Tasmania's student union has aired concerns about the University of Tasmania's international student recruitment following an episode of Four Corners on Monday.
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However, the union has hailed UTAS for its 'proactive measures' after it announced a review of its international student recruitment practices on Monday ahead of the story.
Tasmanian University Union president Sharifah Syed Rohan said there were several concerning parts to the Four Corners expose.
"On behalf of UTAS students, the TUU State Council wishes to express concern regarding the reports presented in Monday's airing of Four Corners," she said.
RELATED STORY: International student review due to exposure
"Education should not be a commodity, but rather a public good which benefits our society in terms of employment, economic prosperity, health, and social cohesion".
However, Ms Rohan said the union also took issue with Four Corners' use of the term 'cash cows' to describe international students.
"We find that Four Corners' use of the term 'cash cow' is derogatory and it is crucial to consider the sacrifices that families abroad make to ensure that their child has the best chance at succeeding, and also the unique challenges that international students face."
UTAS announced on Monday it would review its international student recruitment and recruitment practices, which is a departure from a strategic directions paper published in November 2018.
The Four Corners episode looked at the university's application of Medium of Instruction letters which were used as evidence to decide whether an international student had the necessary English skills to study at one of its campuses.
Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black in an email to staff on Monday said these letters would no longer be accepted as an alternative to the university's English standards.
"In the past, we have pursued growth in international students as we sought to lift numbers to something approaching the lower end of the national average," Professor Black said.
"However, since the release of our strategic direction paper in November last year, continuous growth in this area is no longer part of our future," he said.
Professor Hilary Winchester has been appointed to conduct the review on international recruitment and admission processes and an admissions committee has been established to provide oversight on applications.
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