Establishing the university as the sole provider of higher education: The Australian experience

Abstract

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.

Correlates of career advancement in Australian universities

“…Government policy directives (see Dawkins 1988) have produced a unified national system in Australian higher education in place of the binary system that previously prevailed. The consequence has been amalgamation between institutions, typically with colleges of advanced education becoming part of existing universities or combining to form a new university (see Mahony 1992). Universities traditionally were funded for research activity and postgraduate training in addition to undergraduate teaching, whereas the traditional role of the college of advanced education sector was to provide diploma and undergraduate degree programs in areas of professional training such as education, applied science, and business studies.…”

Teacher education in Australian Universities in a period of change: Predictions and preferences for the year 2000

“…Hence one respondent wrote: "Those 'universities' with large teacher education components will be more likely to be in the 'lower' tier of tertiary institutions." As noted by Mahony (1992), the former colleges of advanced education based mainly on teacher education were the institutions with least autonomy in the amalgamation movement. Another respondent argued that, as a result of the new unitarianism, "Education as a discipline/faculty will become more isolated from the university than at present."…”

“…Whereas universities were funded for research as well as postgraduate training, colleges of advanced education operated as undergraduate teaching institutions with a strongly applied focus and close relationships with communities, including the professions, which they served. The national unified system which replaced the binary system resulted in some colleges of advanced education merging to become universities and others amalgamating with existing universities or becoming affiliated colleges of universities (see Mahony 1992). Whereas there were 19 universities and 47 colleges of advanced education in Australia in 1985, by 1992 there were 35 universities.…”

“…Australian higher education experienced major change in the late 1980s as a result of government policy initiatives (see Harman 1991;Meek 1991;Mahony 1992). Under the binary system that had operated over the preceding 20 years, different missions were assigned to universities and colleges of advanced education.…”

Towards a market oriented university

“…It has been argued that the adoption of the recommendations of the Murray Report laid the foundations for the modern university system in Australia, with the activities and standards requisite for membership of the 'international community of universities'. 19 …”