U-Vet announcement postponed

Today the University of Melbourne had planned to announce its decision around the future of the U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital (U-Vet).

Due to last-minute proceedings initiated by a small number of staff members, the University has reluctantly decided to postpone announcing the outcome of its proposal to cease operating U-Vet until Wednesday.

Today’s announcement was scheduled in response to staff feedback about their desire for an outcome to be communicated as soon as possible to provide certainty about their employment.

The University has also engaged significantly with other staff, Melbourne Veterinary School (MVS) students and the local community about its proposal.

Our students have, understandably, been seeking clarity as to their arrangements for next year, and we had planned to give them full details this afternoon.

There have been high levels of community concern about the need for veterinary services in Werribee, and the University had hoped to provide information and reassurance for the wider community today.

The University is working hard to resolve this situation and proceed with the announcement as quickly as possible.

The University is confident it has fully complied with all obligations under the Enterprise Agreement.

Over four weeks, from Tuesday 8 November - Monday 5 December, the University undertook a formal consultation process with staff from U-Vet and MVS about its proposal to cease operating the animal hospital.

Feedback was considered and communicated to staff through a range of channels in relation to key themes as they arose throughout the consultation period. The University indicated the outcome would be communicated no later than 19 December.

The University remains fully committed to the ongoing operation of the Werribee campus and the delivery and excellence of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program for our students.

As this is now a formal legal process, the University will not provide any further comment until the matter is resolved.

The University will continue to provide support for our staff during this difficult time, as has been in place since the commencement of the consultation period in early November and continue to keep our students informed.