University lashes governing council changes

01/11/2012 by
Unis1

The Age    |    26 October 2012          The Australian    |    26 October 2012 Melbourne University chancellor Elizabeth Alexander has lashed out at the government about changes to the make-up of university councils in a letter to students and staff, which said she had told the government about her concerns to no avail. ”We are disappointed by the action of the government and its apparent unwillingness to respond to our objections,” she said. Under present rules university councils and TAFE boards must include elected student and staff representatives. But according to legislation passing through Parliament this week, these representatives could only be appointed by the council or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coalition policies, University of Melbourne Tagged With: , ,

Asian Century White Paper is big on rhetoric, small on ideas

01/11/2012 by
Australia in the Asian Century

The Conversation     |    29 October 2012 The Australia in the Asian Century White Paper has vaulting ambitions equally matched by a limited set of policy ideas for institutional reform. Unlike Ross Garnaut’s 1989 report, Australia and the Northeast Asian Ascendancy, which served a menu of economic reform, the white paper is constituted as a “road map” directed at changing the institutional culture of social, economic, and educational institutions for the Asian century. But it neglects the real and thorny political choices needed to create the “fair and prosperous society” proposed within its pages. Such a society is a laudable objective and the report is a timely recognition that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commonwealth policies, International, Uncategorized, universities Tagged With: , ,

Controversial Defence Trade Controls legislation enacted

01/11/2012 by
research

2  November 2012 A controversial Defence Trade Controls Bill has now passed the Senate, following the rejection by the House of Representatives of an earlier Senate amendment (“amendment nine”), that would have exempted fundamental research  from the restrictive provisions of the legislation.  The legislation will give effect to a 2007 treaty between Australia and the US over trade in defence goods and services. A permit will be needed "if the researcher will be communicating information that is regulated by the Defence and Strategic Goods List to a person outside Australia" allowing the government to "assess the risk of providing that technology to a person overseas". Sections … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Commonwealth policies, National Tertiary Education Union, Research, Universities Australia Tagged With: , ,

Astronomer awarded PM’s prize for science

01/11/2012 by

Commonwealth Newsroom     |   31 October 2012 An Australian who has truly made a galactic impact Professor Ken Freeman has been awarded the 2012 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science for almost 50 years work shaping and changing the human view of galaxies and the universe.  Best known for his discovery of dark matter in the universe, Freeman also founded one of the most exciting fields of study in astronomy today, galactic archaeology. Freeman, an astronomer at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, is regarded internationally as Australia’s most renowned astronomer. Other 2012 prize winners are Eric May, Mark … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ANU, Commonwealth policies, Science Tagged With: , , ,

Mid level quals undervalued

01/11/2012 by
diplomas

The Australian    |    1 November 2012 Robust, standalone qualifications are key for addressing technical skill gaps in the workforce, RMIT vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner, told a recent conference on the future of med-level (AQF 5-6) qualifications. But Australia is "weak" on valuing diplomas and associate degrees as effective qualifications in their own right, according to Gardner and she warned of a looming gap in mid-level technical skills in the economy because the focus of diplomas and associate degrees was too often limited to their role as degree pathways. She said Australia is in danger of "missing the boat" in developing the necessary mid-level technical and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Conferences, LH Martin Institute, NCVER, Qualifications Tagged With: , ,

Vic skills reform premised on creative figuring

01/11/2012 by
Securing jobs

TAFE in Victoria       |    29 October 2012 In this illuminating slide show, sourced through the TAFE in Victoria news site, the Australian Education Union suggests that the skills crisis/deficit in the Victorian workforce was massively overstated to justify skills reform – a classic case of “policy-based evidence”.  It’s a pretty unarguable proposition actually – and was pointed out to officials at the time (as was the fact that the school leaving age had been increased from 16 years to 17 years old).  In making the case for skills reform, in April 2008, the then Victorian government asserted: Currently, there are more than 1.4 million adult Victorians who do not hold any post school … [Read more...]

Filed Under: AEU, TAFE, Vocational education & training Tagged With: , , ,

VET reform “crisis”: what crisis?

01/11/2012 by

Campus Review    |    29 October 2012 The Scan has published a great many posts on the negative aspects of VET reform in Victoria - but there's been a lot to publish because commentary and analysis has been overwhelmingly negative.  In this edited opinion piece from Campus Review, Claire Field, CEO of the Australian Council of Private Education and Training (ACPET), makes the case both for the need for reform and an enhanced role for private providers and points to the positive outcomes:  increased participation in training,  not least among equity groups, and strong employment outcomes. _______________________________________ This post has been removed at the request of Campus … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ACPET, Uncategorized, Vocational education & training Tagged With: , , , ,

A post on The Scan

01/11/2012 by

29 November 2012 This 101st edition of The Scan Main Edition is the last for 2012.  But keep visiting:  we will be posting regular updates until 14 December, by which time a goodly part will be slipping into the festive season and the somnolence of the Antipodean summer.  Posting will resume about the middle of January 2013, with the first university offer rounds, and the Main Edition will resume on 7 February.  Here's some facts and figures about The Scan. Back Story The first edition of The Scan was published on 26 June 2010 as a Word documented circulated as an email attchment to a handful of educrats and university staff in Victoria.  It went to a web based format as part of Inter … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Lukewarm reception for Asia white paper

01/11/2012 by
Australia in the Asian Century

2 November 2012 The Australia in the Asian Century White Paper has received a relatively lukewarm reception from the university sector, being described by one commentator as having "vaulting ambitions equally matched by a limited set of policy ideas for institutional reform".  The ATN welcomed the paper and its heavy focus on the role of universities in delivering greater strength to our ties in the  region, but   said without prioritisation and funding commitments the objectives simply could not be implemented – no matter how worthy they might be. The sector acknowledged that the government's $37 million AsiaBound program will go a long way toward meeting the objective of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ATN, Commonwealth policies, International, universities, Universities Australia Tagged With: , ,
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