From research to teaching and associated admin work, academics have heavy workloads, and they’re not getting lighter. In a 2015 survey of 155 early- to mid-career Australian academics, titled Academic Work/Life Balance: Challenges for Theory and Practice, the average working ...
More »Monthly Archives: April 2017
UA says ‘enough is enough’ to federal Budget cuts
Universities Australia has told the federal government that “enough is enough” when it comes to the shrinking public pool of funds for the sector. Releasing a UA analysis that showed universities and students have already contributed $3.9 billion to rein ...
More »ARC announces new chief executive
Professor Sue Thomas, University of New England provost and deputy vice-chancellor, is to be the next chief executive of the Australian Research Council (ARC). The announcement was made by federal education minister Simon Birmingham. “Professor Thomas is an experienced university ...
More »Future formula: how VU’s focus on first year fortunes will affect longterm outcomes
A focus on first-year students is embracing tertiary education’s big picture. The longterm outcome for this blueprint is a person much better equipped for the workforce. Australian education is at a crossroads. Most students entering tertiary education will have had ...
More »Greens to establish Senate inquiry into 457 visa abolition
The federal government’s changes to 457 visas are likely to pass the Senate despite moves by the Greens to establish an inquiry to into the new policy. Sarah Hanson-Young, the Greens spokesperson for finance, trade and education, said the Greens ...
More »#SummerLifeQLD helping overseas students fulfil their academic and hashtagging dreams
#SummerLifeQLD is a Queensland government initiative to promote the Sunshine State and its universities to overseas students looking to spend a semester Down Under. As evidenced by the hashtaggy name, #SummerLifeQLD has a social media component. Participating students are encouraged ...
More »Opinion: The top five educational technology trends for 2017
It’s an exciting time for the education sector and one of the reasons for this is the increasingly connected world of the classroom. Smart devices have been the backbone of the education system for some time, but this year we’ll ...
More »Scientists lack consensus on the March for Science
In 2017, vaccines are falsely linked to autism; homeopaths make millions of dollars from snake-oil treatments they claim can cure cancer; and Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier, heads the US Environmental Protection Agency. These facts paint a dystopian picture ...
More »457 visa axing prompts uni warning of ‘unintended consequences’
The sandstone universities have warned that brilliant minds could be locked out of Australia because of the abolition of the 457 visa. In a letter to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the Group of Eight lobby group representing the Universities of Sydney, ...
More »Why you shouldn’t blow off STEAM
Humans can get back their competitive advantage by focusing on the arts. For some time now, the dominant voice across Australia has despaired at the country’s lack of standardised knowledge when it comes to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). ...
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