Free textbooks for first-year university students could help improve retention rates
A number of universities around the world are providing free textbooks to first year university students as a way to increase retention rates.
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Articles on higher education policy
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Let graduates use super to pay off HELP debt faster
The government should add a 'super payment option' that allows graduates to offset the cost of their HELP repayments.
‘Short-sighted’ budget means universities can’t deliver their full economic benefit
Students who take longer to complete their degree will be hit hard by fee hikes.
The strange accounting behind the proposed HECS changes
We shouldn't take the government’s own budgetary savings rationale at face value.
There’s pressure on academics to learn how to teach. But they need more support
It takes a combination of formal and informal learning to equip academics to become better teachers. Universities need to encourage both approaches.
Explainer: how will the changes to HELP student loans affect you?
Students will now have to pay back more of their loan, and repay quicker.
Higher education reform: small changes for now but big ones to come
Hidden in the detail of the latest higher education reform package, there are talks of creating teaching-only universities.
2017 higher education reform: cuts to universities, higher fees for students
Higher education reform means more pain for students and universities with long lasting consequences.
University sexual assault policies are often ‘inconsistent’ and ‘confusing’
Prevention messages by universities are often directed at the victim and what she or he can do to avoid being raped. This may then deter reporting of the incident.
Vice Chancellor Barney Glover says universities must stand up for facts and the truth – ‘if we don’t, who will?’
Our need for unbiased, well-researched information has never been greater.
The typical university student is no longer 18, middle-class and on campus – we need to change thinking on ‘drop-outs’
How we calculate university drop-out rates must be amended to reflect the changing cohort of university students, who often dip in and out of study and take longer to complete their degree.
University completion rates won’t be improved by looking at isolated causes
Lower completion rates for rural and remote universities are not necessarily a reflection on the quality of the educational experience they provide, but reflect the demographics of their students.
Four education claims of 2016 – reviewed
We take a closer look at some of the common claims made this year to see if there is any truth to them.
The case for a fixed 15% fee on all student loans
A flat-rate fee on all student loans is a fairer economic proposal.
Making university admissions more transparent is important, but won’t improve equity
The government has announced it will accept recommendations to make the university admissions process more transparent. But that alone isn't enough.
Teaching in higher education – there isn’t enough evidence to tell us what works and why
Research looking at evidence-based teaching in higher education tends to be based more on anecdotes than on large, robust and peer-reviewed data.
University changes to academic contracts are threatening freedom of speech
A new clause being embedded in a number of university contracts attempts to restrict academics from speaking freely in public debate about issues that are outside their area of research.
New VET Student Loans unlikely to weed out dodgy private providers
Placing greater control over student fees will not lift the quality of student outcomes and ensure the integrity of the qualifications issued.
Better academic support for students may help lower university attrition rates
Students feel they are not getting the support they need, despite research showing that the relationships students have with their lecturers can have a big influence over retention rates.
Why we need an independent authority to oversee tertiary education
An independent authority should control the tertiary funding system in Australia in order to best implement policy objectives.
Top contributors
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Program Director, Higher Education, Grattan Institute
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Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne
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Adjunct professor, RMIT University
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Honorary Senior Fellow, Centre for Vocational and Educational Policy, University of Melbourne
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Vice-Chancellor, University of Canberra
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Researcher in Higher Education Policy, Curtin University
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Senior Lecturer in Higher Education, University of Melbourne
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Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
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Lecturer in History, Australian Catholic University
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Vice Chancellor, Victoria University
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Executive Director, IRU, La Trobe University
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Vice-Chancellor, Western Sydney University
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Mitchell Professorial Fellow, Victoria University
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Fellow, Higher Education Program, Grattan Institute
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Professor of International Higher Education, UCL
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