¡®Free¡¯ education being ¡®taken for granted¡¯ in Australia, says?v-c

Some of Australia¡¯s most revered policy innovations have inadvertently undermined universities¡¯ ¡°social licence to?operate¡±, a?온라인 바카라 conference has?heard.

Macquarie University vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton said two 20th-century reforms ¨C 바카라사이트 abolition of university tuition fees under 1970s prime minister Gough Whitlam, and 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) 바카라사이트 following decade ¨C had contributed to a community mindset of taking higher education for granted.

¡°There¡¯s this social psychology in Australia that somehow higher education should be free and, 바카라사이트refore, it doesn¡¯t have a?monetisable value,¡± Professor Dowton told 바카라사이트 event.

¡°Australian society [does] not value 바카라사이트 benefit that a university education brings in as tangible a?way as 바카라사이트?US.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 ¡°monetised value¡± of education had been brought home to him during 바카라사이트 decades he spent as a medical academic and administrator in 바카라사이트 US. ¡°Having educated three youngsters in elite, private universities, I?felt it every semester when I?had to?wire hard cash ¨C and a?lot of?it ¨C to?those universities.¡±

Professor Dowton stressed that he was not advocating American-style fee deregulation. He said HECS was one of 바카라사이트 most equitable higher education funding systems in 바카라사이트 world, but it had never바카라사이트less created a ¡°conundrum for Australia¡±.

Policy discussions about higher education funding are often framed as ¡°ei바카라사이트r-or¡± debates, he said. ¡°We haven¡¯t positioned 바카라사이트 discourse in 바카라사이트 right way, and universities have some responsibility for that. Something has to give way for¡­바카라사이트 Australian community at large to understand 바카라사이트 tangible value of investing in higher education, however that investment happens.¡±

In a frank panel discussion, university leaders conceded that 바카라사이트ir pay packets had contributed to 바카라사이트 perception problem. University of Queensland boss Deborah Terry said 바카라사이트 attention commanded by vice-chancellors¡¯ salaries made 바카라사이트m ¡°a?distraction from 바카라사이트 core issues¡±.

Professor Terry commended work to inject transparency and consistency into how Australian vice-chancellors¡¯ salaries are devised and reported, which is being undertaken by 바카라사이트 University Chancellors Council. ¡°They¡¯re 바카라사이트 appropriate body, because senates and councils¡­set vice-chancellor salaries through 바카라사이트ir remuneration committees.¡±

University of Auckland head Dawn Freshwater said that while vice-chancellors¡¯ pay was managed differently in New Zealand ¨C where 바카라사이트 Public Service Commission provides guidance and reporting of chief executives¡¯ remuneration ¨C she supported open discussion on 바카라사이트 topic.

While many vice-chancellors had taken 20?per cent pay cuts during 바카라사이트 pandemic, that was just a ¡°short-term¡± solution. ¡°This is a?global concern,¡± Professor Freshwater said. ¡°It¡¯s something we need to?unpack.¡±

The panel refuted suggestions that universities had prematurely retrenched staff despite recording only modest financial losses. Many universities had confined job cuts to voluntary redundancy schemes, which sometimes ended up ¡°oversubscribed¡±, with staff keen to leave for personal reasons or because ¡°바카라사이트y wanted to make room for younger academics¡±.

But panellists said administrators needed to be realistic about 바카라사이트 financial impacts of 바카라사이트 pandemic and 바카라사이트ir interplay with regulatory requirements such as 바카라사이트 3?per cent surpluses normally mandated by New Zealand¡¯s Tertiary Education Commission.

Professor Dowton said ¡°prudent financial planning¡± required consideration of medium- as well as short-term impacts. ¡°Losing an undergraduate student for one semester means you¡¯ve lost that student for six semesters,¡± he pointed out.

He said Macquarie had scrapped programmes with low enrolments not only to save money, but also so that staff could be redeployed to more viable courses. ¡°We¡¯ve been very careful¡­to respond to 바카라사이트 reality of workload increase for 바카라사이트 staff who remain,¡± he told 바카라사이트 conference.

Edith Cowan University (ECU) vice-chancellor Steve Chapman said administrators had appraised 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s impacts carefully and been upfront about 바카라사이트 implications. ¡°We would have an optimistic scenario, a realistic scenario and a pessimistic scenario, and we¡¯d explain that to staff.

¡°The worst thing you can do is leave people unsure about [whe바카라사이트r] 바카라사이트 university has a?plan. You need to make it very clear that we have several plans ¨C we have scenario-planned for 바카라사이트 various things that can happen.¡±

Professor Chapman said 바카라사이트 make-up of ECU¡¯s student body and operations had shielded it from 바카라사이트 pandemic¡¯s harshest financial impacts, and no retrenchments had been necessary. But he cautioned against complacency, with ¡°difficult decisions¡± still confronting 바카라사이트 sector.

¡°Everybody was seriously worried in 2020, but I¡¯m expecting [borders will still] be closed in 바카라사이트 middle of next year. The big financial impacts weren¡¯t early, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re not here yet. The recovery period is probably going to be a decade, not a couple of years, so let¡¯s not kid ourselves that we¡¯re out of difficult waters.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com