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In August 2023 RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia) announced it would cease delivering a program of chiropractic education. The program commenced in 1975 and was the first in the world to be funded by a National government. Today it is officially being 'taught out' and will cease to be in just 4 years. As irresponsible as this decision may seem from a Chiropractor's perspective, it remains RMIT's right to determine which programs it delivers and those which it does not. The lesson the profession must learn is that state-funded universities can not be expected to reflect the passion that their education creates in its graduates, especially Chiropractors. In past papers I have made this comment and now formalise and index it: 'Australia's publicly-funded institutions of higher education have no redeeming qualities to warrant them holding custody of a program of Chiropractic education'; they most certainly do not and can not replicate the integrity of a purpose-focussed private college nor match the integrity and academic commitment evident in many non-Australian universities throughout East Asia which are guided by a strong social conscience. The usual claim is that a university with multiple disciplines provides cross-fertilisation of ideas and high levels of teaching quality from discipline experts in other fields, but in Australia this can not really be claimed to have been found true. There is also a claim that within a university Chiropractic academics will hone their scholarship, write, and publish; we know this is laughable. RMIT has been far from exceptional for Chiropractic education for most of its 30 or so years as a university created by one political party's agenda. It is healthy for the profession to now be forced into examining new models of education to better serve the profession and create a stronger professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on Australian university publications. Choice of performance indicators; Incentive for placement in a prestigious journal.

Purpose – This paper highlights the potential value of "return on investment" analysis for leadership development investment methods to better providing research informed decision regarding improving organisational outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Working with published research on leadership dimensions with greatest impact on student outcomes, return on leadership development formula, and empirical research on Australian university-based educational leadership programmes, this paper demonstrates an illustrative example of estimating the return on leadership investment. Findings – Using an illustrative example of Australian university-based educational leadership programmes, this paper argues that methodologies for estimating the return on leadership development offers a powerful tool for making research informed decisions at the individual, organisational and systemic levels. Research limitations/implications – This paper provides the basis for substantial further work on the measures of impact of leadership preparation and development such as matters of duration of effect, instrumentations of quality, costing and causal models of effect. Practical implications – The methodology demonstrated in this paper provides a basis for individuals, organisations and school systems to make decisions regarding the resourcing, or not, of school leadership preparation and development. Social implications – The methodology demonstrated in this paper provides a basis for individuals, organisations and school systems to make decisions regarding the resourcing, or not, of school leadership preparation and development. Originality/value – The application of return on investment analysis has been rare in educational leadership preparation and development programmes and its value opens up information for rigorous debate on the resourcing, or not, of programmes by systems, government and individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the role of an under-graduate educational leadership in introducing students to the complexity of school leadership practice. Design/methodology/approach – Theoretically informed by Bourdieuian social theory and drawing on a questionnaire with a cohort of students, the paper evaluates a course in relation to achieving its outcomes. Findings – An analysis of student responses indicates that the course did introduce students to school leadership practice and assist in the construction of a school leadership disposition. Research limitations/implications – The theoretical resources used in the paper have significant implications for how researchers conceive of school leadership practice. Therefore, this paper may be the basis of further work. Practical implications – The findings of this work have implications for teacher educators and specifically universities. From this paper, the inclusion of an educational leadership course in under-graduate programs should become more the norm rather than the exception. Originality/value – This paper has value in two unique ways. First, there has been very little work undertaken on the role of educational leadership courses in under-graduate programs and in the context of increased political attention and no formal pre-requisites for the principalship in Australia, this work is both timely and significant. Second, this paper works with a sophisticated notion of school leadership practice and its location using social theory, a perspective that is uncommon in much of the literature on educational leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I take a simple game-theoretic view of educational production within universities to frame a discussion of pedagogical power, effort, and influence in Australian higher education. After introducing the stylised game structure, I first compare the role of teachers in Australian universities to that of university teachers elsewhere in the world, in terms of Australian academics' power in pedagogical affairs relative to the power of the higher-education institutions within which they operate. I then review some existing empirical evidence using Australian data that sheds light on the role of both teacher inputs and student inputs in creating educational outcomes, and discuss some new evidence on students' perceptions of teacher influence. The paper concludes with some recommendations for changes to the current system designed to improve student outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to explore the educational journey of indigenous Australians since the time of the 1788 invasion through into the modern Australian university. This exploration is intended to clarify the way in which education delivery in this country has been used to position the nation's "first peoples" within a context of centre/periphery thinking. Design/methodology/approach -- The paper established an overview of the educational service provision for indigenous Australians through a review of archival materials, historical texts and education reports. This information was then aligned with the data gathered through face-to-face interviews and focus group meetings conducted by the author in her own PhD research, to test the complementarity of the sources in terms of the indigenous experience. Findings -- The paper provides insights into the current positioning of indigenous Australians. The process of viewing the present against the backdrop of the past identified important historical landmarks that were then examined through the diversity of lens provided through interviews/ meetings with contemporary students and staff to reveal the critical impact of centre/periphery thinking on indigenous education in this country. Originality/value -- This paper provides an historical overview of indigenous Australian education that, in clarifying some of the connections and ruptures between "centre and periphery", provides valuable insights into the full diversity of the indigenous historical experience in Australian education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a reflective exploration of major challenges facing new teacher educators as they make the transition into the academy, and of ways that best support them. The transition problems identified in the emerging body of literature about teacher educator career entry were offered for comment to a small group of new teacher educators in an Australian regional university. Their responses added complexity and nuance, suggesting a heterogeneity of entry pathways and experiences, as well as avenues for further inquiry. Consideration of the resulting issues leads to wider questions about the place of teacher education in the academy. In turn, this leads to question if the challenges faced by newly appointed teacher educators are distinctive from those experienced by all new academics. The paper argues for multidisciplinary cohorts for induction, and makes recommendations for systematic, inclusive induction programs for all new academics, including teacher educators. The paper concludes with two further recommendations. First, large-scale research is required to inform us about the contemporary teacher education workforce. Little is currently known about entry and career pathways, nor of the impact of recent policy and funding changes such as research performativity measures and increasing employment of sessional staff. Second, induction must be seen as an organisational and professional responsibility shared by many, including new and experienced academics, faculties, departments, institutions and professional associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an analysis into the global phenomenon known as credential/qualification fraud, a $US 1 billion dollar ‘cottage’ industry which has tainted higher education in Australia, and does not appear to be abating. The study is developed through a conceptual framework of credentialism, degree creep and screening theory, which the author theorises spawns the demand for degree qualifications, both legitimate and ‘less‐than‐wonderful’ along continuums of legitimacy and acceptability. The paper suggests several key resources and tools that can be used by administrators of universities, non‐self accrediting higher education providers and industry human resource managers. The paper concludes by reviewing key‐global practices currently employed as proactive measures to minimise credential fraud, moving towards a best practice framework for Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of internationalisation on academic work within a department of management in a large Australian university. It has been argued elsewhere that internationalisation strategies have transformed the nature and demands of academic work through the massification and commodification of educational curricula. Drawing on one of our university's projects to develop and deliver internationalised common curricula to students in Asia, South Africa and Australia we contend that internationalisation strategies have contributed to what we identify as the "Taylorisation" of teaching and learning. Frederick Taylor's principles of scientific management, exemplified by the growing trend towards standardisation of delivery and curricula, are readily identified in the pedagogical processes and expected academic practice in higher education. This paper draws on the work of others who highlight the complexity of internationalisation issues in the development and delivery of curricula and suggests a comprehensive programme of internationalisation that more effectively addresses the economic and social demands of the current global competitive environment. We argue for a programme of internationalisation that is counter-hegemonic, ongoing, comprehensive, multifaceted and integrated and we offer some practical suggestions to redefine the principles and practices of internationalisation within an Australian university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores an innovative approach to evaluating the effectiveness of a writing group in an Australian research-intensive university. Traditional qualitative and quantitative methods typically applied in higher-education research may be effective in analysing the output of writing groups; however, they do not always address the affective domain of writing and giving and receiving feedback in a small-group context. The group had previously evaluated its practice with a speed-dating activity, itself an innovative approach designed for efficiency and to take advantage of the size and diversity of the group. The changing membership of the group, from eight to four participants, warranted a methodology appropriate to the intimacy of the group. In this paper, three theoretical frameworks are used to conceptualise the practice of the smaller group: communities of practice, peer mentoring and affect theory. The methodologies of critically reflective practice and memory work described here emerged from these theoretical frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Educating for sustainability has been a key principle underpinning the primary/middle undergraduate teacher education programme at an Australian University for the past decade. Educating for sustainability seeks to provide knowledge and understanding of the physical, biological, and human world, and involves students making decisions about a range of ethical, social, environmental and economic issues, and acting upon them. This study (a part of the ongoing evaluation of our courses) focuses on pre-service teachers (PSTs) who have selected a minor in science and mathematics. Participatory and inclusive learning processes, transdisciplinary collaborations, experiential learning, and the use of local environment and community as learning resources as outlined by Sterling (2001) have formed the basis of much of our practice to develop PSTs’ confidence and competence to teach science. This paper explores one pedagogical practice, environmental pledges which the preservice teachers undertook for 15 weeks. The focus is on the impact that undertaking an environmental pledge has had on the personal and professional lives of two groups, first, four cohorts of final-year science and mathematics pathway PSTs, and second, a small group of early-career teachers who had completed the course in previous years. Data have been collected from final-year science and mathematics students and early-career teachers using ethnographic methods to provide insight into their experiences of using the pledge. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Elizabeth A. Stuart is a Professor in the Departments of Mental Health, Biostatistics, and Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Associate Dean for Education at the school. She is a renowned expert in the area of causal inference, including propensity score methods for observational data and the generalizability of randomized trial results, and is also a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. Prior to her appointment to the faculty at Johns Hopkins, Professor Stuart received her Ph.D. in statistics from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Smith College. In 2015, Professor Stuart was recognized at the International Conference on Health Policy Statistics with the Mid-Career Award from the Health Policy Statistics Section of the American Statistical Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based upon research with Australian students who were the first in their family to come to university. The studies sought to explore how attending university impacted upon both the learners and their families, particularly the intergenerational implications of this attendance. Drawing on indepth interviews conducted with older university students enrolled in a medium sized regional university, this paper will focus on how this mature cohort articulated the ways in which they drew upon life and work experiences during their transition to university. Applying the Community Cultural Framework (Yosso, 2005) this article proposes that these learners brought a range of capitals to the higher education environment including what has been termed 'experiential capital'. In exploring the characteristics and sources of these capitals, the paper will include suggestions about how higher education institutions might seek to both recognise and nurture such resources within the tertiary sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the arrival of Colombo Plan Scholars in New Zealand and consider ways in which their experience helped to bridge distances between "east and west", as well as to create connections that traversed geographical and cultural boundaries. Design/methodology/approach -- It draws on contemporary newspaper articles to ascertain how public talk about the Colombo Plan programme shaped initial engagements between New Zealand and the scholarship holders. The paper then analyses archival files from the Department of External Affairs to present an overview of the university courses undertaken by Colombo plan scholars. The final section of the paper draws on oral and archival sources to examine individual encounters between former Colombo Plan scholars and New Zealanders. Findings -- The paper argues that while the public aims of the Colombo Plan focused on the containment of communism and the development of post-colonial connections in the South East Asian region, individual encounters between Colombo Plan scholars and New Zealanders played a role in changing social attitudes in what had been a deeply mono-cultural society. Originality/value -- The paper draws on previously unpublished archival and documentary evidence and oral sources to examine a unique aspect of the history of international education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to analyse non-indigenous student resistance to indigenous history and to improve non-indigenous students' engagement with indigenous history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to identify changes occurring within the property professions and at the same time focus on the changing structures of the tertiary education sector in Australia and how both of these will influence property/real estate education and research into the future. Design/methodology/ approach - The paper reviews a range of published international material and conference papers mostly emanating from the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES) a formal focus for property researchers, educators and practitioners from over 15 countries. Structured interviews with leading property academics were conducted along with the authors' direct involvement with the Australian Property Institute and their National Education Board. Findings - There is a strong demand for tertiary/property real estate education, which will continue in Australia though with a likely wider base extending beyond the traditional valuation and analysis fields. However, given the significant emerging changes in the tertiary sector in Australia, certain universities will tend to focus in such specialist areas. Research limitations/implications - It would appear that this is not a widely researched area outside the PRRES group. The findings, however, are sound and have important implications for education and research in this critical economic sector. Practical implications - The findings should help better refine the academic offer and research initiatives developed by those individual universities as they seek to establish their market niche. Whilst this paper applies particularly to the Australian context, observations regarding changing demand will be of wider interest and assistance. Originality/value - This paper for the first time considers the changing demand for real estate / property graduate courses and demands for research in this field against the backdrop of contemporary change in the tertiary sector in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory case study that investigated factors affecting the retention and progression of postgraduate business students at a major Australian distance education university. The majority of prior research addressing student retention focuses on undergraduate on-campus students, while this research investigated the postgraduate distance education context. The findings of this research indicate that a range of factors, in many cases different to those identified in the student retention literature, impact upon retention and progression in this context. This paper concludes with implications for distance education providers and recommendations for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers issues of diversity and community in Australian higher education as it becomes increasingly globalised and internationalised. As globalisation transforms higher education through market competition, universities worldwide are responding through internationalising all facets of their research and education. The development by many universities of export-oriented 'transnational' programmes, where students are located in a different country to the institution providing their course, is part of this response. Within this context, learning communities are becoming more diverse as different populations of students in different locations experience different modes of programme delivery. This paper draws on research into student experiences of transnational programmes offered by Australian universities in Southeast Asia. The focus of the paper is on how these students negotiate difference and diversity in their learning communities. In particular, strategies for constructing an international identity, gaining membership of the learning community, 'fitting in' to a diverse ethnic and cultural student cohort, and negotiating the competing roles of family, work and study are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambrose Bierce once described the freshman as a 'student acquainted with grief'. First year students are, indeed, subject to a series of rude shocks in their first weeks at University, chief among them the results of the first assessment. This is particularly the case in those disciplines that require students to produce a piece of sophisticated research writing (essay, research report, literature survey) within weeks of setting foot on campus. Such assessments require that students exhibit a complex synthesis of research and writing skills they are assumed to know, but may not have been explicitly or effectively taught. The panic over this process and the 'shock' felt by students when their results are not as they predicted play a large role in attrition, a problem experienced widely in universities across Australia and internationally. This paper considers the demanding array of expectations placed on first-years writing in Humanities subjects, where discursive analysis is not just about 'writing' but about research, critical analysis, dialogue and collaboration and self-direction. The paper reviews and synthesises key insights from pedagogic literature about the first-year experience, about the effect first assessment experiences have on students' integration into tertiary learning environments, and about the implications of those insights for designing new approaches to helping students succeed. The paper outlines the theoretical basis for an experiment that is to be trialled in two Australian universities in 2008. The experiment's design synthesises online learning, peer learning and incremental research skill development activities to put the emphasis on preparing students for research-based assessment before the fact. This reverses the typical approach of providing feedback afterwards (which, research demonstrates, is often ineffective). The paper outlines an innovative and systematic method for intervening in student skills development in a timely, explicit, and, hopefully, more effective way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on reflections around the following three broad questions: "Can management be taught or do management educators simply teach those who are or wish to become managers?". "Can management educators and scholars become effective managers?"; "Can managers become effective management educators and scholars?". The roles of management educators in Australia include those employed in staff development in organizations, management consultants and academic staff in business schools and management departments of universities. This paper focuses on management education in universities in Australia, where educators may be academic discipline experts, teachers who have come into management department, or managers who have moved into academia. They may teach management theory, explore the links between theory and practice, focus on the development of assessable competencies, or all of these. Regarding current challenges facing management education, are we avoiding changes necessary in tertiary education or resisting the erosion of important educational values and standards? Considering the future of management education, both locally and globally, what part can universities play? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As with other countries, Australia has been grappling with the identification, measurement and impact of disadvantage in higher education. In particular, the measurement of socio-economic status (SES) has been of central concern. The immediate solution in Australia has been the introduction of an ‘area’ measure in which students' SES is categorised on the basis of census data for their neighbourhoods rather than on individual or household data. This paper assesses the veracity of the area measure in capturing individual SES for school-aged entrants, using a longitudinal data set, the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, to construct individual measures of SES and a national ranking of sample individuals on the basis of probability of attending a higher education institution. The results demonstrate the tendency for area measures to misclassify individuals' higher education opportunity and the associated potential for perverse policy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the model of students and staff working in partnership to enhance university education is well-established internationally, it is still an emerging field in Australia where most of such initiatives involve only small numbers of students. This paper examines the opportunities and challenges for students-as-co-inquirers initiatives in Australia. Drawing on a review of the literature, a consideration of theory, and discussions with colleagues, I propose ways in which students as co-inquirers practice and research might move forward, both in Australia and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Introductory anatomy and physiology provide a core knowledge base to students within clinical health science courses. Increased student numbers, as well as reduced access to laboratory-based cadaveric resources, have created a need for enhanced learning approaches to support learning. The streamlining of courses has also resulted in the need to effectively engage course sub-groups within large units. The purpose of this paper is to utilize the eLearning activities to investigate engagement and satisfaction levels within students undertaking an anatomy and physiology unit.Design/methodology/approach A total of 19 formative quizzes were made available to students. Online practical anatomy laboratories covered anatomical content, and physiology quizzes covered physiological content. Student engagement was compared using frequency analysis across students studying varying courses. Satisfaction was determined by analyzing student's feedback using frequency analysis.Findings Students accessed the learning activities 29,898 times over semester, with the peak access (37 percent) prior to the closed book exams. The resources were utilized primarily as an exam preparation tool rather than consistently throughout semester. Out of the various courses, the Paramedicine, Physiotherapy and Podiatry students were the most engaged, with the highest percent of "engaged/highly engaged" students. Students from various courses shared very similar views of the perceived benefit of the eLearning activities.Practical implications These results indicated a difference in engagement levels between the students of various course sub-groups, and therefore suggests that the development of course-specific eLearning activities is necessary in large, streamlined units to achieve a more focused approach to support students' learning, engagement and success, so that positive and beneficial learning experiences are ensured for all students.Originality/value These results suggest that in the future, development of eLearning activities is necessary to achieve a more focused approach to support students' learning, engagement and success, so that positive and beneficial learning experiences are ensured for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the notion of a ‘just imaginary’ for social inclusion in higher education. It responds to the current strategy of OECD nations to expand higher education and increase graduate numbers, as a way of securing a competitive advantage in the global knowledge economy. The Australian higher education system provides the case for analysis. Three dilemmas for social inclusion policy in this context are identified: questions of sustainability, aspiration and opportunity. The paper argues that while social inclusion policy has ‘first-order’ effects in higher education, ajustimaginary is required for more inclusive ‘second-order’ effects to be realized. It concludes that transformation of the current imaginary will require a more robust theorization of relations between social inclusion and higher education, to give new and unifying meaning to existing practices and to generate new ones. Short of this, social inclusion may be little more than justimaginary. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Accounting and Finance ( A& F ) has experienced a surge in published research in the last decade. The analysis here reveals a marked increase in the number of published articles in A&F since 2003, a distinct trend for published papers to have a larger number of authors, a significant and stable contribution by the top 5 Australian accounting/finance departments, as well as a notable increase in contribution from non- US foreign universities, particularly those located in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain. An analysis of citations indicates the increasing impact of A&F in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the employment and further education outcomes of students studying criminology who participate in professional skills development and work-integrated learning courses at a major Australian university. Three years of data were obtained from the Australian Graduate Survey, which is completed by university graduates four months after they complete their tertiary studies. The results indicate that students enrolled in a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice who complete a career and professional development course in conjunction with a work-integrated learning course are approximately twice as likely to be engaged in industry relevant employment or further study four months after graduation. They also are more likely to use a wider range of search techniques to find employment. This suggests that it is possible to improve employment outcomes for students by providing a university-based course that focuses on employability and professional behaviors in conjunction with work-integrated learning programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article reports on the contribution of university Departments of Rural Health and Rural Clinical Schools to the development of rural health and the rural health workforce and is set at the Australian Government's university Departments of Rural Health and Rural Clinical Training and Support Programs. The main outcome measures include educational infrastructure, clinical academic workforce, student numbers, community engagement, research outputs, rural health and workforce outcomes. As a result, university Departments of Rural Health and Rural Clinical Schools have established a substantial geographical footprint covering most of the rural and remote populations and regions across Australia. They have a large distributed rural clinical academic workforce that exceeds 1300. Medical student numbers on long‐term placements have increased threefold from inception to 1200 annually. Allied health and nursing numbers doubled over 10 years to 4000 in 2013 and are projected to double again by 2018. In 2013, they published 363 peer‐reviewed papers – half of which specifically addressed rural and/or remote health issues. High levels of intention to practise rurally and uptake of rural and remote practice following exposure to rural training have been reported, especially for medicine. Thus, university Departments of Rural Health and Rural Clinical Schools constitute a national network of academic units that deliver academically enriched clinical education and training for medical, nursing and allied health students and fulfil an essential academic role for the health system in rural and remote Australia. Community engagement and accountability to region are hallmarks of the program. Early evidence of the uptake of rural and remote practice following exposure to rural training has set expectations for the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper profiles Australian universities’ website communications about sustainability initiatives, especially relating to Talloires Declaration signification and the ten recommended actions. The research involves a content study of Talloires signatories’ websites and their semiotic and signaling theory aspects across time. The source is publicly available information (time period 2014 and 2015 respectively) in context with education for sustainable development (ESD) in society and the transaction model in communication theory. It is found that some of the signatory universities in Australia exemplify a few of the Talloires ten agreed actions in their public communications, but each point is not emphasised with equal priority. The variance may be due to divergent underlying objectives; such as public communication of Talloires toward genuine benefit for the environment, or to create a strategic positioning tool to signal the university as an environmental champion within the broader society. Focusing upon secondary data from signatory university websites in Australia, the paper provides a study of higher education signification of Talloires. It assists the initial understanding of signaling theory in the public communication transactions that promote Talloires action and implementation. The findings encourage further studies of related communication issues in universities in other countries. The paper also deepens local and global understanding of perceptions of sustainability and contributes to the body of comparative literature of sustainability in higher education as a development component of strategic management of ESD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing enrolment of Chinese students has become a key feature of internationalisation for Western universities, but there is limited research into how curriculum internationalisation affects Chinese students’ learning experiences. Using the typologies of curriculum internationalisation as a framework, this paper explores and compares how Scottish and Australian universities integrate international and intercultural elements into their curriculum to support Chinese postgraduate taught students’ study. Interviews, focus groups and a survey are used as the main research methods. Analysis reveals that the practice of curriculum internationalisation in both countries is rather limited, and that Chinese students express a desire for more international perspectives in the course content, and for more mobility experiences, in order to prepare for their future careers. The mismatch between academics’ and students’ understandings of curriculum internationalisation is highlighted as an arena of power differential and an area for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past few decades have seen increasing massification and privatisation of higher education in Australia, with new providers emerging that challenge the traditional universities. In this paper I analyse the make-up of the non-university higher education sector in Australia. I also describe the effect of FEE-HELP funding as a catalyst for change in the Australian private higher education sector and how this compares with the American experience. The final section of the paper presents an analysis of recent growth and consolidation of the Australian private higher education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a research paper on security education programs for building up university governance structures in Australia. It reports that the paper aimed at comparing and contrasting the governance structures of university with commercial providers of information security education. It informs that security programs can be opted by universities with private providers which can offer policies and procedures of corporate-style governance. It presents that corporatised universities have the ability to face commercial risks.

This study explores leadership styles and gender in higher education (HE) by examining representation of female professors in Australian and Turkish universities and identifying barriers to achieving seniority. The paper explores factors, including leadership styles, which explain the higher representation of female professors in Turkey, despite legislative frameworks and strategies in Australia to improve representation of senior women. It then explores barriers to women's career advancement, including the difficult management culture, low morale, informal processes in appointment and promotion, and lack of training for management roles in Australia, and conflict between career and family roles in Turkey. Finally, the paper identifies the impact of strategic choices on leadership styles and women's career advancement. This research questions the impact of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action frameworks on women's representation as professors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How would you decide on the quality of a higher education institution? Would you (1) ask the academic registrar (or equivalent); (2) look up the most recent quality audit report; or (3) contact the teaching staff directly to discuss their perceptions about the quality of the services provided in their institution? While there is no one correct answer to the above question, the proposition underpinning the empirical research reported in this paper is: If you really want to know about quality in higher education, then ask those closest to the student‐academic interface—the academics or the students. This paper focuses on the former. Using a postal survey, the views of accounting academics from 39 Australian universities about quality in accounting education were investigated from two perspectives—beliefs (what is currently occurring) and attitudes (what ought to be occurring). The findings suggest differences in those beliefs and attitudes, and an overall view that quality in accounting education has declined over recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian higher education has undergone radical change aimed at transforming universities into commercial enterprises less dependent on public funding. Despite some significant successes, including dramatic increases in the numbers of domestic and international students, decreased Commonwealth subsidies, and more private sector finance, there are ominous indications that institutional failure is endemic, especially financial accountability. Drawing on various theories of institutional failure, this paper attempts to examine the causes of the current crisis. A fourfold taxonomy of Australian university failure is developed that identifies governance failure, accountability failure, quality failure, and information failure as the primary sources of tertiary education institutional breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the examination procedures and protocols for the DBA degree through a survey of universities offering the degree in Australia. The findings indicate general consistency among institutions in understanding the differences between a DBA and PhD, and a relatively uniform acceptance of key criteria for assessment of the DBA. However, in some instances the information provided to examiners of DBA theses was either unavailable or limited, or did not articulate clearly the differences between a DBA and PhD and how these differences are to be addressed when examining a DBA thesis. A framework is provided for assisting potential examiners of DBA theses and graduate schools or business faculties in their drafting of DBA examination guidelines in order to obtain a level of consistency in DBA examination procedures and protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the educational implications of pursuing equity and access for adult learners across further and higher education sectors. It contextualizes some advantages and disadvantages in cross-sectoral arrangements by reference to a specific access and equity partnership program in Australia and analyses the impact on the equity aims of the program in continually maintaining and developing the partnership. From the perspective of the University, the argument is that the University–TAFE localized collaborative model offers a successful and viable pathway to university for adult learners from an educationally disadvantaged and/or low socio-economic background. The perceived benefits of a community partnership, however, can undermine the educational and equity benefits of such a collaborative arrangement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores different ways of conceptualising Indigenous/non-Indigenous research collaboration and partnerships. It begins with a brief outline of the problem of current conceptualisations within the critical paradigm in qualitative research. It proposes the idea of the contact zone (Pratt, 1992) as a useful way to theorise the site, and border work (Haig-Brown & Archibald, 1996) as a way to understand the emotional and intellectual work, of intercultural collaboration. We apply these ideas to the analysis of a series of conversations between team members involved in a research partnership between an Australian Aboriginal corporation and a university. This analysis suggests that the way borders are conceived differently by different team members depends on their particular political investments. A range of border maintenance and border crossings is necessary for the task of achieving effective collaboration. The 'discomfort' zone of cultural contact is usefully conceived as an area of productive tension in which differences can generate hybrid outcomes such as team produced books for the organisation's ecotourism enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the emergence of education as a marketable service with institutions now seeking to market themselves in a professional manner. A comparison is made between two samples- one of administrators within educational institutions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and United States, the other of college and university students in Australia. Statistical analysis identified a series of key factors considered critical to the successful marketing of these institutions. A comparison of institutional and student views is made concluding that significant differences exist between the two groups. Managerial and research implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of specific learning outcomes in an undergraduate commerce degree in a large research-intensive university in Australia.Design/methodology/approach It uses data collected from assurance of learning activities as part of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation. A total of 267 assessments were marked using nine different rubrics in nine different subjects. It assessed six learning outcomes.Findings Results indicate that a number of skills deficits exist among commerce students’ application of mathematical tools, analysis of business issues or problems, demonstration and application of theories, models or concepts, describing alternative methods of analysis, and generating supported conclusions or solutions, and analysing the research of others. These findings tell us that there are a number of higher order thinking skills that students need to develop when they pursue a commerce degree. It also creates a challenge for universities to foster an environment where these skills are developed in the curriculum.Practical implications The wider implications to higher education include a reconsideration of the purpose of the commerce degree, the importance of feedback from various stakeholders (e.g. alumni, employers) to inform the commerce curriculum, and the range of learning experiences that develop these skills. More importantly, this study has identified specific skills deficits across the broad generic skills embedded in the commerce degree. It can assist academic staff and program managers in planning for future curriculum improvements as they see fit in the context of their own commerce programs.Originality/value This is a novel contribution in that it provides specific assessment of skills deficits in business undergraduate education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is widely recognised as an important capability for university graduates [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2013).OECD skills outlook 2013: First results from the survey of adult skills. Author. Retrieved fromhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264204256-en]. Yet, research suggests that it is often not adequately developed by Australian universities, remaining implicit in teaching and assessment. This is in part because Australian universities have historically conceptualised communication not as anoutcomeof disciplinary study, but as a generic, foundational competency or skill. It has therefore been managed outside the curriculum by establishing academic language and learning units that help students develop written and spoken communication through a range of student services. The services model of communication development is becoming untenable, however, given the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of students and the recognised importance of communication as a graduate outcome. Whole-of-institution approaches are required to integrate communication into course curricula as a fundamental part of disciplinary learning, and develop the capacity of teaching staff to teach it. This paper explores Writing Across the Curriculum and Writing Inside the Disciplines, two complementary approaches used widely in the US for developing literacy in higher education. They emerged in the 1970s in response to the kind of student diversity now common in Australian universities, and offer institution-wide strategies for developing communication as an essential outcome of study in academic and professional disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The higher education sector operates in an increasingly complex global environment that is placing it under considerable stress and resulting in widespread change to the operating context and leadership of higher education institutions. The outcome has been the increased likelihood of conflict between academics and senior leaders, presaging the need for more engaged and broader approach to leadership. Based on empirical research into the Australian university sector, this paper contends that a distributed leadership (DL) approach is appropriate for the higher education sector and offers value for supporting effective change. In acknowledging the paradigm change needed to implement a DL approach successfully, the authors present a process model to underpin the shift from a leader-centric to a DL approach. The Sustainable Enabling and Evaluating Reflective DL change process model presents a synthesis of how a systemic change to DL in higher education can occur. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Australia, there is a dearth of research applying the theoretical lens of critical race theory to explore Muslim university students' experiences in higher degree education institutions. The prevailing approach has been to focus on institutional barriers and policies. This article deviates from such studies by framing the analysis in terms of a comparison between Muslim and non-Muslim white students in higher degree education institutions in New South Wales (NSW) Australia in order to operationalize whiteness in Australia's settler colonial society as a central category of analysis. The article seeks to explore how Muslim and non-Muslim students experience and respond to the university as a white institution, considering how Muslim students engage in both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies in response to the university as a white institution, and how white, non-Muslim students experience the normativity, invisibility and hegemony of whiteness in the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from textual analysis of the journals submitted by students who undertook the 2013 Planning Field Placement Course for the undergraduate degree of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of South Australia. We discuss the extent to which the reflective narratives contained in journal assignments demonstrate student expectations about the goals of work experience and their relative focus on descriptive versus reflective dimensions of work experience learning. We conclude that whilst the learning is quite significant, the extent of reflection on critical issues of professionalism is limited. Different perspectives on practice, reflection and learning seem to be in play, with possibly too much of a silo/solo approach to each. We end with some reflections on the implications for pedagogical practice in relation to work experience programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose There is an acknowledged need to advance the supply chain management (SCM) learning agenda, with an emphasis on integration. This paper discuss an Australian university–industry collaboration aimed at accelerating SCM learning and offers some insight into models for building a forward-looking SCM.Design/methodology/approach The research is an exploratory case study of the industry–university collaboration, using grounded theory procedures. The primary data involved 25 interviews with key participants from the university and industry partners, and from the first cohort of students in the undergraduate program developed within the collaboration.Findings A theoretical framework for accelerating SCM learning was developed from the case study data; it comprises six constructs that influence, at strategic and operational levels, the acceleration of SCM learning. Four cross-construct concepts from the framework that form the cornerstones of accelerated learning are discussed in some detail.Research limitations/implications The framework facilitates an examination of successes and shortfalls in the case study collaboration and generates a deeper understanding of critical elements for progressing the SCM learning agenda, and expanding SCM education. As with all qualitative research, the results may not be generalisable; testing the relevance and usefulness of the framework with the field will be an important next step.Practical implications As the framework identifies conditions, characteristics and capacities of organisations and individuals that support the acceleration of SCM learning, it can provide assistance in designing future university–industry collaborations for advancing SCM learning.Originality/value The framework identifies critical success factors for alliances and partnerships aimed at accelerating learning in an emerging body of knowledge such as SCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the Australian Federal Government attempted to de-regulate higher education fees so as to allow universities to set their own tuition fees. The associated public debate offer critical insights into how the identity of a student as a 'customer' of higher education is understood and deployed when developing higher education policy. This paper uses the 2014 Australian higher education reforms as a lens through which to further scholarly research into the student-as-customer metaphor and to see how it is influenced by the perceptions and understandings of policy actors external to the higher education sector. These include politicians, special interest groups, the students and their parents and prospective employers. This study reveals that the public/private nexus-both of funding and benefit-problematizes traditional conceptualisations of students and others as higher education customers. In turn, this restricts the ability or desire of policy actors to describe how the student functions as a customer as a consequence of market reform. This inability compromises the development of effective and sustainable higher education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High quality education programs are essential for preparing the next generation of Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners. Currently, training in CM occurs within differing health and education policy contexts. There has been little analysis of the factors influencing the form and status of CM education in different regions. Such a task is important for understanding how CM is evolving internationally and predicting future workforce characteristics. This paper compares the status of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong across a range of dimensions: historical and current positions in the national higher education system, regulatory context and relationship to the health system, and public and professional legitimacy. The analysis highlights the different ways in which CM education is developing in these settings, with Hong Kong providing somewhat greater access to clinical training opportunities for CM students. However, common trends and challenges shape CM education in both regions, including marginalisation from mainstream health professions, a small but established presence in universities, and an emphasis on biomedical research. Three factors stand out as significant for the evolution of CM education in Australia and Hong Kong and may have international implications: continuing biomedical dominance, increased competition between universities, and strengthened links with mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background An understanding of anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology is considered essential for graduate nurses, but many nursing students find such courses difficult and anxiety-provoking. This was contrary to the authors' experiences, so student perceptions were studied at the survey institution. Objective This paper examines nursing students' satisfaction with bioscience and nursing courses in the first two years of a Bachelor of Nursing at an Australian university, in order to suggest strategies for effective bioscience teaching. Design Quantitative data for student satisfaction, measured on the Likert scale, were collected for three bioscience and 11 nursing courses from 2010 - 2012. Mean satisfaction was compared among courses and offerings by ANOVA, with offerings nested within courses, and correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between student satisfaction and pass rate. Qualitative data were sourced from open questions, emails and forum posts and examined for recurrent themes. Results Students rated the three bioscience courses in the top four of the 14 courses. There was no relationship between satisfaction and pass rate. Qualitative responses showed satisfaction with the course content, the learning materials, the delivery style and lecturer support. Conclusion It is possible to deliver bioscience courses that are appreciated by nursing students. Four principles are suggested in this paper that may improve student satisfaction with bioscience courses and, therefore, result in more effective learning and better prepared nursing graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian government concern for improved governance in the higher education sector over recent years has driven the implementation of governance protocols. However, there has been little evidence of any evaluation of the impact of the governance structures on the performance of universities. This paper presents an analysis of the impact of the governance structures on performance in government-funded universities since the Australian National Governance Protocols were introduced in 2004. The methodology involved analysing the relationships between indices of governance structures namely board size, board independence and board committees, and financial, research and teaching performances. Results showed that the board size did not relate to financial, research or teaching performance in any way. In terms of board independence, the more independent the boards, the less impact they had on both research and teaching performances. Financial performances were not impacted. This finding may suggest that boards dominated by internal members rather than independent ones could have a better influence on teaching and research performances. While stronger board committees positively impacted financial and research performances, this was not the case for teaching performance. Board committees showed a negative relationship with teaching performance, suggesting that excessive monitoring may negatively influence teaching quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of field education in preparing social work students for professional practice is globally acknowledged. At times considered less desirable than placements with internal supervision, current workplace and tertiary education contexts see an increase in field education with external supervision. This paper reports on qualitative research that explored the experiences of key stakeholders in social work field education with external supervision in Australia. Findings highlight that field education with external supervision, like other social work practice learning opportunities, is focused on learning about practicing social work. Potential and inherent challenges of placements with external supervision are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrative: Chiropractors world-wide were shocked and dismayed with the shameful announcement from RMIT University that there would be no Chiropractic student intake in 2024 and the program, which will have lasted 50 years or so by the time it ends, will be taught out over the next 4 years. While there has been little concern for staff as some will remain and happily teach students in the replacement program of physiotherapy and others will spend more time in their own practices, grave concern was expressed for those many potential students planning to submit their application to commence their studies with RMIT in 2024, and for the 4-years of students remaining. The profession has acted, knowing that these dear people are the future of Chiropractic. The Australian Chiropractic College, based in Adelaide, announced a giant growth step to introduce an enlightened form of study from 2024 where students can commence where-ever they live, completing first year while they consolidate and then move to Adelaide to finish and graduate. It may be that further options emerge during 2024 and this is a sign of strong, positive growth rooted in adversity which can only be good for the discipline of Chiropractic. The philosophical vacuum that long existed at RMIT has also been addressed and educational sessions have been delivered which were greatly appreciated by the student body. These will be ongoing and supplemented with further offerings. We also note the new WHO Benchmarks for Anthroposophic Medicine, which I see as a layer of whole-body thinking to sit across established healing disciplines. These Benchmarks provide a challenging backdrop for the WFC as it develops a belated set of Benchmarks for the training of Chiropractors. If implemented properly, the WFC Benchmarks will sideline the destructive negativity of the UK's GCC which refuses to accredit any chiropractic program that teaches what they consider 'unorthodox' ideas such as we see embraced as the focus of Anthroposophic Medicine. We think the GCC is in for an awakening until it differentiates and identifies Chiropractic as a distinct profession in its own right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]