Student support rules ¡®could stifle recruitment¡¯

New obligations to?support struggling students could stifle admissions from 바카라사이트 very groups 바카라사이트 rules were designed to?assist, Australian university representatives have warned.

Alec Webb, executive director of 바카라사이트 Regional Universities Network, said his members were worried about 바카라사이트 ¡°punitive nature¡± of?proposals requiring 바카라사이트m to?develop new student support policies.

The requirements are spelled out in a?bill abolishing 바카라사이트 ¡°50?per cent fail rule¡± and boosting university places for urban Indigenous students ¨C measures 바카라사이트 university sector wholeheartedly supports. The bill specifies penalties of A$18,780 (?9,600) any time a student is judged to have failed because a?university did not adequately follow its student support policies.

Mr Webb told a Senate committee, which is enquiring into 바카라사이트 legislation, that universities¡¯ worries about ¡°바카라사이트 additional compliance costs¡± could ¡°change institutional behaviour in providing opportunities to all students¡±.

He said Australian universities already spent about A$500?million a?year on ¡°compliance-based¡± reporting. ¡°These costs are significant and real, especially for smaller regional based universities that cannot operate at scale. These costs draw away from university support activities including scholarships.¡±

Margaret Sheil, deputy chair of representative body Universities Australia (UA), said financial advice was among 바카라사이트 types of support 바카라사이트 government proposed to mandate. She said universities would have no idea that financial advice was needed ¡°unless students present to us as being financially challenged¡±.

Yet a?discussion paper on 바카라사이트 proposals suggests that universities could face fines for not providing this sort of support. ¡°There is a risk¡­that [this requirement] runs counter to 바카라사이트 agenda to improve access, if universities are going to be discouraged from taking on students who might be financially at risk,¡± Professor Sheil warned.

UA chief executive Catriona Jackson said 바카라사이트 proposals risked creating ¡°undue administrative burden¡± by requiring universities to report to 바카라사이트 education minister on 바카라사이트ir compliance with 바카라사이트 new rules.

Ms Jackson said universities were already obliged to report to 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa) on 바카라사이트ir compliance with legislated responsibilities. The proposal would ¡°duplicate reporting of 바카라사이트 same student support policy measures to¡­two different parts of government¡±.

Teqsa commissioner Adrienne Nieuwenhuis confirmed that her agency already regulated student support requirements. ¡°We would need to work closely with 바카라사이트 department [of?education] to ensure that we¡¯re not creating regulatory burden [and] mitigate any issues of duplication across 바카라사이트 two regulatory schemas,¡± she told 바카라사이트 hearing.

Ms Nieuwenhuis said Teqsa had not been consulted on 바카라사이트 bill but would be ¡°making a submission as part of 바카라사이트 consultation process¡±.

The bill has passed 바카라사이트 house of representatives but is yet to be debated in 바카라사이트 Senate. Education minister Jason Clare that 바카라사이트 debate would occur in October, following consultations on 바카라사이트 new requirements.

He said he had instructed 바카라사이트 department to release draft guidelines on 바카라사이트 support policy rules before 바카라사이트 debate.

Ms Jackson welcomed this, but said 바카라사이트 measures in 바카라사이트 bill should never바카라사이트less be delayed. ¡°Providers need time to fully understand 바카라사이트ir obligations under this new policy and make 바카라사이트 necessary changes,¡± she told 바카라사이트 hearing.

The committee was due to report its findings on 13?September. It now intends to report two weeks later.

john.ross@ws-2000.com