{"id":52935,"date":"2020-06-24T11:34:11","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T18:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=52935"},"modified":"2020-06-24T11:35:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T18:35:06","slug":"the-governments-funding-changes-are-meddling-with-the-purpose-of-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/the-governments-funding-changes-are-meddling-with-the-purpose-of-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"The government\u2019s funding changes are meddling with the purpose of universities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Federal education minister Dan Tehan\u00a0in recent days announced\u00a0an overhaul of the fee structures for undergraduate degrees \u2013 and the courses based in those degrees \u2013 to direct students towards ones it believes are more likely to get them a job.<\/p>\n

Student contributions for degrees in teaching, nursing, clinical psychology, English and languages will fall by 46%; agriculture and maths by 62%; and science, health, architecture, environmental science, IT and engineering by 20%.<\/p>\n

But the student contributions for law and commerce will increase by 28%, while for the humanities, they will more than double (up by 113%).<\/p>\n

Universities exist to expand knowledge and create a civil society. They allow us to understand, challenge, collaborate, inquire, discover, create, design, confront and imagine.<\/p>\n

The implications of the government\u2019s announcement are about more than incentivising the career trajectories of students. They are a direct assault on the premise of universities.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a university for?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The first\u00a0modern university<\/a>\u00a0in the West was founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1088. It became a widely respected school of canon and civil law.<\/p>\n

It also became a model for other universities such as the University of Paris and Oxford. The initial faculties were of theology, law, medicine and the liberal arts.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0University of Sydney<\/a>, founded in 1850, is the oldest university in Australia. William Charles Wentworth is noted as proposing the idea of Australia\u2019s first university, imagining \u201cthe opportunity for the child of every class to become great and useful in the destinies of this country\u201d.<\/p>\n

The university\u2019s motto is a beacon –\u00a0Sidere mens eadem mutato<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 which translated means \u201cthe stars change, the mind remains the same\u201d. The broad evolving mind remains the raison-d’etre for universities, more than the fad of the day.<\/p>\n

The evolution of the modern university, funded increasingly over time by governments, moved the focus from promulgating religious tenets to values that are civic-minded, and centred on knowledge transmission accessible to all citizens \u2013 not just the wealthy.<\/p>\n

Of course, work still needs to be done to improve diversity. But the overarching purpose of the university was to advance human discovery, promote diversity of thinking and enhance the common good.<\/p>\n

The library \u2013 solemn with books \u2013 was the hub of a university education. As knowledge evolved, libraries grew into subject departments.<\/p>\n

The physical library and its virtual equivalent still form the foundation of the student academic experience.<\/p>\n

The government is overstepping the mark<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Government support for public universities was intended to come with few strings. If we agree the purpose of universities is to disseminate knowledge and advance society, we cannot allow a political agenda to diminish academic freedom and equitable student choice.<\/p>\n

And yet, the trend in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia is for\u00a0conservative-leaning governments<\/a>\u00a0to see their role as shaping universities to match their agendas.<\/p>\n

This is counter to long-held beliefs universities should\u00a0operate independently<\/a>\u00a0to shape knowledge. Public engagement and social impact are the overall goals for higher education.<\/p>\n

In stating its plan expands job preparation and promotes economic growth, the government is\u00a0overstepping its charge<\/a>, undermining the notion of choice and opportunity for all.<\/p>\n

These fee changes will have most effect on working class families. Wealthy families who are not price sensitive will be able to choose across the current array of offerings without financial worries.<\/p>\n

This inequity may price some Australians out of their dreams of a liberal arts education because they can no longer afford it.<\/p>\n

What is the danger in that?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Degrees in humanities, society and culture, and communications are\u00a0singled out<\/a>\u00a0as not preparing graduates for the jobs of the future.<\/p>\n

Yet the skills fostered in these degrees are in high demand. Critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, strong writing prowess and people skills are valued as future-focused \u201chuman\u201d skills that translate across the employment sector.<\/p>\n

With many people getting their information from an\u00a0increasingly narrow bandwidth<\/a>\u00a0of social media influences, the role of a university education is even more important. It\u2019s there to teach students to question, seek evidence and think independently.<\/p>\n

A university education\u00a0promotes open mindedness<\/a>\u00a0and the pursuit of knowledge across a diverse set of disciplines, especially those that have now been marginalised.<\/p>\n

Students across all disciplines need these attributes to help advance humanity and address the global challenges we face.<\/p>\n

It remains to be seen whether the plan minister Tehan has put forward to steer undergraduate students into certain degrees will be successful in promoting \u201cjobs and growth\u201d.<\/p>\n

What is clear is this move oversteps the government\u2019s role and function by dictating to Australians and their universities what the priorities should be for building a fair, civil and just society.<\/p>\n

The government proposes we engineer our way to the future, rather than think, collaborate and imagine our way forward.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> John Fischetti is Professor, Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Education and Arts; Dean\/Head of School of Education and Catharine Coleborne is Dean of Arts\/Head of School Humanities and Social Science both at the University of Newcastle<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Federal education minister Dan Tehan\u00a0in recent days announced\u00a0an overhaul of the fee structures for undergraduate degrees \u2013 and the courses based in those degrees \u2013 to direct students towards ones it believes are more likely to get them a job. Student contributions for degrees in teaching, nursing, clinical psychology, English and languages will fall by […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":52937,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[3654],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-52935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-higher-education","tag-funding"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe government\u2019s funding changes are meddling with the purpose of universities - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/the-governments-funding-changes-are-meddling-with-the-purpose-of-universities\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The government\u2019s funding changes are meddling with the purpose of universities - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Federal education minister Dan Tehan\u00a0in recent days announced\u00a0an overhaul of the fee structures for undergraduate degrees \u2013 and the courses based in those degrees \u2013 to direct students towards ones it believes are more likely to get them a job. 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