Thoughts on advocating for universities in the public arena – Robert Griew

1. Thoughts on advocating for universities in the public arena – Robert Griew • 11th National Conference for University Governance, Adelaide, 4 October, 2108

2. After nearly 10 years of growth and attempts to introduce incentives to differentiate … • Common points in Labor and Coalition reform attempts: • Continuing the trend to an historic opening up of the higher education system • Incentives to differentiate what universities offer students and their employers • Moving toward a less divided tertiary education system • Failure to make the reform agenda stick • Reversion to savings measures that the universities hate

3. University revenue has increased since Dawkins with increase driven by volume • Commonwealth Grant Scheme Funding 1988 – 2021$billion (adjusted to $2015) • Source: Grattan Institute, Mapping Australian Higher Education 2016, data provided by the Department of Education and Training

4. Research funding has increased Total Commonwealth research funding 2004 – 2016 • Source: Department of Education and Training (2017)

5. Volume has driven growth in low SES and Indigenous student participation Number of commencing student enrolments by equity group (% change from 2007) • Source: Commonwealth Department of Education and Training, ‘Selected Higher Education Statistics – Time Series Data 2016’, 25 October 2016

6. We are designing university for a larger number of students as a watered down version of what used to be

7. Teaching excellence is not related to research excellence

8. Advocating for universities, lessons from inside government … • Government people are university people. University people don’t get government? Perceptions: Funding rises and we talk of cuts. Universities defend incredible privilege – a legislated monopoly and guaranteed rivers of funding. We defend the Humboldtian principle but increasingly it doesn’t ring true. Fiscal pressures are enormous and the politics of any change increasingly difficult to navigate. We don’t talk to the people the politicians need to legislate any reform.

9. If waiting for a government answer is not wise – how can universities take the initiative? • 3 suggestions: • Get outside the beltway. • Develop our own ideas re fiscal restraint. • Work with ministers on the political sustainability of reform ideas. • 3 possible ways forward for policy: • Universities work with VET & non-university sectors – embrace Government and opposition leads of provider categories and AQF • Separation of research and teaching funding • Reinvigoration of education standards for VET

10. Questions