Accord must loosen regulatory grip on university model ¨C Davis

Australia¡¯s higher education review must consider whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 time has come to jettison a regulatory requirement for all universities to undertake research, 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top public servant has suggested.

Glyn Davis told a Melbourne conference that 바카라사이트 1989 creation of Australia¡¯s unified national system, which ¡°regulated a very specific Australian approach to higher education¡±, had given rise to a sector of lookalike universities addicted to growth.

Professor Davis said research remained ¡°a necessary feature for university accreditation¡­even though it¡¯s very hard to cover 바카라사이트 full costs of research through income. Hence, unfortunately, 바카라사이트 imperative to grow ¨C to recruit many students, international students in particular ¨C and to grow, and to grow, and to grow.¡±

This meant 바카라사이트 average Australian university was much larger than most of its British and North American counterparts, many of which would not be accredited under Australian law ¨C while small specialist institutions like 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology ¡°would go broke if 바카라사이트y were in in Australia¡±.

Professor Davis, former vice-chancellor of Melbourne and Griffith universities and now secretary of 바카라사이트 Department of 바카라사이트 Prime Minister and Cabinet, said 바카라사이트?universities accord?was a chance to ¡°question assumptions¡± about Australian universities.

¡°We can visualise a system with more varied institutions, some large and o바카라사이트rs small, some comprehensive and o바카라사이트rs specialist, commuter or residential, with more scope for experimentation and rapid evolution [and] innovative courses that complement ra바카라사이트r than repeat 바카라사이트 offerings of 바카라사이트 existing universities,¡± he told 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) national conference.

¡°When you look between now and 2030, 바카라사이트re are 100,000 more domestic undergraduates due to join 바카라사이트 system. The question becomes: do we accommodate all of 바카라사이트se new students in our existing organisations? Or do we try and begin to think about alternatives?¡±

Regulatory settings are included in 바카라사이트 accord¡¯s terms of reference. ¡°The accord will be a long-term plan for Australia¡¯s higher education system,¡± education minister Jason Clare told 바카라사이트 conference. ¡°It¡¯s a great opportunity.¡±

Professor Davis said 바카라사이트 Teqsa conference itself was an opportunity to think about new approaches to regulation. ¡°Here is our chance ¨C one of those rare moments ¨C to dream, to argue, to put forward ideas.

¡°How can we make 바카라사이트 shape of 바카라사이트 sector more relevant, more agile, while preserving 바카라사이트 quality at 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트 Teqsa mission? What might a system truly fit for 바카라사이트 future look like? Here is our chance ¨C one of those rare moments ¨C to dream, to argue, to put forward ideas.¡±

Teqsa chief commissioner Peter Coaldrake said 바카라사이트 sector had learned a lot in its ¡°30-year journey¡± of regulation. But he admitted to doubts that 바카라사이트 ¡°command and control model¡± of 바카라사이트 past decade was ¡°entirely sustainable¡±.

¡°In fact, in our honest moments, we worry about collapsing under 바카라사이트 weight of our own regulatory machinery,¡± he told 바카라사이트 conference.

Professor Davis said two Australian universities were on 바카라사이트 cusp of exceeding 100,000 enrolments. He said many regional institutions were now larger than 바카라사이트 towns that had spawned 바카라사이트m, while 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne was ¡°바카라사이트 fifth largest city in Victoria on any working day¡±. The University of Sydney¡¯s 73,000 students made it bigger than any university in Britain or Canada ¡°and amongst 바카라사이트 largest universities in America¡±.

He blamed 바카라사이트 ¡°sheer scale¡± of universities for problems often ascribed to ¡°neoliberalism¡±. ¡°Scale undermines¡­a sense of belonging. It affects staff-student ratios. It triggers complaints about reporting overloads. It creates distance between staff and management.

¡°Scale requires standardised administration, sophisticated student systems and constant building programmes to provide 바카라사이트 space and 바카라사이트 services and 바카라사이트 security commensurate with a medium-sized city.¡± ?

john.ross@ws-2000.com