tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/university-cuts-8218/articlesUniversity cuts – The Conversation2023-06-28T01:15:49Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2085642023-06-28T01:15:49Z2023-06-28T01:15:49ZBailout, Band-Aid or back to basics? 3 questions NZ’s university funding review must ask<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534469/original/file-20230627-29-ynyh5v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C0%2C5288%2C3520&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The University of Otago: funding boost still won't avert some cuts.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Yesterday’s announcement of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/132427555/128-million-boost-for-struggling-tertiary-sector-welcomed">NZ$128 million in new funding</a> for universities has naturally been welcomed as a badly-needed reprieve. But we have to ask, is this a bailout for struggling institutions, or is it just a Band-Aid on a tertiary sector with deeper structural wounds? </p>
<p>It’s clear the pandemic massively exacerbated the challenges caused by years of funding below inflation rates. All universities have seen previous redundancy rounds, some of which may have been inevitable. </p>
<p>But whatever academic fat there was to lose is gone. Recent cuts have bitten into flesh, and now the bone saws are out. The choices being made about which teaching programmes should go – teacher training, modern languages or geophysics – are no choice at all, other than which limb to amputate.</p>
<p>So the government’s simultaneous proposal to review the tertiary funding model offers a chance to take the system back to basics – to remind us why these institutions are publicly funded in the first place, and to give them a warrant of fitness for the 21st century.</p>
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<h2>The ‘per student’ funding problem</h2>
<p>The proposal to spread the $128 million (over two years) across all tertiary institutes – universities, wānanga and <a href="https://www.xn--tepkenga-szb.ac.nz/">Te Pukenga</a> – looks fair and consistent. As such, it looks far less like a bailout of particular institutions than an admission that the current policy settings are not fit for purpose.</p>
<p>But that fairness also reveals the problem with our funding settings. Tertiary education subsidies are allocated “per student”, and this structurally advantages larger institutions. </p>
<p>There is a baseline cost of operating a teaching programme or department, on top of which additional students cost relatively little. We fund research in universities in this way, through baseline funding topped up by contestable grants, but not teaching.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/starved-of-funds-and-vision-struggling-universities-put-nzs-entire-research-strategy-at-risk-207708">Starved of funds and vision, struggling universities put NZ’s entire research strategy at risk</a>
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<p>The University of Auckland, for example, is currently in an enviable financial position, by local standards at least. Yet it will pick up more new funding than any other university by virtue of having the most students.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the new funding <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018896115/major-job-losses-for-universities-despite-govt-rescue-package">won’t avert</a> all the proposed redundancies. The downside of “fairness” is that the funding holes at Victoria and Otago universities will not be covered. It will likely be the same story at AUT, Massey and Waikato.</p>
<p>So yes, the $128 million is perhaps just a Band-Aid. But it does buy time to rethink and re-strategise while the system is reviewed – which was the most important part of yesterday’s announcement. </p>
<p>University leadership accountability is now under the microscope – under many microscopes, even. Any redundancies with strategic implications for what a university can teach or research should now be delayed as much as possible.</p>
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<h2>Value and equity</h2>
<p>First and foremost, the New Zealand public owns and operates tertiary education institutions because they deliver economic and social value: value for the student who learns and acquires a qualification; and value for those who don’t attend but will rely on those who do (such as doctors and nurses).</p>
<p>There is a question of equity, too. Some New Zealanders might be able to pay for their children to study overseas, but equal access to education at home should be a fundamental principle.</p>
<p>All this becomes important when we ask what our university system should look like. For example, do we need eight universities competing for both students and funding?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/with-campus-numbers-plummeting-due-to-online-learning-do-we-need-two-categories-of-university-degree-208172">With campus numbers plummeting due to online learning, do we need two categories of university degree?</a>
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<p>I don’t think there is an easy answer to that. The University of Auckland has long had a strategy of leveraging its size to claim the position (and reputational advantages) of being New Zealand’s “highest-ranked” university internationally. </p>
<p>The smaller universities, by contrast, have been strategic about facing their local communities more directly, and building reputations in specific fields. We should therefore not be cavalier about downsizing the sector in general. The benefits of a university to a community should be widely distributed.</p>
<p>Minister of Finance Grant Robertson touched on this at the funding announcement when he said universities had perhaps spent too much on marketing. And that may be true of their efforts to maximise international rankings to maximise international student revenue.</p>
<p>But the fact that each university has its own identity, developed over many years in collaboration with its local community, is also something to celebrate.</p>
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<h2>3 important questions</h2>
<p>Overall, then, yesterday’s announcement offers hope because it recognises the need for coordination between universities on teaching – with a report to Cabinet in a month on the risks to specific programmes – and because it acknowledges the immediate threat to New Zealand’s national research capacity. </p>
<p>The two-year time frame for the review of funding structures is probably realistic, given the complexity of current funding models. The interdependence of research and teaching income streams needs to be examined carefully.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/battered-and-broken-i-must-get-out-what-staff-told-us-about-teaching-and-working-in-universities-today-208179">‘Battered and broken. I must get out’: what staff told us about teaching and working in universities today</a>
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<p>The different sizes of institutions, and different levels of research and teaching focus, mean seemingly simple models can have unanticipated biases, whether towards certain (larger or more research-intensive) institutions, or towards particular types of scholarship (such as science over the humanities). </p>
<p>The anticipated outcomes of any proposed new model will need to be measured against the Education Act’s definition of a university and its reasons to exist:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>does it maintain a balance (and interdependence) of teaching and research?</p></li>
<li><p>does it maintain a diversity of scholarship, the sciences and the arts, the quantitative and the qualitative?</p></li>
<li><p>and does it deliver for its community, and thus justify its independent existence? </p></li>
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<p>Academic freedom is enshrined in the law as meaning universities operate as the “critic and conscience” of society. But their responsibility to community is a useful way of thinking about what that means, in my opinion. Either way, these seem like the necessary questions to ask if we want to get back to basics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208564/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicola Gaston receives funding from the Tertiary Education Commission as Co-Director of the MacDiarmid Institute, and from the Royal Society Te Aparangi as an Investigator on Marsden research grants.</span></em></p>The $128 million funding boost for the tertiary sector is only a stop-gap measure. But it can buy time for a genuine rethink of the entire system.Nicola Gaston, Co-Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1667502021-09-15T02:50:36Z2021-09-15T02:50:36ZShould I stay or should I go? Academics facing this dilemma should ask themselves 3 questions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420968/original/file-20210914-21-lrrxzg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C5112%2C3400&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/worried-frustrated-woman-shocked-by-bad-1075401716">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This year my partner and my brother both left academia. They are part of a nation-wide changing of the guard at most universities in Australia and many overseas. </p>
<p>Over <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/17000-uni-jobs-lost-to-covid-19/">17,000 Australian university jobs</a> disappeared in 2020, Universities Australia estimated. It predicted more to come. By May this year an estimated <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-13/covid-job-cuts-at-universities-prompting-fears-for-future/100447960">one in five positions</a> in higher education had been lost, according to <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/theausinstitute/pages/3830/attachments/original/1631479548/An_Avoidable_Catastrophe_FINAL.pdf?1631479548">an Australia Institute analysis</a>. </p>
<p>Universities have <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-lost-6-of-their-revenue-in-2020-and-the-next-2-years-are-looking-worse-166749">lost billions in revenue</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic. They saw no alternative to reducing the <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNThhMjNiZGEtMzlkNy00OWM5LWFmMmEtODFhN2ViNzE4ZGY1IiwidCI6ImRkMGNmZDE1LTQ1NTgtNGIxMi04YmFkLWVhMjY5ODRmYzQxNyJ9">biggest expense</a> on their books: staff salaries. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-lost-6-of-their-revenue-in-2020-and-the-next-2-years-are-looking-worse-166749">Universities lost 6% of their revenue in 2020 — and the next 2 years are looking worse</a>
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<p>Some academics have left with a smile on their face. They are the ones who were able to take advantage of early retirement, voluntary redundancy or voluntary separation schemes backed by enterprise agreements. Universities such as ANU, Monash, UQ, Griffith, USC, UNSW, Macquarie, Canberra and others offered generous payments to entice staff to exit, reducing their total headcount. </p>
<p>Other departures weren’t so voluntary. Several universities, including Melbourne, UWA, QUT, CQU and others, have made staff redundant in specific areas, sometimes through <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/new-wave-redundancies-sweeps-australian-universities">multiple rounds</a>.</p>
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<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-badly-needs-earth-science-skills-but-universities-are-cutting-the-supply-163248">Australia badly needs earth science skills, but universities are cutting the supply</a></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-a-time-of-covid-and-climate-change-social-sciences-are-vital-but-theyre-on-university-chopping-blocks-166015">In a time of COVID and climate change, social sciences are vital, but they’re on university chopping blocks</a></em></p>
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<p>To minimise disruption, professional staff who hold service or support roles have been <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210721154014538">prioritised for cuts</a>. This is a tough sell, especially when their expertise is so valuable with the rapid shift to online learning, increases in students’ peripheral support needs, and new processes brought about by organisational restructures. </p>
<p>Other elephants in the room are now looming large, including unmanageable workloads, increasing administrative burdens, deteriorating working conditions, unhealthy work practices during lockdown (and arguably outside lockdown too). It is no wonder many academics are contemplating whether they still want their jobs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-uni-teachers-were-already-among-the-worlds-most-stressed-covid-and-student-feedback-have-just-made-things-worse-162612">Our uni teachers were already among the world's most stressed. COVID and student feedback have just made things worse</a>
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<p>If you’re considering whether you are better off outside academia, the grass may not be greener on the other side. First ask yourself three key questions.</p>
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<img alt="male worker with belongings packed up in box stands in front of city" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=366&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420969/original/file-20210914-13-uykvr6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=459&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">People contemplating leaving academia need to fully consider whether the grass really is greener on the other side.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/unemployed-business-man-worker-carrying-packed-1998589127">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>1. Is your role secure?</h2>
<p>Alarmingly, <a href="http://honisoit.com/2021/04/casual-university-staff-speak-on-precarious-employment-before-senate-committee/">up to three-quarters of staff</a> in several universities are on casual or fixed-term contracts. Even before COVID-19, the higher education sector was <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/casualisation-of-university-workforce-is-a-national-disgrace-20180803-p4zvcm.html">criticised for mass casualisation</a> of its workforce. In defence, <a href="https://choiceaustralia.com.au/2012/11/the-impact-of-casualisation-on-the-australian-workforce/">this trend is being seen across Australia</a> as employers increasingly look to manage overheads in pursuit of economic efficiencies. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, casual academics have also been the <a href="https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-australia-universities-2020-4-casual-academic-staff-overwhelmed-by-online-teaching-demands/">hardest hit</a> by COVID-related impacts on universities. This includes their unrecognised (and therefore unpaid) hours of work required to set up online courses and support business continuity. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wage-theft-and-casual-work-are-built-into-university-business-models-147555">Wage theft and casual work are built into university business models</a>
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<p>There is hope: <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-hit-casual-academics-hard-here-are-5-ways-to-produce-a-better-deal-for-unis-and-staff-155357">there are calls</a> to transfer casual staff to fixed term or continuing positions. Anecdotally, executive staff are hearing these calls. Some universities are investigating their options to recognise the work casuals do through flexible but more secure employment arrangements.</p>
<p>Academics in continuing positions may feel lucky, and let’s not forget their employer-provided superannuation is <a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/ArticleDocuments/359/rc1003_Employercontributionstosuperannuation.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y">nearly twice as generous as in most other industries</a>. When considering jobs in other sectors, be aware they may not offer the generous leave provisions for academics. This includes longer-than-typical sick leave, parental leave, recreational leave and long-service leave. </p>
<h2>2. Is the flexibility worth the workload?</h2>
<p>Ask any academic whether they have enough time to complete the work their role requires of them; the answer will be a firm “No”. Unmanageable workloads pose a <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/we-must-confront-culture-overwork-tackle-academias-mental-health-crisis">serious risk to mental health</a>. However, “success” in an academic career typically requires individuals to defy the odds when it comes to producing high-volume, high-quality work. </p>
<p>Early-career academics <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0309877X.2019.1636213">usually feel overwhelmed</a> by such an expectation. It can drive them to leave the industry. In response to this challenge, academic workload models now exist in many universities, despite <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/academic-workload-models-tool-exploit-staff-and-cut-costs">concerns raised overseas</a> about their value in improving working conditions. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/early-and-mid-career-scientists-face-a-bleak-future-in-the-wake-of-the-pandemic-144350">Early and mid-career scientists face a bleak future in the wake of the pandemic</a>
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<p>Flexible working conditions are a great benefit of academic work. COVID-19 has resulted in other industries <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-management-resistance-overcome-working-from-home-may-be-here-to-stay-144850">realising the value</a> of supporting staff to “work from anywhere”. It has meant many academics have continued to earn while in lockdown, a privilege not afforded to all Australians. </p>
<p>But, as with all adults who are increasingly working from home, juggling the load along with housework and schooling from home challenges us all – arguably <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/this-lockdown-women-are-once-again-doing-more-of-the-housework-home-schooling-20210727-p58d94.html">even more so women</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-covid-is-widening-the-academic-gender-divide-146007">How COVID is widening the academic gender divide</a>
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<h2>3. Can you still pursue your intellectual passions?</h2>
<p>A deep commitment to scholarship <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1490923/The_Academic_Profession_in_Transition_Sept2011.pdf">draws people to academia</a>. A genuine passion for a discipline, field or topic also lays the foundation for a career dedicated to pursuing new knowledge and having an impact. These rewarding aspects of academia can seem hidden at present, especially when academics need to focus their efforts on <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11040-z">other urgent, reactive tasks</a>. </p>
<p>Some academics have opportunistically pivoted into COVID-19 related research. The pandemic has sparked a new-found intellectual pursuit, backed by <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/05/07/new-medical-foundation-invests-in-covid-19-research-funding.html">several COVID-targeted funding opportunities</a>, including from the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/further-investment-in-three-new-australian-covid-19-vaccine-research-projects">Medical Research Future Fund</a>. </p>
<p>Universities <a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-ways-universities-benefit-society-81072">undeniably benefit a society at its core</a>, particularly their endeavours to address societal challenges and foster positive change. However, they are not without their professional criticisms. </p>
<p>The coming years will bring further changes to the way education is delivered to communities, but must also bring innovative improvements that support and nurture academics to succeed in their work. </p>
<p><em>Correction: this article previously included La Trobe in a list of universities that had involuntary redundancies. La Trobe has now been removed from that list.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166750/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren Ball receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, RACGP Foundation, VicHealth and Queensland Health.</span></em></p>The pandemic is forcing many academics to consider their future. These are tough times for universities and many have lost jobs, but those fortunate enough to have a choice should weigh up all options.Lauren Ball, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Menzies Health Institute, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1660152021-09-01T20:08:56Z2021-09-01T20:08:56ZIn a time of COVID and climate change, social sciences are vital, but they’re on university chopping blocks<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/418772/original/file-20210831-24-18vga4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=814%2C0%2C3269%2C2183&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/barcelona-spain-august-24-2020-caucasian-1802085163">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>What are the three biggest challenges Australia faces in the next five to ten years? What role will the social sciences play in resolving these challenges?</p>
<p>The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia asked these questions in a <a href="https://socialsciences.org.au/stateofthesocialsciences/">discussion paper</a> earlier this year. The backdrop to this review is <a href="https://campusmorningmail.com.au/news/facing-futures-challenges-for-social-scientists/">cuts to social science disciplines</a> <a href="https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/humanities-courses-under-threat-from-the-chorus-of-philistines-20210721-p58bmd">around the country</a>, with teaching taking priority over research. </p>
<p>One Group of Eight university, for example, <a href="https://honisoit.com/2021/07/anthropology-and-sociology-dissolved-at-uwa-as-nationwide-job-losses-continue/">proposes</a> to cut the number of anthropology and sociology staff from nine to one. Positions across the social sciences are to be reclassified from teaching and research to teaching-only. </p>
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<p>In addition, research funding is increasingly going to applied research. The federal government wants research that has <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/2020-21-budget-research-package">greater engagement with industry</a> and can be shown to <a href="https://theconversation.com/defunding-arts-degrees-is-the-latest-battle-in-a-40-year-culture-war-141689">contribute to the national interest</a>.</p>
<p>The confluence of funding changes and <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-lost-6-of-their-revenue-in-2020-and-the-next-2-years-are-looking-worse-166749">loss of revenue</a> from fee-paying international students comes on the back of other ominous long-term trends. Since the 1980s, successive federal governments have <a href="https://theconversation.com/defunding-arts-degrees-is-the-latest-battle-in-a-40-year-culture-war-141689">undermined perceptions of the importance of the social sciences</a> compared with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/defunding-arts-degrees-is-the-latest-battle-in-a-40-year-culture-war-141689">Defunding arts degrees is the latest battle in a 40-year culture war</a>
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<p>The latest policy involves a major shift in the purpose of Australian universities — to produce “job-ready graduates”, with more emphasis on industry engagement. The restructuring of funding is <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/06/24/defunding-humanities-hurts-stem-education-too/">touted as an investment in the sciences</a>. Fees have increased for social science students. </p>
<h2>Today’s problems call for social science expertise</h2>
<p>All this is happening at a time, during a pandemic, when the social sciences could not be more relevant and necessary. The challenges we face make it vital that the sciences work in partnership with the social sciences. </p>
<p>The pandemic has highlighted issues such as attitudes to vaccination and behaviour change, fake news and the politics of science, the vulnerability of people in care, roles and responsibilities of the state and the citizen, and gender disparities of the pandemic’s impact, to name a few. To tackle such issues we need to understand the social and cultural diversity <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2982/rr-2">underpinning people’s beliefs and values</a> and how these interact during a global emergency. That’s the work of social scientists. </p>
<p>For example, gender <a href="https://genderequalitycovid19recovery.com/">analyses of the impacts of COVID-19</a> have revealed:</p>
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<li>women are 22% more likely to lose their jobs</li>
<li>20 million girls worldwide will never return to school</li>
<li>a paltry 23% of emergency aid targets women’s economic security. </li>
</ul>
<p>These impacts are likely to be long-lasting due to systemic gender inequality. But to remedy such impacts we need to understand the context of cultural and social structures. </p>
<p>It is social science research that reveals how the pandemic is compounding the precarity and inequality that women face. Around the world cultural norms restrict women’s independence and mobility, and burden them with unpaid care work and unequal access to resources. Women are disproportionately concentrated in the social, care and education <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_751785.pdf">sectors that have been hit hardest</a> by the pandemic.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pandemic-widens-gap-between-government-and-australians-view-of-education-148991">Pandemic widens gap between government and Australians' view of education</a>
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<p>Beyond the pandemic, the social sciences <a href="https://2r6hgx20i76dmmstq2nmlon1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/State-of-the-Social-Sciences-in-Australia-Discussion-Paper-Jan-2021.pdf">equip students to tackle the complex problems we face</a> in the 21st century. Social sciences provide the skill set to:</p>
<ul>
<li>understand the nature of individuals, communities and cultures (the human condition)</li>
<li>gain a broad comparative perspective on questions and concerns of the world today</li>
<li>appreciate how the crises of this century impact how we live. </li>
</ul>
<p>Fields of study include development studies, sustainability, anthropology, sociology, gender and race, Indigenous studies, human security, political science and economics. This makes the social sciences directly relevant to countless pressing issues. These include the pandemic and vaccine hesitancy, climate change, race and gender relations, inequality and poverty, mass migration and refugees, and authoritarianism. </p>
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<p>Events in the news give us a sense of the complex social phenomena that require social science analysis to be fully understood. Examples include <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/black-lives-matter-everywhere-44608">Black Lives Matter</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/thirty-five-voices-one-movement-a-new-book-examines-metoo-in-australia-116053">#MeToo</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/15/brittany-higgins-addresses-march-4-justice-rally-as-women-demand-action-across-australia">March 4 Justice</a>, the <a href="https://lasa.asn.au/royal-commission-into-aged-care-quality-and-safety/">aged care royal commission</a>, community support for the Tamil <a href="https://theconversation.com/biloela-family-to-be-released-into-community-detention-what-happens-now-162661">asylum-seeker family from Biloela</a>, and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/08/australian-government-must-protect-young-people-from-climate-crisis-harm-court-declares">Federal Court victory</a> for a group of teenagers that means the environment minister has a duty of care to protect children from the harms of carbon dioxide emissions. </p>
<p>Anthropologists, sociologists and political scientists provide the evidence that enables us to apply the solutions to globally important issues in local settings. For example, we have the science to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and create vaccines. But how do we achieve the social and behavioural change required for sanitation, vaccine uptake, mask-wearing, social distancing and so on? In short, how do we translate that science into good public policy? </p>
<p>In another example, it’s one thing to understand climate science, but how do we then ensure people know what they can do about it in their everyday lives? Expert analysis and translation by social scientists gives us insights into why certain social change occurs or doesn’t.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/creating-research-value-needs-more-than-just-science-arts-humanities-social-sciences-can-help-97083">Creating research value needs more than just science – arts, humanities, social sciences can help</a>
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<h2>Job-ready? Social science graduates are</h2>
<p>Social scientists have perhaps never been in greater demand. They are employed across public and private sectors, in environmental sustainability, community and international development, refugee and humanitarian agencies, health and education services, business and social enterprise, minerals and resource development, agriculture and land management, politics and policy. Employers value social science graduates for their analytical skills, cultural awareness, effective communication and language skills. </p>
<p>Indeed, arts, humanities and social science graduates are <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/docs/default-source/gos-reports/2019-gos/2019-gos-national-report.pdf">more employable</a> than science graduates.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/humanities-graduates-earn-more-than-those-who-study-science-and-maths-141112">Humanities graduates earn more than those who study science and maths</a>
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<p>The pandemic should have reminded us why we need the insights from the social and behavioural sciences to help <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-0884-z">align human behaviour with the advice of experts</a>. We have become acutely aware that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-role-of-south-africas-social-scientists-in-covid-19-responses-why-it-matters-155655">pandemics are complex social phenomena</a>. Divestment from the social sciences at this precarious moment in time is remarkably short-sighted.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/166015/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rochelle Spencer has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Development Research Awards, the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. She is affiliated with the Research for Development Impact Network, the Development Studies Association of Australia, and the Development in Practice Journal.</span></em></p>It is the work of social scientists to understand how societies operate and, based on that knowledge, how populations can apply evidence-based solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.Rochelle Spencer, Co-Director, Centre for Responsible Citizenship and Sustainability, Murdoch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1644022021-07-22T20:04:57Z2021-07-22T20:04:57ZUnis are killing the critical study of religion, and it will only make campuses more religious<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411594/original/file-20210716-25-f327re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=935%2C0%2C5062%2C3363&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sunlight-falls-onto-slate-tiles-through-664593610">Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Global developments in tertiary education suggest the critical scientific study of religion is endangered. One of the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-unis-consider-more-cuts-including-religion-and-theatre-20210505-p57p3n.html">departments slated for extinguishment</a> amid the pandemic-related upheavals was my own at the University of Sydney. This reflects a <a href="https://www.aarweb.org/AARMBR/About-AAR-/Board-of-Directors-/Board-Statements-/Academic-Study-of-Religion.aspx">trend</a> that has captured the academy in Australia and worldwide.</p>
<p>If we take South Australia as an example, over the past decade programs for the critical study of religion at the University of South Australia have been almost completely extinguished, while programs in theology, such as at Flinders, find their future assured. On the east coast, studies of religion programs at the universities of Queensland, Monash, Deakin and Newcastle have been wound back greatly, bled into “multidisciplinary” programs, or <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-unis-consider-more-cuts-including-religion-and-theatre-20210505-p57p3n.html">closed</a>. Departmental identities have been terminated. What isolated staff are left teach just a handful of electives. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-universities-and-religion-tales-of-horror-and-hope-23245">Australian universities and religion: tales of horror and hope</a>
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<p>In the United States, <a href="https://justin-lane.medium.com/changes-in-religious-studies-departments-promoting-enrichment-or-entrenchment-c01acd52fd94">Boston and University of California Berkeley</a> have wound down or shut their programs, as has <a href="https://paulbraterman.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/sad-news-stirling-university-ends-religious-studies-courses/">Stirling</a> in the United Kingdom. A <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/04/15/catholic-religious-studies-intellectual-education-universities-239825">range of American colleges</a> are just not teaching religion critically any more.</p>
<h2>How do studies of religion and theology differ?</h2>
<p>Part of this move to kill the academic study of religion comes from ignorance of what it entails. It is generally accepted that an historian studies history because they want to know what really happened. In contrast, the general assumption is that if a scholar studies religion, then it can only be because they have motives that are only partly scholarly. This is untrue, but the long shadow of theology unhelpfully hangs over us. </p>
<p>Once theology was seen in the Western academy as the “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0953946819868092">queen of the sciences</a>”. The study of Christianity and its philosophies was considered the keystone of all other knowledge. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="view of King's College at the University of Cambridge" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The legacy of the time when theology was ‘queen of the sciences’ can clearly be seen in King’s College at the University of Cambridge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cambridge-united-kingdom-15-november-2017-789134380">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>This began to break down in the 18th century. Ideas that seemed resolutely Christian began to have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_comparative_mythology">Egyptian origins</a>, or show <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3140852?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">links to the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism</a>, or were <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/mystery-religion/Mystery-religions-and-Christianity">connected to the Roman cults</a> of Mithra or Isis.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/get-literate-in-myth-religion-and-theology-38283">Get literate in myth, religion and theology</a>
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<p>Theology was further removed from its queenly status when <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-science-figured-out-the-age-of-the-earth/">geologists showed us</a> the age of the planet was many millions rather than thousands of years old. Then, of course, came Charles Darwin’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-darwins-on-the-origin-of-species-96533">On the Origin of Species</a> in 1859. A few decades later <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-nietzsche-nihilism-and-reasons-to-be-cheerful-130378">Friedrich Nietzsche</a> finally <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/god-is-dead-god-remains-dead-and-we-have-killed-him-9780241472842">declared</a> God dead. </p>
<p>Yet Christian theology was deeply embedded in the university system. Despite a revolution in faith, the development of the secular state and rising adherence to atheism, theology still influences our understanding of how scholars study religion today. Partly this is because many age-old theology departments continue to survive in the academy. </p>
<p>Their primary aim is to make Christianity fit for purpose in modernity (and therefore to stem the flow of apostates and retain its power in the public sphere). This is not an ideal nor inclusive academic aim in our multicultural, multifaith world. These centres will continue to survive because of church and other external funding as much as by the force of tradition. </p>
<p>Additionally, the uneasy relationship between religion and secularism makes cutting the scholarly examination of religion the lazy go-to for management in their present <a href="https://theconversation.com/defunding-arts-degrees-is-the-latest-battle-in-a-40-year-culture-war-141689">war against humanities</a> education. They see it as not being <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-unis-are-far-behind-the-worlds-best-at-commercialising-research-here-are-3-ways-to-catch-up-159915">industry-focused</a> nor turning out <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-making-job-ready-degrees-cheaper-for-students-but-cutting-funding-to-the-same-courses-141280">“job-ready” graduates</a>. </p>
<h2>Religion isn’t going away</h2>
<p>During the 20th century, the badly evidenced <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-religion/article/abs/secularization-theory-and-religion/7C26EFDB037491E784038E6FF765DF15">“secularisation” theory</a> posited that religion would eventually die out as our states became more secular and scientific. This is clearly not happening – although it might seem to some that it is. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-should-rethink-secularism-to-deal-with-religious-diversity-43414">Universities should rethink secularism to deal with religious diversity</a>
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<p>Inside modern multifaith democracies, religions honour an unstated social contract by mostly keeping themselves away from our public spaces. This curated invisibility does not mean religions are ceasing to exist. It also means their influence on public policy can be much more discrete. Unless these influences and behaviours are critically examined by experts trained in religious literacy, they can go unseen. </p>
<p>Religions have shaped and will continue to shape our social, cultural and political structures. We have a Pentecostal prime minister, and faith-based lobby groups are constantly vying for our politicians’ ears. We have new religions constantly coming into being. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-pentecostalism-and-how-might-it-influence-scott-morrisons-politics-103530">Explainer: what is Pentecostalism, and how might it influence Scott Morrison's politics?</a>
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<p>And religions can, on rare occasions, threaten our security. Yet a careful examination of our suburbs will demonstrate the significant contributions a wide range of global religious communities make to social cohesion and community prosperity. The facts of these developments will go uncharted if theology is the only academic paradigm for examining the spirituality of our nation. </p>
<h2>What happens if we lose religious studies?</h2>
<p>The consequences of the closures of religious studies programs are clear: in a world that ceases to be <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/05/18/problems-come-colleges-sweeping-religion-under-rug-opinion">critically aware of religion</a>, religious authority is strengthened through an ignorance that can be shrouded in mysticism. If the only chance we have to study religion at the tertiary level is through a Christian, theological viewpoint, then Western universities are returned to shoring up the high status of one religious tradition over all others. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-a-safer-world-for-your-children-teach-them-about-diverse-religions-and-worldviews-113025">Want a safer world for your children? Teach them about diverse religions and worldviews</a>
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<p>While theology continues to focus strongly on the faith study of Christianity, at Sydney we find one of the last departments in Australia where the critical investigation of all religions still takes place. It is a necessary part of the academy and yet its closure is quite possible. </p>
<p>Abolishing what is left of the critical study of religion on our campuses will allow theology, biblical studies and other faith-focused fields to determine how our graduates examine religion. This will not be through the scholarly tools of science, sociology or history, but through close study of scripture and church philosophy. </p>
<p>University campuses more generally will be affected, too. Students and staff will become less critical of religious claims when they see no scholarly force with the religious literacy and confidence required to seriously question those claims.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164402/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am a senior lecturer in the Department of Studies in Religion - and so have some vested interest in keeping the critical study of religion alive.</span></em></p>The world today needs a critical understanding of religion, not a return to the historical tradition of universities dominated by faith-based study.Christopher Hartney, Lecturer of Religion, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1151492019-04-17T13:59:59Z2019-04-17T13:59:59ZKenya’s universities need deep reform – not just a hike in fees<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268984/original/file-20190412-76856-1jqtmwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Th University of Nairobi. Universities in Kenya are struggling to keep afloat.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flickr/Nzomo Victor</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Vice-chancellors of Kenya’s 33 public universities are demanding a three-fold <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190304130216137">tuition fee increase</a>. They <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190304130216137">point out</a> that the proposed fee increase will merely meet the actual cost of providing university education. </p>
<p>Set 30 years ago, the current fee structure applies to all degree programmes irrespective of actual instructional cost. Over <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001231157/report-quality-of-kenyan-graduates-from-public-universities-wanting">49,000 students graduate</a> from public universities annually.</p>
<p>The proposed increase is a reflection of the changing landscape in financing university education in Kenya. The once financially healthy universities are in financial straits, putting in doubt their long-term sustainability.</p>
<p>Most public universities are unable to meet basic operating expenses such as salaries, pensions, health care, and maintenance of plant and equipment. The flagship University of Nairobi, for instance, has a debt of 1.6 billion Kenya shillings (US$16 million) in <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190213104207905">unpaid pensions and other statutory contributions</a>. The total <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2019.97.10789">debt</a> of the 33 public institutions is around 110 billion Kenya shillings (US$1.10 billion). That’s equivalent to the state’s budgetary allocation over one year. The <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20181129132142395">government spends</a> around 27% of its budget on education. Universities get around 100.3 billion (US$1.03 billion) compared to 200 billion (US$ 2 billion) for basic education. </p>
<p>To manage the debt burden, universities have <a href="https://www.nation.co.ke/news/education/Amina-asks-varsities-to-lay-off-staff-in-cost-cutting-bid/2643604-4736934-78f8gwz/index.html">come under pressure to downsize</a> their bloated non-essential staff. They have also introduced a range of <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20180824074737190">austerity measures</a>. The effect has been a decline in morale.</p>
<p>A tuition increase will provide much needed revenue to stabilise university finances. Universities are likely to use the extra funds in a number of ways. These could include improving the morale of both academic and administrative staff, improving the quality of instruction and better maintenance of plant and equipment.</p>
<p>But the proposed tuition increase comes with risks. A one-size-fits all raise fails to take into account the cost differential of various degree programmes. Medical, engineering and construction programmes, for instance, cost more than humanities and social sciences. Tuition fees should reflect these differences. If they don’t, under-investment in costly programmes will continue. </p>
<p>In addition, the tuition increase shouldn’t happen in isolation. It should be matched with a commitment by the government to restore university funding to previous levels. This will ensure that a bigger burden of financing universities doesn’t fall on students. </p>
<h2>Diminishing revenue</h2>
<p>The gloomy financial picture contrasts sharply with the healthy financial position that public universities enjoyed a decade ago. Then, universities had balanced budgets and even surpluses. </p>
<p>In 2011, for instance, total revenues earned by universities through tuition fees, programme fees and other income generating activities slightly exceeded government funding. </p>
<p>From 2010 to 2011 <a href="https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/Public-universities-revenues-hit-record-level/539550-1190922-nvump5/index.html">revenue growth</a> in the five top public universities ranged from 2% – 21%. </p>
<p>There were a number of reasons <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.6017/ihe.2019.97.10789">for the financial crisis</a>. These included diminishing revenue from privately-sponsored students who were a source much needed tuition revenues. Privately-sponsored students who did not attain the required high school graduation points to be awarded government scholarships. So they pay the full tuition in public universities. </p>
<p>The other reasons included declining government funding, closure of satellite campuses, and more stringent supervision of high school examinations that has reduced the number of university applicants and, therefore, fewer university enrolments. </p>
<p>In addition, poor financial management, and universities inability to develop robust income generating activities, and overall growth of the university institutions relative to demand have compromised university finances. </p>
<p>The fee increase <a href="https://www.nation.co.ke/news/education/VCs-want-student-fees-increased-/2643604-4995414-10xygjp/index.html">proposal</a> doesn’t come close to covering the actual cost of a basic non-science degree. And universities argue that the fees aren’t enough meet the increasing costs of providing quality education and running the institutions.</p>
<h2>Opportunity for reform</h2>
<p>I believe that by simply introducing a blanket tuition increase without addressing the problems ailing the public university sector, the government is missing a golden opportunity for much deeper reform.</p>
<p>Increasing tuition fees without consolidation of the public university sector is throwing good money after bad. The government should face the fact that a good number of public universities were established to give the government political legitimacy because they were <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057%2Fhep.2012.18">established for political expediency</a> in 2012-2013. Quite a few operate under capacity.</p>
<p>In addition, the proposed tuition rate increase was arrived at without broad consultations with key stakeholders. The whole process has been administrator-driven. As a result, students have <a href="https://www.nation.co.ke/news/education/University-students-threaten-to-hold-demos-over-fees-/2643604-4998644-lq4i2gz/index.html">threatened</a> to go on strike while academics have <a href="http://dailyactive.info/index.php/2019/03/05/lecturers-reject-vice-chancellors-plea-to-increase-university-fee/">called for a review</a>. </p>
<p>Another problem is that the vice-chancellors’ fee increase proposal comes with no safeguards to mitigate its effects on poor students. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds experience difficulties even with the current fee structure. Without a clear specification of financial aid programmes for vulnerable students, the fee proposal will only make a bad situation worse.</p>
<p>Any tuition fee increase needs to be undertaken in the wider context of reforming the financing of university education in Kenya. A knee jerk policy like the one proposed by the vice-chancellors leaves too many policy challenges unresolved.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115149/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ishmael Munene does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Kenya’s once financially healthy universities are in financial straits.Ishmael Munene, Professor of Research, Foundations & Higher Education, Northern Arizona UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/955252018-05-06T20:16:11Z2018-05-06T20:16:11ZCapping university places will mean a less skilled and diverse workforce<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/217148/original/file-20180502-135848-1v59akn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The legacy of capping funding for universities will be a less skilled future workforce, and an Australian youth that miss out on the educational opportunities available to their parents. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced last year in the <a href="http://www.budget.gov.au/2017-18/content/myefo/download/MYEFO_2017-18.pdf">Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook</a> that funding for Commonwealth-supported places would be capped at 2017 levels.</p>
<p>For the first time in 35 years, federal government policy is set to erode skills and qualifications across the Australian population, particularly for young people.</p>
<p>There are many contextual factors behind one of the most significant policy issues facing higher education in 30 years: the discontinuation of Australia’s demand-driven funding system, where university places are uncapped.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.mitchellinstitute.org.au/reports/participation-in-tertiary-education/">Mitchell Institute</a>, by 2031 more than 235,000 students will miss out on a university education. The majority of which (<a href="https://www.education.gov.au/student-data">70%</a>) are now just starting high school.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-get-an-unsustainable-policy-for-christmas-89307">Universities get an unsustainable policy for Christmas</a>
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<h2>A story of transformation and equity</h2>
<p>Since the golden era of free tuition under the Whitlam government, Australia has seen vast changes in policy to one of its most vital sectors. </p>
<p>In 1970, a university degree was a rarity among workers. Only <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6227.0">7% of the 15-64 year old population</a> enjoyed the privilege of a bachelor level degree, two-thirds of which (64%) were men. </p>
<p>Universities closed the educational gender gap in the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6227.0">1980s</a>. And in doing so, underscored a radical modernisation of the Australian workforce.</p>
<p>Over the last 35 years, higher education has changed our lives dramatically. Skills <a href="https://www.jobs.gov.au/skill-shortages">shortages</a> have been addressed, industries <a href="https://industry.gov.au/Innovation-and-Science-Australia/publications/Pages/default.aspx">diversified</a> and poverty cycles <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/transition/resources/first-in-familylow-ses.cfm">broken</a>. First in family <a href="http://www.lowses.edu.au/assets/LSES-Annotated-Bibliography.pdf">students</a> have beamed with new hope. Australia’s university-for-the-rich era has come to a decisive <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/Higher_Education/Report/c02">end</a>. In its place we have seen a new equity take shape through its most transcendent means – a world class higher education that you repay when you’re able.</p>
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<h2>The end of the demand-driven system</h2>
<p>Following the <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/135310/bradley_review_of_australian_higher_education.pdf">Bradley Review</a> of higher education, the Gillard government announced the demand-driven system in March 2009 to address low participation, against global standards. Under the demand-driven system, <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/student-data">enrolments ceased to be concentrated</a> in a select few big universities, giving way to a great deal more diversity in enrolment across institutions and in the actual student body. </p>
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<p>While the system enabled far greater choice and competition, the government never entirely vested its trust <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/opinion/demand-driven-only-if-it-suits/news-story/40b6c5170f94997530a68d56ce237a19?sv=70cdbb6b317668a2dba2044f09e6a7c4">in the student market</a>. Rather, sub bachelor, postgraduate and medical places <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00023/Download">were all capped</a>, and an emergency trigger was embedded into legislation to regain control over supply, at the government’s discretion.</p>
<p>Since 1982, Australia’s <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/Population">resident population</a> has grown steadily by 163%. Consequently, the majority of growth in higher education <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6227.0">participation</a> actually occurred in the 25 years prior to the introduction of the demand-driven system.</p>
<p>Essentially, before the demand driven system, places were capped. After its introduction, the market quickly corrected itself and the supply of places caught up to demand. The implication is that over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to reintroduce an uncapped system. If the government decided to reintroduce it down the track, we’d have the same issue of oversupply and excess demand. Especially if you have a <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3222.0">baby boom</a> on the way.</p>
<p>With all this in mind, there is really only one problem with the demand-driven system. It costs more than our society is currently willing to bear.</p>
<h2>Wicked dilemmas before a looming election budget</h2>
<p>It’s a wicked dilemma for the government to wrestle with in the lead-up to the federal budget. The prevailing <a href="http://www.budget.gov.au/2017-18/content/myefo/html/">deficit of over A$23 billion</a> and a plenitude of wishful demands to head off 30 consecutive <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/newspoll/prime-minister-malcolm-turnbull-hits-30-straight-newspoll-losses/news-story/386d5f79a71c6de3184bc60f6b225399">Newspoll</a> losses, while a federal election <a href="https://www.ceda.com.au/Digital-hub/Blogs/CEDA-Blog/April-2018/The-Prime-Minister%E2%80%99s-four-options-for-the-timing-of-the-next-federal-election">looms large</a>.</p>
<p>The root question is relatively simple: do we value education? </p>
<p>The answer is: well, it’s complicated.</p>
<p>Cutting funding to a sector that generates intellectual capital, skills, new knowledge and drives innovation, while redirecting efforts to a A$65 billion <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-29/corporate-tax-cuts-explained/9600004">company tax cut</a> is a high stakes game of chance.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.bca.com.au/publications/future-proof-protecting-australians-through-education-and-skills">Business Council of Australia</a> have made it clear a “university setting is not the best learning environment for all Australians”. Rather, there is a dire and urgent need to “<a href="http://www.bca.com.au/company-tax">create the conditions for higher incomes</a>” through company tax cuts. But <a href="http://microeconomicinsights.org/benefits-corporate-tax-cuts-evidence-local-us-labour-markets/">evidence</a> from the US suggests corporate tax cuts are likely to increase inequality, as benefits are unevenly distributed, especially for workers.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/budget-policy-check-do-we-need-company-tax-cuts-94483">Budget policy check: do we need company tax cuts?</a>
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<h2>A solution looking for a problem</h2>
<p>Other than fiscal pressures, constricting the supply of education to thousands of students intends to solve a problem that has to date not been precisely <a href="https://www.senatorbirmingham.com.au/sustainability-and-excellence-in-higher-education/">defined</a>. </p>
<p>Contrary to the government’s corrosive narrative, the sector has an optimistic bill of health. <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/graduate-employment">Graduate outcomes</a> are good and getting better (86.5% employed overall in 2017), overall <a href="https://www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/student-experience">student satisfaction</a> is high (80%), <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/node/45216">attrition</a> is stable (15%) and Australian universities are increasingly <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2018/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/locations/AU/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats">recognised</a> as among the best in the world. The chronic search for a common problem has us confused and divided.</p>
<p>Capping places per institution not only limits the number of students who can study at university, but in an increasingly specialised sector it also undermines unique competitive advantage.</p>
<h2>The noughties baby boom</h2>
<p>Shortly after 2020, Australia will experience a boom in the 18-25 year old <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3222.02012%20(base)%20to%202101?OpenDocument">population</a>. Population growth for this group significantly differs from those in the 18-64 year old bracket, which is moderate and slowing. As funding increments are drip-fed to the sector, growth in demand among Australia’s youth will outstrip the supply of places, leading to a long-term erosion of skills and qualification.</p>
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<p>The legacy of a cut higher education system is a less skilled future workforce, and an Australian youth that miss out on the educational opportunities afforded to their parents. </p>
<p>In Finland, higher education is <a href="http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/2009/en20090558.pdf">free</a>, to engender opportunities for all. By comparison, Australia has a larger population and landmass, but a significantly (22%) higher <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/gdp-per-capita?continent=australia">per capita GDP</a>. By this measure, Australia is number nine in the world’s top ten rich list.</p>
<p>But, Commonwealth support for university places comes at a cost. There is a ceiling on our willingness as a society to accept paying more. We may have simply reached “<a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/weve-passed-the-funding-peak/news-story/fc2e331dd76050afbfa4345036f09bc2">peak funding</a>” for higher education.</p>
<p>While few would realistically expect a return of tuition-free university in Australia, some sentiments live on. As citizens, we are all diminished when any one of us are denied the opportunity of an education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95525/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Omer Yezdani does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Discontinuing the demand driven system will mean less people are able to get a higher education, particularly groups of people who are already at a disadvantage.Omer Yezdani, Director, Office of Planning and Strategic Management, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/925702018-02-28T02:24:52Z2018-02-28T02:24:52ZMargaret Gardner: freezing university funding is out of step with the views of most Australians<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208193/original/file-20180227-36674-1hb9b8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There is also strong public understanding of the benefits that flow from research undertaken in partnership between universities and other organisations.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong><em>This longer read is an edited excerpt from a speech given by Margaret Gardner at the National Press Club in Canberra.</em></strong></p>
<p>When Australia decided in 2009 <a href="http://www.budget.gov.au/2009-10/content/glossy/education/download/education_overview.pdf">to uncap university places</a>, educational opportunity was to be matched to the knowledge demands of the future. It was a bold advance – and one supported by both sides of politics. </p>
<p>Since that time, <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/Media-and-Events/media-releases/University-enrolment-growth-remains-stable--latest-data#.WpXswRNubVp">we have seen</a> 55% growth in enrolments from the poorest fifth of Australian households, 48% growth for regional and rural students, 89% for Indigenous students and 106% growth for students with a disability. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-get-an-unsustainable-policy-for-christmas-89307">Universities get an unsustainable policy for Christmas</a>
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<p>This expansion of opportunity is why we cannot accept <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/birmingham/sustainability-and-excellence-higher-education">the freeze on university funding inflicted last December</a>. That freeze inflicts a cut of A$2.2 billion on Australia’s universities and the communities they serve. </p>
<p>The university funding freeze is really a cap on opportunity. And it will limit the share of the highly-skilled, well-paid jobs in our economy that can be done by qualified Australians in the decades ahead.</p>
<h2>The transformative power of a university education</h2>
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<p>Chris spent 13 years working in Whyalla’s iconic steel plant, doing countless shifts in the distinctive rust-coloured buildings of the local steelworks. But he knew – given the toll it was taking on his physical and mental health – that he couldn’t stay in that job until he was 65. </p>
<p>So he decided to retrain. First, he tackled a foundation course to acquire new study skills. Then he enrolled in a bachelor’s degree at the University of South Australia. </p>
<p>Chris plans to use what he has learned in his social work degree to help others in his regional community to cope with the vast economic transition they are facing. And to help men in regional communities open up about anger and depression and mental illness, and to tackle male suicide and family violence. </p>
<p>As he explains himself, keeping the doors of universities open matters even more acutely in regional Australia, and for Australians like him. </p>
<p>Keeping open these doors of opportunity is not only important to all Australians, or to universities and the communities that we serve. It should also be a priority for governments and the business community. Fostering the conditions for social cohesion is squarely in their interests too. </p>
<p>When our society is less fractured, we can find more of the common ground that enables societies to advance. Our universities are powerful vehicles for social cohesion. This is all the more reason why – having opened the doors of opportunity – our nation cannot afford, socially or economically, to slam them shut once more. We should close gaps – not widen them. </p>
<h2>We need a plan for the future</h2>
<p>Securing our future prosperity is an urgent task. We live in a time of leaps in knowledge that both defy and spur the imagination. This is illustrated in the choice of one of Australia’s many brilliant university researchers as the 2018 Australian of the Year. Professor Michelle Simmons, who heads the quantum computing team at UNSW, <a href="https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/news-and-media/tour-of-honour-2013/news-and-media/news/article/?id=2018-australian-of-the-year-awards-announced">is leading the race to build the world’s first quantum computer</a>. </p>
<p>Such a leap could revolutionise everything from drug design to weather forecasting, from self-driving vehicles to artificial intelligence. </p>
<p>Crucially, Australia has decisions to make about where we can and should be ahead in the global research races before us. And where we should create chances to be key to new global industries that will create new jobs in our country. </p>
<p>This is why research being done today in Australian university laboratories and simulators, and on university precincts where we collaborate with business, is critical. A vaccine developed today in an Australian university lab or in a partnership between a business and a university won’t just save precious lives right around the world. It’s also the source of Australia’s future growth. </p>
<p>This won’t happen by chance. </p>
<h2>University-industry link are key to success</h2>
<p>Both <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/News/Latest-News/Pages/Implementation-measures-released-for-China%E2%80%99s-new-world-class-university-policy.aspx">China</a> and <a href="https://www.nrf.gov.sg/rie2020">Singapore</a> have ambitious national plans and funding growth to enable their universities to be at the forefront of global discovery and innovation. In these countries, research investment from industry per researcher is high compared to what is achieved in Australia. </p>
<p>Lifting collaborations between industry and universities is important to their nation’s plans and their future success. Because there is evidence that when businesses tap into the expertise of universities and their researchers, it boosts the organisation’s bottom line – but also, importantly, national economies. </p>
<p>New <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/Media-and-Events/submissions-and-reports/Clever-Collaborations/Clever-Collaborations">modelling</a> by <a href="http://www.cadenceeconomics.com.au/index.html">Cadence Economics</a> has found collaborations between Australian businesses and universities generate an impressive A$10.6 billion a year in revenue directly for the firms who partner with universities. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-universities-can-make-graduates-employable-with-connections-to-industry-91838">How universities can make graduates employable with connections to industry</a>
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<p>By the time that flows through the economy, these collaborations are contributing A$19.4 billion a year to Australia’s income. And all of that economic activity supports an estimated 30,000 Australian jobs. </p>
<p>The data confirm 16,000 Australian businesses partner formally with a university. Yet the benefits could be even greater if we could lift that number to 24,000 – a 50% increase. </p>
<p>Not only would that benefit those companies’ operations, balance sheets and shareholders, it would benefit Australia’s economy even more substantially, lifting that A$19.4 billion a year contribution closer to A$30 billion a year. And that would lift Australia’s rate of business-university collaboration to that of innovation powerhouses such as Israel and the United States. </p>
<p>Cadence calculated the return on investment to business is around A$4.50 for every A$1 they invest in collaborative university research. The benefits they can tap are enormous. </p>
<h2>Some clever companies are already realising those benefits</h2>
<p>One is a 13-year collaboration between <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2017/06/boeing-opens-research-centre-uq">Boeing and the University of Queensland</a>. This collaboration has helped the firm identify talented engineers and research students to recruit after graduation. </p>
<p>It has enabled the company to work with the university’s brilliant research teams on incremental sheet forming, a more efficient manufacturing technique that could also be used in the biomedical and engineering industries. </p>
<p>Last year, the firm moved 30 staff onto campus so they could work closely with the University to tackle the next frontiers in aerospace technology. </p>
<p>At Monash, we have signed <a href="https://www.monash.edu/medicine/news/latest/articles/monash-announces-collaboration-with-johnson-And-johnson-innovation-for-rheumatoid-arthritis-detection-and-treatment">a multi-year research and commercialisation deal</a> with one of the arms of global pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson. This collaboration is on the early detection and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis – a debilitating autoimmune disease that affects more than 400,000 Australians and <a href="https://www.rheumatoidarthritis.org/ra/facts-and-statistics/">nearly 25 million people worldwide</a>. It has vast potential not only to alleviate pain and suffering – but also to generate income for Australia from the medicines or treatments that we hope could result. </p>
<p>In Geelong, <a href="http://www.deakin.edu.au/collaboration/industry-and-business/our-success-stories">a collaboration between Deakin, GT Recycling and carpet manufacturer, Godfrey Hirst,</a> has created a new, lower-maintenance product from recycled polymer textiles to reinforce footpaths and roads. </p>
<p>Universities don’t only collaborate with business. We also collaborate with many community organisations, health organisations, not-for-profits and charities – and all of that activity is helping to advance Australia. </p>
<p>It includes the University of Wollongong <a href="https://www.uow.edu.au/research/partnersforimpact/UOW236562.html">working to triple the number of foster carers</a> recruited in the Illawarra, <a href="http://life.curtin.edu.au/leadership-and-community/CV_Remote_Indigenous.htm">Curtin University sending thousands of students each year, for the last 19 years, to volunteer in bush communities in Western Australia</a>, and universities delivering free dental care to pensioners in regional towns across the nation. </p>
<p>These are the collaborations that build community cohesion and help us find common ground.</p>
<h2>The public sees the benefit of collaborations too</h2>
<p>The Australian public <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/Media-and-Events/media-releases/Voters-say-backdoor-cuts-would-limit-uni-access-for-all-Australians#.WiXNVkqW">also sees the benefit of collaboration</a>. Late last year, Universities Australia commissioned research to give us a clearer sense of what the public valued about universities and their contribution to society. What we found was heartening. </p>
<p>A representative sample of more than 1,500 Australians surveyed by JWS Research found four in five Australians thought it was valuable for university students to do work placements with business or community groups as part of their degrees.</p>
<p>There is strong public support for the placements Australia’s universities increasingly offer students during their study. It also underscores the importance of business and community organisations being willing to host students for such placements. </p>
<p>There is also strong public understanding of the benefits that flow from research undertaken in partnership between universities and other organisations. Seven in 10 Australians said university research could deliver most for the nation when it was done in partnership with business – or through a combination of fully independent university research and collaborative research. </p>
<p>Interestingly, the Australian public also think university education will continue to be just as important tomorrow as it is today. Almost four in five Australians believe the jobs of the future will be every bit as likely – or indeed more likely – to require a university qualification. </p>
<p>So when we hear commentators suggest that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/01/too-many-graduates-universities-chief-warns-against-degrees-for-all">university education is now extended to too many people</a>, we should be clear such views are really about reducing opportunity for some Australians. </p>
<p>Whose children, relatives or partners are they suggesting should not have this chance? Not only are such views out of step with our global economic competitors, they’re also out of step with the views of the overwhelming majority of Australians.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92570/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Margaret Gardner is a Director of Universities Australia and the Group of 8, and is the incoming Chair of Universities Australia. These views are not authorised by either body.
</span></em></p>The freeze on university funding not only limits opportunities for students, it puts limitations on the communities unis serve, the economy, and business interested in forming collaborations.Margaret Gardner, President and Vice Chancellor, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.