In November Australian Catholic U updated the criterion for staff to be considered “research active” and thus eligible to supervise higher degrees

Staff who want to qualify and continue as such must be assessed at “world standard” in their annual research performance review. This also matters for staff members’ workloads.

And it supports ACU’s “research intensification strategy” – which is important. As Michael Tomlinson points out, the new provider category standards require universities to research at, or above world standard in at least half their fields by 2030, (CMM December 6 and  (CMM January 20).

ACU is not expected to have any problem reaching the research floor, give “world standard” pretty much means average, in the Australian Research Council’s categories.

But it could help the university reclassify academic staff who don’t make the annual grade as teaching-intensive.