ABC Online | 28 February 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… La Trobe University has confirmed it is cutting 350 jobs as part of a restructure. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… University management told staff at a meeting this afternoon. It is understood the redundancies are compulsory, and will affect the university's Bundoora campus in Melbourne's north west as well as its regional Victorian campuses. Virginia Mansel-Lees of the National Tertiary Education Union says it is not known what faculties will be targeted. "Staff are outraged and also worried about their jobs and job security, wondering whether their area will be targeted, if so … [Read more...]
TEQSA shake up
28/02/2014 by
28 February 2014…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………The government has introduced a bill to radically restructure the national higher education regulatory agency.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………The bill provides for a spill of the positions of the five commissioners who run the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency TEQSA.The position of chief commissioner and chief executive, held by Carol Nicoll, will be split in two and Nicoll’s position as chief commissioner terminated 21 days after the law coming into effect. The other 4 commissioner positions will terminate in three months, during which time the positions will be advertised.TEQSA has been criticised … [Read more...]
VCA takes over police stables
27/02/2014 by
27 February 2014 After many years of negotiation, the Victorian College of the Arts is to take over the Victoria Police Force horse stables, located at the rear of the college on Melbourne’s Southbank. The stables will be transformed into artists’ studios and exhibition space. The police has long resisted giving up the space, ostensibly on the basis of a police regulation that its mounted branch has to be located within "fast galloping distance" of Government House, the residence of the Governor. The $42.5 million project is being funded by the Victorian government, The University of Melbourne, the VCA and philanthropic bodies including the Myer Foundation and the Ian Potter … [Read more...]
Big six dominate rankings
27/02/2014 by
The Australian | 26 February 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Six universities have so dominated the latest international ranking of performance across 30 subject areas they have taken out 141 of the available 150 top five places nationally. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Melbourne was once again named Australia’s best performing university in the QS World University Ranking by Subject being placed first nationally in 12 of the 30 disciplines. Its best performance was in education, where it was named the second best faculty in the world, behind the University of London’s Institute of Education, up from third last year. Melbourne also took the … [Read more...]
NMIT statement on departure of CEO Andy Giddy
26/02/2014 by
26 February 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… From the circumstances of Andy Giddy's departure and the tone of this statement, something is obviously seriously amiss at NMIT. Speculation is that NMIT has gone from a relatively comfortable surplus in 2012 (about $6 million) to a burgeoning deficit in 2013. NMIT budgeted for a deficit of $13 million for 2013, but, in the event, it may have been more than double that. This is speculation: we have no independent, verifiable information concerning NMIT's current financial position. Nevertheless, it is starting to seem something like that may be the case. NMIT has a pretty strong balance sheet and ought to be able to … [Read more...]
Giddy quits
26/02/2014 by
26 February 2014 Just weeks after the launch of NMIT's joint venture Melbourne Polytechnic at the former Prahran campus of Swinburne, NMIT CEO Andrew (Andy) Giddy has suddenly resigned. There's speculation that NMIT is in a parlous financial situation due to the polytechnic project and declining enrolments. SEE NMIT statement on departure of CEO Andy Giddy Dr Andrew Giddy, CEO of Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, has stepped down by mutual agreement with the Board to take up a senior academic post elsewhere. … [Read more...]
Turning back the news when it’s safe to do so
25/02/2014 by
24 February 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… The inimitable Clarke and Dawe on the growing assault on the ABC ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Day after day, The Australian leads the assault, with its editorial pen dipped in vitriol and its reporting none too balanced. It doesn't think much of vice-chancellors and universities either, as shown in this recent editorial (National broadcaster has lost the plot and prestige). Of course The Australian isn't disinterested (which it often protests to be): references to "spread to thin" and "multiple platforms, across the vast terrestrial plain and in the digital ether" is code for the ABC should get out of its … [Read more...]
