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The AUPGSA is an affiliate of the Adelaide University Union (AUU) |
AUPGSA News
In this bulletin:
Postgraduate Notices
- Survey: We encourage you to participate in the Postgraduate Facilities Survey currently being conducted by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA).
- University Council: Postgraduate student Ai Chen has been elected to represent the University's postgraduates on University Council in 2009. The AUPGSA Council and Executive congratulate Ai Chen and wish her success in her new role
- Postgraduate Supervisor Award: Engineering academic A/Prof Martin Lambert is this year's winner of the Award for Excellence in Higher Degree by Research Supervision.
See also:
- Coursework postgraduates continuing in 2009: Enrolment commences on Wednesday January 7.
- Special deals on photocopying and thesis printing are available to postgraduate students at Copyfax Stationers, 511 Northeast Road, Gilles Plains. Feel free to ring Wayne and Judy Collins on 0419 660 884 to discuss your needs (mentioning AUPGSA President Felicity Rai).
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National News
In December 2008, the Federal Government issued 3 reviews of Australian higher education:
- Bradley Review of Higher Education, commissioned by the Rudd Labor Government in March 2008 and chaired by Professor Denise Bradley (a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia).
- Review of research training and research workforce issues (RTRWI), which recommends many improvements in conditions for postgraduates and postdocs.
- Senate Report on Academic Freedom, commissioned by the Howard Government in 2007 to examine the intellectual climates of Australian universities. In particular, the Inquiry was asked to assess claims (such as those of the Young Liberals) of left-wing intellectual bias in Arts and Humanities courses at Australian universities and high schools.
- Majority report (pdf 400kB), rejecting the view that bias is widespread or systematic, and advising against further Government intervention on this issue.
- Dissenting minority report (pdf 98kB) of Liberal and National Senators, recommending the formulation of a Charter of Academic Freedoms to safeguard free speech and intellectual diversity while protecting students against ideological indoctrination.
- Short summary (pdf 109kB), courtesy of The Australian newspaper.
These reports are advisory only - the Government is not legally obliged to adopt any of their recommendations.
The AUPGSA Council is proud to have contributed to CAPA's submissions to the Bradley and RTRWI Reviews.
Bradley Review: Selected recommendations
Refer above for the official summary of the Bradley Report.
- Student income: Improved income support for students, as detailed in Recommendation 5.
- Student fees: HECS should stay, but should not be significantly increased. Students should be funded by a government-funded voucher system, valid at any public Australian university. This means that the money follows the student. There would be no time or money limits on a student's voucher. This system would partially replace the current system whereby the Government provides block funding to Universities.
- Better deal for students: The Government should increase teaching funds by 10%, and should allocate special funds to universities for teaching students from under-privileged backgrounds.
- Research funding: The Government should increase research funding to Universities. This will also help coursework students, by ensuring that their HECS and tuition fees are not used to cross-subsidise research infrastructure.
- International students:
The Government should provide up to 1000 PhD and Masters Research scholarships to international students in areas of national skills shortage.
Every international student - undergraduate or postgraduate - should have access to cheap public transport and public schooling for their children.
- APA scholarships should be extended in length to 4 years, and in value to $25 000 per year.
- The Federal Government should take over responsibility for supervising all public universities and, where appropriate, vocational institutions such as TAFEs.
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RTRWI Review: Selected recommendations
Refer above for the official summary of Research Training and Research Workforce Issues in Australian Universities.
- Stipends of APA scholarships to be increased by 50% and indexed to inflation.
- APA scholarships to be extended in duration.
- Research scholarships to be treated as non-taxable income, even for students studying part-time.
- More flexibility for research students to study part-time.
- Support for PhD candidates in the transition period between thesis submission and conferral of the degree.
- Doubling of the number of Internation Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS).
- For IPRS holders, full funding of the living allowance and research training costs.
- Funding for minimum standards of supervision, infrastructure and resources.
- All full-time students (including international students) to be eligible for concessional fares on public transport.
- More favourable Government funding for regional universities and campuses.
- Government funding should reward universities which graduate PhD
and Masters Research students who come from under-privileged or
minority backgrounds.
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