Fairfax Media | 16 July 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Abbott government's first Budget has taken another hit after the Senate blocked $435 million in university cuts originally proposed by Labor. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......… The vote is the first indication of how the new Senate may vote on the government's sweeping higher education reform agenda, which includes a full deregulation of fees, a 20 per cent across-the-board course funding cut and increased interest on student debts. A UMR Research poll, commissioned by the National Tertiary Education Union, has identified strong opposition to key Budget measures. An average of 69% of people opposed … [Read more...]
La Trobe cuts economics
04/07/2014 by
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...]
Universities united over student debts proposals
06/06/2014 by
Fairfax Media | 5 June 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Although vice-chancellors are divided on the issue of fee deregulation, a Fairfax Media poll reveals the Commonwealth government faces blanket opposition from university vice-chancellors to its plan to increase the interest rate on all student debts to up to 6% and slash university funding by 20%. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… These measures have sparked criticism from many university leaders who would otherwise have rallied behind the government's plan to deregulate university fees. Peak body Universities Australia is calling on the government to rethink both policies. Giving ground on these … [Read more...]
The Scan | #153 | 6 June 2014
06/06/2014 by
UA calls for a rethink of reforms 6 June 2014 | Universities Australia has called for a “pause” to enable a rethink on the design of the proposed changes to the student loan program and the 20% cut in the Government contribution to student fees. Applying what UA describes as “reasonably conservative assumptions”, its modelling of the impact of the proposed shows that student debt levels are likely to at least double. Under a “medium fee increase” scenario, with a 4% interest rate, an engineering graduate working full-time faces a HELP debt of between $98,952 and $113,169 and would repay it over a period of 20 – 25 years. This is compared with $46,701 to $49,284 debt and 14 to 18 … [Read more...]
Govt blinking over budget measures
24/05/2014 by
ABC News | 24 May 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Commonwealth government has conceded it will need to compromise on some of its more controversial budget measures to get them through a hostile Senate. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Education minister Christopher Pyne has told told Fairfax Media that he accepts his plan to deregulate universities is unlikely to pass in full. He said he is "realistic enough" to see that the proposal will require amendments. Pyne has highlighted potential changes to the interest rate and salary threshold at which students would be required to pay back their university loans. Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the … [Read more...]
Australian unis fall in ranking
06/03/2014 by
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...]
Stirring and shaking Australia’s tertiary sector – and the economy
02/03/2014 by
26 February 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… In her address to the National Press Club, one of the set pieces of the annual Universities Australia Conference, UA chair Sandra Harding noted what a bizarre year 2013 was with five ministers and multiple policy gyrations. She emphasised, as chairs of UA tend to, that putting public money into higher education is more investment than expenditure, and she ran out the numbers to prove it. But she posed an interesting question: Are we trapped by the very language we use – and the behaviour that language invites? I wonder whether, at some deep, even subconscious, level we have been acting on the basis we are 'done' somehow, … [Read more...]
ALP does its own backflip with twist
03/12/2013 by
NTEU News | 3 December 2013 Now opposed to cuts to university funding announced in April In the lead up to this year’s election, one commentator noted that "if the Coalition in government carries through with the ALP’s cuts [to higher education spending] foreshadowed in the Budget, they may put a future ALP opposition in a difficult position – forcing it to decide whether to vote against the policy change they proposed." Well, maybe not so difficult a position after all. The NTEU has congratulated the now Labor opposition on its decision today to oppose Christopher Pyne’s damaging funding cuts to Australian universities and their students. NTEU president Jeannie Rea says: The … [Read more...]
