Universities have much to contribute to the improvement of health delivery, research and teaching/learning. In progressing health reform, the Government should be mindful of the need to:

1. strengthen high quality medical research;
2. promote translation of research to teaching, population health and health services;
3. address health workforce issues effectively.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 20 - Health

Improving the quality of research training—both the breadth and depth of training—requires additional funding. At present the Research Training Scheme does not provide sufficient funding to cover the full costs of training research students and any increase in the number of students without increased funding would create major problems for universities. Cross subsidisation is becoming more difficult and government should not expect or require universities to provide a subsidy, given the critical need for more researchers and a broader research-trained workforce.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 19 - Research Workforce

Projections of future population and tertiary education participation indicate that Australia needs soon to start planning for another surge in school leavers entering tertiary education from 2015, together with increased demand for greater skills deepening by adult workers. If all of the future growth in demand was to be absorbed in universities, another 24 medium-sized institutions (around 15,000 domestic students) would be needed over the next thirty years.

But that would be an inappropriate way to accommodate the diverse mix of learners as well as an unaffordable strategy. It would also crowd universities at the undergraduate level at a time when demand for postgraduate qualifications is rising rapidly. Hence it is necessary to find cost-effective supply solutions that respond to the increasing and increasingly diverse demand from both students and employers in a way that ensures that Australia has sufficient scale capacity in fields of education and research which are most exposed to international competition.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 18 - Structural Diversity

International education, particularly study in Australia, provides significant economic benefits for Australia. However, international education is much more than a business. The relationships formed through international education underpin Australia’s engagement with the world, and help sustain goodwill, trade and investment. If Australia can attract talented international students through scholarships and a reputation for quality, they will return to their home countries to become leaders in government, industry and the arts and ultimately help open doors for Australia.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 17 - International
For more information - The importance of international education for Australia

The Government has placed a strong emphasis on social inclusion across  all social policy settings. In higher education the focus has been on  the participation of low SES students at the undergraduate level. This  has been done within the context of a push for growth in the attainment  of Bachelor level qualifications to improve overall productivity and  social outcomes.

The narrow focus of the equity policy has been successful in  concentrating the efforts of universities on the low SES undergraduate  cohort. The national equity agenda will be stronger when different  universities can contribute according to their varying strengths rather  than all having to contribute in the same way.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 16 - Equity

In recent years there has been an overall lack of a clear and cohesive research funding policy for higher education which poses real risks in Australia’s ability to sustain research excellence and is likely to lead to a decline in Australia’s research performance at the international level. This could well lead to a decline in the reputation of Australian universities and a consequential decline in Australia’s ability to attract the best researchers and research students and be detrimental to Australia’s economic competitiveness.

This lack of policy direction has lead to the implementation of policies and programs which have the effect of spreading the limited resources available to higher education research funding thinly across the higher education system rather than on following the principles of selectivity and concentration that are the key to building an internationally competitive research system.
Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 15 - Research

The overarching challenge for the higher education sector in coming years—and for higher education financing in particular—is to maintain the quality of the sector while absorbing large increases in enrolments, driven both by demographic change and increases in participation. Furthermore, this expansion of the system will take place in a context of fiscal constraint. For this reason, maintaining real equivalent per student funding will be a significant challenge.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 14 - Higher Education Financing

The Government’s proposed approach to higher education involves a degree of central regulation and intrusion which is beyond that found in other OECD countries and which is unprecedented in Australia. There are concerns within the higher education community that this approach will be counterproductive because it will stifle diversity, erode quality and reduce the flexibility necessary to respond to unexpected needs and challenges. The Go8 believes that the Government should conduct a fundamental review of its overall approach to test its assumptions and ensure that Australia can move to a high quality system built on excellence across all areas of need.

Please click here to view - Go8 backgrounder 13 - Standards

The revised AQF as proposed by the Australian Qualifications Framework Council (AQFC) in October 2010 is too narrow, parochial and prescriptive. The AQFC is proposing a unified model that exists nowhere else and runs contrary to best practice principles. Imposing from above a radical reform model flies in the face of all the available evidence regarding change management in respect of the development and implementation of National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs).

These issues could be overcome by maintaining a focus on the learning outcomes at each level while allowing more flexibility for qualification types to span across two adjacent levels. Bachelors degrees should be able to be offered at both levels 7 and 8, Masters degrees at levels 8 and 9 and Doctorate degrees at levels 9 and 10. This approach will more accurately reflect current practices and allow for future developments. Information about the alignment of qualifications types and titles with AQF levels can be documented in course and marketing materials, graduation statements and transcripts.

Please click here to view - Go8 Backgrounder 12 - Strengthening the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

John Henry Cardinal Newman’s The  Idea of a University is one of the foundation volumes for any  discussions on the role of universities.  First published in 1853, it  provides an eloquent justification for the importance of knowledge as knowledge  and argues for the importance of education in training the mind rather than  just developing instrumentalist skills.  While values and the context  within which universities operate have both changed considerably since Newman’s  days, the book still contains arguments that are relevant to any discourse on  the relevance of universities.

Clicke here to view The Idea of a  University - http://www.newmanreader.org/works/idea/

Science. The endless frontier is a short report  published in July 1945 that marks the beginning of modern science policy.   Despite being over 65 years old, its arguments still have relevance  today.   Commissioned by President Franklin D Roosevelt and prepared  by Vannevar Bush, an electrical engineer who had played an important role in  directing US government research during World War II, the report presented a  new plan for science.   It argued that progress in science is  essential to improve public welfare; that science is a proper concern of  government; and that freedom of inquiry is essential if science is to realise  the benefits of which it is capable. 

Click here to download or view  Science. The Endless  Frontier -   http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/vbush1945.htm

In 2009 the Go8 commissioned market research to examine the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of Australia as a destination for study at the Higher Research Degree level. This backgrounder highlights some of the positive aspects of the Australian experience.

The top five aggregated strengths of Australia as a research destination were: Australia’s multicultural society, the friendly and welcoming nature of Australian society, the quality of Australia’s universities, the safe environment and the research culture.

In addition there are very high levels of satisfaction with the quality of academic supervision amongst current and former research students and students are attracted to the shorter duration of the Australian PhD.

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Backgrounder 11 - Perceptions of Australia as a postgraduate research destination

The Group of Eight (Go8) welcomes the Government’s commitment to  developing a comprehensive research workforce strategy. Australia’s research  capacity and the continuing translation of research into policy, products and  services is directly linked to the future productivity of the economy, social  wellbeing, environmental outcomes and the nation’s long-term prosperity.

The Meeting Australia’s research workforce needs consultation paper  provides a useful starting point for discussions on Australia’s research  workforce needs but the Go8 believes that some issues will need to receive more  attention in the final strategy to ensure it is comprehensive and well  targeted.

Please click here to view - Group of Eight response to DIISR consultation paper: Meeting Australia’s research workforce needs

The Framework for Evaluation of Equity Initiatives has been prepared to support the Go8 Equity Strategy. Its purpose is to assist Group of Eight (Go8) universities to evaluate the effectiveness of their equity initiatives and interventions in the context of federal policies and the distinctive missions and responsibilities of the individual Go8 institutions.

The framework provides an exploration of potential methods for evaluating a range of equity programs, noting some of the methodological complexities involved. There is an emphasis on looking beyond access and participation to ensuring academic achievement and outcomes.

Please click here to view - Group of Eight Framework for Evaluation of Equity Initiatives

This paper produces  two sets of estimates of future student demand for higher education in  Australia. The two sets of estimates allow us to consider the capacity of the  university sector to accommodate future growth in student numbers (including staff  and facilities), and to identify the costs involved, including for the Government  which has undertaken to fund student demand at the undergraduate level and  postgraduate coursework level for programs leading to a first professional qualification.

Click here to view or download -   Go8 Backgrounder 10 - Future demand for Higher Education in Australia

This  is an updated version of Go8 Backgrounder 10 previously released in June 2010.  A number of amendments have been made due to errors found in the base  participation rates used in the modelling for Method B. The key findings have  not significantly altered.

The issue over the naming of some postgraduate degrees raises important issues of diversity and competiveness of Australian Higher Education. It also raises questions about governance: how governments regulate universities, and how much discretion universities have in offering what students want and being responsive to changing needs and circumstances. As such, it has major implications for all universities and for the regulator, the new Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), as well as the Australian Qualifications Framework council (AQFC).

Please click here to view or download - Go8 Opinion Piece: Focus on the levels

The Group  of Eight (Go8) supports measures that assure graduates and employers, both  domestic and international, of the quality of Australian qualifications. Any  changes to the current assurance mechanisms need to be balanced and resist a  “one-size-fits-all” approach. The tertiary education sector is becoming  increasingly differentiated to meet the needs of a broader student body and a  more complex labour market, and education policy settings should reflect this  reality.

Go8 universities want to  ensure the AQF Qualification Issuance Policy does not restrict the flexibility of  the higher education sector and limit its capacity to innovate. Specific issues  are outlined in the attached document.

Click here to view or download - Go8 response to the AQF Qualification Issuance Policy second draft for consultation

The Go8 strongly supports the introduction of a statutory provision to make it clear that research and experimental use do not infringe the patents law in Australia. We believe achieving clarity in the law in this area is fundamental to promoting the free conduct of research by Australian research institutions.  However, we are keen to ensure the inclusion of such a provision does not reduce the freedoms which currently exist for research where it may touch on patented materials.

The position paper has been developed in conjunction with the National ICT Australia (NICTA) and the CSIRO and aims to provide a broad exemption which should withstand attempts to limit its provisions if it is tested in a judicial setting. The Society of University Lawyers (SOUL) also endorses the position outlined in the paper.

Please click here to download or view - Maintaining an effective research environment in Australia

The Group of Eight (Go8) applauds the government’s intention to comprehensively reform the skilled migration program, and we welcome the opportunity to submit this response to the General Skilled Migration (GSM) Points Test Discussion Paper.

Please click here to download or view -

Response to the DIAC discussion paper: Review of the General Skilled Migration Points Test, 15 February 2010

The Group of Eight’s (Go8) Review of Education in Mathematics, Data Science and Quantitative  Disciplines, released today, found that the state of mathematical sciences  in Australia has deteriorated to a dangerous level and will require universities  to provide additional maths enabling courses and to improve co-operation between  education and maths faculties in future.

The  Review, chaired by former University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gavin  Brown, was commissioned by the Go8 Vice-Chancellors in 2009 because of serious  concerns about the number and quality of students entering university courses  requiring strong quantitative skills.

The Review  concluded that “universities cannot  ignore the downward change in mathematics preparedness affecting entering  students. In the short term there appear to be only two conceivable responses:  the provision of enabling (i.e. remedial) programs and the lowering of  standards.”

The Government's new investment in   equity is a significant step forward for the higher education sector and will   provide much needed support for the considerable efforts made by Australian   universities in these areas. It recognises the importance of higher education   in fostering social and economic mobility and developing a more socially   inclusive Australia. The Group of Eight supports this policy   objective.

The Group of Eight is proposing a   number of amendments to the HEPPP Guidelines to ensure they better support the   overall objectives of the program and provide clarity to universities in their   implementation of related activities.

Please click the link below to view -
Go8 Response to the Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program (HEPPP) Guidelines – Consultations 2009

The Group of Eight supports a move to measure the real   socioeconomic characteristics and background of students by exploring   additional, relevant, directly measured variables (subject to validation of   quality), rather than relying on the present use of imputed values, based on   postcode areas. Group of   Eight encourages the   development of improved data sets, to better understand the interaction of   factors which lead to success in higher education, and to support data-based   evaluation of policy initiatives and programs.

The Group of Eight supports analysis at Population Census   Collector’s District (CD) level, rather than postcode (recognising that CDs are   generally more homogeneous and smaller, and more stable). However, the   fundamental problem remains that relatively advantaged students coming from   particular areas will be counted as low SES because of the disadvantages of   others who live in the same geographical area. The government’s low SES   initiatives will be measured in terms of whether more students come from those   and similar areas, and not in terms of whether more truly disadvantaged students   enrol.

The Group of Eight also supports the inclusion of   relevant Centrelink data related to students and their parents, subject to data   validation and timeliness, on the basis that those students have an evident,   data-verified disadvantage in having to meet eligibility criteria.

Please click the link below to view -
Go8 Response to the Measuring the Socio-Economic Status of Higher Education Students Discussion Paper, 2009

The introduction of performance funding is a key development in the policy and  financing framework for Australian Higher Education.

The  performance funding framework, along with mission-based compacts, the new  equity initiatives, the relaxing of caps on Commonwealth supported places and  the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency  (TEQSA) will radically change the drivers of higher education in Australia into  the future.  It is important these measures are implemented within a well  considered policy framework and a strong understanding of the overall impacts.

The  Group of Eight proposes that the Government revisit the proposed approach to  ensure it fits within the broader policy framework and drives behaviours that  will lead to the realisation of the Government objectives for the Australian  higher education system into the future.

A  uniform application of sector-wide goals will not allow for the diversity and  flexibility required in the system to meet the needs of an expanded student  body. Please click the link to view - Go8 Response to: An Indicator Framework for Higher Education Performance Funding, December 2009