Protestors condemn “cuts, fees, corporate universities” while private providers say their students are coping a “double whammy”

 

Kim Carr never gives up

 

and Heads Up the week’s big winners at work

 

Weight loss job lost

Deakin researchers suggest increasing fuel excise can reduce obesity by encouraging people not to drive to work. The move would also reduce stress among politicians by ensuring any who increased petrol tax as a health measure lost their seats.

Day big it was

Yesterday was Star Wars Day at Western Sydney University (“may the fourth be with you,”) with IT Services promoting events and lectures, including – Sarah Chaloner, Deputy Chief Information & Digital Officer, on “Lightsabers and Lightbulbs- how science fiction has impacted our culture, society and technology.” Um, that a senior university executive was talking about this rather makes the point. There was also a “Death Star cake auction,” which seems an unkind way to talk about baking skills.

Uni of Saab Australia

The University of South Australia and defence systems maker Saab (yes, the one that used to make cars and planes) will set up a joint centre for defence technologies. The arrangement will allow “students to experience real-life projects as an integral part of their studies.” The agreement was signed in the presence of Defence Industry minister Chris Pyne, who seems to pop up whenever defence related spending in his home state is announced, funny that.

Regional realpolitik

Regional University Network chair Greg Hill works with what he has got – yes RUN’s response to the Birmingham package was critical, but the University of the Sunshine Coast also saw opportunities. Sub degree programmes will “improve student success.” And performance metrics, can deliver “a more integrated approach to regional development,” which “recognises the role of universities as anchor institutions for the economic and social development of their regions.” CMM can’t quite see how performance measures focused on student outcomes, could become a new revenue stream for regional universities. But with 7.5 per cent of Commonwealth Grant Scheme money to be contestable RUN will find a way.

 

UNSW job changes on hold

The staffing restructure at the University of New South Wales’ Australian Graduate School of Management drags on with staff saying management is placing people in jobs without complying with the Enterprise Agreement and that the campus union is taking the matter to the Fair Work Commission. It may not need to. Last night a university spokeswoman told CMM that “UNSW believes that it has complied with its obligations under the Enterprise Agreement in relation to the change process at AGSM.  Nonetheless, the AGSM has agreed to put on hold any staffing changes as the parties work towards a resolution of the dispute.”

How quickly we forget (except for slogans)

The higher education elements of Simon Birmingham’s Press Club speech yesterday repeated what he has hinted was coming for months and announced on Monday – because universities get a bucket of money and run surpluses they can afford to take a cut plus a hike in student course repayments is justified.  It was all predictable, as were the protestors who briefly interrupted him, chanting “no cuts, no fees, no corporate universities.” The slogan worked so well when Christopher Pyne wanted to introduce a market in course costs that it’s still being used, although no one talks about markets anymore. Nobody, certainly not the minister, seemed surprised.

But what has been forgotten is the way many wise worriers in the higher education community were convinced there would be cuts to demand driven funding for undergraduate places this year. Unless there is a really big budget surprise It looks the biggest reform of a generation is safe, but nobody this week was mentioning they had feared it was gone.

As for no ‘corporate universities’ the private provider peak bodies make the point that the government is doing their students, no favours. Rod Camm (Australian Council for Private Education and Training) and Simon Finn (Council of Private Higher Education) say their HE students are being hit with a “a double whammy” – the  25 per cent fee on their HELP loans, which public university students don’t and the lower repayment threshold.

 

 

Where Glyn’s got to

CMM was wondering where University of Melbourne VC Glyn Davis had got to, until he was spotted yesterday at the Universitas 21 group’s 20^th annual meeting in Nottingham – being photographed next to UniMelb’s tree on the newly planted universitas avenue. The new edition of U21’s ranking of national higher education systems (which UniMelbourne people have a bit to do with) launches later this morning.

Carr continues

With student fees sucking up all the outrage oxygen things are a bit quiet in the research atmosphere. But there is no faulting Labor research spokesman Kim Carr; when no one is giving him an opportunity to have a go at the government he creates his own. Senator Carr has written to vice chancellors pointing out the risks to research from the government’s new short-term visa policy and setting out the superiority of Labor’s alternative. “Labor understands the crucial role that individual researcher mobility plays in international science and research cooperation. Encouraging internationally-recognised specialists to work with Australian universities, researchers, scientists and research intensive companies must continue unimpeded,” the senator says.

“I would be grateful for your views on the matters addressed by this policy. The implications of the matters they raise for the future of the innovation system are of continuing importance,”  he saysVCs.

The senator never stops.

 

Where Glyn’s got to

CMM was wondering where University of Melbourne VC Glyn Davis had got to, until he was spotted yesterday at the Universitas 21 group’s 20^th annual meeting in Nottingham – being photographed next to UniMelb’s tree on the newly planted universitas avenue. The new edition of U21’s ranking of national higher education systems (which UniMelbourne people have a bit to do with) launches later this morning.

Carr continues

With student fees sucking up all the outrage oxygen things are a bit quiet in the research atmosphere. But there is no faulting Labor research spokesman Kim Carr; when no one is giving him an opportunity to have a go at the government he creates his own. Senator Carr has written to vice chancellors pointing out the risks to research from the government’s new short-term visa policy and setting out the superiority of Labor’s alternative. “Labor understands the crucial role that individual researcher mobility plays in international science and research cooperation. Encouraging internationally-recognised specialists to work with Australian universities, researchers, scientists and research intensive companies must continue unimpeded,” the senator says.

“I would be grateful for your views on the matters addressed by this policy. The implications of the matters they raise for the future of the innovation system are of continuing importance,”  he saysVCs.

The senator never stops.

Heads Up: the week’s winners at work

 

QUT law lecturer and barrister James Morton is appointed a magistrate for Mount Isa.

 Helen Bartlett took over as VC of Federation University yesterday.

QUT’s Marcus Foth is a new fellow of the Australian Computer Society for his work in urban infomartics, a term he coined for using data to study how cities work.

Ian McLean will take up the Hugh Ramsay chair of Australian Art History at the University of Melbourne. Professor McLean will move from the University of Wollongong.

Ruth Bridgstock from QUT (for now) is a new Principal Fellow of the (UK) Higher Education Academy. Associate Professor Bridgstock is off to the University of South Australia to become an academic dean for education, arts and social sciences.

Monash and UniMelbourne, JV BioCurate has a first CEO, clinical haematologist and medical oncologist Glen Begley. Dr Begley returns to Australia from California, where he works in biotech.

UNSW announces Laurie Pearcey as PVC International. He moves up from the International Office and replaces Fiona Docherty who is now in the international and marketing comms portfolio.

TEQSA is staffing up with four additions to Karen Treloar’s engagement portfolio. Higher education media veteran Dorothy Iling becomes assistant director, engagement. Raphael May (who started in March) is assistant comms director. Poppy Bervanakis is events and marketing manager and Felicity Gianatti (also already in place) manages contact with professional bodies.

Hugh Possingham from the University of Queensland is a new fellow of the US National Academy of Sciences. Professor Possingham is an ARC Laureate Fellow and researches conservation and biological diversity.

The new management structure at Flinders U is being assembled with two PVCs to start in July. Deborah West joins as PVC for learning and teaching innovation and Michele Fleming becomes PVC for student life.

Professor West joins from Charles Darwin U, where she is director of teaching and learning. Professor Fleming is now dean of students at the University of Canberra. These are new roles reporting to DVC Students Clare Pollock.

Conrad Mackenzie has resigned as chief digital officer at UNSW “due to health matters” and leaves today. Matt Scolari will act during recruiting for a successor.