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Media Release
PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN UNIVERSITY TEACHING
7 April, 2004 MIN 675/04
Quality teaching is the key to ensuring that future graduates have the knowledge, skills and capabilities which will enable them to contribute to the future development of Australia.
The Government has a commitment to rewarding higher education institutions that pursue excellence in teaching and who support their staff to improve student learning outcomes.
For too long teaching has been considered by many to be a ‘poor cousin’ to research in our universities.
For this reason the $2.6 billion Higher Education Reform package also included $251 million for a Learning and Teaching Performance Fund to commence in 2006.
This fund is designed to reward those institutions that best demonstrate excellence in learning and teaching.
Today I am releasing an issues paper which will inform consultations on the development of this Fund.
The Fund is part of the Government’s Backing Australia’s Future package, which includes a total of $251 million funding from 2006-2008 to reward excellence in learning and teaching in higher education.
The paper outlines the two stage process for allocation of the Performance Fund to specific institutions. The first stage will require institutions to prove eligibility for access to this fund through demonstrating a strong commitment to learning and teaching. This will include strategies, practices, policies and systematic student evaluation of the quality of teaching to be made publicly available on an institution’s website. The second stage, once eligibility has been established, will measure institutional performance in learning and teaching using a range of measures which may include performance indicators such as student progress and graduate employment outcomes, and will be developed in consultation with the sector.
Important issues raised for consideration and discussion include:
- the Australian and overseas experience in rewarding excellence in learning and teaching in higher education;
- the principles for assessing allocation models; and
- the strengths and weaknesses of possible models.
An Advisory Group of academic and other experts has been set up to guide development of the Fund. The paper was discussed at the Group’s first meeting in February 2004 and incorporates members’ comments and input.
The issues paper is available at: http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/learning_teaching/p_fund_default.htm
Comments should be emailed to the Australian Department of Education Science and Training by 7 May 2004 at LTPF@dest.gov.au.
In addition, a series of consultation sessions with representatives of the higher education sector will be held in mid-2004 in all major State capitals and the ACT. I anticipate announcing final criteria for the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund by the end of the year.
I look forward to a thoughtful and stimulating dialogue on the ways in which we can best encourage and reward excellence in learning and teaching in higher education.
In addition to the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund universities and students will also be benefiting from other elements of the reform package as they begin to flow through over the next five years including:
- $838 million in additional base funding;
- $146 million to support regional campuses;
- $160 million to support the practical component of teaching and nursing programmes;
- $327 million in scholarships to assist students with their education and accommodation costs;
- $75 million to further support teaching and learning in universities, including a new National Institute and increased funds for the Australian University Teaching Awards;
- two new loan schemes to assist those students who choose to pay the full cost of their education, and those wanting to spend a semester or two studying overseas;
- more than $100 million to support a range of equity initiatives, including funding for indigenous students, students with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds;
- $83 million to support workplace productivity in universities; and
- $36 million to support collaboration and structural reform.
In addition in July this year around 185,000 Australians will immediately benefit from a reduction in their HECS repayments when the repayment threshold for HECS increases to $35,000 from $24,365.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Laila Lacis 0412 040 034
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