A free public forum entitled “Regional universities: universal investment” took place at the Armidale Ex-Service Memorial Club last Thursday. Organised by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), the event attracted a large participatory audience.
Nationally prominent science commentator/broadcaster, Robyn Williams, commenced proceedings with a public lecture. He detailed the importance of investment in our universities, with particular emphasis on the need for both pure and commercial research – in spite of and because of the current depressed economic climate. “Universities have shown that they are our society’s greatest sources of innovation and wealth creation. Look at WWII, when a small team invented penicillin and antibiotics. The same group invented radar, which helped win the war. At the same time, Alan Turing’s inventions led to computers and the code-breaker that also contributed to victory in WWII.”
While ‘necessity was the mother of invention’ in these cases, Mr Williams asserts that they show how wealth and strength stem from universities.
“As the University of NSW Vice-Chancellor (Pro-fessor Fred Hilmer AO) recently told the National Press Club: Universities in Australia are on a precipice. They’re completely entangled with stifling regulations and the funding that they need to face a proper future isn’t there. There is a crisis, no doubt about it,” Mr Williams said. “This must be addressed with community support. Politicians need to see it as a constituency issue. Everyone’s family has been or will be associated with our higher education system, so a town meeting was vital and apt.”
Panel members included Liz Egan from the Armidale Business Chamber; Brian Denman from UNE; Sarah Thompson from NSW Farmers Association; and CEO of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies, Anna-Maria Arabia.
President of the NTEU, Jeannie Rea, said the forum was prompted by concerns regarding a lack of understanding among communities in respect to the roles of universities. She said that talk about investing in universities must also explore the symbiotic connection between a university and the community within which it operates.
Ms Rea said that a regional university like UNE does not have the population and economic concentration to draw on (including private sector investment) that metropolitan universities do. Yet, she highlighted an innovative collaboration in the NBN showcasing Smart House. “That is the model of collaboration that we need but the reality is that we do need more Government funding.”
UNE is vital to Armidale’s economy, yet many locals do not know that massive reforms have hit the tertiary education industry. “It is important for community members to understand which UNE staff, both academic and managerial, are grappling with; much greater financial demands, accountabilities and per-formance expectations. The University also needs to appreciate what the community expects of it,” Ms Rea said.
University of New England Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, joined civic leaders and members of the University and Armidale communities at the forum.
“The Government has created a (free) market, in students. In a way, UNE is no different to any other business in town. I think people still see UNE as ‘our university and its job is to provide for this town’. We are working hard to ensure its sustainability but the culture has had to change enormously. Whether we like it or not, we have to compete and be lean, as with any business.”
The quandary for UNE management is that many academic pursuits are not sound business models, attract small class sizes, yet are important to the institution’s broad academic and cultural offerings. “I’m determined to hold on to these disciplines. Philosophy, for example, is dear to my heart. There has to be some degree of cross-subsidisation,” Prof Barber said. He added that UNE is gaining business where other universities have let subjects go, giving examples of languages and geology.
“I am aware of the dis-satisfaction on campus and in Armidale but I think it’s systematic of an industry that is under real strain and at the cross-roads of major change. Nobody likes change, especially those who recall how things were when the university was massively over-funded in the 1960s and 1970s. Those days are gone,” he said.
This unique event successfully brought together UNE staff, industry, business and community members in Armidale to voice views, listen and learn. Audience members stated that the ‘town and gown’ relationship (between UNE and Armidale) requires greater understanding from both sides – the forum was a step towards that, with the open communication that occurred.
