Higher Education: the landscape of reform Colin Walters

1. Higher Education: the landscape of reform Colin Walters Group Manager, Higher Education Group, DEST

2. The Crossroads review - 2002 From the Minister's Media release 2 April 2002: • Minister's initial discussions had highlighted a rangeof issues meriting close scrutiny: • Governance and university management & workplace relations • Financing, attracting and retaining quality staff • Efficiency and responsiveness • Student access and equity of opportunity • Despite the significant strides that have been made there remained significant challenges

3. The Crossroads review - 2002 Therefore Crossroads review was created to • Identify the scope for improvements • Seek suggestions about how Government might facilitate those improvements • Include wide-ranging consultations

4. The Crossroads review 2002:the outcomes The Reviewacknowledged these themes: • Growth of Australian higher education sector required additional resources and investment • Need to maintain quality • Need to be competitive in a rapidly changing global higher education market Review findings led to Backing Australia’s Future

5. Backing Australia’s Future:a major reform & funding package in 2003 • Provided $2.6 billion over five years • Based on four key principles: sustainability, diversity, equity and quality • Significant additional investment - $11 billion in new support over 10 years (2005-2014)

6. $2.6 Billion additional funding(2004-08) Includes • Commonwealth Grant Scheme $838 million • Conversion of marginal places $543million • Commonwealth Learning Scholarships $327million • Learning & teaching Performance Fund $251 million • HELP Programmes $259 million • National Priorities (Teaching & Nursing) $160 million • Regional loading $146 million • Growth places $74 million • Workplace productivity Programme $83 million • National Institutefor learning & teaching $67 million • New medical places $58 million

7. Our Universities:Backing Australia’s Future • In 2005, the Australian Government is making available more Commonwealth funded places than ever before, with 409,393 places • Student demand is being addressed by funding over 39,000 new Commonwealth supported student places in the next 5 years (2005 to 2009)

8. The research landscape: Backing Australia’s ability: packages 1 and 2 • Additional investment to boost Australia’s science and innovation performance, $8.3 billion from 2001–02 to 2010–11 • Three key research themes: • Strengthening Australia’s ability to generate ideas and undertake research • Accelerating the commercialisation of ideas • Developing and retaining skills • Total Government investment in science and innovation over this period will be around $52 billion

10. Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund (CASR) • $37m in funds (2005-07) to foster collaboration between higher education providers & business & other groups • First round projects are expected to be announced shortly • There will be another round soon for funding in 2006 • $13 million allocated for 2006

11. Workplace Productivity Programme • Commencing 2006 • Encourage higher education institutions to further progress reform to increase workplace productivity • $83 million available between 2006 & 2008 • Discussion paper released July 2005 for comment by 9 August 2005

12. Learning and Teaching Performance Fund – 2006 onwards • Established to reward those institutions that best demonstrate excellence in teaching and learning • The Fund comprises two stages: • Stage 1 – appropriate policies and processes in place and publicly available on their websites. Completed & results to be announced shortly • Stage 2 – assessment of institutional performance using quantitative indicators and qualitative input. Performance Allocation Model to be announced in the next few weeks

13. Higher Education workplace requirements • Introduced in 2005 • Designed to encourage choice in agreement making • Direct relationships between employers & employees • Workplace flexibility • Productivity and Performance • Freedom of Association

14. AWAs • The HEP must provide employees with genuine choice and flexibility in agreement making by offering AWAs to all new employees employed after 29 April 2005 and to all other employees by 31 August 2006. Until 30 June 2006, HEPs are exempt from offering AWAs to casual employees engaged for a period of less than one month.

15. Higher Education workplace requirements • Universities that comply with the workplace reforms and the National Governance Protocols will be eligible for the increase in assistance funding under the Commonwealth Grant Scheme (5% in 2006 and 7.5% in later years) • Must comply by 30 November 2005 to receive the 5% increase • Must comply by 31 August 2006 to receive the 7.5% increase

16. Voluntary Student Unionism HESA Amendment (Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student Union Fees) Bill 2005 • Referred to Senate Inquiry in June, due to report 9 August • Debate in the Spring Sitting • Expected start date of 1 January 2006 The Bill ensures that providers do not require a student to • Be a member of an organisation of students (or students and other persons) • Pay a fee in respect of an organisation of students • Pay a fee for an amenity, facility or service that is not of an academic nature, unless the student chooses to do so Packaging the fee for non-academic services and amenities • Critical issue is that students must have a choice • Bill does not prevent providers from offering students “packages” of services

17. Voluntary Student Unionism Non-discretionary penalty for a breach of the VSU provisions: • Reduction in amount a provider receives under CGS equivalent to $100 for each CGS student place • Applies in all cases of requiring membership of an organisation of students • If breach involves payment of a fee, provider is given an opportunity to correct breach • Non-discretionary penalty not applied if money repaid to the student

18. The HELP schemes • HECS-HELP – to assist eligible Commonwealth supported students pay their student contribution. There are two types of HECS-HELP assistance: the HECS-HELP discount and the HECS-HELP loan • FEE-HELP – to assist eligible fee-paying students pay their tuition fees • OS-HELP – to assist eligible Commonwealth supported students who wish to study overseas. Distribution of loans to Universities finalised end of September 2005

19. The next round of new places • Next round of new places will be for 2,800 new growth places commencing in 2007 • The Minister has yet to determine how these places will be allocated.  The Department will consult with the sector on the application process towards the end of 2005/early 2006 • In 2008, there will be a further 1,800 new growth places

20. Capital Development Pool (CDP) • CDP Guidelines are being reviewed to ensure the programme continues to meet the capital development needs of the higher education sector • Sector was invited to provide feed back on the draft Guidelines by 26 July 2005 • Guidelines will be finalised, following the Minister’s approval, in the coming weeks • Bids for the 2008 round will be called for end of August/early September. Over $44 million available for allocation

21. HEIMS & Reporting Student Learning Entitlements

22. Course Information System • There will be a national searchable database of all higher education courses, accessed from in GoingtoUni, scheduled for release in September 2005 • The database will include information about indicative course fees, cut-off and minimum entrance requirements, eligibility scores • Course data for the Course Information System will be required from all HEPs by 15 August 2005 • The Student Private Portal is scheduled for release at the end of November 2005

23. Accountability and quality The Institution Assessment Framework, introduced in 2004, involves assessment by DEST of universities': • sustainability - planning processes and financial viability • achievements in higher education provision • quality of outcomes • compliance with legislation and guidelines • Universities visited every 2 years for bilateral discussions about the assessment

24. Accountability and quality • The 2005 schedule of visits includes: Newcastle, New England, Charles Sturt, Western Sydney and Macquarie universities

25. Accountability and quality • DEST will monitor the filling of new places through the Funding Agreement process and the Student Statistics Data • Since new places for 2005 were allocated in late 2004, DEST appreciates that some providers had difficulties filling these places in 2005. This should not affect their ability to fill the places in 2006 and beyond • However, unfilled places from institutions that consistently under enrol may be redistributed to other universities

26. State accreditation (based on NationalProtocols) AUQA (Australian UniversitiesQuality Agency) audits Commonwealth Funding support (institutions/students) national reporting performance data, tools Universities Responsible foracademic standards AQF(Australian Qualifications Framework) national register and awarddescriptions Australian Higher Education Quality Assurance Framework

27. AUQA Quality Audit Process • AUQA bases each audit on an auditee’s critical self-review (performance portfolio) • Audit visit programs based on auditee’s self-review and a preparatory visit • Audit visit tests the statements and descriptions in the performance portfolio • AUQA audit report is publicly released

28. FURTHER DIRECTIONS OF REFORMDiscussion papers • Building university diversity released 27 May 2005 www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/policy_issues_reviews/reviews/building_diversity/building_university_diversity.htm • Building Better Foundations for higher education released March 2005 www.dest.gov.au/highered/pubs/papers/responsibility/default.htm • Enhancing offshore delivery released July 2005 www.dest.gov.au/sectors/international_education/policy_issues_reviews/reviews/quality_auditing_of_offshore_delivery

29. Building University Diversity • Issues paper released to debate the desirability of greater diversity in the university sector • National Workshop on 17 August 2005 under auspices of Australian Education Ministers to further discuss these issues • Any changes to the Protocols would need to be agreed to by the Commonwealth & State and Territory Governments in November 2005

30. Commonwealth-State Relationships • Building better Foundations for Higher Education in Australia released March 2005 • Suggests a greater role for Australian Government in 3 key areas • Commercial activities, governance and management, recognition and accreditation • Consultation process underway & seeking Australian Education Ministers consideration in November 2005

31. Credit Transfer and Articulation • Australian Education Ministers have endorsed a set of “Good Practice Principles for Credit Transfer and Articulation” • The Australian Government has enhanced its GoingtoUni website to include more detailed information on credit transfer from VET to university

32. Enhancing Offshore Quality • $590,000 in 2005 to improve higher education offshore quality assurance • Discussion paper, ANational Quality Strategy for Australian Transnational Education and Training • Model and strategic directions to be presented to Australian Education Ministers – November 2005

33. National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) • Backing Australia’s Ability initiative (A$542 million) - the main part of funding will start to flow from 2006-07 (~$100m pa) • Strategic focus for the Government’s investment in major research infrastructure • NCRIS will seek to: • Develop world-class capacity in key areas of research • Encourage collaboration • Encourage greater international engagement • Strategic Roadmap’ to guide the Government’s investments over the next ten years: - Advisory Committee recommendations considered by end of 2005.

34. Research Quality Framework (RQF): Strategic Objectives • Announced in May 2004 Budget, the RQF will measure the quality of research in universities and Publicly Funded Research Agencies • Among the drivers is the need: • for greater accountability for public investment in research • to demonstrate the quality and impact of publicly funded research • Existing quality indicators (eg number of publications) are not brought together in any readily accessible and consistent way • RQF will inform future distribution of research effort, although the details of this will need to be worked through once models are developed

35. RQF: Progress to Date • Framework development guided by an Expert Advisory Group • Principles underpinning an RQF are: transparency, acceptability and effectiveness • RQF Issues Paper released in March 2005 • RQF Advanced Approaches Paper released in May 2005 • RQF Preferred Models Paper for release in early September 2005 • Advice to Minister by end of year • Updates available on the RQF website • http://www.dest.gov.au/resqual

36. The dreaded red tape issue • Data and information collection driven by DEST’s accountability responsibilities for implementing and managing Government policies and programmes • Funding Agreements. Universities are not required to contact DEST for each and every variation to student enrolments made throughout the year • IAF is a consolidated instrument to streamline reporting

37. Unmet demand

38. Future of our market?

39. and the competition

43. Founded 1981 by 3 partners • Government support – free science land, freeing up of inward investment and a long tax holiday • Now $1bn US revenue, >40,000 employees, 1 in 130 selected • Includes 600 foreign nationals in 33 countries • Concern about future supply of suitable graduates in India – already takes 10% of Indian production of suitably qualified engineers • 419 clients, 99% repeat business • Main Bangalore campus has 40 buildings • Residential training campus at Mysore for 5000 staff

45. IMEC's revenues up 12% to €159m • IMEC generates 78% of budget, 22% from the Flemish community • International industry: 62% • Staff: 898 members • Guest researchers & industrial residents: 430 • Average age = 34 years • 15 % PhD students

46. Economic activity across the planet 27 November 2000 (NASA)

47. Higher Education: the landscape of reform Colin Walters Group Manager, Higher Education Group, DEST