Universities Australia reports CEO Luke Sheehy and Governor of Victoria (and previous Monash U VC), Margaret Gardner have met, “to discuss the important role universities play in Victoria and across the nation.” Any sonic boom heard around Government House the other day was probably their thunderous agreement.
***
Skills Minister Andrew Giles reports Jobs and Skills Australia has an imminent paper demonstrating, “even partial VET completion gives students purposeful, job relevant skills that support entry into work, progression in employment and ongoing engagement in learning over time.”
Perhaps, Mr Giles was testing lines at the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia conference for when he finally awful attrition rates in the $1.5bn FFT.
“While I, like you, want to see as many students as possible reaching the end of their course, I also want to recognise the reality that reaching course completion isn’t the priority for every single student,” he said.
Unless he was quietly starting to suggest that maybe TAFE should offer more short task-specific courses of the kind the private sector teaches. If so, why stop there, what with the Covid-response undergraduate certificate already enshrined in the AQF?
***
TEQSA. reveals the “three clear signals” of gen AI use in written assessments. One, statements inadvertently pasted into the paper of the, “as a large language model …” and “certainly I can give you an answer,” kind. Two, students clueless as to content when asked about their paper. Three, “admission by student of unacknowledged use of gen AI.” Gets ’em every time.
***
The ANU Annual Report on what it does with the $247m National Institutions Grant, uniquely gifted to it by the Government.
“Through the National Institutes Grant, the Australian Government enables the long-term basic and applied research that defines the University as a nationally and internationally significant institution. The stability of the grant enables ANU to build capability and capacity in ways not possible through standard university funding.”
Interim VC Rebekah Brown, message to Dean of Arts and Social Sciences Bronwyn Parry, (July 2, 2025) released under FOI. “Re NIG: It has basically been allocated to consolidated revenue and college budgets … based on historical expenditure which included NIG – so very lumpy and not as transparent as it should be.”
***
The Group of Eight reports its Defence and Security Committee met at HQ, Wednesday. There is no word if it discussed occupying Commonwealth agencies in the national interest.
***
Uni WA mentions to staff it dropped the ATAR requirement from 75 to 70 for 23 courses in arts, business, science and nursing. This “aligns” Uni WA with other universities and “is intended to address” declining first-preference applications and “the low ATAR participation rate (24.7%) among school leavers. DVC E Guy Littlefair adds that the ATAR alone is not a reliable predictor of university success.” So what has changed since the days when that was exactly what the ATAR was thought to be. As research from the NSW Universities Admission Centre put it in 2019, “for a large number of courses where the fundamental requirement of the student is to possess the right level of academic ability to meet the demands of the course, the ATAR is an effective tool in predicting the likelihood of this outcome.”
Now, Uni WA states the new ATAR entry, “aims to widen access, support inclusion and equity, and align with the Federal Government’s Universities Accord.”
And so there will be expanded prep courses, WIL and experience-based entry. But perhaps anticipating harrumphs about academic quality; “Uni WA will maintain high ATAR standards for flagship courses.”
***
Australia is set for association to the EU’s Horizon Europe research fund. This will allow universities to compete for a share of its 2021-27 A$155bn. Industry Minister Tim Ayres says the government is working to finalise arrangements so Australians can apply for 2027 funding. The Comrade Minister did not mention the cost to Government of associating.
***
The Australian Industry Group continues its coherent contribution to skills policy with a submission to the Senate inquiry on graduate employability – makes a change to rent-seeking suggestions from some HE lobbies.
And AIG has read the signs in the ministerial skies spelling out more voc in higher ed. It proposes empowering industry-linked jobs and skills councils to provide “evidence based and industry informed” insights to VET, and HE. Plus it wants a role for industry in ATEC. And it is the full mustard for keenness on harmony between VET and HE. “The traditional separation between higher education and VET no longer aligns with how skills are developed, applied, and updated in the economy.”
“In today's labour market, VET and higher education are not competing alternatives, but complementary parts of a unified tertiary system. For many in-demand roles, a university qualification alone may no longer be sufficient,” AIG announces.
***
A Uni Wollongong statement advises chancellor Michael Stiles “has decided to stand aside pending the conclusion of ICAC’s public inquiry into allegations concerning the University.” The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is more specific, naming Mr Still, former IVC John Dwar, Chief Governance Officer Alyssa White and, “other University of Wollongong staff and contractors.”
***
New numbers on Government Expenditure on Research and Development are happily timed to help the new Australian Academy of Science call for cash, “Australia's science system is going backwards – at the very moment the world is moving forward, fast
The Australian Bureau of Stats reports was $4.379bn in 2024-2025, down 4% in real terms on ’23-‘24.
***
La Trobe U had a big launch yesterday – its $82m clinic, “affordable, student-led allied health services.” Jason Clare and Vic Deputy Premier Ben Carroll did the opening-honours. Alas for media coverage, so did Uni Melbourne, Australian Catholic U and partners. Their $206m Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery has a carillon of tech bells and a shriek of whistles. Perhaps the two comms teams should have compared calendars.
***
India’s University Grants Commission has approved a UNSW campus, in Bengaluru (aka Bangalore.) And not before time – classes are set to start in August. First courses are in business, computer and data science. UNSW states it is the first world top 20 university to open in India, presumably referring to its 20th place, just behind Uni Melbourne on the current QS ranking, (the new one is out next week). It will be the third to be teaching – following Deakin U and Uni Wollongong in Gujarat.