The Guardian | 11 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Labor Party has confirmed its opposition to the Abbott government’s proposed university funding cuts and fee deregulation, launching a campaign with the National Union of Students (NUS) to ramp up protests against the plan. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Universities will have to raise fees by an average of about 30% to make up for planned funding cuts. All students enrolling since the May budget will be subject to the deregulated fees. Some universities have assured those students who enrolled mid-year, after the budget, that they will be exempt from deregulated fees come 2016, but the sector … [Read more...]
Group of Eight Newsletter August 2014
12/08/2014 by
……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Table of Contents • Imagining an Australia built on the brilliance of our people • Go8 names new Executive Director effective January 2015 • Learning let loose: reforming our universities • New Go8 Indicators • New Go8 Publications • Go8 sponsors Australia Day at the 64th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting • Go8 conducts pre-departure briefing for Brazilian SWB Students • Go8 submission • New Organisation Structure at the Department of Industry • Executive Files: UWA • Research with Impact • Calendar of Events ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… … [Read more...]
Changes needed to reform package – UA
08/08/2014 by
Universities Australia | 6 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Universities Australia comment on Christopher Pyne's Press Club speech signalling he is open to negotiation on his university reform package. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… While the Christopher Pyne has made clear that he intends to introduce the package to the Parliament in its current form,he has indicated that the government would be willing to consider Senate amendments. Accordingly, Universities Australia (UA) says it will be meeting with senators to encourage them to consider changes in key areas. UA chief executive Belinda Robinson says UA agrees with the Minister … [Read more...]
The Scan | Edition # 159
08/08/2014 by
8 August 2014 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thought bubble on patents not such a bright idea 8 August 2014 | A suggestion by industry minister Ian Macfarlane – which he admitted to be a kind of “thought bubble” - that research funding should be linked to how many patents universities register would only encourage the filing of “junk” patents as the system is gamed, according to research consultant and Howard-government science adviser Thomas Barlow. Macfarlane said that using patent activity could better align university research with industry needs. … [Read more...]
UA position on university reforms dumps students – Parker
08/08/2014 by
University of Canberra | 6 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… University of Canberra vice-chancellor Stephen Parker has has affirmed his complete opposition to the government's proposed university reform package and "distanced" himself from "what appears to be the negotiating position of Universities Australia" (that is, some sort of acceptance around a deal on interest rates on student loans). He says "we are about to inflict grievous damage on the prospects of a generation of young Australians by saddling them with enormous debt; and this is being shrugged off as a mildly distasteful consequence". ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Christopher Pyne’s … [Read more...]
Australian universities should slim down – BCA
07/08/2014 by
Fairfax Media | 4 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The president of the Business Council of Australia, Catherine Livingstone, says that Australian universities are enrolling too many domestic students who should opt for vocational education and training. Go8 chair Ian Young thinks the elite universities probably will slim down if fees are deregulated. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… The president of the Business Council of Australia, Catherine Livingstone, says that Australian universities are enrolling too many domestic students who should opt for vocational education and training. She told the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce that a large … [Read more...]
TAFE should position as the “discount HE provider”
07/08/2014 by
The Australian | 1 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… NSW TAFEs have been told that they should take advantage of Coalition reforms by reinventing themselves as the "discount airline of higher education" vis-a-vis universities. We see the point but you need to be careful: TAFE ought not be - nor be seen to be - as a cheap, low quality and potentially unsafe alternative. TigerAir gets a bad press and, from our once only experience, thoroughly deserves it. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… In a report on fees and pricing strategies, consultants SMS Management and Technology told TAFE NSW that federal government proposals — specifically, the deregulation … [Read more...]
Budget cuts of over $1.5b per year give universities “no choice” – NTEU
07/08/2014 by
NTEU | 6 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The impact of the Federal Budget’s 20% per student funding cut leaves universities with a massive funding black hole amounting to more than $1.5 billion a year from 2019 onwards, argues the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) in its latest budget analysis briefing paper. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… The impact is heavier upon regional and outer metropolitan universities that are traditionally more reliant on Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding as a source of income. The NTEU calculates that universities will have to increase their fees by about 30% on average … [Read more...]
HELP is in need of help
07/08/2014 by
The Conversation | 1 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… An important issue for Australian university funding concerns the rate of interest applied to Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt. For the last 25 years the debts have been adjusted to inflation; this has ensured that the loan carries a zero real rate of interest for all debtors. Times have changed. The 2014/15 budget proposes that the debt be adjusted to the long-term government bond rate, which would lead to significant inequities in the system. Bruce Chapman and Timothy Higgins (ANU) recently conducted some research on this issue, and found there are alternative indexation arrangements worth … [Read more...]
Pyne open to negotiation on HECS interest
07/08/2014 by
Fairfax Media | 7 August 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Education minister Christopher Pyne has confirmed the federal government is considering modifying its plan to apply real interest to student debts following widespread criticism, including by university vice-chancellors. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Pyne told the National Press Club the government will introduce its higher education package to the House of Representatives in its entirety with the expectation of passing it into law in September, but he expects some aspects will not make it through the Senate. It would be immature and churlish of the government if it walked away … [Read more...]
