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...]
Reconceptualising Tertiary Education
30/04/2014 by
1 May 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Date: Thursday 22 May 2014 Time: 6.15pm for 6.30pm start Location: Victoria University City Flinders Campus 300 Flinders Street, Melbourne Level 11, Lecture Theatre 11.01 Dress: Business attire RSVP: Thursday 15 May 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................... In this inaugural Mitchell Institute lecture, Professor Peter Dawkins, Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University, will present the case for a substantial reshaping of Australia’s tertiary education system and address three specific questions: Does the Kemp-Norton Review of the Demand Driven Model of Higher … [Read more...]
Dual sector unis ‘happy to ditch TAFE label’
05/03/2014 by
The Australian | 5 March 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… It appears Victoria’s four dual-sector universities have quietly dumped their TAFE status and the burden of state government reporting that went with it. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… New legislation will see state government-owned TAFE assets and infrastructure transferred to the dual-sector universities. It also frees them to negotiate wage deals with TAFE teachers without the state government having to approve the agreements. Andrew Smith, Federation University’s deputy vice-chancellor (academic), said there are no funding implications, noting changes to state funding arrangements meant … [Read more...]
LH Martin Insights
02/03/2014 by
LH Martin Institute | 28 February 2014 World University Rankings pivotal to universities’ international standing by Professor Roy Crawford Universities have a love-hate relationship with world university rankings – they are positive about them when they do well, much less so when they experience a decline. Universities are justifiably cynical in regard to the methodology employed by the three main ranking systems. However it seems inevitable that the rankings are here to stay and they cannot be ignored. Can universities learn? by Alan Lawler What would it take for a university to focus its … [Read more...]
RMIT dumps the TAFE brand
24/02/2014 by
24 February 2014 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… RMIT vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner has announced that RMIT is availing itself of recent changes in Victorian government legislation to dump its standing as an institute of technical and further education – a public TAFE. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… She said that “TAFE” doesn’t fit with RMIT’s strategic directions as “a global university of technology and design” nor do “students find TAFE a helpful or useful descriptor”. While RMIT will still be accountable for any public funding it receives for vocational education activity, it will no longer be bound by the regulatory, reporting and governance … [Read more...]
There goes the “T”: RMIT drops the TAFE brand
24/02/2014 by
24 February 2014…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………RMIT has announced that it is renouncing the TAFE brand and is now styling itself as a provider of vocational education. In this notice to staff, vice-chancellor Margaret Gardener explains the rationale for the change.…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Dear colleaguesThe global vocational education landscape presents many opportunities for RMIT and we are well placed to take them. A recent legislative change has provided further assistance to seizing these advantages.We have used TAFE and vocational education interchangeably at RMIT for some time – for the future we should use only vocational education to refer to the … [Read more...]
Federation University’s season approaches
19/12/2013 by
19 December 2013 Federation University – a merger between the University of Ballarat and Monash University’s Gippsland campus – comes into being on 1 January 2013. This “seasonal greeting” recounts the journey to this point. Let’s wish them well. See Ballarat becomes Fed Uni … [Read more...]
The Scan | #143 | 11 November 2013
11/11/2013 by
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Typhoon Haiyan slams the PhilippinesSuper Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful on record, destroyed thousands of homes as it tracked across central Philippines. Winds of more than 300km/h, flash flooding and landslides have left families without shelter, food and water. Thousands of people are feared dead. Red Cross staff and volunteers are on the ground in the disaster-affected communities, helping people evacuate and providing emergency first aid and relief supplies, such as food, water and … [Read more...]
Lilydale grant suspended over potential “conflict of interest”
08/11/2013 by
Herald-Sun | 8 November 2013 The Herald-Sun reports that “thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money has (sic) been wasted after a bungle over a state government grant to a local council”. The Yarra Ranges Shire Council was given a $100,000 grant in July to look into options for how the former Swinburne University site in Lilydale could be used for education purposes. But before the council was handed the cash it had announced it wanted to use part of the site to house its new municipal offices. A complaint was made to the Victorian Ombudsman about a potential conflict of interest over the site's use – namely, "the council has a conflict of interest in being the custodian of … [Read more...]
ANU considers its future
01/11/2013 by
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''. People will get a good understanding in a quick short form of economics, policy and business. Young said the proposed changes had been discussed … [Read more...]
