Universities Australia held a Tuesday symposium at UNSW on “how closer collaboration between students and institutions can drive better decision-making, accountability and inclusion.” Remarkable what the gaze of a Senate committee on governance can lead to.
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Uni Canberra reveals it has underpaid some professional staff since 2019. It is the standard story as told by managements across the country, people were not automatically paid the enterprise agreement rate for overtime and minimum-entitlements for shifts. Management estimates 1,400 people are owed a combined $1.52m.
In the outrageous annals of universities dudding people of their pay, this is not epochal and the National Tertiary Education Union, while pointing out they warned the university three years ago, is uncharacteristically understated. “The issues are historic, but UC governance still needs fixing.” Perhaps the comrades have fired all their outrage ammo at ANU, which had a similar stuff-up.
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It may not cheer up hacked-again Western Sydney U, but education and training is no longer one of the top five targeted industries – it is now equal eighth on the Australian Signals Directorate list. The Feds are first, followed by State and Local governments.
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At Western Sydney U, NTEU branch president David Burchell got stuck into management over a restructure, on ABC Monday. “They disestablished the positions of a quarter of the entire university workforce, more than 700 people out of 2,800, and provided almost no guidance to most of those people where they might find a position in the new structure. That's terrifying. I've never seen anything like that before," he said.
It was a less forgiving view than when he welcomed management announcing no compulsory redundancies, a couple of weeks back. “This is the first time this year that a Vice-Chancellor, genuinely acknowledging the stress and anger the job cuts epidemic has caused in their communities, has agreed to take a meaningful step from the brink. Hopefully it’s a sign of saner times to come.”
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Chief Scientist Tony Haymet makes another media appearance, the fourth reported this year – and it was not, like the others on ABC Radio! (FC, August 28). Close though, it’s a chatty piece on misinformation and how to avoid it, in The Guardian.
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The Government is having another go at legislation to more rigorously regulate international student numbers – it is an update on last year’s ploy to hose down immigration as an election issue by empowering Ministers to cap enrolments. The Opposition pulled an even more cynical stunt by blocking it in the Senate, presumably to give it something to campaign on. The new Bill increases oversight of providers and agents and extends TEQSA’s authority – providers will need its permission to deliver courses offshore. According to the Explanatory Memorandum for the Bill, this “will provide continued assurance to offshore governments and partner institutions that Australian providers have the strong governance structures and regulatory oversight needed to deliver high-quality offshore education.” Good-o, but FC wonders what TEQSA would do if a foreign government imposed restrictions on teaching Australian course content?
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In all the rhetoric about expanding low SES HE enrolments, what is to done for young people already at risk of life-long disadvantage? The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare reports that as of May 2024, 8.5% of 18-24 year olds were not engaged in employment, education or training. That is 288,000 people going nowhere.
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S&P does not share the previous ANU management’s fear for its finances. The ratings agency affirms AA+ and A-1+ issuer credit ratings for the university, stating ANU will maintain its market position and strong financial profile. Nor, it seems, does Aaron Quigley, announced yesterday as Dean of the College of Systems and Society. Then again, he moves from the hermit kingdom known as CSIRO, where management has been talking about needed savings for over a year.
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Curtin U tells the Bentley campus community that the ongoing parking challenge is about to be more challenging, with 600 places disappearing due to construction of the Australian Hockey Centre. There is no word if/when they will return or how many remain (as far as FC can find there are 5,400). “Your efforts to plan ahead and consider alternative ways to get to campus are greatly appreciated,” is the unattributed and not entirely convincing assurance.
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Jonathon Duniam is promoted from Education Shadow Minister to the Home Affairs portfolio. He was at it to the end on Education in Senate estimates, last Friday, although he left Dorothy Dixers for ANU chancellor Julie Bishop to colleagues.
Julian Leeser moves from covering the attorney general. Mr Leeser knows a bit about universities, formerly managing government relations for Australian Catholic U.
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The last discussion paper is out from the ever-consistent Robyn Denholm and colleagues at the Strategic Examination of Research and Development. As usual, they propose a big role for government, including publicly-funded research agencies, which are, “responsible for delivering essential R&D for government and the public, particularly where there is a market failure or national needs like national security. Their core purpose, however, could be more clearly and consistently communicated.” Not a problem for all the rural R&D corporations and most of CSIRO, although the team running the Square Kilometre Array might struggle – unless they have another unrecognised breakthrough, like the work that led to WIFI in the bottom drawer.
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TEQSA states its great (in terms of engagement and effort) expectations of how HE providers, must manage student grievances. Certainly the agency, “recognises that providers will meet these expectations in different ways” but meet them, they must.
“As part of any regulatory activity, including re-registration or compliance assessments, TEQSA may require evidence of credible plans and demonstrable progress towards meeting these expectations.”
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The National Health and Medical Research Council is bringing the SAPPHIRE grant admin system in-house (announced June). The intent is to reduce “administrative burden” and “build confidence.” There is a survey on using the system so-far that does not indicate researchers view it as a jewel of a tool.