“PhD student finds threatened goanna in south-west NSW,” Charles Sturt U, news story yesterday. Good news indeed –  can’t have goannas being threatened.

In Expert Opinion, Kelly Matthews (Uni Queensland ) on the changing challenges and opportunities in teaching

“My sense is that every student deserves to walk into a classroom, to get on-line, whatever that looks like. and have someone who knows the basics of education, the basics of teaching. I don’t think it is enough to say we will have  a certain class of academics who focus on this – we have got to have raise the skill-set across all teaching academics.” Challenging, inspiring and (episode 14) HERE.

also in EO, Claire Field on what’s next for VET following the Jobs and Skills Summit  (episode 13 HERE

and in Features

The Australian Collaborative Education Network Board on quality outcomes of work integrated learning and why it must involve students. New in Commissioning Editor Sally Kift’s celebrated series, Needed now in learning and teaching

plus Merlin Crossley (UNSW) on why knowing stuff matters and why Google isn’t everything

and Frank Larkins (Uni Melbourne) on the WA public universities 2021 financials – they had a very good year

with Mahsood Shah (Swinburne U) on the message in international student satisfaction survey scores. Institutions must do better.

You now all those arguments unis set grads up for careers ahead of VET? They’re right

New research by Bridget Wibrow finds VET and uni completers starting in an occupation do the same jobs and are paid the same. But, and it is big but indeed, people “with a VET qualification may reach a ceiling in terms of progression and pay before those with a higher education degree.”

“In the long-term, those with higher education qualifications are seen to progress in the workplace as a result of the broader knowledge obtained during their degrees,” she writes in a new analysis for the estimable National Centre for Vocational Education Research.

To help VET qualified people progress Ms Wibrow suggests,

* pathways from VET to higher education qualifications

* consistency in recognition of VET quals

* “better and more accurate” career guidance

In opposition Labor promised a national centre for disease control to “improve pandemic preparedness and response.” Official is on to it

But not a lot is revealed so far.  A one-screener promises the feds will consult with, the state and territory governments. “health and aged care stakeholders” and “community.”

Just a thought, but there might be a bunch of scientists worth asking

Researchers who dislike the National Interest Test in funding applications hoped the new government would drop it but Jason Clare announced it will stay

And now the Senate has supported a motion from Senator Faruqi (Greens NSW) requiring the Australian Research Council to supply information about the application of the existing NIT.

On Tuesday the ARC will provide the number of research applications in six schemes where NITs were back for revisions or been rejected.

The 150m word NIT was introduced by former coalition education minister Dan Tehan “to give the minister of the day the confidence to look the Australian voter in the eye and say, ‘your money is being spent wisely.’ ” (CMM November 28 2018). But it is less disliked than loathed in the research community. Australian Institute of Physics president, Sven Rogge (UNSW) points out the NIT is  outside application peer review and not part of the rejoinder process (CMM August 22).

New education minister Jason Clare says the NIT will stay but changed to be, “clearer, simpler and easily understood,” CMM August 31.

Union members at ACU are voting on taking protected industrial action but management is not for moving

Weeks back management proposed unions agree with it on a “heads of agreement” on big issues, leaving the detail to be threshed out. But the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union responded nothing doing, wanting improvements on pay and workloads, among others. (CMM August 29). The union still does but management shows no sign of changing from its position that no increased offer is imminent.

Dionne Higgins will leave at year end

New-ish vice chancellor, Alec Cameron tells staff that Senior VP Strategy and Operations, Dionne Higgins, “has decided that the end of this year will be the right time to pursue her next challenge outside RMIT”.

Professor Cameron also announces three new operations portfolios,

* DVC international and engagement (including the “existing accountabilities” of the DVC Global portfolio)

* COO (position now vacant)

* ED policy, strategy and impact (including Indigenous Education, public policy and “impact entities.” Led by Tom Bentley, reporting to the VC.

Between Martin Bean’s departure and Professor Cameron’s arrival at the start of the year Ms Higgins was Interim VC.

Peter Khalil (Labor, Victoria) is the new chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, replacing Liberal senator for Victoria, James Paterson. Mr Khalil was appointed in October, thus missing most of the committee’s inquiry into foreign interference on campus. Andrew Wallace (Liberal, Queensland) is deputy. Senator Paterson continues a member.