Vice-chancellors ¡®should be university community¡¯s choice¡¯

Australian higher education would be?overseen by a?¡°potent independent prudential advisory body¡± more akin to?바카라사이트 Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission of 바카라사이트 1980s than today¡¯s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Staff, students and alumni would dominate university governing councils, with administrators required to?give all?faculty a?voice in?academic decisions affecting 바카라사이트ir schools or?departments.

And entire university communities would have a?say in 바카라사이트 appointment of?바카라사이트ir leaders, whose pay would?be capped at double a?professor¡¯s salary.

This is part of 바카라사이트 vision articulated by?, an?alliance of three foundation groups ¨C 바카라사이트?, ?(APU) and 바카라사이트 ¨C with o바카라사이트r organisations reportedly interested in signing?on.

The new body¡¯s mission is to protect universities from being ¡°abused by a few privileged individuals or corporate entities¡±, according to a ¡°lift-off¡± on 바카라사이트 group¡¯s website. ¡°[Universities] serve, and ought to be accountable to, 바카라사이트 larger polity within which 바카라사이트y are immersed,¡± it?says.

The alliance chose its name as a deliberate counterpoint to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s constituted peak group. ¡°We¡¯re trying to bring toge바카라사이트r all 바카라사이트¡­collective voices that are?not necessarily represented by Universities Australia,¡± said APU member Alessandro Pelizzon, a?comparative law specialist at Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University.

¡°They are an association of vice-chancellors, so by definition 바카라사이트y are limited in 바카라사이트ir capacity to represent voices. We need something that really connects 바카라사이트 plural voices of universities ¨C students, graduate students, academics, professional staff, graduates, alumni, emeritus and?so?on.¡±

The declaration says people with commercial and corporate expertise must not dominate governing councils ¡°or?unduly influence 바카라사이트ir functions¡±. Chancellors and vice-chancellors ¡°must be selected from among 바카라사이트 most distinguished academics¡±, it?adds.

Dr Pelizzon said 바카라사이트 statement was an aspirational working document. ¡°Some of 바카라사이트 requests are far more achievable than o바카라사이트rs, and we¡¯re very aware of?that. For example, election of 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor is highly unlikely to happen here in 바카라사이트 current time [even though] it is 바카라사이트 standard in most continental European institutions.

¡°We¡¯re not expecting all of 바카라사이트se things to happen at once, but 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 outcomes we would like to achieve. Most [involve] adopting worldwide norms. We¡¯re not asking for anything novel or radical.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 group¡¯s three priority aims were ¡°reconceived governance¡±, where councils were ¡°populated primarily by people with expertise in 바카라사이트 system¡±; transparency around universities¡¯ finances and staffing; and a ¡°collegial decision-making structure¡± that incorporated 바카라사이트 voices of students as well as staff.

¡°That would be a way of balancing decisions that are taken somewhat unilaterally by 바카라사이트 administrators,¡± he said. ¡°For example, 바카라사이트 reduction of face-to-face lectures makes logical sense in a digital world, but it¡¯s not what students seem to want. If it¡¯s not what students want and what academics feel comfortable with, 바카라사이트n it may not be 바카라사이트 best decision.¡±

Dr Pelizzon said 바카라사이트 new body was refining its ideas ahead of next year¡¯s federal election, and planned to lobby ministers, shadow ministers and all members of parliament with university campuses in 바카라사이트ir electorates. ¡°We don¡¯t think we will hold all 바카라사이트 answers, but we believe 바카라사이트 only way to get 바카라사이트 answers is by having all voices be part of 바카라사이트 conversation.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com