The funding and quality of the Australian higher education system has been and continues to be an overriding focus for the sector.  In effect this can be summarized as reduced government funding and a move to a more user-pays system. Part of the funding debate has been about the value and quality of university learning and research.  There have been pressures from industry, the professions and treasury for learning and research to be more connected with economic productivity and more accountable.

As result, many universities have ramped up their work integrated learning and their research partnerships with industry. Some disciplines - less vocationally focused and often part of broad liberal educations - have been under pressure from some quarters of the community and some university administrators, to show their relevance to justify the commitment of resources.  Depending on where you sit, some have seen this as a move to the corporatization of education, others have seen it as merely the expected outcome of evaluations of where limited resources should be directed within tight university budgets.

Since taking office in late 2007 (after a long period of conservative governments), the current Federal Labor government has completed two major reviews into Higher Education:
1.  Bradley Review of Higher Education - Its brief included finding answers to questions  
      as to: How the Higher Education system should be funded? How can quality be
      improved, maintained and measured? How can the system accommodate the
      diversity and equity access issues be best is a major focus.

2.  Cutler Review - How should Research be funded and innovation rewarded?

The above reviews were released early this year and the Federal Government provided their response principally in the context of the 2009 budget papers. The Government's response to the most critical of the recommendations in both reports has generally been received positively by the sector.

In particular, the Government has undertaken to improve funding to the sector over coming years, including provision of more funds to cover the costs of research, and more funds for capital expenses and operational support.  Some universities have also received major capital funding injections this year to undertake major campus re-development and development of research facilities.

There has been a major commitment to increasing the number of students from low socio-economic backgrounds entering universities directly from schools and from the VET (vocational education and training) sector, and ambitious targets set for achieving this objective over the coming decade or so. Changes to student income support will also be introduced from 2010 resulting in more students being able to receive government financial assistance (welfare benefits and/or scholarship support etc).   

The previous government had also passed legislation making the compulsory charging of voluntary student union (VSU) or amenity fees by HE providers (for government - funded students) illegal. Legislation to over-turn this and allow universities to again charge a "student amenity fee" is likely to be the subject of parliamentary debate in the second half of 2009. The addition of funds from this source will provided a re-injection of funds to enhance a range of activities to improve student support, and co - and extra-curricular activities. Student Affairs / Services departments on many campuses are likely to request a share of these funds to support their work. One result of the VSU legislation of the previous government has been the demise of the role played by student organizations in running campus amenities and services. This has also contributed to a trend that has been occurring over the past two decades, where universities themselves have increased their resourcing and provision of student support services and amenities. This has directly and positively impacted on the growth of student affairs/services departments.

A new quality agency will be introduced TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency) with a strengthened role to improve and maintain quality within the sector.

Recent media coverage alleging insufficient institutional and community support being provided for some international students has led to some questioning of current practices and some increased focus on support issues. 

Entry standards related to language and other academic skills continues to be an issue not only for international students but local students as well.  Diagnostic and support issues often bring Student Affairs staff into such discussions.

STUDENT AFFAIRS / SUPPORT TRENDS

For over a decade there have been two major competing pressures on Student Affairs:

1.   Funding - resulting in many services being cut, downsized and management de-
      layered, large-scale out-sourcing of residential services  - VSU legislation for student
      unions (noted above) has exacerbated the shortage of funding for student life /
      extra-curricular activities and related facilities;

2.   Pressures to build better student support services and programs, student life, and 
      contribute to enhanced retention, success, employability and satisfaction with
      'student experience’ dimensions of a student’s university experience. Some of these
      pressures have stemmed from increasing demands because of increased diversity
      (including large numbers of international students) and increased demands on
      academic staff from students with high non-academic support needs.

On a student level there have been another two countervailing pressures:

1.    A move toward a more consumer-oriented, demanding generation of students,
       particularly those that want services and a comprehensive experience of university
       life and learning that reflects ‘value-for-money’, and

 2.   A more dis-engaged student population because of diminishing income support for
       students resulting in many working long hours (this is the case for both local and
       international students). This has made it increasingly difficult to involve students in
       anything that doesn’t appear to have clear pay-off in terms of academic results or
       improving job prospects.

Student Services areas have become more focused on programmatic approaches and other activities to enhance student life and employability skills. The best of these programs link extra-curricular activities with academic success and retention, and employment and personal development outcomes. Approaches captured by the term ‘Work Integrated Learning’ and e-portfolios are being increasingly trialed and utilized.

In view of the large number of Australian university students spending a lot of time in paid, off-campus employment to support themselves financially and/or to enhance their graduate employability, it is not surprising that levels of involvement in campus life have decreased over the past two decades. The relatively small number of students living in campus or near-campus university owned or affiliated accommodation, along with other issues (increased student numbers, increased diversity – including large numbers of international students; VSU), has compounded  the erosion of many aspects of student involvement in university life and learning. This comes at a time when there is increased awareness and commitment to the importance of student engagement, a supported first year experience and providing ‘connected’ learning environments.

A widely used survey in North America – the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) – has been adapted for use in Australia and called the AUSSE – the Australian Universities Survey of Student Engagement.  This instrument focuses on key ‘student engagement’ activities that appear to be related to effective learning.  The survey has produced six key performance areas, four of which Student Affairs practitioners have an important role in helping deliver. Many universities have anticipated that the instrument will provide a means of comparing and benchmarking with other universities in Australia, the USA and elsewhere.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, some opportunities and threats facing Student Affairs professionals in Australia include:

Opportunities:

A role in building increased “student engagement” and a better student experience.

A role in creating more engaging student experiences that aim to enhance conditions for: effective learning; employability and personal skills development; and satisfaction with the university experience.

More understanding of, and commitment to, the value of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs collaborations e.g.

    ● employability skills, career development

    ● collaborative peer learning – Supplemental Instruction, PALS, PASS

    ● “living, learning communities” in student residences

Some threats:

          1.         Funding

          2.         Failure to achieve meaningful collaborations with Academic Affairs

          3.         “Outsourcing of residential life” on our campuses – critical aspect of the student  
           experience outsourced to private sector.