WERB news 4 Nov - Publications Unit - The University of Western ...

2 UWAnewsVCariousthoughts …One size does not fit allIt took a mighty national push in policy andimplementation across the Commonwealth tocreate the current Australian system of highereducation at the end of the 1980s.A reforming Federal Minister, in the form of UWA graduate,John Dawkins, determinedly pressed his vision of a greatlyexpanded university sector — involving the doubling ofuniversities both through the transformation of Colleges ofAdvanced Education and the amalgamation of colleges anduniversities — and a great advance in access, not leastdependent on the new HECS provisions. A national researchcouncil was also brought into being. A major CommonwealthMinistry grew up to oversee, fund and administer this newnational phenomenon of the unified national system.A distinctly centralised system had been set in motion, inwhich the best outcomes lay in access and research focus, andthe least attractive aspects in a ‘one size fits all’ funding andpolicy model.That centralising paradigm, and tendency of levelling down toa national norm, is in urgent need of transforming reform,towards the creation of a system of genuine diversity andrecognised missions among Australian universities.In all the debate about funding and budgets, that policy thrusthas been far too little discussed. And yet the move towards amore pluralistic system, of excellence through diversity ofchoice and institutional initiatives, could be the transforminghallmark of the Nelson review initiative.As with micro-reform in the economy at large, theuniversities are ready for an environment of much greaterflexibility and freedom, which draws from the capacities ofuniversities themselves, recognising the importance of a nationalframework of operation and accountability for public fundingfrom the Commonwealth.There are fears that such a flexible framework of choice, asadvanced strongly by the AVCC, might lead to a hierarchy ofuniversities and not a pluralism of quality and equal institutions.That could happen in an inappropriate policy framework andfunding mix.UWAnewsEDITOR/WRITERLindy BrophyTel.: 9380 2436 Fax: 9380 1192 Email: lindy.brophy@uwa.edu.auEDITOR-IN-CHIEFColin Campbell-FraserTel: 9380 2889 Fax: 9380 1020 Email: ccampbell@admin.uwa.edu.auDesigned and typeset by Publications Unit, UWAPrinted by UniPrint, UWAUWAnews online: www.publishing.uwa.edu.au/uwanews/But it should not happen if some fundamental policy and fundingchanges were put in place, namely:• raising the base-funding of all universities with significantlymore core funding and more appropriate indexation of allaspects of that Commonwealth resourcing;• new fully-funded places to meet demand, combined with adynamic model for redistributing places between regions andinstitutions based on demand and mission;• additional research and infrastructure resourcing distributedon the basis of highest quality performance;• significant contestable funding aimed to support regionalprovision of higher education and major equity initiatives;• flexibility for universities to set a HECS level above (orbelow) a standard rate, coupled with an equivalent volume ofresources for contestable allocation for those institutionsnot wishing to vary HECS charges; and• support for universities to build their entrepreneurialincomes – in overseas students, industry resources andphilanthropy.Such a major set of initiatives would, over a period of time,significantly lead to the creation of universities that representvery different missions, have very different cost drivers, and thatwish to pursue their own sense of development in the future.While all Australian universities could now benefit fromreform of policy and reform of funding allocations whichrecognises the missions special to each university, UWA is aclassic case of a fine university constrained in its growth,performance and potential by the ‘one size fits all’ policyparadigm.There is also a new collaborative role for the States to playin building higher education capacity in their special regions —without lessening Commonwealth responsibilities in corefunding. And there is a great opportunity for theCommonwealth to replace the old policy paradigms andexcessively bureaucratic reporting demands, with a moreresponsive and modern approach.A new century needs a new spirit to shape universityeducation for the changing society in which we live. It isdiversity rather than conformity which will deliver theexcellence which our staff and students deserve.Professor Deryck SchreuderVice-Chancellor and Presidentvc@acs.uwa.edu.auTHE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA • 4 NOVEMBER 2002