The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has urged the federal government to implement the recommendations from a historic Senate inquiry into university governance.
The Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on Thursday released its final report, which has a further eight recommendations building on the 12 from September’s interim findings.
The final report calls for measures to address major crisis points in the sector including casualisation and wage theft.
The bipartisan committee recommends:
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Enhanced power for academic boards to set the staffing profile for courses so they are guided by pedagogy not profits
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Mandatory reporting of the proportion of teaching done by casual staff
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Requiring universities to meet with the NTEU on a regular basis to ensure industrial compliance
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State governments review university laws
The earlier tranche of recommendations - some of which have already been adopted by the government - include crucial transparency reforms, capping executive pay, making council composition fairer, and ending secrecy in the use of corporate consulting firms.
NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes said the release of the committee’s final report was a landmark moment for higher education.
“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,” she said.
“The reforms recommended in this report have the potential to refocus universities on serving the public good rather than being run like corporate fiefdoms.
“Courses should be staffed according to the best educational outcomes. We need reform so courses are not at the mercy of vice chancellors with warped priorities pursuing reckless cuts.
“Opening up more dialogue between the NTEU and management will help end the wage theft endemic which has engulfed universities.
"Mandatory reporting of casual teaching rates will expose the dirty secret of Australian higher education - that universities rely on exploited casual workers to deliver core teaching.
"State governments can no longer ignore their responsibility. University acts need urgent reform to align with these federal recommendations.
“NTEU members have campaigned tirelessly over many years to bring these issues to prominence. This report justifies their efforts. It marks a new dawn for higher education.
“Federal and state governments must fully implement all of these recommendations to ensure universities return to their missions to provide world-class education and research that serves the public good.”
Contact details:
Matt Coughlan 0400 561 480 / [email protected]
