Victorian government statement of expectations of RTOs

Victoria

3 May 2013 Principles and obligations for government contracted training providers in Victoria The Victorian government has published a “statement of expectations” of private RTOS contracted to deliver government-subsidised training under the Victorian Training Guarantee. The government says the statement explains what is expected of contracted providers in service provision and business practice in terms of responsibilities and ethical behaviours. It also provides a framework to promote ethical day-to-day conduct and decision making says that providers are expected to: demonstrate a commitment to serving the public interest; be responsive to the needs of Government and the … [Read more...]

Students & staff must have a voice in uni affairs

Students

The Australian      |     20 February 2013 While recent state legislation allows Victorian universities to cut student and staff members from their governing councils, they will need to ensure that they still have a voice.  Legal sources say that universities have  a legal duty to ensure their councils are responsive to student and staff concerns, just as corporations have responsibilities shareholders and that universities that don't retain such representation on councils should consider setting up other formal bodies to provide a clear process of consultation. In November Tertiary Education Quality and Standards chief Carol Nicoll wrote to all Victorian universities reminding them … [Read more...]

TDA Newsletter

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TDA Newsroom    |    12 November 2012 Tertiary leaders counsel Victorian Government against amendments to TAFE and university governance The Australian Financial Review has reported on high-level concerns regarding legislation proposed by the Baillieu Government, scheduled to be debated in Victoria’s lower house this week. Executive Director of the Victorian TAFE Association (VTA), David Williams, and National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) President, Jeannie Rae, expressed their concern regarding the practical effects of the proposed Bill on the autonomy of university and TAFE governing councils. The AFR reported today that Chairs of university councils are divided on the … [Read more...]

Academics demand Baillieu abandon council changes

Open letter

NTEU Newsroom    |     12 November 2012 An open letter advertisement in The  Age newspaper signed by 225 of Victoria’s academic leaders calls for the Baillieu Government to abandon its Education Legislation Amendment (Governance) Bill which goes before Parliament this week. The Bill will strip staff and student representatives of guaranteed seats on university councils. The signatories say that the Bill “is a fundamental threat to the autonomy of universities and will destroy, overnight, the centuries-old constitutional tradition that protects universities from direction by the state and interference from commercial and sectional interests”: The term university derives from the Latin … [Read more...]

Students, staff protest uni council changes

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The Age    |    7 November 2012 Students and staff want universities to follow Melbourne University’s lead and condemn proposed laws that strip their right to a place on Victoian uiversity governing councils.   University councils and TAFE boards must include elected student and staff representatives under present rules. But Higher Education Minister Peter Hall says they will need to have the "necessary skills and experience" before they could sit on their institutes' governing bodies under the proposed rules. While Melbourne' s chancellor Elizabeth Alexander  has come out strongly against the change, other universities seemed to be not fussed or keen to embrace them. Monash … [Read more...]

The Scan Main Edition | 2 November 2012 | Issue no. 97

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Fears over research implications of trade law 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. University of Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Jill Trewhella has characterised the legislation as an “attack on our research enterprise”, saying it is “extraordinary” for these kinds of constraints to be put on “our communication for fundamental science that … [Read more...]

University lashes governing council changes

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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...]

LH Martin Insights September 2012

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What’s the role of information in university planning? Bond University Vice-Chancellor Tim Brailsford questions whether having access to more information will improve decision-making within the university sector.  A view from my packing boxes University of Wollongong Vice-Chancellor  Prof. Paul Wellingson developing the next generations of researchers to help drive Australia’s national competitiveness. From innovation to impact 2012 Endeavour Executive Award winner Lorelle Espinosa on how countries like the U.S. and Australia can ensure a brighter future in science, technology, engineering and maths.  Who should pay for Higher Education in Australia? LH Martin Institute Research … [Read more...]

The Scan 22 March 2012

A brick wall

If you're looking for the latest edition of The Scan, it's HERE _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Control and click headlines and highlights to link to articles, Links may not work unless you or your organisation is a paid subscriber to the originating media outlet.  Check with your communications people about subscriptions. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Commonwealth unveils multi-billion dollar skills plan The Commonwealth government has elevated skills training to be a key economic driver by promising that all … [Read more...]

No role for TEQSA in UQ scandal

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The Australian  23 April 2012  An investigation by regulators into last year's University of Queensland admission scandal is unlikely to achieve anything but added bureaucracy and red tape, according to Richard Henry, deputy vice-chancellor at UNSW. "To an outsider it looks like the UQ governing body dealt with a very difficult matter and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency is interfering well after the event without any prospect of adding value,'' said Professor Henry, "I am at a loss to understand what value TEQSA has to add to a properly functioning governing body at UQ.'' So are we: Issues of university governance NewsEXTRA... … [Read more...]

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