Responding to the Minister for Education鈥檚 address to the AFR Higher Education Summit today, 黑料老司机 Chief Executive Officer Luke Sheehy said the next phase of higher education reform needed to strengthen quality and accountability without adding unnecessary complexity to an already heavily regulated sector.听
鈥淯niversities share the Government鈥檚 ambition to lift teaching quality and make sure every student gets the education and support they need to succeed,鈥 Mr Sheehy said.听
鈥淲e support a strong focus on the quality and professionalism of university teaching and will consider Professor Johnson鈥檚 recommendations carefully.听
鈥淎ny new standards need to be evidence-based, workable and developed with the sector. Universities also need sufficient time and support to implement them properly.听
鈥淲e also support the ATEC鈥檚 work to better understand the real cost of teaching and learning. If we are serious about lifting teaching quality, we also need to confront the underfunding of university teaching under the Job-ready Graduates Package.听
鈥淣eeds-based Funding, additional university places and the expanded Commonwealth Prac Payment are important reforms that will help more Australians get to university and complete their degree.听
鈥淲e also support the Government鈥檚 strong focus on tackling racism.听
鈥淩acism has no place on our campuses. Universities are unequivocally committed to preventing and responding to it in all its forms, and to providing safe and inclusive environments for students and staff.听
鈥淪trong standards must be backed by appropriate accountability but increasing existing civil penalties from around $40,000 to more than $2 million is a significant escalation in regulatory power and warrants proper scrutiny by Parliament.听
鈥淯niversities should be held accountable when they fail to meet clear national standards, but new powers must be fair, proportionate and carefully bounded. Universities should expect the same regulatory fairness and due process that applies elsewhere in the economy.听
鈥淧arliament should closely examine how these powers will work in practice. That includes the safeguards and review mechanisms that apply, and whether the framework properly distinguishes serious or systemic failures from technical or administrative non-compliance.听
鈥淯niversity autonomy matters too. Strong accountability should not unnecessarily extend government or regulatory control over how universities operate.听
鈥淭he proposed changes to the composition of the ANU Council should be considered carefully. Good governance depends on university councils having the right mix of skills, experience and perspectives to govern complex institutions effectively, while retaining strong connections to the communities and employers they serve.听
鈥淭he focus should be on whether governance arrangements deliver balanced and effective councils, rather than mandating a particular model of representation.听
鈥淯niversities are already implementing a substantial program of reform. These changes need to be properly sequenced and supported, with enough time to implement them well.听
鈥淯niversities cannot continually absorb new and overlapping regulatory requirements without regard to the cost and complexity involved.听
鈥淲e welcome the Minister鈥檚 recognition that the regulatory system itself needs to work better, including his commitment to reducing unnecessary burden on providers.听
鈥淪trong accountability, institutional autonomy and effective regulation can and should go hand in hand. We鈥檒l continue to work constructively with the Government and across the Parliament to get these reforms right.鈥听
