Important submissions to influence the future
5 July 2008
USC is currently preparing a range of submissions, all of which, if successful, will see the further development of the University in the next couple of years.
The two of immediate concern are, firstly for a major new building to accommodate more health disciplines, and secondly to establish a case for full funding for all our core functions, some of which are not currently funded by the Federal Government.
The first submission is to access monies from the 2008-9 Higher Education Endowment Fund. Around $300M is available but all 38 universities will likely be pursuing their own cases.
Probably a small proportion of cases will be successful and in that we have experienced double-digit growth across the last four years, whilst most other universities are experiencing falling enrolments, we believe our case for a major new health building worth around $30M is a strong one.
Our case has to be fully developed for submission by mid August, and a huge amount of work has to be completed on designs and business plans if our case is to be viewed as compelling by the national body examining applications. For such a needed major project we are totally reliant on this fund. Without the money to build, our task of preparing health professionals will be harder.
By the end of this month we also have to respond to the Review of Australian Higher Education discussion paper. The outcomes of this Review are likely to have a significant bearing on how the sector evolves across the next decade.
Funding is of course a major issue and we want to be supported for our community activities (e.g. Innovation Centre). We want more support in developing our range of programs, and a more sympathetic approach to funding our rapidly growing research profile. All of these activities are predicated on advancing the Sunshine Coast as a robust and sustainable region.
As I have said so many times, no previous public university in this country has had such meager resources applied to its establishment than USC. Despite the adversities and the hostile funding formulae, USC has succeeded, and promises to be one of the strongest universities of the 21st Century, if we can influence the future funding parameters to respond to our distinctive and focused regional mission, that links us with other such regions internationally.
If the Review results in jettisoning tired, dated funding regimes, and recognising and rewarding the nation-building roles undertaken by USC in growth mode, then this University will continue to go from strength to strength, as it has done since 1996.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor at the University of the Sunshine Coast.