Just the result of a rarely used, year-long, Senate inquiry. It now lays out its final report that includes eight important recommendations to change the governance of Australian universities. The inquiry raised some important discussions with many calling for wide-ranging reforms. It highlighted major issues such as staffing, the quality of teaching, and transparency, following an interim report issued three months prior.
As the interim report pointedly noted, these are unconscionable failures. It particularly urged for the introduction of caps on vice-chancellor salaries and greater transparency in relation to consultants and decision-making processes in universities. The inquiry’s findings point to a clear need for reform. We need to reestablish public confidence in these higher education institutions that have a long history of deep, persistent governance issues.
Key Recommendations from the Final Report
The Senate committee’s bring release its long-awaited final report. It’s a strong report that makes some primary, bite-sized recommendations to address the governance failures that have long plagued the sector. The biggest proposal is to reauthorize federal legislation. This change would mandate for provosts and academic boards to do annual audits of teaching quality and curriculum staffing to begin redressing hiring profiles. We want this review to achieve a greater balance between permanent and casual employees. It touches on the urgent need for a more stable workforce, including the academic workforce.
The report particularly calls on state governments to review the original charters of universities. This rebirth would help restore teaching and research to the center of their missions. These boards of government should embody those explicit and implicit aims. This will help reinforce those governance structures that will best advance our educational goals.
This Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) agency inquiry as a result call for the TEQSA government increase powers and. It further highlights the importance of taking further action. Prior to closing institutions, TEQSA should thoroughly prioritise student interests and actively protect the reputation of Australia’s higher education sector when assessing institutions. The report reiterates the urgent need to fix casual teaching ratios, which in some unis can be as high as 60 percent. It further demands a robust enforcement response, including a zero-tolerance approach to wage theft.
Insights from Committee Members
Senator Marielle Smith, chair of the Senate inquiry, stated, “Universities have a unique opportunity to be educational leaders in Australia.” Critics, she argued, forget that most Australians want to hold universities accountable and that our universities want an expectation of quality and performance.
“Over the course of our inquiry, we heard from students and staff who told us they felt betrayed, undermined and let down.” – Senator Marielle Smith
According to Smith, the inquiry’s findings illustrate severe governance failures that need to be addressed. She said, “Governance failures at our universities have obviously failed every staff member, every student, and the public.” It’s no secret that these problems require immediate repair.
Additionally, the need for clearer accountability in university governance was underscored by Senator Tony Sheldon. In a refreshing turn, he called out the systemic problems that remain in university leadership.
“Our inquiry has exposed governance issues within the sector that more than warrant our call for clearer accountability and stronger governance to match the trust that the public places in universities.” – Senator Tony Sheldon
Sheldon likened the governance challenges to the mythical hydra. To avoid the failure of previous efforts, he emphasized that reforms have to be done, not just planned.
Perspectives from Higher Education Advocates
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) welcomed the inquiry’s findings with open arms. They are committed to ensuring this is a promising and historic first step that moves to address systemic inequities within higher education. NTEU president Alison Barnes urged the Commission to adopt its recommendations in the strongest possible terms. She noted their ability to address pressing concerns such as corporatisation, casualisation and wage theft within the higher education sector.
“This is a watershed moment for Australia’s public universities. We now have a clear blueprint to fix burning crises like corporatisation, casualisation and wage theft.” – Alison Barnes
Barnes further noted that mandatory reporting of casual teaching rates would expose what she termed “the dirty secret of Australian higher education,” referring to the reliance on exploited casual workers for core teaching responsibilities.
The inquiry’s conclusions recommend that universities act now. They must reset both the paradigm under which they operate as well as the transparency and accountability that should be intrinsic to their governance structures.
