CampusReview · HEDx Podcast - How are US universities faring? - Episode 115 The Australian university sector is focused on the Universities Accord and upcoming budget, while in the United Kingdom universities are struggling to afford to enrol domestic students since tuition fees were frozen in 2017. How are American universities faring? Scholar of higher education at New York University Arthur Levine joins Martin Betts to discuss the updated version of his 2021 book The Great Upheaval: Higher Education’s Past, Present, and Uncertain Future. Mr Levine and his co-author Scott Van Pelt take a hi ..read more

Change is a force that resonates beyond the confines of courtrooms and parliament halls. It thrives in university lecture theatres, nurtured by the minds of students who are given the opportunity to learn and grow. Education is more than just acquiring knowledge; it's a key to unlocking a future that is brighter and more inclusive for all. At Dowson Turco Lawyers, where I am a partner, we all work towards this understanding. Ongoing challenges in LGBTQ+ education The challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students in educational settings are significant and multifaceted. The current landscape of NSW and C ..read more

James Cook University (JCU) has launched a review into its payroll system amid concerns thousands of staff have been underpaid.  The “historical compliance concerns” relate to casual employee payments across the north Queensland university, which has staff mainly based in Cairns and Townsville. Vice-chancellor Professor Simon Biggs said the university was committed to addressing and resolving the issues.  “I can confirm that unfortunately, some historical issues have been identified and we deeply regret these,” he said. “I’d like to assure impacted staff that any required remedi ..read more

University of Wollongong vice-chancellor Patricia Davidson has made the surprise decision to step down after only three years in the role, saying that it is time for new leadership at the institution. She told university staff on Friday that it was “the right time to pass the baton” to allow a new leader to implement the university’s next strategic plan. Chancellor Michael Still, who leads the university council that will appoint Professor Davidson’s successor, said the university was expecting major impacts from the Albanese government’s Universities Accord reforms and from int ..read more

The plummeting number of apprentices and school-leavers studying trades will cripple the Minns government’s plans to build 75,000 homes a year, a peak housing body has warned. The gloomy forecast is contained in a new report from the Master Builders Association, which states NSW will miss its five-year housing target of 375,650 new homes by 2029 by 27,600 builds. Master Builders Association (MBA) NSW executive director Brian Seidler said a lack of skilled labour was the biggest factor threatening the state’s housing targets. The number of NSW students enrolling in building and construction ind ..read more

Union students and workers rallied in Sydney CBD last Friday to demand an end to unpaid placements that exclude low-SES students from some courses and cause 'placement poverty' for many. The Australian Services Union and Students Against Placement Poverty put further pressure on governments to fully fund all compulsory work experience hours university students have to complete, especially in teaching and social work degrees. Rallying outside Sydney's Commonwealth Parliament Offices, the groups also demanded unpaid work placement be made illegal, and that accreditation requirements be updated t ..read more

Skills, training and educator bodies have backed the Prime Minister's Future Made in Australia Act that will grow Australia's in-house manufacturing capabilities. The Prime Minister last Thursday outlined his plan to boost Australia's economic sovereignty through increased on-shore manufacturing and decreased reliance on exports. Cutting out middle men that pressure supply chains, interest rates and inflation pressures, will ease the cost-of-living crisis and boost our national security, the PM said, mimicking the US' Inflation Reduction Act. Prime Minister Albanese wants to see supplies, such ..read more

The Climate Council has said all petrol and diesel car sales should be banned by 2035 if Australia wants to have a 'zero-emissions fleet' by 2050, but the leading independent skills training body raised alarm bells about EV workforce demands. The plan to lower climate pollution by 75 per cent this decade recommends a move away from petrol and diesel vehicles, and also more investment in shared transport, such as better walking and cycling facilities, electrified public transport and rideshare. The council said by 2029, one-third of all taxi, rideshare and government fleet vehicles should be EV ..read more

CampusReview · HEDx Podcast: The story of Torrens University - Episode 113 Torrens University Australia is the fastest growing university in Australia, and is considered a leader in the university sector for offering flexible, tailored study that better serves and attracts equity groups. It's chief executive, Linda Brown, and vice-chancellor, Alwyn Louw, tell the story of the university on stage at the HEDx conference in Melbourne in March. They speak of its incredible journey as a private, American-owned business, and how it would eventually outpace Australia's other universities in terms of ..read more

Australia’s biggest universities are failing to provide 80 per cent of their foreign students with guaranteed housing, despite taking in $9bn a year in tuition fees. Universities have built enough dorm rooms to accommodate only 40,000 students nationally – a fraction of the 205,000 inter­national students they have ­enrolled to study in Australia this year, while private training colleges have failed to provide any accommodation, even though they have accepted 149,000 foreign students this year. The failure of the $26bn international education industry to provide accommodation has meant at lea ..read more