Major uni reviews underway
15 March 2008
It has been a hectic week, at the centre of which has been a briefing for Vice-Chancellors within the new ‘Universities Australia’ forum in Canberra.
We had discussions with a number of Ministers and the Deputy Prime Minister. Minister Gillard outlined the way she is approaching the higher education revolution and it seems that a review of university funding is imminent. Minister Ellis is gauging the impact of voluntary student unionism, whilst Minister Carr is looking at innovation and research and the ways in which there can be a sharper focus and more efficient distribution of funds.
All of the presentations and following discussions were predicated on Labor Party policy pronouncements. For example, the Prime Minister has emphasised that Australia has to “become the most educated country, the most skilled economy and the best trained workforce in the world.”
Some States have already supported this national vision. Ex-Premier Beattie, for example, has said about ‘Smart State’: “We have to use our brains in order to guarantee future prosperity. The future depends on us being a ‘brain-gain’ nation. Our modest population and geographic location will always demand this approach.”
In relation to this State-Commonwealth theme, the Ministers raised the importance of negotiations currently underway that would clarify how different levels of government should contribute to these national goals. With a new amalgamated Council, this debate is also a crucial consideration for local government, especially important on the Sunshine Coast where we have no Federal Labour representation, and every politically astute person would know how important that is in acquiring support from governments. Look at the progress of marginal constituencies for evidence.
The difficult national economic circumstances were mentioned frequently by the Ministers, suggesting that a ‘revolution’ might become ‘evolution’, and a number of national reviews would cause some delays but be influential in determining eventual outcomes.
The maintenance backlogs, the slide in staff-student ratios, the lack of research infrastructure, to mention a few, bedevil all universities and urgent injections of financial support are needed if the sector is to remain internationally competitive, but immediate, large-scale responses remain in doubt ahead of budget clarification.
Huge challenges that need urgent address, so one can only hope that conceptualising and funding the higher education revolution does not become too protracted.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor at the University of the Sunshine Coast.