ViceChancellors Forum

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• Vice-Chancellors Forum
• 7 8 September 2009
• Bathurst

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• Political climate
• Skilled workforce
• Increased participation

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• At recent Universities Australia (UA) meeting
  David Phillips gave a very critical take on the
  known unknowns in a demand-driven system. He
  noted
•  
• the lack of any official analysis to inform how
  the targets
• (40 of 25-34-year-olds, etc.) might be achieved
• the lack of clarity about the starting point
• the failure to make links between the
  participation targets and possible increases
  achieved as a result of skilled migration.
•  
• Thus the questions what increase, what
  structural change might be needed to achieve the
  40 participation target?

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• Compacts
• At the UA meeting DEEWR gave a reassuring view on
  Compacts
• emphasising the need for consistency and
  transparency, individual institutional
  improvement over time rather than comparative
  assessment of performance (mentioning attainment,
  participation, engagement, quality)
• a change in State-Federal relationships was
  foreshadowed - universities will play more of a
  role through compact negotiations with the
  Federal government.

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• Compacts
• DIISR vs DEEWR
• DEEWR wants universities to tell them what
  should be done
• DIISR has an agenda (with the task given to
  bureaucrats being enormous)

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• Compacts
• National Objectives vs DIISR/DEEWR goals
• CSU will develop a goal-oriented strategy
  directed towards national priorities
• for Compacts
• for the Charles Sturt University 2012 2016
  Strategy

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• Compacts
• At the UA meeting there was concern/disquiet
  about the DIISR presentation on research
• need for better modelling for Sustainable
  Research Excellence (SRE)
• problem in introducing ERA before properly
  thought out.

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Template for Mission-based compacts for
universities - Draft preamble template -
University mission - What the university is at
present general statement - What the
university aspires to be general statement -
What differentiates the university from others
Within its region/state or territory/nationally
Does the institution intend to accentuate/diminish
that differentiation? If so, how? - Major
planned initiatives Academic Research
Organisational Infrastructure Any other

• Compacts

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• Structural Adjustment Fund (SAF)
• Reported at the UA meeting
• is designed for one-off injections and large
  rather than small allocations
• intended to improve outer-metropolitan and
  regional provision
• has to be a substantial impact on an institution
  that positions it for the future
• has to align with government objectives
• SAF funding should align with EIF funding.

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• Low SES target and associated performance funding
  still unclear
• Regional loading under review

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• EIF bids
• National Institute of Paramedic Education (NIPE)
• National Water and Carbon Remote Sensing Facility

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• AUQA
• Prep visit held on 4 September 2009

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• Industrial action

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• Recent Publications and Research Income

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• Recent Publications and Research Income
  continued

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• Good Universities Guide 2010
• Research Intensitivity 1 star
• Research Income 2 stars
• Teaching Quality ?
• Graduate Outcomes ?
• Getting a job ?
• Staff Qualifications ?

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• Key Questions
• Is our current culture right for the research
  outcomes to which we aspire?
• What are the right questions to ask to solve the
  issues that face us?