This article examines the background and implementation of the recent Australian decision to move from a binary to a unitary system of higher education based upon the universities. While convergency was built into the Australian binary system from the beginning, the economic and efficiency goals for higher education (of the federal governmenO greatly accelerated the demise of the dual structure. Since the responsibilities of the new institutions are so broad, a much more cosmopolitan mission for the university will have to be adopted. The changes occurring in Australia are one national response to common pressures upon higher education systems. Hence the new Australian university may be a portent of the post-industrial university, strongly articulated with government and serving the undifferentiated needs of a mass system of higher education.
Australian higher education is currently undergoing great changes, a major aspect of which will be the disappearance of the binary system and the absorption of the advanced college sector into the university system. After a brief background discussion of the role of the university in contemporary society, this article examines the concept of the university now under very severe challenge in the Australian context and looks at some of the major responses to it through recent characterisations of the Australian university. It is argued that what I have typified as the Australian Comprehensive University (COMPUNI), will have responsibilities much more diverse and difficult than those which have hitherto been experienced by Australian universities -a reality not well appreciated at the present time.
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