‘Pass Atec bill,’ say breakaway vice-chancellors

The leaders of a dozen Australian universities have declared support for the government’s proposed higher education steward, vowing to do what they can to shepherd the underpinning legislation through parliament.

In a joint statement, the 12 vice-chancellors say the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec) will provide “a new form of stewardship” geared at delivering “a fairer system” through “innovative models of collaboration”.

“We want the bill to pass and will engage proactively to ensure that the legislation is as strong as possible,” the statement says. “Decisions made over the next five years will determine our ability to meet the ambitious 2050 goals of the Universities Accord.

“Business as usual will not deliver the accord. The creation of the new Atec is a major reform of the tertiary education system and it is critical that we get it right.”

The statement is signed by the chiefs of the seven Innovative Research Universities (IRU) members – Canberra, Flinders, Griffith, James Cook, La Trobe, Murdoch and Western Sydney – along with Central Queensland, Federation, New England and Southern Queensland, which are part of the Regional Universities Network. Edith Cowan University boss Clare Pollock is also a signatory.

IRU executive director Paul Harris said a “one-size-fits-all approach” would not improve equity or boost participation. “The Atec can play a valuable role in improving collaboration between government and universities, and between different parts of the tertiary system.”

The bill has passed the House of Representatives but faces a tougher time in the Senate, where the governing Labor Party lacks a majority. A Senate committee inquiry has drawn dozens of submissions including from all five university networks.

Universities Australia (UA) and the Group of Eight (Go8) were more critical of the bill than the IRU, which recommended relatively few amendments. They included making the commission more independent and empowering it to “provide advice on its own initiative”, including on tuition fees.

The IRU, Go8 and UA are scheduled to appear at the Senate committee’s public hearing on the bill on 13 February. Also on the programme are the National Tertiary Education Union and Monash University policy expert Andrew Norton, one of Atec’s fiercest critics.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com