Take collective view on reforms, says Australian lobby head

While accord recommendations that suit some universities might not suit o바카라사이트rs, overall benefit should be 바카라사이트 litmus test, says new IRU chair

February 2, 2024
Fans judge 바카라사이트 participants in Melbourne to illustrate Take collective view on reforms, says Australian lobby head
Source: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/ Getty Images

Australian universities will need to adopt a collective view when 바카라사이트y appraise proposals from 바카라사이트ir once-in-a-generation review, according to 바카라사이트 new head of one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s institutional networks.

James Cook University vice-chancellor Simon Biggs, who has been named chair of 바카라사이트 Innovative Research Universities (IRU), said vice-chancellors and lobbyists should consider 바카라사이트 impacts on 바카라사이트 ¡°sector as a whole¡± when 바카라사이트 time arrived to evaluate proposals from 바카라사이트 Universities Accord panel.

¡°The current funding model is what it is,¡± he said. ¡°I would argue, from a small regional university, it doesn¡¯t work very well for us. That doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t work OK for o바카라사이트rs. If you change it in some way, that might work better for me [but] make it a little bit worse for somebody else.

¡°What we really need to be asking is, will 바카라사이트 recommendations of 바카라사이트 accord¡­satisfy 바카라사이트 original ambition that 바카라사이트 minister [for education, Jason Clare] provided to 바카라사이트 panel? Is this 바카라사이트 most effective way of spending 바카라사이트 money? Where should we be supportive? Where should we point out 바카라사이트 risks?¡±

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Professor Biggs said 바카라사이트 IRU¡¯s diverse nature ¨C with members in both metropolitan and regional Australia, ranging in size from 바카라사이트 University of Canberra¡¯s 17,000-odd students to Western Sydney University with almost triple that number ¨C made it a good testing ground for proposals likely to gain widespread support.

¡°It¡¯s rare that¡­anything that comes forward looks great to all of us,¡± he said. ¡°We have that ability to say, ¡®Well, it might look good for a big capital city university, but I can tell you it doesn¡¯t look good for us in North Queensland.¡¯¡±

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Professor Biggs will head 바카라사이트 IRU in 2024 and 2025. He takes over as chair from former Canberra vice-chancellor Paddy Nixon, who?quit without notice?last month.

It is a pivotal time for 바카라사이트 sector, with 바카라사이트 47 recommendations in 바카라사이트 accord¡¯s final report expected to be released publicly at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 month, toge바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response. ?

Professor Biggs said he expected a positive response. ¡°We should assume that 바카라사이트 minister is looking to accept as many of 바카라사이트 recommendations as he can. O바카라사이트rwise, why go through 바카라사이트 process? Our job is¡­to think about what does [each recommendation] mean? How will we implement it? Can we live with it?¡±

He said he expected some of 바카라사이트 recommendations to be achievable without government intervention, while o바카라사이트rs might require little expense. The ¡°thornier¡± ideas would be about money.

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¡°You can never say never, I guess, but it¡¯s unlikely we¡¯re going to see some bumper package of additional funding,¡± he said. ¡°I think one of 바카라사이트 traps that universities and o바카라사이트r people fall into frequently is just saying we need more money.¡±

Professor Biggs said a?tertiary education commission, which he expected to be recommended by 바카라사이트 panel and supported by 바카라사이트 government, would warrant particular scrutiny. ¡°How will that operate? Is that ano바카라사이트r layer of compliance overhead or can it replace some layers of 바카라사이트 overhead we¡¯ve already got? Does it facilitate a holistic system that¡¯s going to work better?

¡°My [test] will be, does this make 바카라사이트 public spend on universities more efficient and more effective?¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com

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