“Where,” learned readers ask, “is the University of Melbourne’s annual report?”  

Those of the other public universities in Victoria were tabled a month ago but state HE minister, Gayle Tierney said then there were “delays” in the Auditor General “finalising its audit of the university’s financial statements.”

CMM asked Uni Melbourne yesterday how things were progressing and was told the annual report was submitted and would be tabled “shortly.”

So what was the problem? Those who know aren’t telling.

In Features this morning

Angel Calderon explains the new QS ranking and why an ok result for Australia may not last.

plus James Guthrie (Macquarie U) on what MU’s annual report reveals, a lack of cash and a reliance on debt.

with Ryan Naylor (Uni Sydney) on student transition. This week’s addition to Commissioning Editor Sally Kift’s celebrated series, Needed now in teaching and learning.

and Merlin Crossley (UNSW) celebrates the election process and outcome.

We ask the people who know what’s going on in education, “what’s going on?”

Our new zoom interview series launches today, with Angel Calderon putting the new QS rankings in an Australian context and outlining the genre’s applications and limitations. The first Expert Opinion is HERE.

The Victorian division is the jewel in the National Tertiary Education Union’s crown – it’s up for grabs

Uni Melbourne branch president, Annette Herrera is running for state secretary, on a ticket with branch secretary David Gonzalez.

The pair are prominent at what is perhaps the most activist NTEU branch in the country and have strong support among Uni Melbourne casuals, which may not shared by management, Herrera and Gonzalez are enthusiastic campaigners for staff.

They are campaigning on bringing their grassroot campaigning approach to other branches.

Ms Herrera has personally endorsed Anastasia Kanjere (La Trobe U) who is running for national secretary on a similar issues.

Present deputy state secretary Sarah Roberts is also standing for state secretary, on the “Renew NTEU” ticket with Joo-Cheong Tham (Uni Melbourne) standing for a/s (academic staff) and Ruth Jelley (Swinburne U) for a/s professional staff. Their platform includes, empowering branches, which, “for too long have been sidelined in decision making, left scrabbling for resources.

Incumbent state secretary Melissa Slee, says “I am yet to decide if I am contesting the upcoming election.”

Word is the excellent Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching undergraduate survey for ’21 is out next week

And if not then it won’t be far behind. Officials nominated “June” for its release last month (CMM, May 10).

It’s already way later than last year’s 2020 survey, which was in March. Cynics suggest the delay is due to the previous government not wanting to take campaign heat from lower student satisfaction score, due to COVID lockdowns and closed borders – but what can you expect from cynics?

Universities have had their own results for months and are now waiting to learn how they compare, especially in Victoria.

In COVID year one Uni Melbourne and Monash U had terrible QILT results, UoM was down 25 points on its 2019 student satisfaction score and Monash U dropped 18 points (CMM March 19 2021).

AusTrade pitches to pragmatism

Austrade’s StudyAU Twitter feed, promotes a list of  “the most popular courses to study with Australia and their employment prospects.” They are “health care and social assistance,” STEM, education and “construction and trades”. And there’s no mention of HASS. As if the previous government’s “disregard” for the humanities was not enough!

Entries are open for Engagement Australia’s awards for, well engagement. Categories include community, Indigenous, international and alumni. Information @ engagementaustralia.org.au/ea-awards.

Tracey Bunda joins Advance HE’s Australian Advisory Board. The UK based charity is best known for its professional recognition fellowships for HE teachers. Professor Bunda is academic director of Uni Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.

Graeme Hankey is the inaugural Perron Institute chair in stroke research at UWA

Burns specialist Fiona Wood (UWA) receives the Australian Society for Medical Research medal.