Western Sydney University welcomes release of Universities Accord interim report
Statement from Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Clare Pollock
Western Sydney University welcomes the release of the Universities Accord Higher Education Review interim report today by Federal Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP. The Universities Accord is arguably the largest and most significant reform of higher education in Australia in decades - a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally re-shape the sector.
The interim report and its five immediate actions – accepted by the Minister – acknowledge the critical role that the university sector plays in driving Australia’s economic growth and meeting the future skills needs for the nation. Importantly, it recognises that these skills needs can only be met with increasing the rates of higher participation from those sections of our community which are currently under-represented.
We are particularly pleased to see a renewed focus on equity and access in the sector; ensuring more people, no matter what their background, have the chance to go to university, and – most critically – that universities do all they can to ensure that students succeed.
Among the report’s immediate actions are:
- Extending to all eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians a guaranteed Commonwealth-supported place at university, regardless of where they live.
- Abolishing the Low Completion Rate rule, which required a university to cancel a student’s enrolment in a course if they failed 50 per cent of their subjects in their first year (or semester if enrolled in a diploma program), established under the Job-Ready Graduates program.
- Creating University Study Hubs in outer metropolitan areas, designed to make higher education more accessible and bring universities to where people live and work, particularly in areas of socio-economic disadvantage.
These recommendations are supported by the University and align strongly with our own mission to serve the people and communities of Western Sydney.
Western Sydney University has a long and proud history of opening up access and providing more higher education opportunities for the people of the Western Sydney region, with more than 65 per cent of our students the first in their family to attend university. We know the transformational power of higher education and the life-changing impact that successfully completing a university degree has on individuals, families and their broader communities.
The University will take the time to review the other recommendations, including proposed changes to universities’ governance structures. Further information on the operational details is required on this point.
Importantly, the immediate action to extend transition funding for two more years provides much-needed clarity and certainty for universities during the period where reforms to the Job Ready Graduate legislation and associated fundings changes will be considered. This transition funding will be used to support universities’ equity initiatives.
Western Sydney University thanks the Accord Panel for its work to deliver the interim report and looks forward to contributing to the Panel’s identified future directions on issues such as equity, skills, research, international education and governance.
The University will embark on a comprehensive consultation process with students, staff and stakeholders to inform the University’s submission to the Panel’s final report, due to be released at the end of the year.
ENDS
19 July 2023
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