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It didn’t take a pandemic to make Australian universities sick

Australian universities were left exposed and shocked when health experts and the government decided to close the country’s borders. But this was not some kind of shock that would bruise Australian universities, leave them scrambling for money and jettisoning courses left, right and centre, and lead to some gradual return to normality and financial viability.
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A well-presented and informed discussion of the issues.
A major problem is that the Commonwealth and State Governments allowed, even encouraged, an industry to develop out of the public sector without any semblance of an “industry” policy. The rapid expansion of international student income over the last 5 years was not without its risks. Several universities did manage those risks quite well.
The experience demonstrates the need for much better financial oversight. The extraordinarily tight current and cash ratios in a few universities should have set alarm bells ringing a couple of years ago.
Responsibility/accountability for financial oversight is clouded. Is it State Auditors-General? Or is it TEQSA? The Commonwealth Minister?