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In this paper, the author sets the scene for what is the tertiary education sector in Australia, what it should look like and what needs to change. This is achieved by presenting ways of defining educational sectors which may be useful in answering the question: What is the tertiary education sector? The author concludes by discussing types of tertiary education institution. Show less

The Rudd Labor Government in 2009 endorsed a target of 40 per cent of 25-34 year olds having at least a bachelor degree by 2025. To achieve this goal and an associated low socioeconomic participation target domestic student intake caps were removed and Australian higher education institutions were encouraged to enrol at least 50,000 more domestic degree students by 2013. The very variable responses of individual universities, mainly for commencing bachelor student enrolments, are examined in this paper. Principal findings include that: (1) overall, domestic bachelor commencing student numbers for higher education institutions increased by more than 53,500 in the period 2009 to 2013, a 27.5 per cent increase - exceeding the government target; (2) corresponding overseas commencing bachelor enrolments actually declined by more than 6,800, a 9.7 per cent decrease, during the same period; a number of factors, including a displacement effect of increased domestic numbers, may be responsible; and (3) female students represent 59 per cent of enrolees, well above the population demographic of 49 per cent for the 15 to 34 year age group; (4) the increased domestic enrolments have resulted in a higher proportion of the students being over 25 years of age, studying full-time, off-campus with no significant gender balance change; and (5) based on current enrolments and completion trends achieving the 40 per cent domestic graduate target by 2025 is possible, but challenging. The conclusion is that increased government per capita funding and/or a measure of fee deregulation will be essential to achieve the 2025 target of producing many more internationally competitive graduates.

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As in many countries over the last 25 years or so, universities in Australia have been subject to substantial change and expansion. This has been accompanied by a progressive decline in direct government support per student and a substantial increase in the level and percentage of tied short-term funding flowing from national research granting bodies. Australia's universities have offset the decline in per student government funding by accessing the volatile international higher education student market. At the same time, the introduction of unrestricted competition between institutions for domestic students over the past three years has increased uncertainty and difficulty in forecasting enrolment numbers for some universities. The apparent success and robustness of the Australian university system in an environment of short term funding and volatility in student numbers has been underpinned by significant changes in the composition of the academic workforce. The purpose of this paper is to review current academic workforce flexibility practices in Australian universities. This includes the legal framework, types and prevalence of different contracts and practices, and the relative positions of unions and universities towards these practices.

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This research project was designed to contribute to understanding of a 'wicked problem' that appears to repeat itself in successive generations of women in science - the well-documented, entrenched patterns of disadvantage associated with women's participation in the science research workforce. Despite the fact that outstanding women are increasingly achieving at the highest levels, obtaining advanced scientific qualifications and taking key roles in the fields of science and technology, women's participation in the science research workforce continues to be characterised by low levels of retention and success beyond the postdoctoral career stage.

The research strongly suggests that new employment conditions and new career pathways are needed to reframe patterns of participation and opportunities for success for a wider range of entrants to the scientific research workforce. This is particularly the case in universities and research institutes, as evidenced by the differences between the fields of biology and chemistry, but to achieve this a better understanding of what opportunities exist, for whom, and in what professional contexts is necessary.

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[This paper] is designed to foster discussion about new possibilities. It seeks to draw out the major implications for strategy and policy of the changes underway and currently expected in the global operating environment, particularly for higher education and university research. It recognises the volatility and unpredictability of change in the world. Hence, it is not intended as a set of strategic directions or policy recommendations. The topic identified for this paper is problematic in its own formulation. What does it mean for Australia to be globally positioned, as distinct from some of its institutions? How can education, training and research function as a means (as distinct from an effect) of positioning Australia in the world? To what extent are there distinctive Australian characteristics of education, training and research? The notion of ‘global positioning’ in relation to education, training and research is taken to mean three things: purpose, place and mode, or why, where and how.

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This article examines student load in courses that are part of the training packages provided by the Industry Skills Councils. In order to compare courses that varied in length, the numbers of enrolments per course have been converted into full-year training equivalents. Show less

In 2010, the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) proposed a replication of an earlier Australian Learning and Teaching Council-funded study of experienced academic leaders in Australian higher education (Scott, Coates and Anderson, 2008) with professional leaders in tertiary education institutions in Australia and New Zealand. The aim of the new study was to define the capabilities which characterise an effective leader of the professional services and activities in Australian and New Zealand tertiary education institutions; to identify the challenges such leaders face and how they might best be addressed; to produce a set of recommendations for ATEM to consider on how to help the sector select, support, develop and monitor its leadership of the area; and to compare the results for professional leaders with those of academic leaders. This report of the study includes recommendations and implications for action throughout and an appendix summarising the survey data.

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This paper examines some aspects of the policy and implementation of the new [vocational education and training] VET Student Loans scheme. The VET Student Loans scheme was rushed though the [Australian] Parliament on a wave of public outrage about the rorting of VET FEE-HELP. The old scheme was voted out with little understanding of what the new one might bring in. The scheme's fundamental purpose is to provide a benefit to students. It seeks to make access to vocational education and training (VET) affordable by helping students to pay their tuition fees. In doing so, it contributes to the financial resources of VET providers and the provision and development of VET in Australia. The aspects of policy and implementation that this paper examines are primarily those related to the payment of tuition fees. It considers whether these arrangements are simple, fair and efficient for students and providers. While the prime motivation for a new scheme was to ensure that it was not abused by disreputable providers, regulatory aspects of the scheme are examined only to the extent they are relevant to the paper's main purpose.

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This brief background paper aims to set down the main elements of the global education landscape in relation to education, especially higher education, the international education market, and Australia's global position and positioning. It does not review the matters in detail, as much of the ground is covered in the paper by Dennis Murray et al., 'Backgrounder: state of current research in international education'. The final part of the paper draws out policy implications, short term and long term. At the back of the paper as attachment one is a small table setting out the performance of the Confucian-heritage education systems in [Programme for International Student Assessment] PISA 2009, followed by attachment two, an article published in The Australian (Australian Literary Review) which reflects on the rise of East Asian education and the issues and tensions within education in the modernized Confucian systems and family attitudes to education. The article also discusses some implications for Australia, for East/West relations and for the future of global society.

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The growth trends in student numbers for the 10 Australian Universities with the highest enrolments in 2014 have been examined. They account for 39 per cent of all student enrolments, including 53 per cent of research student enrolments. Changes in the undergraduate, postgraduate coursework and research training categories for the period 2009 to 2014 are reported. Domestic and overseas student trends are included. These 10 universities increased their student intakes by more than 81,000 in the period under review. Considerable variations in their responses to the student demand-driven policy reforms are evident. Three universities - Deakin, Melbourne and Queensland - each increased their intake by more than 10,000 students. Deakin is the standout university with a 38.6 per cent increase in undergraduate enrolments and a 76.7 per cent increase in research students. Melbourne reported a 98.7 per cent increase in postgraduate coursework students and a decline of 11.6 per cent in undergraduate students as an outcome of its curriculum reforms.

Interestingly, the percentage domestic student profile changes occurring in many universities outside the 10 largest universities are greater in all enrolment categories. The system-wide strong growth is expected to bring very significant resourcing challenges to avoid an escalation in attrition rates and to enable the academic quality of the Australian higher education system to be maintained.

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