Higher Ed. Update, September 1997
Melbourne University Vice-Chancellor, Allan Gilbert, has outlined plans to
move the University into the private sector. The University will
collaborate with private sector, mainly mining and energy interests,
including Western Mining, Rio Tinto and the Commonwealth Bank to create a
private company also called "The University of Melbourne". The new private
company will have a post office box off campus and few employees. It will
however enroll students, teach them using the services of University of
Melbourne (public) staff, in University of Melbourne (public) buildings and
issue University of Melbourne (public) degrees.
The combined institution will in fact be a seamless public-private entity,
freely able to channel public funds into the private sector, escaping
public accountability and regulation.
The venture is likely to succeed where others, such as Bond University,
have failed. The centre-piece of the venture will be a "School of Energy
and the Environment" - funded by the Mining and Energy Industry! -
providing the University of Melbourne "brand name" to the anti-green lobby
group.
And in Queensland
Meanwhile, the University of Queensland is in the process of purchasing Bond University.
QUT is preparing to SELL Adjunct Professorships to firms, for their employees at a cost of $10,000 each. Not bad value, Eh?
Union Victory in Tasmania...
Another University has failed to defeat the unions by putting an "offer" to staff over the heads of the union.
Votes were counted at the Australian Maritime College, in Tasmania, on Saturday 30th August. 155 of the 167 staff voted, and rejected the offer 88 to 66. This is the sixth consecutive defeat for Higher Education managements and could prove to be the end of attempts to use Section 170LK of the Workplace Relations Act to make non-union agreements. However, managements may still try to make repeated offers and wear down union and staff opposition. All eyes are now on Monash University.
... and Latrobe
Staff at Latrobe University voted against the attempt by the university
administration to get through an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement which the
NTEU had already rejected.
1630 votes were cast, with 54% (884) voting against and 46% (756) voting in
favour.