can happen. This is from a Univeristy to claim that they are within the worlds 200 best uni.

Last year my son enrolled into a double major program with Murdoch Uni on a twinning basis with KDU. There were only 4 students selected for this course. At the onset, there were problems pertaining to the right lecturers and course materials. I wrote direct to Perth regarding to my fears of not having proper lecturers and ref. materials. Also there was little coordination bet. lecturers here and in Perth. In short it is the blind leading the blind. I was assured that Uni had always the students in their hearts and they always look into the welfare of the students. OK I accepted their explanation.

During the second semester, one of the subjects had no lecturer for 1 1/2 months and exams were just one month away. Some part time lecturer rushed through the course without the students having an inkling what was being taught. Just before the exams, the Dean of the Dept. came for his half yearly audit and met up with the students. He was given a blasting and his only comments was "he did not realise it was so bad. He thought the matter was sorted out in the first semester." He could not give any solution to the situation as "it was too late to do anything." He has to go back to Perth to consult before making any comments. Before the exam , the students were informed that if they proceed into the next year, the college cannot assured them of proper lecturers and were advised to switched uni after the exams. The 3 of them switch to Northumbria subsequently. My son had earlier before Xmas had put in an application to transfer his final year to Perth. His application was acknowledged instantly that action will be taken. My son had to resit for another paper wh. he passed. Meanwhile we were asked to wait for the Uni response. His retake papers were posted in his email but no instructions nor communication whether he can proceed to the following year nor news whether he can go to Perth. We were advised that maybe the Uni will reject his application. In anticipation, I reenrol him again into another uni in Australia. Luckily we managed to get everything done within 2 weeks.

We have to write a letter to the college to inform them that we intend to drop his studies but I was adamant that my letter to drop the course was for administrative purposes to get my student deposit back. I argued in the first place, we had no intention to drop out (not after spending near to 30k in fees and 1 years study) for no particular reason. We drop out bec. the uni had not given any respond to us and in order not to waste time i had to do the next best thing. The college was shocked that we did not get a respond. They contacted the Uni in Perth and a person by the name of A. Lim emailed me saying that they had a huge student intake this year and were not possible to attend to this case in time. I asked her what she mean by this. Is it bec. my son does not qualify that she took her own sweet time to answer. She quickly replied to say yes. My son does not qualify bec. of poor academic performance.
This puts me in an agressive mood. I ask her to officially give me a letter stating what she had said and I prefer that letter to come from the Dean of his Dept. He shld. be the best person to determine whether a student is eligible to continue. I wld. also like to know the criteria why he was not allowed to continue and the benchmarks for what constitutes good academic performance and poor performance.

You know what I got. A letter of apology from the Dean to said there was a misinterpretation and my son can actually join the uni in Perth subject to him getting a visa. How furious I was that a staff of the UNIVERSITY LIED TO ME. (to cover her shortcomings). I contacted the college and ask them to reprimand the said staff A. Lim for causing me such anguish and stress. A few days later, an assistant to the Gen. Manager, International Student affairs and Recruitment asked me to open an email written by this chap. (He had the guile to ask somebody to ask me open his email). Again he apologised suggesting that my son continue on his first semester in the college and the following semester in Perth. Unfortunately, he does not know that this parent has done his homework. The college has stopped the course entirely. How can the student continue on a non existent course and secondly do anyone trust to continue with the course. I politely suggest that although the Uni had apologise to me I would like the Uni to say that the staff has been reprimanded. Todate I have not heard from them. I am still furious. What I want is the Uni to take action agst the staff so that she shld not brush such incidents aside when dealing with future students or parents. I do not want it to happen to other parents. I just want to hear from the Uni that the particular staff has been reprimanded. I dont even demand she be sacked (which in such cases, she should be as the reputation and integrity of the Uni is at stake)

I do not want compensation, which I should be entitled to but the way the Uni brushed this incident aside really viles me and may change my mind abt. financial compensation.

I feel like going to the Aussie Education Dept and lodge a complain esp. they are having student fair around the country now. This is not a hoax. I have all the emails to and fro in my computer and if any one of you wants to know more, pm and I can forward all those to you. I dont think we shld. be treated like that even though our education is not perfect but we need not be given this treatment. my son has enrolled himself into another uni and he has settled well there.

If you were in my shoes what will you do? SO DO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNI AND THE RIGHT COURSE. SOMETIMES THE UNI MAY BE WITHIN THE 200 BEST UNI IN THE WORLD BUT IF THEIR STRENGTH IS NOT IN THE COURSE U TAKE THEN BETTER CHOOSE A LOWER RUNG UNI.

As a conclusion, I am not out to discredit any uni but relate my true experience which not only affect me financially but also giving me unnecessary stress.