Higher Education

Current funding stunts growth: AVCC

Australia's universities need to be funded on a 'fit for purpose' basis so that they can truly meet the demands placed on them by the community, business and industry sectors, a major higher education conference was told today.

The President of the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee, Professor Deryck Schreuder, said the current funding system inhibited potential growth and diversity.

Professor Schreuder also said the growing consensus was that the current financial arrangements do not work and that the sector will not reach the levels of international excellence that is required of a diverse society.

"We don't need fewer universities: we need universities which are more differentiated in missions and outcomes," Professor Schreuder said. "Our universities should be funded on a basis of 'fit for purpose' - only then
will the sector achieve the diversity it seeks."

Professor Schreuder said the sector's concept of diversity was certainly different to that initially advanced by the Government in its report: Higher Education at the Crossroads.

"That argued for a narrow university specialisation which implied that each university pursues one or two major areas, minimising others. That is not the kind of diverse sector we believe we ought to have in servicing a
diverse and regionalised nation."

Professor Schreuder said the AVCC had challenged the Government, and the Parliament to make major changes in the funding and policy framework currently in place. He said the AVCC had advanced a package which aims to ensure that:

A future Australia is ranked in the top five nations for higher education, investing at least two percent of GDP in its university sector

Australia has at least one, recognised world-class research centre in each significant academic field

Higher education services would be one of the top three value adding Australian exports

More than 60 percent of Australians complete higher education over their lifetime

"If the AVCC package is adopted by the Government, it will ensure that each university excels in those areas of teaching, learning and research which it does best.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/higher_ed/20030404_crossroads.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005