The University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Hellenic Studies Foundation appear to be at loggerheads over the discussions recently held in relation to the future of the Modern Greek Department.

The Foundation serves as the custodian of the Greek studies program at UNSW which the University has decided to close down by 2011.

Foundation President, Costa Vertzayias, issued a press release stating that, “the effort to save Greek at the UNSW has gained momentum.”

This followed a meeting he and the Greek Consul in NSW, Vasilios Tolios, had with the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences Faculty, Professor James Donald, and the Head of the Languages Department, Professor Peter Collins, on September 16.

The press release explained that the University is not willing to reconsider the decision not to offer a major in Greek after 2011 yet “it left open the possibility to review the situation should student numbers dramatically increase.”

This runs contrary to the position the University has expressed in a meeting with Greek community leaders on September 10 and in its public statements.

At the meeting held between Greek community leaders and the Professor James Donald on September 10, the University reiterated its position to phase out the Greek program offering only two courses of Introductory Greek for each semester.

Neos Kosmos English Edition (NKEE) contacted the University and a spokesperson for the School of Arts and Social Sciences disputed the claim by Mr Vertzayias in his press release.

“There is an element of confusion,” the spokesperson Chris Lewis said.

He further clarified that although he hadn’t read the press release, things that were relayed to him about its content “do not reflect the University’s decision.”

However, when questioned by NKEE about this inconsistency, Mr Vertzayias defended the veracity of his press release and invoked the presence of the Consul General of Greece as a witness.

Despite numerous attempts NKEE was unable to speak to Mr Tolios.

The University referred NKEE to older statements which outlined the UNSW position on the future of the Modern Greek Department.

“Intermediate and advanced Greek courses will be phased out at UNSW in 2010 and 2011,” the statement said. “However, for UNSW students wishing to continue the study of Modern Greek at upper level in the future, arrangements have been made to allow them to do so through cross-institutional enrolment at the University of Sydney.

The UNSW Faculty of Arts and Social Science Student Centre will manage the process of enrolment. Students will be awarded credit for their studies of Greek at Sydney in their undergraduate Arts degree at UNSW.”

The University explained that its decision was taken because the program was no longer viable because of low enrolments.