Crikey readers have their say.
Universities
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: A question of degrees for future education
IELTS study: unis failing foreign students with one-size-fits-all approach
Fresh doubt has been cast on the admission of foreign students into Australian universities, with a new study revealing academic gatekeepers are recklessly abusing a blunt instrument that fails to properly gauge basic English language skills.
Tougher test for would-be Aussie migrants to hit universities hard
A federal government decision last week to further tighten the eligibility requirements for foreigners seeking permanent residency seems certain to have a serious impact on the already faltering recruitment of overseas students, especially those from China and India, writes Geoff Maslen
University reps appalled by draft legislation at confidential briefing
A special government briefing in Canberra on Tuesday and Wednesday on crucial legislation covering the operations of post-secondary education institutions across the country turned out to be a debacle, writes higher education expert Geoff Maslen.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Illegal backdoor migration
Crikey readers have their say.
The most popular graduation speakers
It’s a rich tradition in the US that celebrities from world leaders to movie stars deliver the graduation speech at universities. Listen to the speakers — Bill Cosby is most popular! — inspire the youngsters.
Ziggy’s VCA Review fails to impress
VCA activists have slammed a report into the organisation’s future, describing the 16-page prescription as “impotent” because it fails to tackle the core concerns raised by staff and students.
Higher education: no money, no strategy — has Rudd dropped the ball?
Last year’s Budget was accompanied by a flurry of media releases from Julia Gillard trumpeting funding measures for higher education. This year there’s deafening silence, writes Erica Cervini.
Deleting laptops from classrooms
The government’s went big a few years ago, promoting one computer per student in Aussie classroom. But are Twitter, You Tube and Solitare way too distracting to have in a classroom? Several US Law schools are banning them.
Three’s a crowd at Deakin, ‘reducing quality of education’
Changes to teaching periods at Deakin University will reduce the quality of education at the Melbourne-based institution, students and staff have told Crikey. Elizabeth Redman reports.
Hartcher: We totally messed up the Indian students debacle
Australia has failed to address the violence against Indian students issue , leaving dramatically reduced student numbers and a severely damaged Australian reputation. This will have a major long term effect, writes Peter Hartcher.
Suffering in silence: the plight of the international student
A quarter of Australia’s student population are international students. But our universities remain almost segregated, international students are seen to get preferential treatment because they are paying and yet they are often at threat of violence or mistreatment.
How I live as a homeless uni student
Duke University student Ken Ilgunas found one way of avoiding the crippling student loans facing most US students: secretly live in a van on campus, shower at the gym and cook in the car. Is this the future of the undergrad?
What’s the worth of an MBA?
MBAs remain one of the most overrated concepts in education, with most business schools massively out of pocket thanks to their MBA programs.
What’s in a name? Money, say universities
By changing a course name from “German Literature of the High Middle Ages’’ to “Knights, Castles, and Dragons’’, Boston College nearly tripled enrollment. Catchy course names are becoming an important business strategy for unis.
Harvard gets schooled by GFC
Universities across the globe are feeling the brunt of the GFC. Even Harvard is facing budget deficits of hundreds of millions of US dollars, cancelled billion dollar building projects and an unstable administration.
Women’s studies hits middle age
In the US, women’s studies made a formal debut to higher education in 1970. Now enrolment has gone global.
Dear Julia Gillard: Universities need funds not ethical compromise
Fund universities properly and academics won’t be compromised, argues Professor Gavin Mooney.
Universities and pork: Has the Coalition played favourites?
Further analysis into how the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) has directed “Transition Funds” to key marginal and Coalition held seats is either mere co-incidence or a calculated pork-barrelling exercise, writes Nicholas Pickard.
Universities get down with web 2.0, LOL, DYKWIM etc
It’s not that putative human Julie Bishop doesn’t, necessarily, have a slinky toy where most of a brain should be properly positioned. And it’s not that I’d care for her contributions in a discussion about anything more intricate than mince. However, on one substantial issue, we concur: the kids are getting thick.
Government offers university a choice: AWAs or unemployment
The federal government appears to be putting pressure on universities to only hire staff on the controversial Australian Workplace Agreements, writes Geoff Maslen.
