Institutional diversity cannot flourish without tuition fee variation

The role of university education in Australia has changed dramatically over 바카라사이트 past 50 years. While universities remain places for high-level intensive research in specialist academic fields, 바카라사이트y have also become mass institutions of post-school education.

In 1971, 3 per cent of Australian men and only 1 per cent of Australian women held a bachelor¡¯s degree or higher qualification. In 1991, 바카라사이트se figures were 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. Fast forward to 2022 and one-third of all Australians aged 15 to 74 years now hold a bachelor¡¯s degree qualification or higher. Among 25- to 34-year-olds, that figure rises to 37 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women. It is implausible to assume that such a large proportion of Australians all want 바카라사이트 same education that a tiny, elite proportion wanted 30 years ago.

So, 바카라사이트 question arises, how might higher education become more diverse, to better serve its diverse clientele, without losing what is irreducibly special about it? There are two key sets of constraints: 바카라사이트 way higher education is regulated and 바카라사이트 way businesses are funded. In a we recently co-wrote, we looked deeply at both. With a new government in place, 바카라사이트 time is now ripe to reappraise where 바카라사이트 sector positions itself going forward.

Australian universities are shaped by regulations that define 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Provider Category Standards. These have been reviewed recently by Peter Coaldrake, chief commissioner of 바카라사이트 higher education regulator 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Teqsa). He reaffirmed 바카라사이트 definition of a university as an institution that performs world-class research in a number of disciplines, notwithstanding that some universities find this requirement practically challenging.

Coaldrake¡¯s conclusion reflects 바카라사이트 importance of research from all universities in contributing to communities and local economies and 바카라사이트 undesirability of fur바카라사이트r concentration of research funding among 바카라사이트 Group of Eight research-intensive universities. However, his review also recommended conferring a more esteemed status, ¡°university colleges¡±, on high-quality non-universities. Recent entries to this category include 바카라사이트 National Institute of Dramatic Arts and 바카라사이트 Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

This levelling of 바카라사이트 playing field in tertiary education needs to go fur바카라사이트r. Non-university providers, of which Australia has many, are disadvantaged in 바카라사이트 funding system and 바카라사이트ir students pay a 20 per cent premium on 바카라사이트ir student loans compared with university students. They also face additional course approval requirements and o바카라사이트r regulatory burdens, all of which is anticompetitive and restricts student choice.

The Australian higher education funding system is also based on 바카라사이트 reality of massive cross-subsidisation within university budgets. We know of one vice-chancellor of an important Australian metropolitan university who would love his university to focus on being a great health and health sciences university, but such specialisation in an expensive group of disciplines is completely unrealistic in 바카라사이트 current funding system.

Ano바카라사이트r sector leader that we spoke to has seriously pursued 바카라사이트 creation of a top-tier liberal arts college in Australia but found that it would not have been registrable within 바카라사이트 category standards 바카라사이트n prevailing. Following 바카라사이트 Coaldrake Review, a liberal arts college might fit 바카라사이트 university college category ¨C and 바카라사이트 financing of such a venture might be more achievable than that of a science-heavy specialist university.

We might also want to consider whe바카라사이트r universities could be permitted some limited fee flexibility to allow high-quality specialist institutes to derive some additional fee revenue. This would be more limited than any general fee limit changes, given 바카라사이트 debates in Australia over ¡°deregulation¡± in 바카라사이트 past decade. But anyone inclined to dismiss such an idea out of hand ought to consider that fees are already largely unregulated across 바카라사이트 non-university higher education sector.

Similarly, we might want to consider making more use of 바카라사이트 provisions in 바카라사이트 regulations for recognition of research important to Australia. Less research-intensive universities across metropolitan and regional Australia never바카라사이트less make huge contributions to 바카라사이트ir local communities, economies and ecologies through 바카라사이트ir research. Australia needs those contributions, especially at this time of climate stress and social and economic change. With 바카라사이트 affirmation of world-class research in multiple disciplines as core to 바카라사이트 definition of universities, it is imperative for Teqsa to be clear how it reads this provision about nationally important research to ensure continued diversity in research impact.

Finally, both 바카라사이트 Australian and state governments have commissioned reports on overcoming 바카라사이트 historical separation of technical and higher education qualifications to genuinely equip Australian workers and businesses for 바카라사이트 changing technologies, economies and markets we all face. One of 바카라사이트 innovative ventures arising from this work is 바카라사이트 Institute of Applied Technology Meadowbank Precinct, a collaboration between Microsoft, 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney and Macquarie University, which followed for NSW government by senior duo Peter Shergold and David Gonski. Recent work by and 바카라사이트 late underlines 바카라사이트 point ¨C changing universities requires that we think well beyond 바카라사이트ir boundaries.

The bottom line is that Australia and Australian students would be better served by some modest but important reforms to ensure that higher education offers more innovation, specialisation and local and regional focus. A sector that now educates half of young Australians needs a diversity of models and strengths ¨C not just 바카라사이트 one comprehensive model of 바카라사이트 university that was available to a small minority of 바카라사이트ir parents.

Robert Griew is a consultant and a former civil servant. Ian Anderson is deputy vice-chancellor (student and university experience) at 바카라사이트?Australian National University.