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Submission to the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Meeting Australia’s research workforce needs
August 2010
The Council of Private Higher Education (COPHE) is an association whose members are independent institutions in the higher education sector. Its role is to provide a voice for private higher education providers that are not public universities, to raise their profile and promote public policy that recognizes the contribution made to higher education by the private sector.
The COPHE constituency sits unambiguously in the higher education sector, offering courses taught and accredited as equivalent in level to those offered by public sector universities. Universities in Australia are self accrediting and the majority of COPHE member institutions, accredited for higher education by state and territory jurisdictions, are non self- accrediting institutions (NSAIs); although a number are seeking self-accreditation and the first has been successful.
The key issue for our members is that research activity in private higher education is not recognized in higher education policy settings. The accreditation process under national protocols calls for higher education providers to foster scholarship which includes research. Academics with sound HDR qualification are employed by private providers and are expected to undertake ongoing research yet there is no access to public support.
Private providers may be accredited to award HDR’s but are not able to access research training places. This is an anomaly that has to be addressed. Without access to training places, under the RTS, private providers of higher education must draw on the same shrinking pool of HDR talent available to public universities.
Describing Australia’s research workforce
Q1: Do the issues identified adequately capture the challenges facing Australia in adapting to the changing nature of employer demand and meeting its innovation aspirations over the next decade? If not, what other challenges should be considered?
- Defining: COPHE is unsure if the research workforce of private higher education is incorporated into this picture; or the input of researchers to “non-research” jobs e.g. a doctorally-qualified clergyman; a policy-maker in social business, research-oriented agribusiness manager, or a teacher pursuing doctoral studies to augment their leadership role.
There can be an over-reliance on the generalized categories of the Australian Bureau of Statistics; and a lack of accurate definition of what constitutes research.
- Role and importance: COPHE believes the contribution to the social business or non-profit sector needs to be captured noting the percentage of the research workforce employed in this space is comparatively high. Frequently researchers are inspired to conduct research or apply their research in settings where the main beneficiary is the community-at-large.
Private HEPs frequently are focused on research that is linked to stakeholders including employers. The importance of research in these settings may not be captured if the focus is on university-generated research.
Q2: Do the issues identified adequately capture the opportunities available to Australia to better respond to the changing nature of employer demand in Australia and meet national innovation aspirations? If not, what other opportunities should be considered?
- Current government funding does not facilitate or encourage the research capability, contribution and performance of non-Table A or B higher education providers. This means that opportunities are lost and potential is missed. Furthermore, it discriminates against students in that setting. This could simply be addressed by accrediting research-oriented higher education institutions according to a ranking system (for example, aiming at third quartile university standard) and a review by AUQA/TEQSA, remembering that all private providers are subject to AUQA Audits.
- Marcus Oldham’s Centre for the Study of Rural Australia is an example of a research-focused arm of a private higher education provider seeking to inform and engage with its community to promote sustainable rural communities. With access to government-funding for the centre and potential students, this important work could be improved in quality, quantity and transmission. The work of this centre is particularly important to rural Australia as public sector investment shrinks.
Supply of researchers to Australia
Q3: Do the issues identified adequately capture the challenges facing Australia in delivering required levels of research skills to its workforce over the next decade? If not, what other challenges should be considered?
- We affirm the academic workforce replacement crisis, a particular issue for theological higher education institutions. In an article written three years ago and specifically focused on Catholic theological colleges (but characteristic of protestant and other traditions), Neil Ormerod[1] pointed out that 42.5% of the sector were over 60 (12% were over 70), and 37.5% intended to retire in the next five years. AUQA audits of private HEPs, and the MCD pointed out the need to put in place succession plans, but Neil comments: “It would not be difficult to predict that in the next five years [to 2012] we will lose some 50% of those currently teaching theology in our Catholic theological colleges [through retirement and promotion to non-teaching roles]. It is near impossible to see how this shortfall can be made up, particularly from the pool of Australian theologians.”
- Charles Sherlock collated statistics in his Uncovering Theology project[2] that there are 480 academics with doctorates teaching in theological institutions. That leaves a potential shortfall of 200-240 academics over the next few years.
- Furthermore, in the social services sector, the Government relies on institutions whose management and executive staff have research skills, many drawn from the private HEP sector. One example is the National Church Life Survey team which has achieved international recognition for its work.
Q4: Do the issues identified adequately capture the opportunities available to Australia to enhance its supply of research skills over the next decade? If not, what other opportunities should be considered?
- An opportunity exists to meet the need in theological colleges by supporting research programs in colleges. The Melbourne College of Divinity does access research funding and research training places. Charles Sherlock notes that “The MCD’s receipt of such finding since 2002 has been a significant factor in the deepening of its research culture.”[3]
- Another example would be Avondale College in NSW which is accredited for HDR’s in four disciplines including health and education where access to RTS places would encourage further development in these national priority fields. In their AUQA audit in 2009 Avondale was commended for its development of a research culture.
- More generally, research support in those institutions teaching research degrees would naturally deepen the quality of the research, and probably increase the quantity.
Priorities for action
Q7: Are the priority areas for action outlined in Table 1 the right ones? What other priorities should be identified?
- COPHE’s major concern is that there is little recognition of the particular needs and opportunities of private higher education providers, many of whom work in niche markets and areas for which there is not comparable public university or institutional research focus.
- Private HEPs are small enough such that they would provide an excellent opportunity for testing new directions, without the issues of diversity and inflexibility of larger institutions.
Q9: Are the timeframes outlined in Table 1 appropriate? Are there any priority areas that require more immediate or longer-term action?
- The needs are such that action must take place in a short to medium-term timeframe. The areas described have remained neglected for too long.
CONTACT DETAILS
Council of Private Higher Education Inc.
Suite 244
813 Pacific Highway
Chatswood NSW 2067
Executive Officer – Adrian McComb
Phone (02) 8021 0841 Fax (02) 8021 0843 email amccomb@cophe.edu.au
[1] Ormerod, N. 2007, “Australia’s ageing theological workforce”, Eureka Street, (October 03, 1007).
[2] Sherlock, C. 2009, Uncovering Theology, ATF, Adelaide, pp.248-9.
[3] Sherlock, C. 2009, Uncovering Theology, ATF, Adelaide, p.161.
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