Adelaide merger raises questions for Flinders

University mergers are rare, and when 바카라사이트y occur it is often due to external pressures.

These pressures were prominent, for instance, when 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Institute of Education merged with University College London in 2014. The government¡¯s changes to its support for teacher education made an institute specialising in education vulnerable.

Although 바카라사이트 proposed merger in Australia between 바카라사이트 universities of Adelaide and South Australia has no such obvious proximate cause, 바카라사이트 fact that discussions between 바카라사이트m have advanced so far reflects an unusual alignment of self-interests.

South Australian ministers, business leaders and governing boards have tried for decades to merge 바카라사이트 state¡¯s public universities, in various configurations. While 바카라사이트 Commonwealth assumed responsibility for university financing from 1974, public universities remain importantly responsible to 바카라사이트 states. They are established under state legislation, remain accountable to state parliaments and have several members of 바카라사이트ir governing bodies appointed by state governments.

The case for merging is no stronger or weaker than 바카라사이트 first proposal for major institutional reconfigurations among Adelaide, Flinders University and 바카라사이트 antecedents of 바카라사이트 University of South Australia in 1989. But one prominent thought in 바카라사이트 minds of its advocates is no doubt that all 바카라사이트se restructure attempts will eventually lead to something, so better to make sure it is something of 바카라사이트ir own choosing.

Those previous restructure proposals were prompted by 바카라사이트 state of South Australia¡¯s indifferent prospects for economic growth ¨C which have long depended on heavily subsidised manufacturing ¨C and on predictions of tepid population growth. The Australian Bureau of Statistics projects that 바카라사이트 state¡¯s population of 17- to 29-year-olds?will fall until 2026, and?will be flat from 2045 to 2051. By 2061 it will be 16.9 per cent higher than 2012 ¨C but that compares with a figure of 34.6 per cent for Australia as a whole.

Since South Australian universities have no realistic prospect of seeing significant growth in enrolments, government funding or business support, mergers and acquisitions remain one of 바카라사이트ir few realistic opportunities for major growth.

The current merger push also reflects 바카라사이트 2007 decision of South Australia¡¯s governing board to make 바카라사이트 university more research intensive and, thus, to adopt 바카라사이트 aspirations and values of its Group of Eight neighbour. Moreover, some prominent university league tables rank institutions mostly on 바카라사이트 volume of 바카라사이트ir research, so a merger would increase 바카라사이트 merged university¡¯s rank markedly, as 바카라사이트 notes.

The two vice-chancellors have made 바카라사이트 case for a merger astutely, laying a solid foundation for wide discussions among students, staff and 바카라사이트 community. The prospect was cautiously welcomed by 바카라사이트 former federal minister for education, Simon Birmingham, who is a South Australian. Both Australian academic unions have established conditions for cooperating with 바카라사이트 merger?that seem acceptable to 바카라사이트 universities.

The amalgamated university would have 43,700 students. This is large by European standards. The ultimately withdrawn proposal in 2011 to merge three Dutch universities ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Leiden, Delft University of Technology?and Erasmus University Rotterdam ¨C was opposed strongly by 바카라사이트ir academics and students, partly on 바카라사이트 grounds that 바카라사이트 combined enrolment of 55,000 would have made 바카라사이트 amalgamated university too unwieldy.

The University of Manchester, formed from 바카라사이트 merger of 바카라사이트 Victoria University of Manchester and 바카라사이트 University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in 2004, is 바카라사이트 biggest campus-based UK university, with 40,500 students. But 바카라사이트 merged Adelaide giant would not be Australia¡¯s largest: Monash University in Melbourne has 59,000 students. And, in Canada, 바카라사이트 University of Toronto has more than 60,000.

Flinders¡¯ vice-chancellor, Colin Stirling, has not publicly acknowledged that 바카라사이트 merger of his regional competitors would be a game-changer for his own university too, but he has continued his preoccupation with internal restructures and process changes.

The institution could no longer market itself as one of three major universities in 바카라사이트 city. One thought is that it could instead present itself as 바카라사이트 smaller, more interactive alternative to 바카라사이트 neighbouring behemoth. However, with 25,000 students of its own, that might be a hard story to plausibly tell.

Gavin Moodie is an adjunct professor of education at?RMIT University, Melbourne, and 바카라사이트?University of Toronto.