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education links e-news on higher education[ background ] [ index ] [ subscribe ] e-news 01Backing Australia’s ability for a winIn late January the Prime Minister, the Hon. John Howard MP, announced a massive injection of $2.9 billion into innovation, in his policy statement Backing Australia's Ability: An Innovation Action Plan for the Future. The Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, the Hon. Dr David Kemp MP, welcomed the announcement, saying that 'there will be more opportunities for Australians to acquire the skills needed to work in tomorrow's industries. New funding for research and for state-of-the-art laboratories, libraries and technical support will keep Australia at the leading edge of innovation.' The Commonwealth Government has provided approximately $4.5 billion funding for innovation in 2000-2001 alone. This includes a record $2.7 billion for science, research and industry innovation programmes, and $1.8 billion for higher education research and research training. In addition this Government has launched innovation programs targeted at the information and communications technology (ICT) sector with a total value of $189 million. Funding increases for research and innovation build on the announcements made by the Government in its recent White Paper Knowledge and Innovation: A Policy Statement on Research and Research Training. The White Paper announced new performance-based block funding arrangements for universities to ensure the provision of a high quality environment for research and research training, and support for the work of outstanding individual researchers and research teams through competitive grants administered by the Australian Research Council. In Backing Australia's Ability the Government has announced seven funding initiatives in the education portfolio:
The Neville Bonner Memorial ScholarshipAnnounced by the Prime Minister, the Hon. John Howard MP, in May 2000 the Neville Bonner Memorial Scholarship has been established in memory of the late Mr Neville Bonner AO who was the first Aboriginal Australian Senator. The Scholarship is designed to encourage Indigenous Australians with an interest in politics to undertake their honours year at any recognised Australian university and will be available for study in politics or political science; or related subjects such as government, political geography, political history, political anthropology and political economics. The value of the scholarship is equivalent to the Australian Postgraduate Award stipend (currently $17 071 per year) and the cost of HECS fees paid up front. The scholarship fund was established with $400 000 allocated from the Education, Training and Youth Affairs portfolio. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals has also made a commitment of $30 000 to the fund and it is hoped that additional funds will be raised from the private sector by a committee being appointed by government. The committee is to be headed up by Dr Brendan Nelson MP, will also advise on scholarship issues and have responsibility for selecting the winning scholar each year. The Australian National University is to manage the fund from within its Endowment of Excellence. Workplace ReformThe Workplace Reform Programme is a major funding initiative which is providing $259 million in additional salary funding to higher education institutions over three years. The aim of the programme is to encourage higher education institutions to adopt more flexible and efficient governance and management structures. It will enable institutions to respond to emerging student, employer and community demands. The additional two per cent salary funding the programme provides will help institutions to reward staff through this process. Second Round GuidelinesThe guidelines for the second round of the programme were published on the DETYA Internet site on 11 January 2001. The guidelines, which are designed to assist institutions preparing applications, contain some important information about changes to the programme. First Round ExtensionFirst round funding has now been extended to 18 months from the date an institution's successful application is received by DETYA. Applications for second round funding can be made no earlier than both 12 months after an institution was eligible to receive its first round funding and nine months from the certification of the institution's most recently certified agreement. This means that an institution whose first round funding commenced on 1 January 2000 can apply for the second round from 1 January 2001. However, if the institution has certified a new agreement during this 12-month period, it will have to wait until the agreement has been operating for nine months before it can apply. To qualify for second round funding, and thus have the funding incorporated into their operating grants, institutions will have to demonstrate progress in implementing reforms in workplace relations arrangements, management and administration since the date of their successful first round application. Institutions will need to pass at least nine of the 14 criteria for second round funding, firstly, by demonstrating that they continue to meet the criteria for first round funding and, secondly, by meeting an additional requirement that they have achieved progress in implementing reforms in relation to some of the criteria. Institutions are required to apply for funding on the basis of their certified agreements for academic and general staff. First Round ResultsMost institutions have now applied for first round funding and 22 have received funding. A total of approximately $69 million has been allocated to date. There are several applications which cannot be assessed at present as they are based on agreements which have yet to be certified in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. The successful institutions have demonstrated commitments to wide-ranging workplace reforms. For example, most institutions have used their enterprise agreements to introduce flexible work conditions for staff and to enable some conditions to be determined at work unit, department or faculty levels. Most institutions have also demonstrated strong achievements in areas such as cost savings, productivity increases and revenue generation, all of which are essential for universities to continue to be competitive. Positive DevelopmentsThere has also been a strong trend towards building significant links between agreements and institutions' strategic plans. This is a very positive development as it means that institutions are considering people management as an integral part of their overall management strategy which is influencing their operations. Institutions have also demonstrated significant commitments to, and progress in, reforms in other areas of their operations, such as: simplifying processes and committees; better managing people and resources, including resource sharing; and introducing initiatives to broaden academic expertise and management skills. www.dest.gov.au/highered/programmes/workplace_reform Quality AuditThe first audits to be conducted by the recently established Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) will take place in Second Semester 2001. The AUQA, a company owned by the Commonwealth and State and Territory Ministers for Education, will conduct five-yearly audits of each publicly funded Australian university and produce a public report based on each audit process. University auditsThe AUQA will provide rigorous and transparent audits of quality processes in Australian universities. Each university audit will include a focus on the internal mechanisms in place to assure high quality standards in the areas of teaching and learning (including online delivery), research and management and general academic standards and the operations of universities overseas. Make-up of AUQAThe Board of Directors of the Agency includes five directors representing the higher education sector, three directors representing the Commonwealth Government, three directors representing the State and Territory Governments and an Executive Officer nominated by the Board. Professor David Beanland, former Vice-Chancellor, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology has been appointed the inaugural Chair of the Agency Board. Time to startThe State and Territory Ministers will shortly finalise their appointments to the Board. The Board will meet for the first time in March. The Executive Officer's position has also recently been advertised in the national press. Enquiries to the Agency may be sent to: Australian Universities Quality Agency International recognition of qualificationsThe internationalisation of Australian higher education is being assisted by DETYA through arrangements for the international recognition of qualifications. Of note is the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, known as the Lisbon Recognition Convention. This Convention, which has been signed by most of the Council of Europe members, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, provides a framework for the assessment and recognition of higher education qualifications. DETYA arranged for Australia to sign the Lisbon Recognition Convention in September 2000, following consultations with States and Territories and the AVCC, and it is expected that this will be ratified at the earliest opportunity. The recognition arrangements set out in the Lisbon Recognition Convention will help facilitate the recognition of other parties' academic qualifications in Australia and the recognition of Australian academic qualifications in other parties, thereby providing support for the marketing and internationalisation of Australian education and professional services. The National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) in DETYA will act as the national information centre for the purposes of the Lisbon Recognition Convention. Australia is also a party to the UNESCO Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific. In November 2000, Australia assumed the chair of the Regional Committee for the Implementation of the Convention. One of the Regional Committee's priorities for the coming year will be to facilitate the establishment of a network of information points on recognition matters in the region. In recent years, NOOSR has assisted staff in many Australian universities with information and advice on overseas education systems to help determine the suitability of overseas-qualified applicants for admission to courses of undergraduate and postgraduate study. In addition, NOOSR has provided training on how to make the best use of its assessment guidelines and to discuss assessment issues of particular relevance to international student programmes. In the coming year, a range of initiatives are planned aimed at helping relevant university staff to evaluate overseas credentials more readily. NOOSR's assessment guidelines are set out in its Country Education Profiles which describe the educational systems of approximately 90 countries. Capital Development PoolDetails of more than $40 million in capital grants funding for universities throughout Australia were announced by the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, the Hon. Dr David Kemp in the pre-print release of the Higher Education Report for the 2001 to 2003 Triennium. ‘While the CDP still funds traditional new campus developments, the emphasis is now on the clever use of information and communications technology to improve service standards and expand access and opportunities,’ Dr Kemp said. ‘The programme is aimed particularly at improving university quality and access in regional Australia.’ ‘Institutions have responded with a wide array of projects that demonstrate the dynamic and innovative nature of modern higher education. A particularly commendable element in this year's round has been the increase in the number of collaborative initiatives which have been developed. Higher education institutions are forming strategic alliances with a range of partners—both within the sector itself and with the TAFE and schools sectors, industry and local communities—with the view to providing flexible and more cost-effective education services.’ The following initiatives are examples of this collaboration.
www.dest.gov.au/highered/he_report/2001_2003 New education classificationsChanges to the course classification system2001 has seen the introduction of a new classification system for courses and disciplines/units in Australian universities. The Field of Education classification is a component of the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) which was developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in consultation with government departments, training organisations and universities. ASCED is a comprehensive and consistent national framework for the storage, exchange and dissemination of statistical and administrative data on formal educational activity in Australia. New FieldsThe new Field of Education classification has a three-level hierarchy consisting of 12 Broad Fields (2-digit), 71 Narrow Fields (4-digits) and 346 Detailed Fields (6-digits). This is a substantial increase on the number of codes available in the Field of Study and Discipline Group classifications, both of which have been replaced by the new classification. The increased number of codes will enable universities to more accurately define the content of individual courses and units. From Broad to DetailedFrom 2001 onwards, courses will be coded to the Broad, Narrow or Detailed level, depending upon course content, but units can only be coded to either the Narrow or Detailed level. The Broad level cannot be used for units as HECS banding has been applied at the Narrow level. Universities will be encouraged to code both courses and units to the lowest level of the classification wherever possible. Changing GroupingsThe new classification will mean a break of series in DETYA's data collection due to the increased number of codes and changes to the way some courses and units will be grouped and classified. Concordance tables for mapping between the old and new classifications are being prepared by the ABS but these tables will not be able to provide a definite match for every course and unit. Reasonable time series will be able to be generated using these mappings for many of the discipline groups and fields of education, provided a suitable level of aggregation is selected. For additional information on the new classification, please contact either:
www.dest.gov.au/highered/statinfo.htm New definitions for equity groupsIn 1990, A Fair Go For All, a paper published by the Commonwealth Government, identified a number of groups of people as being under-represented in higher education, including people from non-English speaking backgrounds, women in non-traditional fields of study, people from rural and remote locations, people from low socio-economic backgrounds and people with disabilities. As result, the Commonwealth put in place a number of measures to improve the participation in higher education of people from these equity groups. Low SESOver the years, universities have pointed out difficulties with the current methods of identifying students from equity groups, especially in relation to low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds. While the postcode method is useful for identifying national and State trends in participation by people of low SES, it is less useful at the institutional level and is not valid at an individual level. In 1998, Professor John Western was commissioned by DETYA to review measurement of low SES and to suggest an alternative methodology. He recommended that students should be asked directly about the educational attainment and occupations of their parents. A pilot study in 1999 showed that it was feasible to obtain information on the SES background of students at enrolment time through a student questionnaire. Currently underway is a large-scale trial of a student questionnaire involving 18 universities. A more useful and accurate method of identifying students from low SES backgrounds should result from this work. RemotenessThe Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is considering a new approach to defining remoteness. It is called the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) and enables each place in Australia to be given a remoteness score. DETYA is waiting for the results of the deliberations of the ABS before deciding how to change the current method of using postcodes to identify rural and isolated students. Non-English Speaking BackgroundThe ABS and DETYA define people from non-English-speaking backgrounds differently. DETYA's definition includes those students who were born overseas, arrived in Australia within the previous ten years and speak a language other than English at home. Consideration is being given to changing DETYA's definition to bring it in line with the ABS and other agencies. This may mean gathering data on the country of birth of students' parents, their main language spoken at home and whether they are Indigenous Australians who speak a language other than English at home. AccuracyOverall these revisions will provide significantly more accurate information about higher education students from equity groups at the institution level as well as a better base for policy analysis and programme administration. 2000 Australian Awards for University TeachingThe Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs, the Hon. Dr David Kemp, announced the winners of the prestigious 2000 Australian Awards for University Teaching, at Parliament House in Canberra in December 2000. Dr Kemp said the award winners had shown the professionalism, drive and commitment that have put Australia at the forefront of university teaching internationally. For the first time, the top honour—the Prime Minister's Award for University Teacher of the Year—went to joint winners. Now in their fourth year, the Awards recognise and promote quality and excellence in university teaching and learning in Australia. The Awards became the responsibility of the Australian Universities Teaching Committee when it was established last year. Winners of the 2000 Australian Awards for University TeachingPrime Minister’s award for university teacher of the yearIndividual teacher of the year : Professor Ron Weber, The University of Queensland and Team of the year: Professional Writing and Communication Teaching Team—Professor Claire Woods, Mr David Homer, Ms Mia Stephens, Dr Paul Skrebels, Ms Ruth Trigg, University of South Australia Teaching awardsBiological Sciences, Health and Related Studies Economics, Business and Related Studies Humanities and the Arts Law and Legal Studies Physical Sciences and Related Studies Social Sciences Institutional awardsInnovative and practical approach to the provision of support services
that assist the learning of students and The University of Queensland—AskIT Computing Help and Training for UQ Students Innovative and practical approach to the provision of educational
services to the local and/or regional community Innovative and practical approach to provision of services that enhance
the quality of teaching and learning The winners of the six Teaching Awards each receive a grant of $40 000 while an Institutional Award provides a grant of $50 000. The winners of the Prime Minister's Award for University Teacher of the Year received an additional $35 000. This year's awards attracted 100 nominations—72 for the Teaching and 28 for the Institutional Awards. In printRecent releasesCharacteristics and Performance Indicators, 2000: Preliminary Report (Internet only) Higher Education Division is updating the publication The Characteristics and Performance of Higher Education Institutions. The previous version was published in December 1998 and contained a broad range of indicators concerning students, staff, research, finance and student outcomes (retention and progress rates, employment outcomes, course experience questionnaire outcomes). A preliminary version containing most of the indicators in the 1998 edition and a series of more detailed indicators on research performance has been published electronically. The final publication contains an article on diversity in the sector and how it has changed over the last five years. www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/statistics/characteristics/contents.htm Higher Education Report for the 2001 to 2003 Triennium - pre-print (Internet only) This report outlines key developments and changes to the operating environment for universities for the coming triennium. It also summarises the achievements of the higher education sector in relation to the Government's objectives. The final report will be available in electronic and hard copy from March 2001. The 2001 to 2003 triennium is expected to see a range of developments in the higher education sector including:
www.dest.gov.au/highered/he_report/2001_2003/ FavouritesGuidelines for the Application of Best Practice in Australian University Libraries (Anne Wilson et al) www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip00_11/execsum.htm Best Practice Handbook for Australian University Libraries (Anne Wilson et al) www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip00_10/execsum.htm Views and Influences: Tertiary education, secondary students and their advisers (Adrian Harvey-Beavis et al) www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip00_8/execsum.htm Multi-Partner Campuses: The future of Australian education? (Adam Shoemaker et al) www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip00_13/execsum.htm Australia—3rd edition (Country Education Profiles—NOOSR) To grab a copyInternet versionsMost of our publications—from October 1996 onward—are available in full on the DETYA website at: www.dest.gov.au/highered/repts.htm Hard copiesCopies of most of our publications can be purchased from AusInfo’s Government Information Bookshops. Locations and contact details for the AusInfo bookshops are available at: www.dofa.gov.au/infoaccess/infoaccess/ia_infoshops.htm EnquiriesGeneral enquiries about publications can be emailed to Web updatesDETYA’s website has new information posted to it on a regular basis. You can keep up with changes via the Site Change Subscription Service (SCSS). This Service notifies subscribers of significant updates and additions to DETYA websites. How it worksInterested parties need to register to the subscription service. Registration involves providing your email address and selecting the parts of DETYA’s website you wish to be notified about. What it doesOnce registered, subscribers will be sent a weekly email (usually on Monday evenings) with a brief description of any changes and the address for such pages. Copyright© Commonwealth of Australia 2001 This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes subject to the inclusion of the source and no commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above, require the written permission from the Commonwealth available through AusInfo. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Manager, Legislative Services, AusInfo, GPO Box 1920, Canberra ACT 2601. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. Contacte-news on higher education editorial enquiries: e-news on higher education e-news is available on the Internet at: Full PDF [ background ] [ index ] [ subscribe ]
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