The VC wants more digital delivery of courses  and more admin change

New VC Peter Høj tells staff that what predecessor Mike Brooks told them last year that the financials aren’t as bad as expected (CMM September 9). In particular, the staff-agreed pay-cut will not happen.

But Professor Høj warns, “we will by necessity be considering how the University of Adelaide can be more financially sustainable, not just now in the midst of a global pandemic, but more permanently to make us more resilient to the range of financial and geopolitical pressures that we and other universities face.”

The VC has two means in mind.

He wants to “offer new courses in delivery modes which can engage a greater cohort of knowledge seekers irrespective of their geography and border closures.

“I encourage all of our academic leaders to start thinking about how best to accomplish this essential task sooner rather than later.” Which is good for people cracking to catch-up with Uni SA which went big on digital delivery years back.

The VC also wants to ensure, “the savings we made are sustainable into the future”. This means admin, because “professional services … is where the largest cohort of staff” took voluntary redundancies.” (He’s right 119 of 157 people who have left were professional staff).

So, it sounds to CMM that people who are stretched because colleagues left but work didn’t should not get their hopes up for more help. Unless of course more jobs will go to fund a restructure.

Whatever Professor Høj is thinking will be a happening thing. There will be details on organisational reform “in the not too distant future.”