WA is closer to a three university merger, with the State Government announcing a panel to make a business case.
But what looks like a done-deal was immediately condemned by Harlene Hayne, Vice-Chancellor of Curtin U, one of the three institutions in the frame, along with Uni WA and Murdoch U. The state’s fourth public university, Edith Cowan U, which has relocated to a new CBD campus, is exempt.
“While the benefits of a potential merger have never been clearly articulated by the State Government, we are well aware of the significant costs, risks and disruptions a merger would create for WA’s future. We have been clear from the outset that Curtin does not support a forced merger,” Curtin’s Professor Hayne said.
Fortescue Metals chair Mark Barnaba, West Coast Eagles chair Elizabeth Gaines and Uni WA burns surgeon Fiona Wood are joined by former State Chief Scientist Peter Klinken to assess a merger. Dr Klinken commenced the campaign to combine the State’s public universities in 2021.
The universally-expected announcement was released Saturday, in the State Government’s journal of record, The West Australian. The story attribute an assurance from proposal patron, Tertiary and International Education Minister Tony Buti, that a merger is contemplated, not a takeover by Uni WA and that all campuses would “remain.” The jobs of non-executive staff would also be protected for two years, a guarantee which was crucial in reducing rank and file opposition to the recent merger of Uni Adelaide and Uni South Australia.
While Professor Hayne has long warned the case for a merger has never been “clearly articulated,” the weekend announcement cited efficiencies releasing resources for students and research and the end of “hyper-competition” between the three.
This case for a merger is largely as originally presented by Professor Klinken to a Legislative Council committee hearing five years ago, when he argued resources for research are vital.
“If you have good rankings, students come to you. That covers your research; therefore you get better rankings and therefore you get more students; it is a virtuous circle going forward. If you cut the students, you have less money to go into research, your research rankings go down, your international rankings go down, students are less likely to come and see you, therefore you have less money, you do less research and you go through a death spiral.”
But when he said students, Professor Klinken included internationals, “who are crucial sources of income for universities.” WA’s small share of international enrolments used to be an issue in WA but not so much since arguments over immigration heated up.
Which means the case for a merger now depends on what is in it for WA voters and the Government thinks fewer Vice-Chancellors is a sure-fire sell.