The people selected to represent the “sector and wider community” on the implementation of the Universities Accord are working on the Government’s six priorities – and they are expected to report on making them happen next month.
While the Department of Education has only recently announced membership of the Implementation Advisory Committee, they were appointed in May.
The composition of the Committee has been subject to widespread critique – variously for lack of dual sector, lack of regional and lack of Queensland representation. Nonetheless, the Committee’s work is in train, chaired by DoE secretary Tony Cook with public servants Natalie James (secretary, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations ) and Ben Rimmer (DoE dep sec for HE, Research and International) ex officio members. Mr Rimmer was also on Mary O’Kane’s Accord creation team.
The rest of the Committee is no conclave of vice chancellors, with only one of that ilk appointed; David Lloyd, VC of Uni South Australia, Chair of UA and co-VC of in the making Adelaide U.
Although he has a bit on, perhaps Professor Lloyd especially appealed to the government because of his thinking on applied education in universities, long before it was fashionable.
In August 2018 he made a speech pointing out that there is a forge at Stanford University, standing for the vocational education it was created to provide.” We must move towards the university of the future being a forge, where new knowledge is created from many inputs – and in partnership with others beyond the institution,” he said.
Which should go down well with Jenny Dodd, from TAFE Directors Australia, whose presence demonstrates the Accord idea of a connected tertiary system is seriously on the government’s agenda.
As does Barney Glover, ex Western Sydney U VC, now running the ATEC for training, Jobs and Skills Australia.
Similarly health economist Stephen Duckett’s thinking on activity-based funding might apply to both HE and VET – Dr Duckett’s Accord submission included how what is now ATEC could function as “a pricing authority … for the purposes of a potential student-centred, needs-based funding model.”
Other members are Kungarakan Elder and former chancellor of the University of Canberra, Tom Calma, Verity Firth (UNSW VP, Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement) and Uni Sydney’s University Historian, Julia Horne.
They are charged with advising on implementing six priorities.
- Ambitious targets to meet skills needs
- Establishing ATEC
- HE pricing reform
- Managed growth funding
- Funding for equity outcomes
- Commonwealth payments for course placements
The Committee is in place to year end, “with the option to extend, as required.”
