The higher education campus service industry in Australia & New Zealand
Preparing for a new era
Growing global competition in the higher education sector, and demand for competent, work-ready graduates will drive future growth in the services and activities of campus service providers - depending on a lot of things; the Government's commitment to the Education Revolution, the Opposition's commitment to education, tertiary institutions' commitment to developing quality non-academic campus services and service providers' commitment to continuous improvement.
The findings and recommendations from the Review of Australian Higher Education (The Bradley Review) highlight the scope of change needed to arrest the decline, compared with other OECD countries, in Australia's investment and performance in higher education. In its findings, the Report urges that:
"comparative information about institutional performance on the Course Experience Questionnaire and the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement be published on the Going to Uni website as well as broad details of actions taken by institutions to address issues identified through student feedback".
Universities and service providers have been forced, through financial necessity, to focus on those services truly considered essential. With The Bradley Review as a catalyst for change, and the introduction of a fee to fund provision of services, there is a rare opportunity to participate in the initiatives of the new era in Australian higher education.
More than ever before, attention is turning to what makes a 'good' University graduate and it is becoming more widely acknowledged that technical competence is only one part of the equation. The current economic climate means fewer jobs for graduates, and employers can be more demanding with their selection criteria.
The qualities that make a good graduate are diverse, and depending on career choice, the degree of development of specific qualities is relevant. What is important is that that diversity is accommodated by the range of activities available to students:
- intellectual
- social
- cultural and
- sporting;
and that opportunities for engagement in them are readily available. To make that a reality, the airplay currently given to student incomes and the need to increase the time they have to engage in University life, needs to materialise into policy and action.
2009 will determine the strength of the Government's commitment to the Education Revolution. If all goes well, tertiary institutions and campus service providers will have a new opportunity to elevate the credibility of an Australian tertiary qualification.
Article from the ACUMA Incorporated quarterly newsletter, issue 1, 2009.