University funding and finances
Thinktank says lecturers on short-term contracts could lead to worse outcomes for students, as report concludes there are no easy ways to cut university costs
Academics do the numbers on lower fees, increased subsidies and a reduced funding envelope
Announcement ‘seen as bad news’ but ‘not a huge surprise’ following Brexit
Selling income-contingent stakes in the future earnings of graduates is the best way to address the student debt crisis, says Paul Oslington
Fee and subsidy reshuffle curbs universities’ capacity to support their research, but proposed funds could help bridge the gap
With the key selling point of university – meeting people and having a ‘great experience’ – now gone, Andreas Schleicher sees high fees as unjustified and calls for more government investment
While Australia’s fee and subsidy reshuffle favours job-growth areas, student and institutional recalcitrance may blunt its impact
Government’s proposals are contradictory and will torpedo its jobs agenda, humanities lobby warns
With student choice relied on to free up money for more university places, critics question the strategy and potential impacts
Discounted courses ‘are what the country needs’, but the numbers don’t stack up for universities
Winners and losers in minister’s proposal, with vocational degrees set to cost less as humanities fees explode
Staff go despite salary trade-offs, as pandemic lays waste to institutional bottom lines
‘Cherry-picked’ OECD data creates unjustified picture of underfunded sector, analyst says
Figures show that some universities continued accelerating east Asian recruitment despite warnings
Internal border controls could stymie pilot entry proposals, Australian PM warns
Former universities minister Jo Johnson says co-funding model could be a way to help save the under-threat organisation
Reuben College will open to students in 2021 and focus on interdisciplinary research addressing global challenges
Staff at some institutions agree to pay cuts to minimise redundancies, but only under union-sanctioned accord
Nations are increasingly making conscious efforts to propel a subset of their universities into the global elite. But are such aspirations ever met? And, if they are, is that a blessing or a curse for those institutions denied entry to the club? Simon Baker examines the issues and the numbers
The London School of Economics will take a massive hit from loss of international students, highlighting how reliant some institutions have become on their revenue
Ministry of Education’s advice follows spike in ‘discriminatory incidents’ during pandemic
Australian university directs academics to spend up to 80 per cent of their time teaching, despite relatively healthy financial position
A plan to put foreign students in supervised quarantine before studying could rescue international programmes, says Roger Smyth
NSW offer will help ‘bridge the gap’ between Canberra’s lifeline and universities’ needs
‘Personal crisis’ may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for some insecurely employed staff
As annual lobbying spending drops to $75 million, bigger campuses take more control
Choice will guide job cuts, institutions pledge, as sector confronts A$16bn black hole
Move to reject Obama policy seen costing 200,000 borrowers some $11 billion
Ousted student rep, a controversial figure, elicits headlines and backflips
Thinktank says students’ immigration opportunities should also be boosted to protect foreign enrolments
New report weighs in on debate over whether universities put too much emphasis on international students
Survey of academics in region finds widespread predictions of enrolment decline, budget cuts and concerns over lack of preparation for online education
New Zealand’s universities will have to navigate ‘fear’ in the community as they consider how to bring foreign students back
Some universities lack the reserves to shoulder this year’s losses, let alone a half-decade slump
Despite greater focus on students’ learning outcomes, in Europe institutions are still largely assessed on the basis of ‘input’ measures, such as staff-to-student ratios, rather than trickier ‘output‘ measures
German universities report no redundancies, while Dutch staff enjoy a pay rise. Some think the pandemic has vindicated Europe’s low-fee model
New figures ‘understate’ entry bans’ chilling impact on international revenue
Former biotech chief cooperating in expanded investigation
Redundancies ‘a last resort’ as uniquely financed Australian university confronts A$225m black hole
National vote called off, with vice-chancellors saying pact is too short-term while union blames ‘fear of scrutiny’
While training reform takes centre stage in post-pandemic ‘JobMaker’, government puts no extra money on the table
£7,500 fees are off the agenda, but Covid-19 only increases the need to align state subsidies with economic need, says Philip Augar
Job security guarantees would tie management’s hands while offering only short-term cost relief, v-cs say
Improving remote learning may be smartest move universities can make, quality chief advises
England’s main skills challenge is not over-education but preparing workers for the emerging economy, says Tim Blackman
As after the 2008 financial crisis, Swedes have responded to the coronavirus-induced downturn by making plans to return to university
Support and opposition on both sides could make job-saving pact a close-run thing
State institutions that survive crisis will face student influx and must prioritise ‘communities they were designed to serve’, experts say
EUA policy expert warns against financially driven institutional mergers as solution in crisis
Activists campaign for less reliance on international education income, as government flags a ‘supervised’ reopening of borders
While institutional accounts indicate that the average university boss could have pocketed seven-digit earnings last year, 2020 will be a different story
‘Classic risk management tools’ helped protect the University of Tasmania, says its former management consultant boss
Victoria’s A$350m lifeline adds to the pressure on Canberra to do more to help embattled sector
Accusations that China is stealing virus research could harm US vaccine efforts and overseas enrolments, experts warn
Australian universities decline union-sponsored agreement, citing individual circumstances and governance concerns
Analysis shows that a dramatic loss of fee income will hit institutions in Wales harder than the rest of the UK
Video conferencing is a reasonable substitute for lectures, but that is where it must end, say Robert Zaretsky and George Alliger
Many bosses lead from the front, ceding 20-plus per cent of their pay to help plug pandemic shortfalls
Some succour for NZ universities and students in budget aiming to support training for those who have lost jobs in crisis
The Covid-19 pandemic offers universities a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put their dysfunctional strategies behind them, argue Timothy Devinney and Grahame Dowling
