Accord

A national university for regional Australia isn't necessarily a smart idea. Here's why

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
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One of the headline ideas floated by the Universities Accord interim report is a second national university.

Key Points: 
  • One of the headline ideas floated by the Universities Accord interim report is a second national university.
  • The basic idea is regional universities could opt in to become part of the new national university.

This is not a new idea

    • Australia’s last major review of higher education proposed a national regional university in 2008.
    • The Bradley review recommended “a study to examine the feasibility of a new national university for regional areas”.
    • The Bradley review suggested a new national university to redress a lack of participation of regional students.

Not (yet) supported by regional unis


    So far, the new national university has not attracted much support. The Regional Universities Network includes seven (though not all) of Australia’s regional universities. The network was “encouraged” by several key ideas in the accord panel’s interim report. But any mention of the national regional university idea was conspicuously missing from its media statement in response to the report.

Other university models

    • The accord report says there are comparable international models for a national regional university, and points to the University of California system.
    • A closer example of a national multi-state university is the Australian Catholic University.
    • But it is doubtful whether this would be a good model for a national regional university.
    • Even if a regional university were to consider amalgamation, it would be more likely with a near neighbour, not another more distant regional university.

Worrying ‘synergies’

    • This is likely to worry university staff and students as “synergies” and “efficiencies” can often lead to cost cutting and job losses.
    • There is a risk that a new national regional university will lead to remote, unsuitable, inflexible and unresponsive systems.
    • And a “regional” university in north Queensland is substantially different from a “regional” university in western NSW.

TAFEs provide more opportunities

    • If we want to improve opportunities for regional students, the accord should consider a bigger role for TAFEs in a national regional university and more generally.
    • more opportunities for physical co-location of education and training facilities.
    • Indeed, Australia already has six highly distinctive “dual sector” universities, which provide both university and vocational qualifications.

What now?


    The interim reports contains more than 70 “areas for further consideration” by the accord panel. Many of these – including the idea for a national regional university – will not necessarily make it into the final report in December. If Australia is to have a new university there needs to be more careful thought about where it should be and what its ultimate structure and purpose should be.

Honda Takes Over Top Spot Nationwide on Cloud Theory's Inventory Efficiency Index

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud Theory, the real-time automotive data insights provider, has announced that according to its proprietary Inventory Efficiency Index, Honda is now #1 nationwide, separating itself from last month's co-leaders Toyota and Kia.

Key Points: 
  • Cloud Theory's patent-pending Inventory Efficiency Index (IEI) provides a previously unavailable real-time view of market-relevant supply and demand of all makes and models and across all geographies.
  • Cloud Theory's Inventory Efficiency Index assigns scores to vehicle makes and models based on current active inventory and sales data relative to competitors.
  • A score above 100 indicates that a make or model is selling its inventory more efficiently than average.
  • "Since the beginning of the year, we've seen Toyota, Kia, and now Honda in the top spot," said Rick Wainschel, Vice President, Data Science & Analytics at Cloud Theory.

The MolinaCares Accord Supports Access to Health Care in Rural Georgia Communities

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
General Health, Fund Raising, Health, Foundation, Philanthropy, Diabetes, Molina Healthcare, Health care, Physician, Georgia Academy of Arts, Mathematics, Engineering and Science, Accord, Family medicine, Access, Infant, Conditional sentence, Hospital, Nursing

The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”) presented a $75,000 donation to the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GHFA) , the philanthropic arm of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians (GAFP) , in commemoration of the organization’s 75th anniversary.

Key Points: 
  • The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”) presented a $75,000 donation to the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GHFA) , the philanthropic arm of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians (GAFP) , in commemoration of the organization’s 75th anniversary.
  • The donation will support the GHFA’s Rural Georgia Urgent Need Grants program, which is designed to improve access to quality health care for the underserved in rural Georgia communities.
  • “MolinaCares is dedicated to building stronger communities and removing barriers to health care,” said Carolyn Ingram, executive director of The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation.
  • “We are proud to support the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance to connect individuals and families to the quality health care services they deserve.”
    “We are grateful for this generous donation from MolinaCares,” said Alice House, M.D., a leader of the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance and past president of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians.

Learning from Lululemon: If Canada wants to get serious about forced labour, disclosure laws won’t do

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
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The Canadian government recently passed the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.

Key Points: 
  • The Canadian government recently passed the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.
  • The new law is designed to address forced labour and child labour in supply chains by requiring companies to disclose their efforts in eliminating labour abuse from their supply chains.
  • The legislation, known colloquially as Canada’s Modern Slavery Act, does not require large Canadian companies to actually take actions to prevent or reduce the risk of forced labour and child labour in their supply chains.

Remembering Rana Plaza

    • This new Canadian law comes a decade after the tragic collapse of the nine-storey Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh that killed nearly 1,130 garment workers and injured over 2,500.
    • The disaster raised concerns about the ability of voluntary corporate initiatives to address labour rights violations and protect workers.
    • Remarkably, only one Canadian garment company — Loblaw Companies Ltd., the parent company of the Joe Fresh brand — has signed the accord.

Lululemon report

    • Our report, Lululemon’s Conundrum: Good Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives and the Persistence of Forced Labour, examines Lululemon’s efforts to address potential labour abuse in its supply chain.
    • In 2021, KnowTheChain — which evaluates companies’ efforts to address forced labour risks in their supply chains based on international labour standards — ranked Lululemon first among 129 apparel and footwear companies for its measures to address forced labour risks.

Lululemon supplier concerns

    • Despite this, Lululemon has not signed the 2021 International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry.
    • Two reports found that from 2018 to 2019, workers at a Lululemon supplier factory had to work two to three nights without being allowed to go home or take necessary breaks.
    • While a 2022 follow-up investigation determined this situation had been rectified by Lululemon and the supplier, some workers reported they still felt unable to refuse overtime requests.

Corporate transparency issues

    • Employees are encouraged to report any violations to this code internally through Lululemon or externally using third-party tools such as the international Integrity Line.
    • However, third-party complaint avenues pose challenges, including requiring tech access, trusting unfamiliar third parties and filing a complaint that protects one’s anonymity while still providing enough detail about worker issues.
    • Another code Lululemon has in place is the Vendor Code of Ethics and its accompanying Benchmarks policy.

Reliance on local labour laws

    • Lululemon’s measures to address forced labour largely rely on the labour laws in the countries in which the suppliers are located.
    • Relying on local labour laws is a major shortcoming of many corporate initiatives, since they often fall short of international legal norms and are not well enforced.

Due diligence legislation needed

    • Disclosure laws, like those in Canada’s new act, will not require Lululemon to reveal the type of information needed to ensure its suppliers are not abusing workers.
    • Nor does the new law require large multinational corporations to take any steps to eradicate labour abuses in the supply chains.
    • If Canada is to truly eradicate force labour in global supply chains, it needs mandatory due diligence legislation that involves supply chain workers at every stage of the process — before another disaster like Rana Plaza occurs.

The MolinaCares Accord and Community Partners Team up to Address Homelessness

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
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The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of California (“Molina”), recently presented $395,000 to Social Work Action Group (SWAG) to help address homelessness in Lake Elsinore and surrounding areas.

Key Points: 
  • The MolinaCares Accord (“MolinaCares”), in collaboration with Molina Healthcare of California (“Molina”), recently presented $395,000 to Social Work Action Group (SWAG) to help address homelessness in Lake Elsinore and surrounding areas.
  • This grant is the latest in MolinaCares’ efforts focused on homelessness in southern California.
  • “MolinaCares is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved populations across the state,” said Abbie Totten, plan president of Molina Healthcare of California.
  • “Together, we possess the transformative power to build a brighter future for those experiencing homelessness.”
    For more information about this and other MolinaCares initiatives, please visit www.MolinaCares.com .

Help to settle in and friendships beyond class: what makes students feel like they belong at uni

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 31, 2023
Problem solving, Student, Friends, University, Intelligence, Research, Accord, Time, Machine learning, Algorithm, Motivation, Coffee, Nursing, Tutoring, Tourism

If students feel like they belong at their university, research shows it plays a crucial role in their overall wellbeing, self-esteem, and motivation to study.

Key Points: 
  • If students feel like they belong at their university, research shows it plays a crucial role in their overall wellbeing, self-esteem, and motivation to study.
  • As the Universities Accord interim report says, universities have an “obligation to students to foster belonging”.

What is happening to student belonging?

    • The annual Student Experience Survey tracks Australian students’ sense of belonging to their institution.
    • In 2022, only 46.5% of undergraduate students said they experienced a sense of belonging at university, and while this is slightly higher than 2021 (42.1%), it remains significantly lower than most other areas of student experience.
    • For example, Australian students rated their overall university experience at 75.9%.

Our study

    • We looked at more than 1.1 million undergraduate and postgraduate students during this time.
    • Analysis of multiple variables from the national student experience survey suggested several causes and connections.

Students want help to settle in

    • This could look like peer mentoring programs and for international students, mobilising the help of ethnic and religious community organisations.
    • It is also important for universities to have places on campus for students to interact, as well as clubs and events.
    • On top of this, university teaching staff can complete training in how to facilitate social connections between students.

Students need meaningful connections

    • The study found it was important for all students - domestic or international – to have interactions with local students.
    • Local students already know the important places, events and sub-cultures of an area.

Group work and belonging


    We found some interactions in class are important: our study suggests learning teamwork in class helped students feel like they belonged as it meant students were working together and interacting with their peers. However, other skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, subject matter knowledge, and work readiness were far less important when it came to belonging.

Demographic indifference?

    • That is, we might belong more easily with those who share characteristics with us.
    • Read more:
      Uncapping uni places for Indigenous students is a step in the right direction, but we must do much more

Why this matters

    • In its interim report, the Universities Accord does not look at the commencement or orientation process for students.
    • If they do, our research suggests this will have long-term benefits.

The Universities Accord draft contains 'spiky' ideas, but puts a question mark over the spikiest one of all

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 27, 2023
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When he released the Universities Accord interim report last week, Education Minister Jason Clare drew attention to the echidna on the front cover.

Key Points: 
  • When he released the Universities Accord interim report last week, Education Minister Jason Clare drew attention to the echidna on the front cover.
  • To offer up a few big spiky ideas.
  • But overhanging the whole accord debate is the spikiest question of all: increasing public funding for universities and academic research in a cost-of-living crisis.

What does the report say?

    • The report acknowledges many stakeholders have been arguing that research funding needs to be “put on a sounder and more predictable footing”.
    • It also notes the current research grant system does not cover the full cost of research, with universities having to pick up the rest of the bill.

The history and politics of uni funding

    • The basic political reason is no education minister (even if they wanted to and most have not wanted too) can convince their colleagues there are votes in university funding.
    • Or as former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor and current head of the Prime Minister’s Department Glyn Davis noted in 2015:
      all recent governments have cut university funding per student in real terms.
    • all recent governments have cut university funding per student in real terms.

But this continues to be a problem


    This is a simple way to understand university funding in Australia. In 1998, federal funding for university research was 0.3% of GDP. As of 2021 it was 0.17%. Australian National University vice-chancellor Brian Schmidt has also noted, Australian government expenditure on academic research as a percentage of GDP is the lowest among the world’s advanced economies.

How unis have responded so far

    • Consequently, non-government sources of university revenue increased from 21.7% 1995 to 43% in 2019.
    • About $6 billion came from the government while $6 billion came from universities’ own funds, of which $3 billion was from overseas student fees.

An international student levy

    • It does so by floating a levy on international student fees.
    • The University of Melbourne’s vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell said he believes the levy is “likely to undermine Australia’s global reputation”.
    • Read more:
      International students are returning to Australia, but they are mostly going to more prestigious universities

International students as soft diplomacy?

    • It says it sees international education
      less as an industry and more as a crucial element of Australia’s soft diplomacy, regional prosperity and development.
    • less as an industry and more as a crucial element of Australia’s soft diplomacy, regional prosperity and development.
    • International students today have a lot of choice as to where to study, and Western values rank low on their list of priorities.

We simply need more funds

    • We cannot do this by simply rearranging the system.
    • We need a target to increase university funding in line with other OECD countries.
    • But to do this, difficult political discussions need to be had – and cabinet needs to be convinced to put funds where they are needed, but not necessarily where they will win votes.

What are enabling programs? How do they help Australians get to uni?

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
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One of Education Minister Jason Clare’s top priorities for the Universities Accord is encouraging more Australians to go to university.

Key Points: 
  • One of Education Minister Jason Clare’s top priorities for the Universities Accord is encouraging more Australians to go to university.
  • As he notes, “more jobs are going to require a university qualification in the years ahead”.

What are enabling programs?

    • Enabling programs are run by universities and taught by academics and are also known as “foundation” or “bridging” programs.
    • It also says university funding for these years should be “directed towards a range of assistance, such as increased support for students in enabling courses”.

What do they teach?

    • Courses cover a wide range topics, from generalised study skills to preparation for a specific degree.
    • Enabling programs can teach academic writing, library research, foundational mathematics, study skills and discipline-specific knowledge.

Who are they for?

    • When applying to university, students can preference enabling programs as a viable “plan B” if they don’t receive an undergraduate offer.
    • Enrolments in enabling programs have grown from 6,490 students in 2001 to 32,579 in 2020.
    • For example, 32% of students in enabling programs are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, which is double the proportion of undergraduate students.

How can you access one?


    Universities have enabling programs on their websites and in their program guides for future students. They are supported by federal funding so they can be offered free to students. Depending on the program, you can apply directly to the university or through state-based tertiary admissions centres, at the time when you nominate your university preferences.

Why are they so important?


    Australian studies show students who complete enabling programs do just as well in undergraduate study as students who enter via traditional pathways, such as directly from high school. Enabling programs are effective because they are designed to meet the needs of students who want a university qualification but have experienced educational disadvantage. They focus not only on academic skills but also on building confidence to study.

How can we improve them?

    • This means fee-free places need to be demand-driven, with flexible funding to match fluctuations in student enrolments and allowing universities to increase enabling places as demand grows.
    • In addition to existing payments such as Austudy and ABSTUDY, there should be further financial support for disadvantaged students doing these courses.
    • We would also like to see enabling qualifications included in the Australian Qualifications Framework, which regulates education and training qualifications.

'More obviously needs to be done': how to make Australian universities safe from sexual violence

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, July 23, 2023
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This review team, led by Professor Mary O'Kane, has been tasked with creating a “visionary plan” for Australian higher education.

Key Points: 
  • This review team, led by Professor Mary O'Kane, has been tasked with creating a “visionary plan” for Australian higher education.
  • When it comes to safety and sexual assault on campuses, “more obviously needs to be done”.
  • Sexual assault and harassment on campus is affecting the wellbeing of students and staff, and their ability to succeed.

Sexual violence on campus

    • One in six had been sexually harassed in a university context since starting their studies.
    • Significantly these rates showed little shift from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2017 report on university sexual assaults, despite universities committing to a range of measures that would make campuses safer.
    • Many expressed frustration with the time it took for a complaint to be dealt with by universities, which often re-traumatised student survivors.

What does the review say?

    • This includes a recommendation to improve university governance with a particular focus on staff and student safety and to add more higher education expertise to governing bodies.
    • The review team is also seeking feedback on more than 70 ideas for the final report, due in December.
    • It specifically wants to give more consideration to
      improving student wellbeing and safety, including empowering students on matters that affect them.

What needs to happen now?

    • This represents an important signal to state and territory governments that the federal government expects an escalated national response.
    • The federal government funds and regulates higher education but apart from the Australian National University, universities are governed by state or territory legislation.
    • But pursuing action on campus sexual violence through university governing boards, via state and territory governments, poses some challenges.

Complaints about complaints

    • The review team has suggested strengthening the role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman, extending the coverage of this federal government agency to complaints from domestic students.
    • This move could potentially provide a new streamlined avenue for students to make complaints if they have been subjected to sexual violence.
    • Senate estimates figures used in my research show this has not been an effective framework for tackling campus sexual violence.

What else do we need?

    • The potential measures in the interim report are promising but will need to be carefully calibrated to make campuses safe.
    • Under the current system, TEQSA has “moved to ensure all higher education providers are fostering safe environments”.
    • But my research shows stakeholders are frustrated by the regulator’s “very onerous” complaints mechanisms and ineffective enforcement of regulatory standards.
    • The commission also recommended universities ensure they have adequate and safe processes for students to report a sexual assault or harassment incident.

Urgent action still required

    • An essential prerequisite for Australia’s higher education sector is that universities and residential colleges can provide a safe environment for their students.
    • If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

Many Australians will need to study at both TAFE and uni: how do we get the two systems working together?

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Review, Learning, Industry, Vocational education, Education, TAFE NSW, Qualifications framework, VET, Teaching, Policy, University, National Skill Development Agency, State government, Research, Government, TAFE, Accord, Student, Developed country, Time, Growth, Federation, HELP, Bradley Review of Higher Education, Music, Tutoring, Nursing, Arms industry, Forming (metalworking), Dentistry, Tourism

This is the first broad review of higher education since the 2008 Bradley Review.

Key Points: 
  • This is the first broad review of higher education since the 2008 Bradley Review.
  • If the government’s aspirations are met, it could mean the most significant changes to Australian higher education in a generation.
  • The interim report covers many different issues, from student fees to governance, teaching, international students, student wellbeing and research.

What does ‘alignment’ and ‘collaboration’ mean here?

    • When politicians and education commentators talk about the university and vocational sectors collaborating more, this can mean many different things.
    • This can include creating pathways between vocational and higher education, including how prior study in each is recognised.

Why is this important?

    • As the report notes, “many students move between the higher education and vocational education sectors during their lifetime”.
    • Vocational education can be an entry pathway into higher education.
    • Or people will complement their higher education with job-specific skills from vocational education.

Changing educational landscape worldwide

    • Just before the pandemic, global enrolments in higher education and higher vocational education were estimated at more than 200 million people.
    • Overall, it is estimated global higher education and upper vocational education has grown by more than 50% in the past 20 years.
    • It is argued this growth is driven by the expansion of higher education in developing countries, particularly India.

What is being proposed?

    • Rules can be a challenge here, especially where vocational courses are industry specific.
    • The government is yet to fully respond to a 2019 review of the Australian Qualifications Framework, which remains an important piece of the puzzle.
    • Read more:
      The National Skills Agreement needs time in the policy spotlight and it must include these 3 things

‘Must adapt’

    • As the report notes:
      The tertiary sector must adapt to facilitate growth in lifelong learning.
    • The tertiary sector must adapt to facilitate growth in lifelong learning.