The Australian National University has backed down on its plans to downgrade its Asian language academics to fixed contracts following widespread community consultation and national condemnation.

The university issued its final proposal for changes to the School of Culture, History and Languages on 18 April after a fraught consultation process which received 97 submissions as well as the National Tertiary Education Union notifying a formal dispute over parts of the proposal.

While the university has retained a plan to axe up to 15 academic positions, it has stepped back from its plan to downgrade six language positions to three-year contracts.

This means that academics teaching Sanskrit, Hindi, Thai and Vietnamese who were to be placed onto three-year contracts will now be restored to continuing status and the two fixed-term positions in Burmese and Classical Chinese will be made continuing.

See full report in Canberra Times.