Invest in Australiaâ€™s Future, Invest in our Universities

Posted 21 November 2011 by Matthew McGowan (NTEU National Office)

The NTEU today launches a new website to support a long term campaign to improve funding for the University sector: www.investinuniversities.org.au

The “Invest in Australia’s Future, Invest in our Universities” campaign calls on the government to urgently increase student funding by 10% as recommended by the Bradley Review, and to commit to a longer term target of achieving 1% of GDP in line with the average OECD expenditure in this area.

As the campaign develops, this website will provide information about the issues facing the sector, and provide mechanisms for staff to get directly involved and for their voice to be heard.

The experience of staff is that workloads continue to increase, student staff ratios have blown out, workplace resources are restricted, and reliance on casual labour is too high. Academic and General Staff are increasingly being asked to manage the unmanageable.

While the Union must continue to hold University managements to account for their internal allocation of resources and for decisions that damage students and staff, we must also make the public aware of the importance of our universities and the potential damage that continued underfunding on the sector and the Australian community.

The sector is growing rapidly but the cost of teaching and research is higher than the funds the government provides. In the past, universities have been encouraged to rely on international student fee income to subsidise inadequate funding. This dependence can no longer be sustained.

This campaign will continue beyond the Base Funding Review, beyond the next Federal Budget, and beyond the next election.

The Union will continue to campaign until our voice is heard.

Jeannie Rea, NTEU National President

Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary

Matthew McGowan, NTEU National Assistant Secretary

Tags: Invest in Universities, campaign • Related Blogs: ACT Division, NSW Division, NT Division, Vic Division, WA Division, SA Division, Qld Division, Tas Division, Australian Catholic University, University of Adelaide, Australian Defence Force Academy, Australian National University, University of Ballarat, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Bond University, University of Canberra, Charles Darwin University, Central Queensland University, Charles Sturt University, Curtin University of Technology, Deakin University, Edith Cowan University, Flinders University, Griffith University, James Cook University, La Trobe University, Macquarie University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, Murdoch University, University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Newcastle, University of New South Wales, Queensland University of Technology, RMIT University, Southern Cross University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Sydney, University of New England, University of Queensland, University of South Australia, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Southern Queensland, University of Technology Sydney, University of Western Australia, University of Western Sydney, University of Wollongong

Comments

Conor King said on 12:34 Wednesday 23 Nov, 2011
[ -3 ] Useful to remember that with the low-SES loading (3%) and the performance funding commitment (2.5% from 2013 now) the Government has got half way to the 10% recommendation, It is the unspecified bit from Bradley it held back from and which is now needed.
Like • Dislike •

Branch Contacts

Branch Office

2nd level, Albert Coates Complex Mt Helen Campus
University of Ballarat
Phone: 03 5327 9163
Fax: 03 5327 9162
ballarat@vic.nteu.org.au
http://www.nteu.org.au/ballarat

Philippa Wells
Branch President
p.wells@ballarat.edu.au

Athan McCaw
Branch Industrial Organiser
atmccaw@nteu.org.au