Description
On 11th September 1981, the chairman of the NSW Higher Education Board, Mr. R. E. Parry, wrote to the chairman of AMCAE College Council, Dr Clement W. Semmler informing the latter that on 24 July 1981, the Minister for Education, Hon. Paul Landa, established the Sydney College of Advanced Education and constituted its First Council, (Minutes of the Executive Committee of College Council, 9 November, 1981, SG 002 or Item no. 86/001 & 87/116). Sydney College of Advanced Education Regulation, 1981 was the delegated legislation to the Higher Education Act, 1975, no. 40, which created the corporate entity known as the Sydney College of Advanced Education. Under the terms of the Regulation, Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education was reconstituted into two separate institutes, St George Institute of Education (SGIE) and City Art Institute (CAI) and incorporated into the new Sydney College of Advanced Education. The new structure came into effect from 1 January 1982. In 1987 the CAI moved from being an institute of the Sydney CAE to become part of the New South Wales Institute of the Arts (NSWIA) which saw the CAI's schools and departments restructured towards the end of 1987. On 1 January 1988 the City Art Institute was created one of the two constituent schools of NSWIA, however this turned out to be only an interim period for the CAI. The Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act, 1989, No. 65 ended the short existence of NSWIA and the Sydney College of Advanced Education. The precursor to this event occurred in the mid-80s, when the federal government education reform envisaged, among other things, a uniform modality of education provision throughout the higher education sector. Later in the decade, the government released its policy papers, Dawkins' Green Paper (1987) and White Paper (1988) where it outlined the advantages of bigger higher education institutions. The Commonwealth Government's White Paper on Higher Education from July 1988 suggested a national unified system for higher education in Australia. This was supported by the NSW Government which signalled its intent to replace the Institute of the Arts Act and other legislation as appropriate in favour of amalgamation with the universities. The White Paper suggested rationalising the provision of educational services by incorporating colleges of advanced education into existing universities and forming new universities out of several colleges of advanced education (Williams, 1989, pp. 157-174). The States in turn promulgated their own legislation abolishing the colleges of advanced education. Throughout 1989 negotiations took place arranging for amalgamations. At its 281st meeting, the UNSW Council passed Resolution CL 89/83 approving the Heads of Agreement between the University of New South Wales and the City Art Institute (Minutes of 281st meeting of Council, UNSW, 7 August 1989, p.10). On 4 December 1989, Council passed Resolution CL 89/133 at its 283rd meeting. It approved the amalgamation of City Art Institute with UNSW and the courses offered for 1990 as set down in the Report of the Consolidation Implementation Committee dated 28 November 1989 (Minutes of 283rd meeting of Council, UNSW, 4 December, 1989, p. 15). CAI was thus reconstituted into a full college of the University and became the College of Fine Arts effective from 1 January 1990. Subordinate agency: City Art Institute Alumni Association - 16/06/1986 - 31/12/1989
