The Canberra Times | 27 October 2013
ANU vice-chancellor Ian Young has confirmed that the university is contemplating changes after a recent speech by Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt, in which he argued that the university should cut undergraduate numbers to ”about 8000”. ANU has around 20,000 students (12,000 undergraduate and 8,283 postgraduate). Schmidt proposed a reduction in tenured jobs and the introduction of interviews for potential students. He also called for the introduction of classes offering students ”life skills”.
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Young said the proposed changes had been discussed for some time and were on the table but no firm decisions on the proposed changes would be made for a ”long time yet”.
There are obviously financial implications. I don’t rule it out, I don’t rule it in. You’re looking at a debate that will go for six to eight months in the new year. It’s a debate that the nation needs to have.
Young said the wider community would be invited to engage in the debate as the university got its ”internal act together” and continued its funding discussions with the federal government.
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