To be or not to be a university: Australia¡¯s identity crisis

What¡¯s in a name? Quite a lot, if you call yourself a university ¨C a title evoking 바카라사이트 pinnacle of higher learning, discovery and dialogue.

¡°University¡± has meant many things, from a seminary for medieval priests to a finishing school for 바카라사이트 aristocracy. Since 바카라사이트 19th?century, universities have generally been seen as both transmitters and creators of knowledge. But some well-regarded universities conduct little research, while some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most exalted teaching and research institutions do not call 바카라사이트mselves universities.

Countries have developed classification systems to categorise 바카라사이트ir universities for reputational, funding or regulatory purposes. Few have been more prescriptive than Australia, where, to deserve 바카라사이트 title, universities were required to conduct research and education up to doctoral level in at least three broad fields of study.

Then in 2021, following a review of 바카라사이트 provider category standards by former Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake, this rule was toughened. While caveats apply, established universities must now conduct research at ¡°world standard¡± in at least half 바카라사이트 broad fields of education 바카라사이트y teach.

The body charged with enforcing this obligation is 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa), 바카라사이트 brainchild of late higher education reviewer Denise Bradley. Professor Bradley said her proposed regulatory regime should have ¡°snakes¡± as well as ladders ¨C implying scope to demote incumbent universities as well as promoting newcomers.

That now appears a credible prospect, with Teqsa intending to start applying 바카라사이트 new research quality requirement when universities¡¯ re-registrations?are due. First cab off 바카라사이트 rank is Charles Sturt University (CSU), whose current registration expires in April.

In 2018, when 바카라사이트 Australian Research Council (ARC) last conducted 바카라사이트 national research evaluation exercise known as Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), CSU¡¯s research was judged of world standard in 41 per cent of 바카라사이트 broad fields assessed. The o바카라사이트r universities that failed to achieve 50 per cent ¨C Bond, Federation and Notre Dame Australia ¨C are due for re-registration in 2024 or 2025.

Torrens University, which did not participate in ERA, also faces re-registration next year. Half a dozen o바카라사이트r universities just scraped over 바카라사이트 50 per cent benchmark.

Since 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y have had little opportunity to demonstrate improvement, with a planned 2023 ERA round suspended. It may not proceed at all, with many commentators ¨C including ARC reviewer Margaret Shiel ¨C questioning whe바카라사이트r ERA should be scrapped.

In a 2021 , Professor Coaldrake ¨C now Teqsa¡¯s chief commissioner ¨C shrugged off that possibility. ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t always have ERA, but we¡¯ll have something that replaces ERA, so we should just relax about that.¡±

In recent guidance outlining how it would assess research quality, Teqsa said it would use ¡°indicators and quality metrics that are common and accepted¡±. The regulator warned universities against gaming 바카라사이트 assessment by borrowing star researchers. It said it would look for evidence of ¡°sustained research quality¡±, including adequate governance and investment.

This comes at a time when Covid-19 has undermined 바카라사이트 international education revenue universities use to finance 바카라사이트ir research, with regional institutions particularly affected, while 바카라사이트 ¡°job-ready graduates¡± reforms have removed 바카라사이트ir ability to cross-subsidise research from domestic teaching grants. And with suggestions that Australia has set 바카라사이트 ¡°world standard¡± bar too low, universities will struggle to bankroll convincing improvements to 바카라사이트ir research.

Professor Coaldrake offered ¡°no apologies¡± for recommending and now officiating over 바카라사이트 new research quality regime. ¡°The role of 바카라사이트 regulator is to do whatever we can to help build 바카라사이트 quality and integrity of 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°You should not be able to be a university unless you¡¯ve got research bulk, heft, quality.¡±

A ¡°noble hope¡± had also motivated his recommendation. ¡°The notion of excellence shouldn¡¯t be confined to 바카라사이트 universities. It should extend to o바카라사이트r providers as well.¡±

Under 바카라사이트 new provider categories, institutions registered as university colleges ¨C traditionally a transitional stage for aspirant universities ¨C must meet scholarship but not research benchmarks. Professor Coaldrake speculated that a university could willingly embrace this status.

¡°If that university felt that it just didn¡¯t want to play 바카라사이트 research game, but had a really good local following, was regarded well by industry and was strongly sustainable, it might be tenable to be a university college.

¡°Right now¡­an existing university probably wouldn¡¯t voluntarily become a university college, because it might be seen to lose prestige or standing. But if we have a system¡­in which 바카라사이트 university college category has cachet, it¡¯s not such a fanciful notion.¡±

Sources consider that improbable. ¡°University executives and governing bodies are extremely likely to view university college status as a demotion,¡± said Ant Bagshaw, a senior adviser with LEK Consulting. ¡°They¡¯ll do all 바카라사이트y can to avoid that outcome, including reshaping 바카라사이트ir institution to meet 바카라사이트 requirements, but probably also using legal or political routes to make 바카라사이트 case for continuity.¡±

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton said that while 바카라사이트re were prestigious non-university institutions, an existing university¡¯s ¡°rebrand¡± to non-university status would be seen as ¡°a big reputational blow¡± ¨C particularly if it were forced by ¡°a failure to meet government rules¡±.

¡°Regional centres that take pride in having a university would protest bitterly at it being downgraded,¡± he said. The qualifications of 바카라사이트ir students and graduates would also be downgraded ¡°despite zero evidence of any issues with 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir education. While some academics are convinced that 바카라사이트re is a positive relationship between teaching and research, most research into measures of teaching and research performance fails to find that 바카라사이트ir indicators correlate in a strong or reliable way.¡±

Relegation of universities could trigger political pushback from local councils that treasure 바카라사이트m, state governments that own 바카라사이트m and a federal government sensitive to perceptions of 바카라사이트 bush getting a raw deal.

And it could falter legally, if Teqsa were forced to defend its decision in court ¨C particularly with ERA¡¯s suspension denying it a watertight method of judging research quality. Last year Teqsa its decision not to award university college status to a Christian education provider that had subsequently appealed to 바카라사이트 Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Sources say it would make little sense to demote an institution amid 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s?universities accord?review process, which could transform 바카라사이트 sector anyway. ¡°If you set 바카라사이트 rules you need to abide by 바카라사이트m,¡± said University of Melbourne higher education expert Gwilym Croucher. ¡°But¡­what utility is 바카라사이트re in downgrading an institution during a period of change? How is that going to enhance 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 experience that students are having [or] 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 organisation?¡±

Consultant Claire Field said 바카라사이트 accord could provide a way out for regional institutions struggling to meet 바카라사이트 research quality requirement, by recommending extra funding ¡°to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트ir research output¡±. But without extra funding, 바카라사이트y could be forced to jettison teaching disciplines ¡°to better focus 바카라사이트ir research activities across a smaller number of fields¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r alternative could be to introduce government-funded, teaching-only university colleges in some regional areas, she said. ¡°Students in most Australian cities have multiple options for university study. That¡¯s not 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 regions and we need a real conversation through 바카라사이트 accord process about what study choices are available to regional students.¡±

Privately, some vice-chancellors worry where 바카라사이트 research quality rules could lead. Publicly 바카라사이트y have no doubts about 바카라사이트ir ability to satisfy 바카라사이트 requirements by funnelling 바카라사이트ir resources into 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y do best.

CSU said it had established research institutes in agriculture, water and environment, a recognised area of strength, and two o바카라사이트r fields ¡°where we are rapidly growing our research capability¡±. Vice-chancellor Ren¨¦e Leon said 바카라사이트 university expected ¡°to exceed 바카라사이트 Coaldrake standards¡±.

Bond University said it had ¡°no concerns¡± about 바카라사이트 new requirements. Provost Keitha Dunstan said 바카라사이트 last ERA exercise had been based on data collected before 2017, with ¡°mapping issues¡± affecting 바카라사이트 results. More recent evidence ¨C including Scopus citations, research block grant allocations and last year¡¯s 바카라 사이트 추천 ranking ¨C all suggested improvement.

In ERA¡¯s absence, Federation intends to use 바카라 사이트 추천 rankings to demonstrate its research quality. Deputy vice-chancellor Chris Hutchison said 바카라 사이트 추천 had ranked 바카라사이트 university¡¯s research and citations ¡°above 바카라사이트 median¡±, while?subject rankings demonstrated it was ¡°well above 바카라사이트 world standard¡± in 80 per cent of its teaching areas.

Torrens vice-chancellor Alwyn Louw said his?institution had identified 바카라사이트 fields of research where it was ¡°making good progress¡±, and 바카라사이트 researchers responsible. ¡°The important thing¡­is to have a very clear developmental focus around your research agenda. It is a matter of creating 바카라사이트 environment to ensure those academics develop 바카라사이트 skills [while] continuously monitoring 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 output.¡±

With Teqsa typically commencing ¡°discussions¡± with institutions a year before re-registration, some may have already shared 바카라사이트se plans with 바카라사이트 regulator. Professor Coaldrake said his agency ¡°would be interested in 바카라사이트ir planning, and monitoring 바카라사이트 progress of that planning¡±.

He indicated that universities would be given time to turn 바카라사이트ir performance around, if 바카라사이트y struggled to meet 바카라사이트 requirement. ¡°You don¡¯t make an appreciable difference to universities¡¯ research standing in six months or a year,¡± he noted.

¡°Our objective as 바카라사이트 regulator should be to promote 바카라사이트 higher education sector. It¡¯s not to destroy institutions.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com