May
- Exclusive
- University
Failure to rein in uni bosses led to problems of ‘excess’
Peter Coaldrake has been deeply involved in the university sector for five decades, the past four years as head regulator. And he is troubled by what is going on.
- Julie Hare
February
- Exclusive
- University
Unis that would pay the most – and the least – under ‘envy tax’ plan
Just six of the country’s 41 universities would bankroll half of the annual contributions to the higher education future fund proposed in the Albanese government’s universities accord.
- Julie Hare
- Opinion
- University
The universities accord is like one giant déjà vu
The report has big ambitions. So did the 2008 Bradley review. They are not too dissimilar in scope and intent.
- Julie Hare
10 big ideas in the universities shake-up
From doubling the numbers of students to a ‘Robin Hood’ tax on rich institutions: Here are some of the biggest recommendations in the universities accord and what they mean.
- Julie Hare
Bright, poor students guaranteed a uni spot
Aspiring university students whose families earn less than $54,000 a year will be guaranteed a place in a degree if they meet admission benchmarks.
- Julie Hare
- Opinion
- University
Universities accord report highlights funding shortage
If Australia is to have a world-class university system to sustain our standard of living in a highly competitive world, we are going to need to invest far more in it.
- Mark Scott
‘Wealth tax’ for top unis in $10b funding shake-up
A major review of higher education has recommended a return to demand-driven funding to get more poor students into university; a $10 billion infrastructure fund; an independent tertiary education commission; and bonuses paid based on graduation.
- Updated
- Julie Hare
January
School leavers shun uni, enrolments hit near-decade low
Gap years were back in 2022, but the 8.2 per cent drop in first-year university students also confirms a worrying trend that young people are shunning degrees.
- Julie Hare
August 2023
Poaching of overseas students rife, regulator warns
The higher education regulator is investigating several providers over “risks to compliance” and has warned all universities and colleges to abide by their registration conditions.
- Updated
- Julie Hare
July 2023
- Opinion
- University
Disappointing universities are a drag on flagging productivity
Despite its importance to a productive future workforce, universities have limited incentives to invest in teaching quality and student support.
- Catherine De Fontenay
June 2023
Talk is cheap for Australia’s best paid vice chancellor
Duncan Maskell thinks uni should be free. It’s a shame his institution has made it so expensive.
- Hannah Wootton
Working-class university boss lobbies for free degrees
Not charging fees for the first year of higher education would cost about $4.3 billion a year, but Duncan Maskell argues income tax revenue would jump.
- Julie Hare
- Exclusive
- University
Unis post $1.3b loss but VCs still rake in $1m pay packets
Australian universities have produced their worst financial results in history with a combined $1.3 billion loss. Still, 10 vice-chancellors earned $1 million-plus salaries in 2022.
- Updated
- Julie Hare
March 2023
- Exclusive
- University
Why don’t companies pay employees’ student loans, asks David Lloyd
Let’s find ways to ensure everyone gets to go to university if they want to, and stay on to graduate, says a leading vice-chancellor.
- Julie Hare
February 2023
- Opinion
- HECS
Why student loans don’t address elitism in universities
Australia needs a long-term plan that should include means-tested, free and better quality higher education.
- Adrian Blundell-Wignall
January 2023
Five years on, is ANU’s boss winning the war against ATARs?
Vice chancellor Brian Schmidt wants the admissions process to reshape the geographical and socioeconomic mix of his university’s students. His battle is only half-won.
- Hans van Leeuwen
The pace of innovation is slower than you might think
An analysis of 45 million academic papers and 4 million patents has shown innovation is slowing and a change in research culture is crucial.
- Jill Margo
University funding model falls flat on all objectives: expert
The review of Australian universities must, as a priority, right the wrongs of the Job Ready Graduate funding model, says a leading expert.
- Julie Hare
November 2022
Time to add colour and diversity to university sector, says Glyn Davis
Australia’s 40 universities are pretty much indistinguishable from each other, the nation’s most senior public servant says, but he believes the new higher education accord can change that.
- Julie Hare
What can Melbourne University do about its ‘student problem’?
The new review of universities is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for change, says Duncan Maskell, but can it better the uni’s own criticised campus experience?
- Julie Hare
