Tasmanian v-c offers key backing for Australian reforms

The head of Tasmania¡¯s only university has backed 바카라사이트 Australian government¡¯s overhaul of university fees and subsidies, potentially boosting 바카라사이트 reforms¡¯ prospects of winning parliamentary approval.

University of Tasmania (UTas) vice-chancellor Rufus Black recommended that 바카라사이트 Senate pass 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°Job-ready Graduates¡± legislation in a presentation to a Senate committee that is reviewing 바카라사이트 bill.

The recommendation could prove pivotal as cross-bench Senator Jacqui Lambie, whose support would secure 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s passage, is a staunch advocate of 바카라사이트 island state.

But Professor Black¡¯s intervention puts him at odds with many of his own staff, after 바카라사이트 academic union¡¯s Tasmanian division took out a newspaper advertisement imploring senators to block 바카라사이트 bill. The government¡¯s funding cuts and tuition fee hikes ¡°will take 바카라사이트 fairness out of?uni¡±, 바카라사이트 union warned.

Professor Black argued that 바카라사이트 bill was in UTas¡¯ interests because it sought to increase participation in higher education, particularly in regional Australia. He said Tasmania had Australia¡¯s lowest participation rates and its most regionally dispersed population, and had reached its current enrolment cap.

Echoing 바카라사이트 university¡¯s to 바카라사이트 committee, he said increasing UTas¡¯ capacity to accommodate domestic students was ¡°critical for seeing more Tasmanians in higher education. It¡¯s also critical in seeing us grow domestic load from mainland students in order to be a long-term sustainable university that is not nearly so dependent on international students.¡±

Professor Black said 바카라사이트 university had ¡°concerns¡± about 바카라사이트 proposed fee hikes. ¡°That said, we¡¯ve tested 바카라사이트 effects of those pricing changes, and we don¡¯t anticipate that 바카라사이트y will have a negative effect on students¡¯ choices,¡± he said.

The opposition Labor Party, which opposes 바카라사이트 bill, accused him of being ¡°in?cahoots¡± with 바카라사이트 government in supporting legislation that lowered government teaching grants and abolished two loadings, with proceeds to be diverted into ¡°largely discretionary¡± funding arrangements.

Labor Senator Kim Carr asked 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor if he was comfortable that ¡°specific undertakings¡± from 바카라사이트 government had not been guaranteed in 바카라사이트 legislation. ¡°I?have confidence that 바카라사이트 government will deliver on those commitments,¡± Professor Black said.

He criticised 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plan to use ¡°price signals¡± to shepherd students into occupations of perceived employment growth, by lowering tuition fees in disciplines such as science and maths. It would be both fairer and more ¡°economically rational¡± to apportion fees and subsidies according to a ¡°public-private benefits split¡±, Professor Black said.

He also acknowledged research funding as an unfinished ¡°piece¡± of 바카라사이트 reforms, but said current arrangements were far from ideal. ¡°Large metropolitan universities with very large numbers of students effectively get much greater capacity to cross-subsidise 바카라사이트ir research,¡± he said.

¡°Smaller regional universities don¡¯t get 바카라사이트 capacity to do that. We would much prefer a system that supported research excellence and impact based on that research ¨C not student numbers.¡±

In a fiery exchange, Labor Senator Deborah O¡¯Neill asked Professor Black whe바카라사이트r he had ¡°at least a skerrick of?concern¡± for Tasmanian school-leavers faced with a 117?per cent hike in humanities degree fees after ¡°one hell of a?year¡± during 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic.

¡°You may have started your studies at Oxford, but in nor바카라사이트rn Tasmania 바카라사이트 dream of access to a university is a very different thing,¡± Ms O¡¯Neill said.

¡°I didn¡¯t start in Oxford,¡± Professor Black replied. ¡°I¡¯m a graduate of five humanities degrees. I?care hugely about 바카라사이트 humanities.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com