A joint report prepared by casual lecturers at the University of Sydney has concluded that some university courses are only continuing because staff are not being paid their full hours. In what the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is now ...
More »Strictly speaking | Get-up
This informal word has multiple senses – not all overlapping – depending on which dictionary you consult. They do agree on get-up being an unusual costume or outfit which draws attention to the wearer. “Get-up nights” are a suburban extravaganza ...
More »Change in public perception may help to counter ‘looming’ teacher shortage
The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) is expecting a record number of students from its postgraduate education program to graduate over the next two years as Australia braces for a looming shortage of teachers. Dr Susan Simon, USC’s Deputy ...
More »New guidelines protect apprenticeships scheme against rorting
The peak body for independent training and tertiary providers and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have helped introduce measures to protect the government’s new Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements scheme from rorting. Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) CEO Troy ...
More »Academic leadership for a time of change
The higher education sector is going through significant changes. Universities are facing financial losses and shifts in their teaching and research funding. The changes are so significant that some in the sector suggest that the purpose of higher education needs ...
More »Strictly speaking | Furlough
Lexicographers and linguists like to make graphs to show how the usage of words ebbs and flows. It’s a trivial comparison to make, but some of these charts showing recent trends have similarities to the graphics we’ve been seeing of ...
More »‘A sad reality’: University graduates enter toughest labour market since the 1990s
Top economists have warned that university graduates this year will face the toughest labour market since the 1990s recession, and it may take years to recover from lower wages. More than 130,000 students are expected to be affected by the ...
More »Supporting staff mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19: opinion
Australia’s response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is consistent with international approaches that mandate physical distancing and self-isolation. However, evidence from prior pandemics shows that periods of self-isolation or quarantine are associated with emotions such as anger, frustration and distress. Common ...
More »Delivering quality feedback to students and staff with remote learning and skeleton staff
Recent research led by Monash University underscores the importance of assessment feedback, as well as revealing that both academic staff and students need to improve. Limited time, large class sizes, declining student motivation and subpar staff feedback sills were identified in ...
More »Vic shutdowns may prevent 100,000 students from graduating this year and affect economic recovery
A concerning situation is quickly developing for more than 100,000 independent tertiary education students in Victoria due to the state’s COVID-19 shutdown. The fear is that many of these students will be unable to complete their studies this year and ...
More »