Op Ed by Professor Harlene Hayne CNZM
ATN Universities Chair & VC Curtin UniversityThis article was originally published in Future Campus
https://futurecampus.com.au/2024/10/10/time-to-step-up-to-actively-support-good-policy/
In February 1999, the founding group of Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) Vice-Chancellors met to sign an agreement to establish the peak body which I am proud to lead today as Chair.
Although much has changed across the education landscape, the reason why we are here has not. Over the past 25 years, the ATN universities have remained steadfastly committed to preparing people from all walks of life for productive and happy careers and to undertake research that makes a difference. We are rightly proud of the high levels of employment that our graduates enjoy and the way in which our research is helping to solve the problems we face in our communities, our nation, and around the world.
Over the past 25 years, we have responded to waves of reforms, and the latest set is rolling in at a rapid rate. But no matter how much it is tweaked, the fundamental funding model of Australian universities has peculiar limitations that few commercial operations could survive—a model where we have no control over the price we can charge domestic students or how many domestic students we can teach.
These strict controls on price and volume have led many Australian universities to pull the only lever left to their control—the recruitment of international students. International student fees are now critical to many universities. These fees were initially used to fill the gap to fund research and infrastructure, but they are now required to fill other gaps, including the provision of quality education and services for our domestic students.
In the face of these significant challenges, the university sector in Australia has not always covered itself in glory. The recent scuffle over international student caps is just one, albeit very prominent, example of the way in which the individual interests of some universities have begun to trump student need, public good, and best practice.
We now need to work to rebuild an innovative and equitable higher education system of which Australians can rightly be proud. We must rebuild trust with policymakers and governments. We need to work with both our champions and our critics across the political spectrum, in the media and, most importantly, in the community at large.
ATN is prepared to lead the way on these issues. Recognising the role that caps play in a well-managed system, we will work closely with Government to develop a measured approach to international education. We will also collaborate to solve other issues facing our sector including funding, regulation, and student safety.
The Universities Accord recognised the need for change, setting an ambitious agenda for reform. As a sector, we must be prepared to lean in and heartily support good policy and to offer helpful, real-world solutions where and when we believe improvements are needed.
Let’s focus on fostering an environment where students are best prepared for the workforce – equipped with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate and adapt to an ever-evolving world. A blend of academic excellence and practical application has been key to ATN members’ success, the envy of many institutions across the world; it’s an approach that enables our students to thrive in their work and in their lives.
The ATN Vice-Chancellors feel enormously privileged to lead a highly committed workforce – colleagues who show up each day dedicated to the creation of new knowledge through research, to the dissemination of new knowledge through teaching, and the use of new knowledge to solve the challenges facing our communities, our nation, and the rest of the world. We should never lose sight of our privilege nor of the obligations that come with it.
This article by Professor Hayne follows her speech to the 25th Anniversary Dinner for the ATN this week.
