Vice-Chancellor’s Forum 7 – 8 September 2009 Bathurst

1. Vice-Chancellor’s Forum 7 – 8 September 2009 Bathurst

2. Political climate • Skilled workforce • Increased participation

3. At recent Universities Australia (UA) meeting David Phillips gave a very critical take on ‘the known unknowns’ in a demand-driven system. He noted: • the lack of any official analysis to inform how the targets • (40% of 25-34-year-olds, etc.) might be achieved • the lack of clarity about the starting point • the failure to make links between the participation targets and possible increases achieved as a result of skilled migration. • Thus the questions: what increase, what structural change might be needed to achieve the 40% participation target?

4. Compacts • At the UA meeting DEEWR gave a reassuring view on Compacts: • emphasising the need for consistency and transparency, individual institutional improvement over time rather than comparative assessment of performance (mentioning attainment, participation, engagement, quality) • a change in State-Federal relationships was foreshadowed - universities will play more of a role through compact negotiations with the Federal government.

5. Compacts • DIISR vs DEEWR • DEEWR ‘wants universities to tell them what should be done’ • DIISR has an agenda (with the task given to bureaucrats being enormous)

6. Compacts • National Objectives vs DIISR/DEEWR goals • CSU will develop a goal-oriented strategy directed towards national priorities: • for Compacts • for the Charles Sturt University 2012 – 2016 Strategy

7. Compacts • At the UA meeting there was concern/disquiet about the DIISR presentation on research: • need for better modelling for Sustainable Research Excellence (SRE) • problem in introducing ERA before properly thought out.

8. Template for Mission‐based compacts for universities • - Draft preamble template • - University mission • - What the university is at present • [general statement] • - What the university aspires to be • [general statement] • - What differentiates the university from others • • Within its region/state or territory/nationally • • Does the institution intend to accentuate/diminish that differentiation? If so, how? • - Major planned initiatives • • Academic • • Research • • Organisational • • Infrastructure • • Any other • Compacts

9. Structural Adjustment Fund (SAF) • Reported at the UA meeting: • is designed for one-off ‘injections’ and large rather than small allocations • intended to improve outer-metropolitan and regional provision • has to be a substantial impact on an institution that positions it for the future • has to align with government objectives • SAF funding should align with EIF funding.

10. Low SES target and associated performance funding still unclear • Regional loading under review

11. EIF bids • National Institute of Paramedic Education (NIPE) • National Water and Carbon Remote Sensing Facility

12. AUQA • Prep visit held on 4 September 2009

13. Industrial action

14. Recent Publications and Research Income

15. Recent Publications and Research Income continued…

16. Good Universities Guide 2010 • Research Intensitivity– 1 star = • Research Income – 2 stars = • Teaching Quality  • Graduate Outcomes  • Getting a job  • Staff Qualifications 

17. Key Questions: • Is our current culture right for the research outcomes to which we aspire? • What are the right questions to ask to solve the issues that face us?