On-campus services will never again fall foul of a political argument about student unionism, if UA and the Go8 get their way. Student services and amenities could be safeguarded by mainstream government funding – averting the danger of another VSU-style ...
More »Evidence-blind policy
For years, academics have highlighted the lack of research data about the effectiveness of marketised funding approaches for tertiary education. Now the government has some – and it’s sitting on it. The federal government has sat on a year-old report ...
More »Prudential model for TEQSA: Bradley
TEQSA could revolutionise global tertiary education à la HECS in the 80s. The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency is borrowing from the financial industry’s regulator in designing the world’s first risk framework for higher education, TEQSA’s interim chair told ...
More »HECS for income support?
The income support review could sidestep the endless argument over regional students’ eligibility for independent youth allowance. Regional students could be offered new Commonwealth loans to help them meet their living costs, with the repayments rolled into their HECS debts, ...
More »“Internal” skills gaps worsening: ACCI
Employers like dealing with universities but not their graduates, according to a new employer survey. Universities are more satisfactory providers than TAFEs and particularly private VET colleges, with a survey of 669 employers rating universities as best and private colleges ...
More »Moving the mountain to the Mid West
A WA town has found a way to get regional students to start university courses, and almost all of them to finish. Just bring the universities to town. A unique community organisation in Western Australia’s Mid West region, which brings ...
More »Funding regulator for HE: UniMelb
The government must fund universities to meet the standards demanded by TEQSA – and an independent body to ensure the funding is adequate – according to UniMelb’s submission to the base funding review. The federal government should establish an independent ...
More »Academic research 'lost without translation'
Academics have limited influence on public policy because they don’t give bureaucrats what they need, says Australia’s top public servant. Policy-makers in government turn to think tanks and consultants for evidence to base their policies on, because academic research is ...
More »VET completion rates underestimated: skills council
A report challenging claims of low VET completion rates has sparked a spat between the service industries skills council and the national VET research centre. A report commissioned by the service industries’ skills council has revealed retail training completion rates ...
More »Top education institutions aren’t tops in education research
University research into education is a matter of concern, says Kim Carr. Australian universities’ “widespread under-performance” in education research is disturbing, Innovation Minister Kim Carr told a Parliament House policy forum last week. Carr told the "HASS on the Hill" ...
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