Charles Darwin University has been put on notice by the Northern Territory Government, with new KPIs to be met if the university is to continue to receive more than $60 million in annual funding.
Education and Training Minister Jo Hersey will replace the previously untied funding with performance requirements, splashing her decision across the NT News, following a number of issues at the NT university.
While the enforcement of KPIs makes a good headline at a time when the Finocchiaro Government has a goodly portion of bad press, the KPIs themselves have not been revealed and won’t even be introduced as legislation until early next year. The KPI legislation will also apply to Batchelor Institute.
CDU Vice-Chancellor Scott Bowman and TAFE CEO Michael Hamilton both resigned in February after news emerged that more than 130 carpentry apprentices had not qualified due to an accreditation issue. The Fair Work Ombudsman also found that the university owed $4 million to more than 800 staff due to underpayments over a six-year period.
In July, the University also announced that more than 190 electrotechnology students had been incorrectly trained and would have to complete a free one-day remediation program.
The NT News revealed Ms Hersey has an additional motivation to change outcomes at CDU – reporting her son was one of those affected by the carpentry training issue.
A new Vice-Chancellor has not yet been appointed for the top end uni.