Students fight to complete degree in Rockingham

Mark McGowan has appealed to Murdoch University to allow students to finish their degrees at the Rockingham Campus, before implementing plans to move undergraduate degree programs to South Street.

At a meeting with affected students and staff on Friday, Mr McGowan said he hoped university officials might reconsider pulling the plug on Rockingham courses until the current cohort of 200 education students had finished.

He said he was disappointed with the university decision to pull courses from the "very popular" facility, which had been a great educational asset for the people of Rockingham.

But Murdoch University interim vice-chancellor Andrew Taggart said the decision was final, but it would continue to support students affected by the move.

Professor Taggart said the university was working closely with partners City of Rockingham and Challenger Institute of Technology to work through the impact of the decision.

"A working group has been established and will work collaboratively to establish a plan for the future shape of library services," he said.

Senior librarian Pim McCready said library staff believed the campus could have remained viable, if it housed specific degree programs not available elsewhere, while Student Guild president Garth McCrorie hoped the university would increase communication.

Professor Taggart said Rockingham students would receive $500 a year to assist with travel.