My name is Phillip Papadis and I am a first year student in the BA Photography program at RMIT as well as a first year Student Representative. It has recently come to my attention through several of my peers that there are talks of the possibility that the program will loose lecturer Michael Wennrich. In my time at RMIT Michael has been my Studio Workshop teacher, and has become a lecturer that I have profound respect for, particularly his teaching practices utilized in my studio class and his extensive knowledge of commercial photography practices which stems from his long and comprehensive career in this field. From knowledge gained through speaking with other lecturers and industry professionals that work/have worked along side Michael, I have learnt that Michael is one of the people responsible for the shaping of the RMIT course and bringing it to the forefront of photographic higher education. He has been with the program since 1971 and the current reputation of the RMIT BA Photography program was established in the years that Michael has been part of the program, particularly the several years when he was head of the photography program. Michael has dedicated himself to the pursuit of photographic excellence through his teachings and I feel with certainty that if the program were to lose Michael, it would be a great loss for current and future students, as well as loosing a teacher whose knowledge has impacted on a considerable number of industry professionals including our own RMIT lecturers Jens Waldenmaier and Pauline Anastasiou. Please listen to our concerns, and with great consideration, re-evaluate the circumstances that the program will find itself in, if it were to lose Michael. Please find below a list of names of current and previous students of Michael Wennrich who also feel that the loss of Michael as part of the teaching staff of the RMIT - Bachelor of Arts Photography program would be highly detrimental to the program as well as current and future students.