We need to bang on and on about this mess. And rethink the whole HECS-HELP thing as well as axing the #ScottFromMarketing brain fart Job Ready Gradduate scheme,

A 20% cut in student debt is great, unless you were doing an Arts degree at $50,000 plus. The remaining 80% is still too hefty a debt for any graduate to take on. What planet are these Education Ministers on anyway?

The current systems in place which govern how #TertiaryEducation are financed and managed brings a cudgel to any hope of higher education opportunities for many kids out of High School and a boot on the neck of educational equity in Australia. SO much for the #CleverCountry aspiration.

https://theconversation.com/how-did-australian-universities-go-from-free-education-to-50-000-arts-degrees-in-50-years-268782

$55,000 arts degrees and continued job cuts as universities call for urgent reform to degree pricing

Universities have warned that job cuts leading to thousands of academics and professional staff being sacked are likely…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #artsdegree #AU #Australia #fees #hecs #jobreadygraduates #student #tertiaryeducation #university
https://www.newsbeep.com/244312/

“Australian musicians are among the team putting pressure on ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop and the ANU Council to abandon their plans to dismantle the School of Music. The team have called on Bishop to halt job cuts, continue its performance and composition majors, and maintain one-on-one music tuition in an open letter.

The open letter was written by the newly formed School of Music Advocacy Roundtable and signed by over 40 high-profile supporters.”

This is a bit of ‘Johnny-come-lately’, esp after the CSO had already made its position very clear on any thought of closing the #ANU #SchoolOfMusic by #JulieBishop ‘s Council Fiefdom. But any additional pressure is most welcomed. Keep it up guys, let’s pile it on.

#Music #Musicians #Conservatorium #TertiaryEducation #AusPol #JasonClareMP #InUnity #JoinYourUnionNow

Read more:

https://themusic.com.au/industry/jimmy-barnes-dave-faulkner-genesis-owusu-more-rally-to-save-the-anu-school-of-music/c-PJZ2ZpaGs/17-09-25

“What can Jason Clare do?’ Is the title of Benjamin Jones’ piece in openforum.com.au concerning #ANU’s #Mismanagement problems.

And, sure he addresses some issues, as in the lack of transparency, the excessive remuneration of executives and even calls for a resetting of the university’s core business, but there a great lacuna here. There’s little to no mention (depending on you viewpoint as a reader) of the insane idea that a university can be run as a business following debunked #Neoliberal (aka #NeoClassical) economic thinking nor any words on the need for a complete reform of the university council’s responsibilities, processes and composition. Yet still, no mention of the inherited (from Morrison) #JobsReady foolishness that was imposed on the #TertiaryEducation system — as if Universities were TAFE colleges or #TradeSchools.

The best I can say about the article is that it sustains the public conversation that must be had about our education system and adds to it by pointing out that the responsible minister #JasonClair ought to be, well… #responsible.

It should not be about #rescuing the ANU (Awash with Cash as it is) but about freeing the institution from the madness imposed on it by #AccrualAccounting practices, feverish dreams of #EconomicWonks and the grip of #NeoLiberalism, maniacal #Managerialism and past-due-date #NeoClassical economic theory.

#BishopMustGo #SaveOurANU #InUnity #StudentUnionism #JoinYourUnionNow #CollegiateGovernance

read more:
https://www.openforum.com.au/rescuing-the-anu/

TIL: the ANU is awash with #CASH:
“But here is the paradox: while education and staffing were cut, ANU’s financial wealth kept growing. By 2023, the university held over $2B in financial assets and recorded $3.4B in total net assets. It continued to run cash surpluses despite reporting accrual accounting deficits”

AND that the financial crisis making the news and resulting in over 450 staff losses and plans to close some faculties are a direct result of the application of accrual accounting. This is an accounting practice that is necessary to run a business responsible to shareholders — but CANNOT be applied to education institutions which have a different raison d’etre and report to society (via parliaments).

#Managerialism and #NeoClassicEconomics responsible for the #FailedGovernance of ANU is made worse by the #Council’s use of ANU funds in speculative and #RealEstate investments partly funded by borrowings (Debt). These #NeoLiberal Council forays in #Productivism and #Capitalism are NOT core business to Universities. Not only is this the Absolutely Wrong Governance model to run a Uni, but it is currently grossly #Mismanaged and noone is taking responsibility for this, least of all #JulieBishop the #Chancellor of ANU.

Take a break and read the article, it is well written and explains much of what is going on. Furthermore, it provides the reasons why #Bishop should go and a sorely needed change to #Governance processes and responsibilities. If #JasonClaiMP can’t see this he’s a #FailedMinister

Read more:

https://michaelwest.com.au/uni-finances-anu-and-the-commercialisation-of-higher-ed/

#AccrualAccounting #TertiaryEducation #ANU #JulieBishop #Auspol #EducationMinister #SaveOurUniversities #GovernanceReformsNow #InUnity #JoinYourUnionNow #SaveOurUniversities #SackUniCouncils #CollegiateGovernance

Richard Deniss writes about University Governance:

"Imagine if a business or federal department acted like this. Here’s why unis get away it"

read more:
https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/imagine-if-a-business-or-federal-department-acted-like-this-heres-why-unis-get-away-it/

#TertiaryEducation #ANU #Managerialism

I’ve rejoiced to see a belated and performative mea culpa from the ANU Council with the #Vice offered as sacrifice (as you would… #Bishop does) but #RenewANU was a thing before Prof #Bell’s appointment (if I am not mistaken).

“Scandals have wracked Bell’s tenure, and a variety of surveys have shown widespread dissatisfaction with the ANU’s current leadership. But the problems at the ANU are systemic.

They will not be solved with the departure of any one figure. Indeed, the governance crisis at Australia’s universities is sector-wide. In May, Dr Joshua Black and I wrote that the ANU’s rolling crises were predictable because they stem from its flawed governance structure.”

It’s not just a matter of #Mismanagement, it goes deeper that that: “…councils are essentially self-perpetuating. Members are often drawn from the corporate sector and do not have genuine experience or understanding of the university sector’s peculiarities.

The simple truth is that most university council members do not have a material interest in the success or failure of the institution, and there are no mechanisms to hold them accountable.”

So fixing the ills of the #TertiaryEducation Sector is going to take a while (Bishop is unlikely to resign, she’ll need to be pushed out) and #JasonClairMP, the Minister for Education, must also accept blame, he’s been holding up reform and the #Morrison ( #FromMarketing ) govt #jobReady fiasco is still in operation… WTF?

This is not time to lift the pressure calling for sector-wide reform. #StudentActivism has yet to have its day… #InUnity #JoinYourUnionNow

Read more:
https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/bells-departure-is-overdue-but-this-crisis-is-not-all-her-fault-heres-why/

#Transparency #Accountability #StaffRepresentation #StudentRepresentation #AcademicRepresentation #CollegiateGovernance

So, we’re seeing the impact of #Managerialism throughout the #TertiaryEducation sector as a result of flawed #Economic thinking.

And, right on queue, ‘managers’ have defended their clustefuck with deflections. It’s the external economic constrains we have to operate under’s entire fault, the decry. Of course, it’s not about the falacy of #NeoclassicalEconomics, nor is it about the #Corporatisation of university, nor could it be #FinancialMismanagement or #GovtEconomicPolicies. That would be overly simplistic. The thing is, you see, it’s often the most simplistic explanation which turns out to reflect the truth of it. #Mismanagement pure and simple at all levels of #governance.

#ANU #CharlesSturt #AusPol #Education #UniversityCouncilsReforms

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-12/university-sector-job-cuts-/105761276