Our Universities Matter

Increased Public Investment Vital for the Future of Australian Universities

NTEU will assess the Government’s Budget response for universities based on the extent of increased public investment in key priority areas.

These include:

·        Fully funding the cost of publicly supported research;

·        Increasing the real level of funding per Government-supported student and maintaining this through a revised indexation formula;

·        Redressing social disadvantage, especially amongst Indigenous students;

·        Establishing a new Workforce Development Fund that encourages the employment of early career academics and reduces the over-reliance on casual teaching staff.

“The Government has created high expectations amongst students and staff that it will deliver the necessary increases in public investment and policy reforms to enhance the capacity of our universities to continue to deliver high quality and internationally competitive education and research,”  Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU National President, said today.

“We recognise that the Government is in a difficult budgetary situation. However, a substantial investment in higher education now will mean Australia is well placed in an economic recovery, with a highly skilled labour force and a strong research and innovation capability necessary to sustain our future.”

Dr Allport said that universities are being forced to rely on international student fee income and core teaching and learning grants to support world class research, because of the failure of government grants to fully meet the cost of competitively funded research projects.   

“NTEU strongly supports the vision outlined by Minister Gillard in her response to the Bradley Review at the Universities Australia Conference in March, where she emphasised the need to ‘engage and retain students by supporting teaching quality and enhancing the student experience.’  This will require reducing student:staff ratios, which can only be achieved by increasing the level of real funding per student.”  (See attached Chart.)

“Redressing social disadvantage, and especially closing the participation gap for Indigenous students, will require a variety of institutional and national responses. We support calls for increased funding to enable universities to employ more Indigenous staff and develop initiatives that address the needs and aspirations of  their local communities. NTEU also believes there is a strong case for developing a National Flagship program of mentoring and supporting Indigenous students while they are still in high school,” Dr Allport said.

“The significant role played by regional universities in redressing social disadvantage also needs to be recognised, with improved and better targeted resources.”

“Finally, it is essential that working at an Australian university is an attractive career option. NTEU’s proposed Workforce Development Fund is designed to enable universities to attract and retain the necessary high quality staff.”         

For more information or comment contact:

Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU National President: 0419 349 064

Paul Kniest, Policy and Research Coordinator: 0418 170 622 , pkniest@nteu.org.au