by MERLIN CROSSLEY

The New Year’s news for me is that I started playing with ChapGPT. You can sign up at the OpenAI website and try it yourself. See how it does on the last take home assignment you set. If you need to do a wedding speech or write a limerick, then you can also ask it for help. If you don’t know what to cook for dinner, then give it a list of what’s in your fridge.

I asked it to write a blog post about the issues currently facing Australian universities. I could tell I was interacting with a robot because it was the first time this year someone didn’t mention ChatGPT.

Here’s its response verbatim

As the higher education system in Australia continues to evolve, universities are facing a number of challenges that are affecting their ability to deliver high-quality education and support to their students. Here are some of the major issues facing Australian universities:

 1. Funding cuts and financial instability: One of the biggest challenges facing Australian universities is the ongoing funding cuts and financial instability that many institutions are facing. The government has reduced funding for higher education, leading to a reduction in the number of funded places and an increase in student fees. This has put pressure on universities to find other sources of revenue, such as international student fees and philanthropy, to maintain their financial stability

2. Access and equity: Despite the efforts of universities to make higher education more accessible, there are still significant barriers to entry for many students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. These barriers can include financial barriers, such as the cost of tuition and living expenses, as well as non-financial barriers, such as lack of access to information or support networks. Universities are working to address these issues through initiatives such as scholarships, financial support, and outreach programs, but there is still a long way to go to ensure that all students have equal access to higher education

3. Quality and standards: As universities face increasing pressure to be financially viable, there are concerns that the quality of education and research may be compromised. Universities are working to maintain high standards and ensure that their graduates are well-prepared for the workforce, but there are ongoing debates about how to balance the need for financial stability with the need for quality

4 Competition for international students: Australia is a popular destination for international students, and universities are increasingly reliant on the revenue generated by these students. However, there is intense competition among universities to attract international students, which can lead to a focus on marketing and recruitment rather than on delivering a high-quality

5 Workload and staff retention: Universities are facing increasing pressure to do more with less, which can lead to a heavy workload for staff and a high rate of burnout. This can affect staff retention and the overall quality of education, as universities struggle to attract and retain top-quality faculty

 Overall, Australian universities are facing a range of challenges that are affecting their ability to deliver high-quality education and support to their students. While there are ongoing efforts to address these issues, there is still much work to be done to ensure that universities are able to meet the needs of their students and maintain their financial stability.

Now imagine an exam question – “critique ChatGPT’s response”

What would I answer?

Well, I have to admit, it’s done OK: financial pressures, access and equity, academic standards, international student recruitment,workloads. Fair enough.

It didn’t get everything right though.

Its understanding of the financial pressures was superficial. It’s not really about cuts. There are actually more student places. But there are financial pressures that relate to the increasing costs of ever more sophisticated research kit, the costs of technology enhanced teaching, and the costs of rising compliance obligations. It’s about funding per student and funding for the real costs of research.

It was right that access and equity is a big priority, but it should have mentioned the 20,000 new places for under-represented groups of students. That’s too recent to be in ChatGPT’s dataset though.

On academic standards it missed an opportunity to talk about the role of Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots in learning and in misconduct!

I was impressed that it mentioned the importance of international students in Australia. But it could have talked about the optimal mix – ChatGPT isn’t great at giving opinions. It tends to sit on the fence.

The workload issue was good to see but I would have liked more focus – I feel that younger researchers are facing major funding challenges and those focussed on teaching are experiencing pressures related to ever increasing student expectations, and student numbers.

Most importantly it doesn’t know about the O’Kane review. It’s the big opportunity we have and what an opportunity. We look across the world and see the conflict, the polarisation, suspicion, confusion, and disruption, and here we are with a chance to review and rethink the Australian higher education system, to build on what we have, and to ensure that we set ourselves up with a culture of innovation and thought.

Who would have thought that Australia would burst forth as a world power in education as the Asian century unfolded. We are well-placed and we must do our own thinking – no point relying on Chatbots for submissions to the O’Kane review!

Professor Merlin Crossley is DVC Academic Quality, UNSW Sydney