“To go boldly where … .” Jason Clare came over all Captain Kirk, visiting that strange new world, the Department of Education’s Canberra office on Monday. According to DoE (via LinkedIn), he “thanked staff for their efforts this year and shared well (sic) wishes for the festive season.” He could hardly offered unwell ones.
Officers had a cyber-gift for Mr Clare, a link to DoE’s new “HELP debt reduction and repayment estimators.” This sets out an “indicative amount” of credit flowing from the recent legislation setting indexation at the CPI or Wage Price Index, whichever is lower. It does the same for the 20% reduction on HELP debt, which is “subject to the passage of legislation. “
The Minister followed up on X, Thursday morning, urging his followers, “Check your MyGov this morning. Labor has wiped $3bn of HECS debt.”
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Flinders U wants it known what a splendid job it does training doctors in the Northern Territory, for the Northern Territory, with “the only Australian Medical Council-accredited medical programme offered entirely in the NT.” Until 2026 that is, when upstart Charles Darwin U starts its medical program. Still, the end could have been nigher for Flinders – CDU thought it was ready to start next year, but the AMC nixed that, ruling it needed 12 more months to prepare.
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Universities Australia urges political parties, “to be bold and ambitious in their vision and support for Australia’s universities” in the imminent election. The ask includes “breaking down,” “investing in” and “strengthening the foundation” of this and that. But there is one specific that might puzzle election strategists who think ancient history only ended at the election before last, re-establishing the Education Investment Fund.
The EIF was a honeypot established by the Rudd Government in 2008 to fund HE capital projects, replacing something similar the coalition had created. It lasted a couple of years until it was raided to fund other Labor programs. When the Coalition returned to office, it spent years trying to get its’ hands on the remaining capital, finally succeeding in 2019 – when the $4bn in the EIF was made available to a disaster relief fund. Labor voted for the transfer.
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Deakin U is celebrating its 50th anniversary with admirable restraint. What, you ask, no parade by the University Halberdiers, no ball for Council hosted by Their Serenity, the Chancellor? Not a one.
Tuesday was the actual anniversary, where the university encouraged staff to join together and share what is described as a “hot drink” – probably not a shot of Fireball Whisky. Some 3,500 people also turned out for a community event at Waurn Ponds, where DU started, and other will follow across the campus network. Understated and community-focused, an astute assessment of what the community expects.
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Good lord, is that the time? Higher Education Enterprise Bargaining Round Eight (like the 30 Years War, only crueller) is just over but Round Nine is already starting. Management lobby the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association says it could be shorter if negotiators agree on bargaining protocols, “for a clear and efficient approach.”
Hang on you say, was not something like this once tried at Macquarie U to save everybody from the usual ordeal by argument? Indeed it was, back in 2017-18, when then Fair Work Commission Deputy President Anna Booth got involved in the academic agreement process, brokering meetings for the two sides to talk through issues and objectives and look for solutions all could wear. It is said to have made a change from the usual process of starting with antagonism and taking it from there. FC asked AHEIA if this is what it has in mind but alas there was no response.
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The Fair Work Ombudsman has withdrawn its’ Federal Court case against Uni Melbourne, presumably having secured enough of what it wanted . The university has agreed that it underpaid staff $72m and is making good, plus the FWO also is making an example of management. In the FWO’s Enforceable Undertaking Uni Melbourne management agrees to; creating a “comprehensive enterprise resource planning system” including HR, a new human resources and finance system, a payroll system, a rostering and time-and-attendance system. Plus, “a worker voice mechanism” and “centralised oversight of and accountability for wage compliance.” As well as an employment compliance directorate and university council and executives to keep an eye on everything.
Standard-setting it is, and it might strike Education Minister Jason Clare’s proposed university governance advisory group as just the thing needed by every well-run university. Vice-Chancellors would be wise to agree, if only to prove how seriously they take paying people what they are owed if they end up in the Fair Work Commission, or even scarier, the Ombudsman arrives for a chat.
In the Fair Work Ombudsman’s second big win of the week – it has slapped an “Enforceable Undertaking” on Uni Sydney. The university admits underpaying 14,700 staff $19m plus another $4m in interest and superannuation and is making good. Plus, it is making a $500,000 “contrition payment” to the Commonwealth.
The university states it underpaid Enterprise Agreement rates, including base pay, overtime, higher duties allowances and marking and tutorial rates.
Uni Sydney stated yesterday, “we have introduced standardised systems, processes and controls to help ensure we pay our people correctly and meet our recordkeeping obligations, now and in the future.” The FWO must be okay that this is enough – the Undertaking does not include the specific governance and administration requirements imposed on Melbourne.
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International student arrivals in October were up 700 on last year, to 39,500, but 22% down on the last pre-Covid October, in 2019. Higher ed arrivals were 16% lower, and VET 22%. This will have nil effect on whatever replaces visa approving Ministerial Direction 107.
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The Queensland Government announces $2.75m over four years to “establish and operationalise” the National Indigenous Science Translation Centre. The teaching, research and development facility is a partnership of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu people and their biotech biotechnology startup, Bulugudu Ltd, with Uni Queensland and the Australian Institute of Biotechnology and Engineering.
The Government also “steps in to save” the Queensland College of Wine Tourism.” Uni Southern Queensland announced it was ending funding in October ’23 and the state government will now “provide support” to keep it going “as it seeks a new operator.”
Politics is always local.
