GRIFFITH University students have protested the funding cuts to courses and staff.

Before Trimester 1, 2025, the university restructured the Bachelor of Arts, increasing core courses from 2 to 10 and removing all minors, citing budget constraints.

Griffith University’s 2024 annual report recorded a $21.8 million budget surplus.

An online petition by the Student Representative Council (SRC), with over 1,000 signatures, claims the restructuring limits students’ course choices and burdens staff by packing more students into the same lectures.

On May 22^nd, the students marched to the Vice Chancellor’s office to deliver the petition.

SRC member and science student, Kyle, thinks the cuts by Griffith University are horrific and they are more concerned about profits over the quality of education.

“Some elective courses have been cut and… the actual amount of choice in [my] degree is more limited than when I started,” he said in a recent interview.

Queensland Secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union, Michael McNally, said the cuts mean staff have less time to help students, leading to professors giving more of their free time.

“You can’t just keep cutting staff and have great education,” he said in a recent interview.

Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Carolyn Evans, responded by stating that the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science (HLSS) extensively engaged with staff, students, industry and alumni about the proposed changes for 12 months.

She added that the feedback from students has been reflected in the new Bachelor of Arts program.

Vice Chancellor Evans also denied claims about staff cuts.

“Over the last three years there have been 14 new staff appointed in HLSS – quite a number this year,” she said in an email on June 17th.

Classes for Trimester 2 begin on July 14^th.