The Australian Tertiary Education Commission (interim iteration) launched yesterday, with its own website no less!
University Accord principal author Mary O’Kane is in the chair, joined by her Accord colleague Larissa Behrendt (UTS) who is Interim First Nations Commissioner. Barney Glover from Jobs and Skills Australia joins his Accord collaborators to form the interim commission.
There is no word when legislation will legitimise what ATEC will be up to, but the intent is as long anticipated with deliverables including:
- “Shaping of ATEC’s stewardship role for the sector;”
- New HE funding arrangements and the process for institution’s mission-based compacts;
- “Progressing tertiary harmonisation priorities;”
- Advising on the Accord promise for First Nations people to be central in HE.
Plus, the one that opponents of the Job Ready Graduates funding model are desperate to see, “commencing work to better understand the cost of teaching and learning so that the ATEC can provide advice on overall higher education funding levels per student.”
Overall, the Interim Commissioners can do whatever strikes them as a good idea.
“interim and ongoing arrangements are expected to ensure that ATEC engages across the full spectrum of university life, including teaching and learning for both domestic and international students, and the central role of research, research training and the development of new knowledge.”
At least if the Department of Education will let them.
“As with the ongoing Commission structure, accountability for staffing, the proper use and management of public resources, and other accountable authority functions remains with the Secretary of the Department of Education during the interim phase, “ the terms of reference state.
Plus the Interim Commission will be supported by an executive director and staff from the Department of Education, providing “policy advice, coordination and day-to-day support.”
Which will make the legislation for the permanent body interesting reading indeed.
A year back there was an exchange of views between DoE and the independent committee advising on the establishing ATEC. Officials wanted it in the department, the advisors thought it should be independent.
Where the Commission should sit seemed settled in August, when Education Minister Jason Clare said “I hear what people are saying about it needing to be necessarily independent of government and there’s work going on to make sure that that’s represented,“ he said.
Not much point in ATEC having policy authority if can’t make things happen.