ANU DVC Ian Anderson and HE policy veteran advisor Robert Griew spent the summer asking university leaders what universities can do to “create a covenant with their communities”

It would be a way “re-win” community support, despite the “destructive rhetoric used by some senior government figures and the politicians’ clear sense that any hostility they display towards the university sector does not play badly in the electorate.”

They propose six priorities

* “a new mixed-mode educational normalcy” and attention to student wellbeing and social inclusion

* “rebuilding” the international student experience

* teaching career pathways for junior academics, less reliance on casual academic labour

* universities roles in creating skills-based growth

* universities partnering with local business and communities to demonstrate how research can contribute to economic recovery

* “revisiting the arguments for diversity within the sector – from institutes of technology to comprehensive research universities to key regional institutions”