Monash U congratulates itself for not stuffing up hiring Terence O’Brien as Dean of the Sub-Faculty of Translational Medicine and Public Health, telling staff he has been “successfully appointed.” As to what sort of start he will have in the job, who knows. Professor O’Brien does not arrive until August.
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With classes starting soon, TEQSA wrote to Vice-Chancellors on Wednesday, “to provide a clear reminder of your responsibilities to ensure that all students are safe, supported and able to participate fully in university life.”
“Many students may not have attended campus or participated in online learning since the antisemitic attack in Bondi Beach … . That attack and tragic loss of life may compound the sense that many Jewish students already held, of feeling unsafe, marginalised or targeted on campus,” Chief Commissioner Kerri-Lee Krause and CEO Mary Russell stated.
They reminded VCs to keep “policies and expectations” about racism up to date and arrangements to ensure students feel “safe and supported, “including in classrooms, research spaces and online learning environments.”
“When expectations for acceptable conduct are not met, including with respect to racism, academic freedom and freedom of speech, it is important that policies are applied consistently and fairly. This also means intervening early where conduct risks undermining safety or inclusion,” they advised.
Perhaps this could ensure respectful peace prevails; just like it didn’t in 2024, when the regulator announced it was “engaging directly with universities where protest activities are taking place to better understand how these universities are assuring student and staff safety and freedom of speech.”
The Commonwealth Government’s Antisemitism in Education Taskforce will have the opportunity to consider how things went at O-weeks when it meets in March.
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It looks like Industry and Science Minister Tim Ayres is about to announce what he will do with the Strategic Examination of Research and Development. He is down to speak about R&D at the National Press Club, March 25. Be interesting to assess enthusiasm from SERD authors Robyn Denholm, Ian Chubb, Fiona Wood and Kate Cornick if they are in the audience. Be even more interesting if they are not.
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UTS copped a horrible hiding last year from staff opposed to its savings plan and their pals in the press. The National Tertiary Education Union also ran a complex campaign in the Fair Work Commission arguing the university’s proposals to cut staff breached its enterprise agreement agreement. Plus UTS faced sceptical scrutiny in a hearing of a state Legislative Council inquiry into university governance. But while it adjusted numbers in response to a banquet of staff feedback, management did not give an inch on its case for head count cuts and argued that it had done everything by the industrial book. Which is pretty much what Deputy President Boyce has found in the FWC. And that appears to be that, at least in the Commission. Union and uni agreed that whatever the outcome of the hearing it would be the end of the case.
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“Happy Birthday to Free TAFE – in three years it’s helped to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians,” says Skills Minister Andrew Giles. “Hang on,” you say. “It’s called Fee Free TAFE.” Not anymore, “fee” is deleted from recent announcements. FC wonders how much the marketers charged for that advice.
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Uni Canberra announces the research centres it rates for funding after an internal review. The Health Research Institute is rated tier one, based on “its contributions to the university’s strategic research goals, funding success and overall academic excellence,” this means it gets seven FTE core researchers. There are tier two operations (3 FTE) across the university but alas the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research is consigned to tier three (1.5 FTE). Top performers are funded for five years but others for three max, “to ensure they remain responsive to emerging priorities and opportunities.”
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The medical research establishment in WA is outraged that they scored just five Ideas Grants in the National Health and Medical Research Council allocation. “This result is not a reflection of our capability. WA researchers have a global legacy of breakthroughs,” universities and MRIs complain in an open letter.
Those in other States could state the same. The national average success rate was just 8 % and while Victoria did best with 91 wins, (a 10% success rate), its sector is so huge, 800 applicants missed out. That is eight times the number of people who missed out in WA. But this is not an argument they wear in the west – their complaint “raises real concerns about systemic disadvantage and Eastern States bias in national funding.” And they have political support, Stephen Dawson, State Minister for a bunch of stuff, including medical research, signed the complaint.
Perhaps he could kick in more cash? After all, the WA Treasury’s vaults runneth over, with a projected $2.8bn surplus this financial year. Some of it flows from the Commonwealth-guaranteed 75% share of all GST raised in the State, and that is separate to the river of gold from State mining royalties. On the subject of a bias in national funding …
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Universities Australia wants us all to know how terrible are the times and that journalists reporting headline surpluses have it wrong. UA has a point – the HE accounting convention is to strip out one-offs and tied-funding in stating underlying income. Problem is, this can make managements look rubbish at managing. In 2023 for example, the University of Sydney managed to lose $9m on $3.418bn operating income.
It is a problem for UA’s calls for more cash, particularly with media stories over the past week attempting to paint the sector awash with an aggregate $2b profit – despite the fact that most of that was in the hands of a few sandstones.
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The Australian Academy of Science’s budget bids include adoption of its plan announced last July to slug big business with a Research and Development levy that raises $2bn to $12bn. Another, in partnership with 11 organisations, has a way bigger chance of success. It is for $3.5m over two years for a national strategy on enforceable standards for indoor air quality. Only a cynic would compare the two and suggest the difference is between hot and fresh air.
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UWA has a new brand campaign, which may or may not be positioning in case the State Government does decide to merge universities. It certainly is focused on growing enrolments. UWA has trailed Curtin U on first preference applications through the state tertiary admission system for a decade.
There are many messages in the campaign, “we seek wisdom to seek impact” is one. UWA is a “rebel base” is another. And then there is, “Make a change, Make an Impact. Make a Dent,” (there is no mention in what). But the one that matters is the State pride pitch, “More than the University of Western Australia, we are the University for Western Australia.” Just the line to use if UWA was ever asked to merge with, rather than take-over, say Murdoch U.
While UWA advertises, Edith Cowan is collecting on the advantages of its about-to-open CBD campus. A 1,146 bed student accommodation tower is announced for next door.
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The news was not delivered with screaming sirens and flashing lights but over the Summer, Federation U got into the medical education business. It is in a partnership with aspiring provider New Medical Education Australia, which has worked for years on a curriculum for a remote/in-person intensive-teaching medical school. The business plan is to train GPs to meet demand in underserviced regional Australia. TEQSA knocked New Med Ed back for registration last June, citing inadequate funding to last it first five years, and judging its governance, teaching andlearning plans not up to university-college standards.
The partnership with Fed U addresses the money and management issues and the Australian Medical Council will conduct its stage two assessment this month, which is crucial for accreditation,. What’s in it for NME is a way to open on time, next year.
What’s in it for Federation U is a med school to call its own and which would presumably accept students from its pre-med biomedical science degree – which isn’t bad. It would also demonstrate Fed U’s “co-op” model of embedding students in industry throughout their degrees, which is very good. VC Duncan Bentley has bet Fed U’s future on serving regional Victoria, in large part by creating the services and opportunities to keep communities viable. A med school would be a valuable bolt-on.