In Features this morning

Helping disengaged students can start with a phone call. Kelly Linden and Chris Campbell (Charles Sturt U) set out what to do in, Commissioning Editor Sally Kift’s new selection for her celebrated series Need now in learning and teaching.

plus James Guthrie (Macquarie U) on the financial state of Victoria’s public universities. “Their accounting methodologies are better suited to commercial, for-profit corporations, not charities,” he argues.

with Merlin Crossley (UNSW) is not much fussed by rankings. “The best strategy now is just to concentrate on being a good university, and we can put more effort into things that don’t count in the tables – good teaching, providing opportunities for students from different backgrounds, solving local problems via research.”

and Angel Calderon (RMIT) on the new Shanghai research ranking

as well as Frank Larkins (Uni Melbourne) explains how some Vic uni 21 financials are better than they look – accounting practise is the reason. But the better than apparent numbers were a one-off.