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Features
Just in at the keep calm and carry on desk
Ukraine’s National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance is a member of the new Global Academic Integrity Network (scroll down).
There’s more in the Mail
In Features this morning
Maree Meredith (Poche SA+NT) on why universities need more Indigenous leaders HERE.
with Tim Winkler (Twig Marketing) on outrage over early uni offers and why it misses the point
and Lynne Hunt (Uni Southern Queensland) and Denise Chalmers (UWA) on the loss of learning resources for uni teachers. This week’s selection by Commissioning Editor Sally Kift.
And Expert Opinion on Open Data
Mark Hahnel (Figshare) suggests, “a future of ubiquitous research data publishing in academia is in reach. It may prove to be a step change in knowledge discovery if all stakeholders continue to push for unobstructed, equitable data publishing with high quality metadata for humans and machines.” As long, that is, as researchers want their data to be open. He, talks about it HERE .
Get ready Australia
As the nation debates the merits of a Voice to Parliament, a new conference asks whether the sector is ready for First Nations voices in HE
Are you ready Australia?, an on-line conference. 10-11 November, is by organised by Poche SA+NT in partnership with Twig Marketing, to provide an opportunity for all staff to engage in fresh perspectives into the role and relevance of Australian universities in future.
New and emerging Indigenous leaders will join panels alongside sector leaders, students and community members, promising fresh insights.
Tickets are available HERE
Job Ready Graduates does not work, at any price
Max Yong ran uni entry data and found price incentives on undergraduate fees don’t work – which rather wrecks the case for previous government’s Job Ready Graduates funding model
Mr Yong used NSW Universities Admission Centre data from 2014 to 2022 to examine the relationship between course fees and student study choices for his Uni Melbourne economic hons thesis. The result is the first stats-based analysis of the assumptions underpinning JRG – that students respond to price signals.
He presented his findings to a Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education seminar yesterday.
Mr Yong found that students are price sensitive, just not very. His model found that a 1 per cent increase in course price reduced demand by 0.039 per cent. To increase demand for favoured courses by 1 per cent a government would need to reduce fees by 25.3 per cent cent.
And JRG did not have much impact for enrolments in disciplines the coalition favour. Fees for nursing, teaching and agriculture were dropped by 26 per cent but the per centage of applications only increased by 4.58 per cent – and most of that was due to a trend in-place per pre JRG trend. Mr Yong calculates the actual effect of the discount was less than 1 per cent.
Overall he found;
* school leavers are more price sensitive than mature-age applicants
* uni applicants from non-English speaking households are “much more” price sensitive than those from English speaking households
* annual fee changes varied due to course choice, women are up for $107 more than men, Indigenous students $75 more than others. Fee increases for students from private schools are $523 more for those from public schools.
Mr Yong’s take-out is, “if the government wants to control university enrolments across different fields of study, it should not use price as an incentive for students.”
RAT vending machines at Uni Melbourne
But those fancying a rodent snack are out of luck
This is RAT as in rapid antigen test kit, to “ help detect and reduce transmission of COVID-19 in our community.”
They’re free for staff and students, via four vending machines on the Parkville campus – people need an access card that management distributes. There are eight free tests a month.
New fee a long time coming
The Commonwealth’s Tuition Protection Service has invoiced private HE and VET providers for their respective tuition protection levies
The levies were set under 2020 legislation, but not charged during the pandemic. They include a premium based on the risk of a provider defaulting, an admin fee, and contributions to a kitty to cover a big bust.
It dates from a coalition plan in 2018 (CMM August 17 2018), to expand international student protections to locals, a proposal that a recent review of tuition protection suggested wasn’t necessary.
In April a Commonwealth commissioned review of the Tuition Protection Service by consultants Nous suggested there were grounds “for a differentiated approach” between international and domestic students, who “are on balance less vulnerable … do not face the acute risk of breaching visa conditions; and are arguably better placed to assess the risks and impacts of closure.”
Nous suggested information, not insurance, for locals, “may represent a more proportionate response to the risks and harms faced by domestic students in the current VET environment,” (CMM April 21).
Maybe, but not during this billing period,
Future at Flinders as predicted
There’s $10m for Flinders U in the budget, to expand its factory of the future, at Tonsley Park
Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic announced the funding yesterday, although it was not entirely unexpected, being a campaign commitment.
The facility is for small business partners and students to develop digital skills for manufacturing. When Labor pledged the money during the election Flinders U’s John Spoehr called it a, “turning point in the rebirth of the critically important manufacturing sector in our state,” (CMM May 12).
TEQSA’s interpol for academic integrity
The Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency and Quality and Qualifications Ireland found the Global Academic Integrity Network
GAIN’s aim is; “tackle commercial cheating operations, protecting students, qualifications and the integrity of national education systems.”
The intent is to “share experiences and resources to help other jurisdictions develop legislation, regulatory approaches and frameworks that penalise facilitating and advertising of cheating services.”
Members to date are diverse, ranging from the UK to Zambia.
Appointment, achievements
Andrew Gunstone becomes inaugural Associate DVC Reconciliation at Federation U. He moves from Swinburne U.
International Education Association of Australia announces its 2022 awards, including, * Distinguished contribution: Chris Ziguras (RMIT) * Leadership: Derek Scott (Haileybury) * Commentary: John Chew (Navitas) * Innovation: Study Australia International Programme * Rising star: Eloise Dolan (Asia Society Australia) * Life membership: Helen Zimmerman (Tuition Services Protection Board) * Best practise: Ritesh Chugh, Robert Grose, Monika Kansal, Stephanie Macht, Anthony Weber (all CQU) and Mahsood Shah (Swinburne U)