University cost cutting

Job axe to fall at UWA

14/12/2015 by intermediatescan

ABC NEWS | 11 December 2015 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The University of Western Australia (UWA) will lay off 300 staff as part of sweeping cuts aimed at reducing costs. The university will slash 100 academic positions and 200 professional positions early next year. Fifty new academic positions will be created to enhance the university's "capability and impact in areas of comparative advantage". …………………………………………………………………………………….......…… UWA Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Johnson said in a statement that 2015 had been a challenging year for the Australian higher education sector: UWA, like many universities, has a budget challenge. As highlighted during the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Higher education policy, universities, Univesity of Western Australia Tagged With: Tertiary education news and headlines, University, University budgets, University cost cutting, University funding, University news

La Trobe cuts economics

04/07/2014 by intermediatescan

The Australian | 27 June 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… La Trobe University is planning to cut about 69 academic positions in its business, economic and law faculty with economics, accounting, management and marketing the worst hit. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Academic staff in economics will be cut by almost two-thirds to just 10 under a proposed restructure circulated to staff . The Australian reports that academic staff positions in accounting will be cut in half from something currently over 30, though about eight new positions will be created. La Trobe wasn’t able to confirm the exact number of jobs that will be lost in economics, but … [Read more...]

Filed Under: La Trobe University Tagged With: Staffing, University budgets, University cost cutting, University cuts, university redundancies

Melbourne confirms 540 jobs to go

05/06/2014 by intermediatescan

ABC News | 5 June 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The University of Melbourne plans to cut 540 administrative jobs (15% of the non-academic workforce) by January 2016 as part of a $70 million savings program. The job cuts do not include academic staff. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… The university delivered the news to staff members at meeting earlier today. The university's vice chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, issued a statement after the meeting: It was not an easy message to deliver, or receive, that the university has to undertake this reduction in the total number of professional staff. We are hopeful we can minimise the impact on staff through … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Budget, Group of 8, Higher education policy, Industrial relations, National Tertiary Education Union, universities, University of Melbourne, university staffing Tagged With: Industrial relations, University budgets, University cost cutting, university staff cuts

Quelle surprise (2): Go8 takes a contrary view on fee deregulation

05/06/2014 by intermediatescan

The Australian | 5 June 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Australia’s elite universities have broken ranks with the higher education peak body, saying bungled reforms under Labor make Education Minister Christopher Pyne’s unpopular changes "necessary" and "inevitable". ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Mike Gallagher, executive director of the Group of Eight universities, says the Abbott government had no “realistic policy alternatives” to its proposed budget reforms, which will see funding rates cut, student fees deregulated, a real interest applied to student loans and universities exposed to private sector competition. Although he stopped short of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Budget, Coalition policies, Commonwealth policies, Government, Group of 8, Higher education policy, University of Melbourne, University reform, UNSW Tagged With: Budgets, Equity, Fee deregulation, Fees, university autonomy, University budgets, University cost cutting, University funding, University participation

VU to cut 300 more jobs

05/05/2014 by intermediatescan

5 May 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Victoria University seeks to reposition itself as the "university of opportunity" as it cuts 300 jobs - 13% of its workforce- in an effort to cut costs by $50 million by 2016. ………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................... The university's vice-chancellor Peter Dawkins said about 200 professional staff and 100 academic staff would be cut. VU has struggled since student places were uncapped in 2012 and its traditional Western Melbourne student cohort were offered places at the more prestigious institutions, such as Melbourne and RMIT. Dawkins says the university needs to brace itself for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coalition policies, Higher education policy, Industrial relations, universities, University budgets, Victoria University Tagged With: Industrial relations, staff, University budgets, University cost cutting, university redundancies, University strategic plans

Australian unis fall in ranking

06/03/2014 by intermediatescan

The Australian | 6 March 2014 The Guardian | 6 March 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Australia’s leading universities have tumbled in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… All Australian universities lost ground in 2014, with Melbourne now the only institution in the top 50 after the Australian National University and Sydney University both tumbled into the 61-70 bracket (from 42 and 49 respectively). Queensland University is now in the 81-90 bracket, while the University of New South Wales is in the 91-100 grouping. Monash dropped out of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ANU, Commonwealth policies, Rankings, Universities Australia, University budgets, University of Melbourne, University of NSW, University of Queensland, University of Sydney Tagged With: THE rankings, University budgets, University cost cutting, University cuts

Lilydale – for sale

03/03/2014 by intermediatescan

Real Commercial | 3 March 2014 Swinburne University has put its now closed Lilydale campus on the market. The university advises: Expressions of interest are being sought for the property on the basis of its current zoning of Public Use – Education.The University’s preferred outcome is to identify a user for part or all of the site for ongoing educational purposes, consistent with the underlying zoning and utilising the existing facilities. Alternatively, it will make a pretty good housing estate overlooking that lake. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Landmark Education Facility on Massive Site 40 Melba Avenue, Lilydale, Vic 3140 23.00ha (56.83 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Swinburne University, The Scan Tagged With: Campus rationalisation, TAFE infrastructure, University cost cutting

The Scan # 144 20 December 2013

20/12/2013 by intermediatescan

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our best wishes for a joyful festive season and a happy and prosperous year in 2014 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TAFE grants rescinded TAFEs have slammed the government’s decision to shut them out of a competitive capital grants fund, reneging on $76 million awarded by the previous government. 19 December 2013 | The grants, to TAFEs in the Sunshine Coast, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: acer, ACPET, Australian Technology Network, Budget, Commonwealth policies, Federation University, Government, Higher education policy, IRU, Life & stuff, National Tertiary Education Union, NCVER, Qualifications, Regional, Regional Universities Network, TAFE, TAFE Directors Australia, Tertiary media, The Scan, Universities Australia, VET, Vocational education & training Tagged With: Diversity, Fees, Funding, Life & stuff, NTEU, TAFE, TAFE funding, tertiary entry, Tertiary participation, University cost cutting, University funding, University mergers

Selling HECS debt not such a great idea

19/12/2013 by intermediatescan

The Australian | 19 December 2013 Selling off student debt would be "pointless" at best and costly at worst, modelling for peak body Universities Australia has found. The report by consultants ACIL Allen says privatising the HECS debt is a "marginal proposition" that could cost the government $6.5 billion while putting educational policy evelopment on ice. Selling HECS debt is, from a public policy perspective, neutral at best and a bad idea at worst. Any apparent improvement in the government's budget position … would be entirely illusionary. The government's national commission of audit is considering the sale of HECS revenue streams to private investors in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Budget, Coalition policies, Commonwealth policies, Government, Higher education policy, Uncategorized, Universities Australia Tagged With: Commission of Audit, Funding, HECS, University cost cutting

Policy directions in higher education

15/12/2013 by intermediatescan

ACPET | 15 December 2013 In this commentary for the ACPET Journal for Private Education, Brendan Sheehan looks to the higher education policy horizon under the newly elected Coalition government. On the face of it, he writes, education generally is an area in which little immediate change would be anticipated, with the major parties going to the election on broadly bipartisan platforms. But no sooner had the ink dried on Christopher Pyne's commission as minister for education than he was canvassing a range of interesting propositions around concerning equity, quality and the demand driven system and the sale of HECs debt. The simple fact of the National Commission of Audit and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ACPET, Coalition policies, Commonwealth policies, Government, Grattan Institute, Group of 8, Higher Education Standards Panel, National Tertiary Education Union Tagged With: ATAR, Commission of Audit, Equity, Funding, Tertiary participation, university admission, University budgets, University cost cutting, university entry standards, University news