AAIR Newsletter June 2017

2017 AAIR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (SIG) FORUM

OUR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT PREVIEW THE UPCOMING AAIR SIG FORUM IN LATE JULY PAGE 2

DOUBLE TROUBLE: LATEST INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHER’S BOOK REVIEWS MUSINGS FROM THE PRESIDENT CORNER PLUS … A WIDE RANGE OF AND VICE PRESIDENT. PAGE 2 FIVE QUICK QUESTIONS WITH: INTERSTING REPORTS AND NEW DR ANNE STATHAM, QUEENSLAND PUBLICATIONS THIS MONTH. SEE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY PAGE 6-8 PAGE 10

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CONTENT

From the President Learning and Teaching Positions Vacant and Trainings and Development Editorial Research Trainings, Higher Education Conferences and Events Sector News and Views Reports and Resources Institutional Researcher’s Corner

Big Data, Online Learning, On the Move Analytics Graduate Outcomes and Book Reviews Employability

FROM THE PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT Let’s get networking – it is To entice you even more, I will now hand The dinner on the Wednesday night will worth it! over to Don Johnston, our hardworking be held at the wonderful Curzon Hall (an Vice President, to give you some details iconic sandstone castle located close to I am definitely not going to get all about our theme, the action packed Macquarie University). There will also be political on you again, but I can’t help but program we have prepared for you, and some casual drinks on the Tuesday night confirm that the recent budget here in the social activities we have in store at (before the formal proceedings New Zealand did virtually nothing for the this year’s AAIR SIG Forum. commence on the Wednesday), to tertiary sector, as I suggested last month. provide an opportunity for new attendees to meet other delegates, as That may be a bit unfair as we did get a one per cent increase in per-student well as offering a great opportunity for funding, but that was after years—I think Thanks Kathie. Our theme this year, you to start networking with colleagues almost eight—of no funding increases Creating Connections & Exploring from around Australasia who do similar across the board, or cost of living Possibilities, offers you the chance to work to you. adjustments! So, I will be grateful for spend time connecting with your The full program will be available shortly, about two minutes and then get on with colleagues and making some new and so be sure to check the AAIR SIG Forum it. I do however despair for my Australian valuable connections. You can discover website for more information and to colleagues and what it looks like they will new ideas in your field of expertise, register. be going through for a while yet in terms explore some of the innovative changes that are taking place in this space, as well of reforms and funding. as indulge in interesting projects. Now, on to more important things… We are also very excited to have Peter Kathie Rabel One of the more significant events in the O’Donnell (Monash University) and AAIR President and Don Johnston AAIR calendar each year is the AAIR SIG Monica Ikladios (Toyota) as our two AAIR Vice President Forum, which this year is being held at keynote speakers this year. It’s wonderful Macquarie University in Sydney. If you to have an industry speaker who can haven’t attended an event like this, I can offer you a perspective on institutional assure you that it is worthwhile, research from outside the higher particularly for the practitioner-oriented education sector. We also have a number nature of the presentations, and the of quality presentations scheduled across networking opportunities and exchanges the two days (26–27 July), which will that go on as part of the event. I would cover areas such as data analytics, urge all of you to consider attending and business intelligence, data warehousing, taking a colleague along if you can. surveys, student feedback, load planning Registrations are open, and the theme and government reporting. So, it is this year is, Creating Connections & expected to be a full and informative Exploring Possibilities. program.

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organisations around Australia, entered SECTOR NEWS AND voluntary receivership in late May after it VIEWS was refused access to the new VET Student Loan scheme earlier this year. EDITORIAL Post Australian Budget Increased regulatory powers have also been announced to veto unscrupulous Perhaps the most universally positive vocational education providers accessing outcome from the Australian Higher both higher education and international Education Reform Package (announced Welcome to the June 2017 edition education. The Education Legislation just prior to the Budget) was the of The Institutional Researcher Amendment (Provider Integrity & Other commitment to retain the Higher Measures) Bill 2017, which incorporates Education Participation and Partnership The AAIR SIG Forum in July is not changes to the ESOS, TEQSA and HESA Programme (HEPPP). Subsequently, the far away! Make sure to check out Acts is now before Australia’s House of HEPPP Evaluation Report was made Representatives. the forum’s page for details of available (see ‘Reports and Resources’) what exciting programs to expect which identified 2679 HEPP The federal government has announced a for the two days (26-27 July)! projects across 37 universities, review of the legislation underpinning engaging 310,000 students between 2010 the national training regulator, Australia The buzzword this month is still and 2015. Some 40% plus of programs Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), which budget, budget, budget! and funding supported low Socio- will be led by Valerie Braithwaite, Universities across Australia had Economic Status (SES) students starting, Professor of Regulatory Studies in the a busy start in June putting in studying, and completing university. Regulatory Institutions Network at the submissions to the Senate Close to 20% of funding was allocated to Australian National University. Education and Employment work with students who are Legislation Committee on the both Indigenous and from low SES Other news … Higher Education Reform backgrounds. Universities Australia Package. The full report will be endorsed the program further and Queensland University of Technology's released on 9 August 2017. commended the current government on Caboolture campus will be transferred to adopting the key recommendations. the University of the Sunshine Coast Also, don’t miss our summary of (USC) by next year. The transfer comes the New Zealand Budget which Until now, university enabling programs after an announcement last year that USC was announced on 25 May 2017. have been subsidised by the government would build a full campus in the nearby - and are therefore free for students. Petrie area. USC Vice Chancellor Greg Hill The other word of month is of Announced in the higher education said the university would expand the course, phigital. Read on to find reform package, a new plan will shift the educational platform established by QUT at Caboolture. out what it means! cost to students which may deter some students and potentially affect who is We recognise there is a significant able to access higher education. The Australian Government has released the Higher Education Standards Panel’s focus on Australian news and Many Australian universities may be in discussion paper on Improving content but are mindful of all surplus, but does that mean there’s fat to Completion, Retention and Success in Australasian members, cut? Mark Warburton from the LH Martin Higher Education and has invited particularly our New Zealand Institute reacted to the proposed 2.5% submissions to this consultation process. members. Please don’t hesitate efficiency dividend (HE Reform Package) The Chair of the Panel, Professor Peter to make contact with us if you and notes that while it might be correct Shergold said: ““There are two things that have a significant news item or that many universities are in surplus this we lack very significantly: an activity in your region you wish to is not the same thing as a profit. understanding of why people at a share - or would like covered in personal level are leaving and whether, The Regional Universities Network (RUN) indeed, this is a good thing or a bad thing. future issues. has formally opposed the proposed Universities are very bad at doing reforms to higher education noting that And finally, Dr Anne Statham effective exit interviews or follow-up…We the changes will disproportionately hurt need a much more detailed from Queensland University of regional universities. Innovative understanding about whether people are Technology (QUT) is in the Research Universities (IRU) have also making career passports for themselves Institutional Researcher’s Corner opposed the reforms and have made a or wasting the investment they have this month with her responses to formal submission to the Senate made and the government has made on our five quick questions. Education Committee. their behalf.”

Vocational education Australia has bolstered its popularity as a Happy Reading! One of Australia’s largest education and world class education destination training provider groups has suspended with new data showing international Tracy and Monica operations, affecting some 15,000 student numbers jumped up by 15% in domestic and international students and the first three months of this year 1,000 staff. Careers Australia Group, compared to 2016. Minister for Education and Training Simon which operated 11 education

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Birmingham said the surging international Universities New Zealand Chair, Argentina, Iran and the Czech Republic) student numbers came on top of growth Professor Stuart McCutcheon, has experienced the greatest falls in of around 10.5% since the Coalition welcomed the increases to research resourcing. Chris Whelan, Executive government came to power in 2013. funding, acknowledging the additional Director of Universities New Zealand, funding for the PBRF and the Endeavour says the ranking is a great reflection of a However, in University World News Bob fund. However, Professor McCutcheon sector that works hard to ensure quality, Birrell from the Australian Population also expressed disappointment that the relevance and connectivity across its Research Institute has claimed that government has failed to substantially teaching and research activities. universities have become too reliant on increase its investment in teaching and However, he said the drop in funding was foreign students and outlines a timeline learning: “The 1% increase across-the- concerning. “It should be of concern to all of policy and activity in the past decade. board tuition subsidy increase announced New Zealanders that official statistics today is below the expected Consumer show that the New Zealand Australia’s largest philanthropic gift Price Index of 2.2%. So university government’s expenditure on tertiary includes a donation of $65 million to five funding isn’t even keeping up with cost education institutions is below the OECD West Australian institutions. The gift, increases,” he said. average”. which is part of a $400m donation by mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his Rankings International wife Nicola, is the single largest donation Ireland: new bill to pave way for long- to Australian higher education. The awaited International Education Mark $400m gift will also direct money to Plans to introduce a long-awaited cancer research, antislavery and International Education Mark (IEM) in community building. Ireland may finally be realised. The IEM, a stamp of quality that providers will Reported in Campus Morning Mail (13 June 8 was the official release date for need to obtain to recruit international June): Three vice chancellors and the the 2017/2018 QS World University students, is one of a number of measures provost are Rankings with seven Australian covered in a draft outline of appointed to the Order of Australia in the institutions in the top 100: ANU, the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Queen’s Birthday honours list. Ian University of Melbourne, UNSW, UQ and (Amendment) Bill, published on May 15. O’Connor, the long serving VC of Griffith the University of Sydney made the top Also included in the document are University, becomes an AC while Linda 50. New Zealand universities performed promises to clamp down on ‘essay mills’ Kristjanson (Swinburne University) and exceptionally well also. The University of that sell completed essays and Peter Dawkins (Victoria University) join Waikato emerged most improved amidst dissertations to students and to as AO’s. The University of Melbourne’s a strong performance by New Zealand strengthen the role of the higher and provost, Margaret Sheil also becomes an universities in a new international further education regulator, Quality and AO. ranking. Five NZ universities gained Qualifications Ireland. places in the annual QS World University New Zealand Budget Summary Rankings with all but Auckland University Of interest, an article about Ireland’s new of Technology (AUT) among the top 350. The New Zealand higher education strategy around international education, sector has welcomed some targets of the ’Ireland’s New Era’, is worth reading in The Leiden research rankings, which uses The Pie Review #14. tertiary education provision from this Web of Science data to rank research year’s Budget, but pointed out many impact were also announced. In New Zealand tightens migrant visa gaps as well. The $132.1 million allocation Australia, the Group of Eight fared well conditions. The New Zealand for Tertiary Education, Skills and again in terms of impact and in terms of government has issued a second round of Employment includes: all publications. The University of changes for high- and low-skilled migrant  $69.3 million for increased tuition Auckland, University of Otago, Massey worker visas, this time raising the subsidy rates at qualification level three University, Canterbury University and minimum salary. The move has stirred up and above, supporting providers to Victoria University in Wellington also uncertainty among educators and continue to deliver quality skills for performed well. agents. industry.  $52.5 million for the Performance- Reuters’ annual ranking of the Asia And following the previous, an Based Research Fund (PBRF) to Pacific region’s Most Innovative interesting interview with Universities promote high quality research in Universities for the second year running, New Zealand executive director Chris tertiary education. placed South Korea’s KAIST first. Whelan in The PIE News this month.  $6.8 million to support sustainable Formerly known as the Korea Advanced Chris discusses both the drawcards for growth in the international education Institute of Science and Technology, it is international students and the specific sector to strengthen the net benefit to the nation’s oldest research-oriented focus on the Asia Pacific region. New Zealand and its value to our science and engineering university, with regions. campuses in Daejeon, Seoul and Busan. The New Zealand Productivity  $3.5 million of reprioritised funding to Commission has completed its inquiry The latest Universitas21 rankings report meet increased demand for workplace- into the New Models of Tertiary singles out the New Zealand government based literacy and numeracy Education. The report is a broad-ranging for criticism for its reduction in tertiary programmes in 2018, giving more inquiry into how well New Zealand’s education funding. The report shows that people the skills and confidence to tertiary education system is set up to New Zealand's higher education sector engage in the workplace and respond to emerging trends in ranks 15th in the world overall, despite community. technology and the internationalisation the fact that New Zealand (along with of education, and changes in the

5 THE INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHER ISSUE 6/2017 structure of the population, and the skills fatigue and burnout from continual this up with implications for higher needed in the economy and society. As ‘change initiatives’ in US institutions with education after examining these trends part of the inquiry, the Commission was case studies including examplesof asked to identify potential barriers to predictive analytics programs. EDUCAUSE’s latest review of trends and innovation. strategic technologies associated with Word of the month: Phigital Integrated Planning and Advising for With an estimated 400 million people in Student Success (iPASS). Trends include developing countries lacking access to a According to 3 must know’s about the blending of roles and blurring of higher education, United States rising “phigital” student-and why their boundaries between IT and academic/ universities seeking to internationalise impact is enormous, to be phigital is administrative areas, data drive decision have only scratched the surface of the unwilling or unable to draw a distinction making and institution-wide data opportunity to help meet the world’s between the physical world and its digital management and integrations. need for affordable, globally accessible equivalent. Technologies includes mobile apps for and high-quality education. New models institutional BI/analytics, technologies for for transnational education in the form of integrating student records data across micro-campuses are emerging with the BIG DATA, ONLINE case management systems and flexible University of Arizona adding 11 LEARNING, ANALYTICS interactive platforms for descriptive and additional micro-campus agreements to predictive analytics of institutional data. their existing two. & TECHNOLOGY Visualization and the Three V’s: University World News has reported that 3 questions all campus leaders should be Managing and Leveraging Data in Hong Kong will act as a ‘super connector’ able to answer. In eCampus News: While Enrollment Management. The Evollution to the Chinese mainland and Asian region colleges and universities are eager to examined managing the three ‘V’s in big through deeper international leverage institutional analytics, it is time Data: Volume; Variety and; Velocity. collaborations that include universities, for them to think bigger and broader. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Education Doing so will open up a realm of From LinkedIn, Why future HR leaders Eddie Ng told the Going Global possibilities not yet tapped, creating the will be like data scientists conference in London last week. opportunity to ask more complex And finally, A blockchain explanation questions and find solutions that better your parents could understand (because Thailand is set to issue a new decree that serve and support students. some of us are still trying to come to will allow foreign universities to operate grips with this terminology …) in its special economic zones under a plan Also in eCampus News, How to get the approved last week by the cabinet and most out of your move to the cloud military junta, also known as the National which notes that no matter which cloud Council for Peace and Order, led by deployment you use, data reduction GRADUATE OUTCOMES Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha delivers economic benefits that make the cloud business case more compelling. AND EMPLOYABILITY Despite the efforts of governments and higher education institutions in Jordan, Institutions must think broader when Lebanon and Turkey to respond to the This Will Go on Your Permanent Record! utilizing analytics. When looking to How Blockchains Can Transform Colleges Syrian refugee crisis, higher education leverage analytics, institutions should ask opportunities are still limited and often in a Networked World Utilising questions around whether the students blockchain technology, it is now possible inadequate, according to a study of being recruited are those most likely to Syrian youth in the three countries. to create a decentralised academic succeed there, what the patterns around transcript. Unlike today’s standard, degree completion are and how to And in the UK, the Labour Party claimed centralised transcripts, which are secure improve them, and how students can be it wanted to abolish higher education and tamperproof but inadaptable to the segmented into subpopulations for tuition fees for students in England if it modern, digital student, these better service. won the general election held this month decentralised transcripts would be secure

(and we know how that turned out!). and tamperproof but also open to Institutions are increasingly turning to From as early as September 2017 outside transaction blocks from an entire predictive analytics to help determine if students would no longer be subject to network of contributors students will enroll, and if so, whether or the highest tuition fees on average of any not they’ll need support to stay on track country in the world. Watch this space. The long-awaited VET Unique Student for graduation. But this data use begs the Identifier is now active. The USI provides As England prepares to unveil its question–are decision-makers using the people with an online record of their controversial teaching excellence data ethically? training records, across states and framework (TEF) ratings and the between providers, which they can share Australian government plans to award a Some insights from Mary’s Meeker’s as they choose. The USI will greatly assist portion of teaching funding on the basis annual Internet Trends Report (2016, US- individuals who need to demonstrate of “performance,” German university centric): 3.4 billion internet users; qualifications, and employers who need leaders have argued that comparing Americans spend 5.6 hours a day to know if a job applicant can do what teaching quality is a near impossible task. engaged on digital media. 3.1 hours on they say. The system starts with 2015 mobile and 2.2 hours on laptop/desktop; records. Combating Initiative Fatigue: Unifying about 4-in-10 (37%) dollars spent on and Integrating Student Success global IT infrastructure ($36 billion) goes Former University of Canberra VC Initiatives. EdSurge examined issues of to cloud spending, up from 2-in-10 dollars Stephen Parker’s piece in The Australian (21%) in 2013. Inside Higher Ed followed Readiness for work trends of the future is

6 THE INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHER ISSUE 6/2017 essential to success sees micro- who is Dean of Law at the University of journals. An article in The Conversation credentialing becoming increasingly NSW, says the rise of technology in the early this year summarised the issue popular. legal sector means lawyers are already nicely. As well, Andy Pleffer and Susan working with expert computer systems. Shrubb from Macquarie University The Daily Telegraph has launched the This meant law schools needed to outlined the current milieu in a blog on Project Sydney Campaign to raise integrate technology within legal the Australian Open Access Strategy awareness about the need to create jobs education and focus on the factors where Group’s website (which moves forward for young people amid soaring lawyers could still add value: integrity, the discussion from ‘predatory population growth and the changing ethics, professional relationships, publishers’ to ‘quality publishing’). Of employment landscape. The target of the creativity and imagination. note, Beall is being subjected to campaign is to spur businesses from a harassment from a website called diverse range of industries to take on Scholarlyoa.net so it’s all getting a bit 1000 placements in 30 days. The reason RESEARCH ugly. behind the campaign is a result of the importance of work experience for young In mid-June Cabell’s International, who The Australian NHMRC released people, not only to get a foot in the door, provide a comprehensive journal information about improvements to their but also to see how modern workplaces directory, have offered a pay-to-view operate. funding program in late May. The previous grants scheme has been blacklist of predatory journals. Andrew Silver previewed the new service in replaced with a new model designed to encourage long-term research ending the Nature (May 31).

need for multiple applications for the one LEARNING & TEACHING Too amusing not to acknowledge: Peering project. into Peer Review. A blog from Library

Babel Fish in Inside Higher Ed discusses OER Pioneer David Wiley Predicts All From 2020, the NHMRC will allocate some rather major holes in peer review Community Colleges Will Dump research funds (around $800m a year) in from a recent hoax whereby a fake article Traditional Textbooks By 2024. In four streams; EdSurge this month, Avid Wiley, a pioneer Investigator grants: Money for salary and managed to get published. of open education resources who co- support (40% funding) founded Lumen Learning, a for-profit Synergy grants: $5m each for multi- company that supports OER efforts, sees disciplinary research projects (5%) (MORE) REPORTS AND one place where textbooks could actually Ideas grants (25%) RESOURCES be vanquished by openly licensed Strategic and leveraging grants: priority alternatives: community colleges. driven research in areas of national need (30%). Reforms to copyright laws will remove red tape and barriers to providing On June 5, the Australian Research educational content for disabled Council (ARC) released the names of 17 students. The changes to legislation will new Laureate Fellows, nine new training significantly improve access to centres, three research hubs and 91 new copyrighted content for people with a fellows. UQ and Sydney tied for top spot vision, hearing or intellectual disability, in terms of dollars, each attracting said Communications Minister Mitch $22m.The government noted this round Fifield. of $170 million for research continues a

tradition of investment in fundamental Australian Universities at a Crossroads: Whilst the focus of this report is on early and applied research projects. school leavers, it has flow-on implications Insights from Their Leaders and Implications for the Future and relevance for the higher education Listed United Kingdom technology sector. The Counting the costs of lost investor IP Group will pour AU$200 Source: Melbourne Centre for the Study of opportunity in Australian education million into commercialising research at Higher Education and Berkeley Center for report released by the Victoria top universities in Australia and New Studies in Higher Education. Authors: University's Mitchell Institute found that Zealand. The deal between the London- William Lacy, Gwilym Croucher, Andre One in eight students will fail to attain a based IP Group, the Group of Eight and Brett and Romina Mueller Year 12 qualification, and some of these the University of Auckland was an people make up the one in eight acknowledgment of the depth and The study involved 117 interviews and Australians who will be disengaged from quality of Australian research, according surveys with university and higher the workforce for most of their lives. The to Group of Eight chairman Peter Hoj. education leaders in Australia (2015- report estimated that the cost to 2016) as well as an extensive review of taxpayers of 38,000 19-year-olds - about Open Access publishing the literature. 114 responses to a survey one in four - not achieving their Year 12 of 32 issues facing the future of certificate is $315 million each year and Since academic blogger and scholarly Australian universities. Those more than $12.6 billion over a lifetime. communications librarian Jeffrey Beall interviewed broadly believed that the

took down his list of predatory journals, sector has performed well in research and Legal education is undergoing a rapid there has been some discussion education, has played a key role in transformation aimed at producing regarding what, if anything, should Australian society, and has often served lawyers for a legal sector that is replace or monitor open access as a model internationally. However, embracing technology. George Williams, publishing, specifically academic nearly all the leaders felt there are

7 THE INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHER ISSUE 6/2017 significant issues facing the sector as it Source: Skilling Australia Foundation Data Availability and Use: Productivity has become more diverse, increasingly Commission Inquiry Report (No. 82) complex, financially challenged, and This report is an overview of the trends internationally dependent. currently impacting the Australian Source: Australian Government workforce and shows the key role of the Productivity Commission. Of interest - Leaders in the G08 saw VET sector. It also highlights the need to International rankings as more prioritise, promote and position the This large report’s recommendations important than the other university sector to respond competently to the (more than 600 pages, the overview groups. On the other hand, the ATN current needs and opportunities of the document itself is around 70 pages) are leaders viewed Promotion of technology Australian economy. aimed at moving to a system based on transfer and Student accessibility as transparency and confidence in data more important than other groups. processes, treating data as an asset and Interestingly, the non-affiliated not a threat and the creation of a data universities noted that Federal budget sharing and release structure. Findings support, Role of state government, and and recommendations point to a Student financial aid were more comprehensive reform of Australia’s data important to them than to other infrastructure and include: university leaders.  A more accurate definition and Sector Voices: The biggest challenge greater transparency of consumer currently facing New Zealand data (and additional responsibilities HEPPP Evaluation Final Report education afforded to the ACCC);  Establishment of the Office of the Source: Australian Department of Source: Education Review National Data Custodian (NDC) to Education and Training take overall responsibility for the Education Review asked a wide range of The report presents the findings and implementation of data management prominent people from within the recommendations of the 2016 evaluation policy (in consultation with levels of education sector in New Zealand, from of the Higher Education Participation and government); school through to the tertiary level, and Partnerships Program (HEPPP). The  Accreditation of public sector and asked them what they perceived to be HEPPP was established in 2010 and funds public interest entities as release the biggest challenge currently facing universities to ‘undertake activities and authorities; New Zealand education. implement strategies that improve  Streamlining approval process for access to undergraduate courses for human research ethics committees; people from low SES backgrounds and  Legislative reform with the new Data improve their retention and completion Sharing and Release Act rates. Also: In last month’s newsletter we Notes: As you will recall, the Higher reported on the release of the 2016 Education Reform package released pre- National Research Infrastructure budget noted: Roadmap. In late May, the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure The Higher Education Participation and Strategy 2017-2019 was released. Partnerships Program (HEPPP) will be Soft skills for business success: According to the guidelines this is a reformed to deliver two components—an Building Australia’s future workforce transitional arrangement until the Access and Participation Fund that government responds to the roadmap. Source: Deloitte Access Economics involves a loading for each eligible low SES $152m has been allocated for this year student, with performance funding for and $156m next for the following year. DeakinCo. asked Deloitte Access improvements in success rates of low SES Economics to assess the importance of and Indigenous students, and a National On 6 June 2017, TEQSA published a new obtaining and measuring soft skills to Priorities Pool (to commence 2018). report on Characteristics of Australian better understand areas that need to be higher education providers and their Funding from the Access and improved in the Australian workforce and relation to first-year student attrition. Participating Fund will be provided in two businesses. The report forecasts that soft skill intensive occupations will streams while the National Priorities Pool will have an allocation of $9.5 million per TEQSA’s study differs from previous account for two-thirds of all jobs by 2030, year. research by focusing on institutional compared to half of all jobs in 2000. The characteristics that may be linked to number of jobs in soft-skill intensive Additionally, Dr Nadine Zacharias from higher levels of attrition, rather than occupations is expected to grow at 2.5 the NCSEHE has released a major review characteristics of individual students – times the rate of jobs in other of the HEPPP with strategies on how consistent with the agency’s regulatory occupation. institutions do more to support students. approach which assesses each provider. The report is the principle outcome of her

Equity Fellowship with the Centre: The ON THE MOVE Perceptions are not reality: Myths, Australian Student Equity Program and realities and the critical role of Institutional Change. vocational education and training in Scott Williams is the new Deputy Australia chancellor of the University of the

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Sunshine Coast. He has served on its last month. The genetics scientist will council since 2012. Mr Williams leave the , where previously served for 15 years on the he has served as VC for close to seven University of New England council, years to take over at Adelaide early next including a term as Deputy Chancellor. year.

Chair of the Cooperative Research Macquarie University’s Research Director Centres Association, Tony Louise Fleck has joined the CRC Staley is standing down after 20 years in Association Board. the position. Deakin University has appointed University of Melbourne law school head Sandeep Gopalan, PVC Academic Carolyn Evans has been Innovation. Professor Gopalan recently Globalization and Change in Higher appointed DVC and Deputy Provost for stood down as Dean of the university’s Education: The Political Economy of Graduate Education. Law School Policy Reform in Europe

Fabian Marrone is Monash University’s Edith Cowan Chief Information Beverly Barrett new Chief Marketing Officer. Officer Elizabeth Wilson is leaving the university after five years. She is This book sets out political economy Kerri-Lee Krause is leaving Victoria returning to Victoria to become CIO at explanations for higher education policy University for La Trobe University. the state’s department of education and reform in Europe in the initial decades of Professor Krause is now DVC and Provost training. the 21st century. With a sustained focus at VU and will become DVC Academic at on the national level of policy La Trobe in July. implementation, institutional change is considered in relationship to broader The Vice-Chancellor of the University of BOOK REVIEWS trends in economic development and Melbourne, Glyn Davis, has told staff and globalization. As part of multi-method students an international search for his research analysis, this book presents successor had begun - 18 months before qualitative case studies on Portugal and his contract ends Spain to consider points of Geraldine Mackenzie is returning to the comparison, including national University of Southern Queensland as governance history and modernization of Vice-Chancellor. She was Foundation higher education institutions Dean of Law there in 2007-08 before (Book suggestion from Louise moving to Bond University. She is now Hargreaves) DVC Research at Southern Cross University. Professor Mackenzie replaces Jan Thomas who moved to become Vice- Chancellor at Massey University. POSITIONS VACANT Adrian Miller will become PVC Universities and Their Cities Indigenous Leadership at Charles Darwin Seeking another opportunity in Steven J. Diner University in July. Adrian is Institutional Research in Australia? Try now Academic Director of Indigenous Today, a majority of American college our Higher Education Jobs webpage for Education and Research at Griffith students attend school in cities. But current vacancies in the profession. If you University. throughout the nineteenth and much of are seeking an international career the twentieth centuries, urban colleges change see our American colleagues AIR Shaun Ewen has been appointed PVC and universities faced deep hostility from Careers page. (Indigenous) at the University of writers, intellectuals, government Melbourne. Professor Ewen will also officials, and educators who were Editor’s note: There are plenty of continue as director of the university’s concerned about the impact of cities, vacancies at the moment – please Poche Centre for Indigenous Health. immigrants, and commuter students on explore these at college education. www.aair.org.au/pages/higher- Mark MacMillan is RMIT’s inaugural DVC education-jobs. Indigenous Education and Engagement. In Universities and Their Cities, Steven J. Swinburne University’s former PVC Diner explores the roots of American Learning Engagements Mike Keppell has colleges’ traditional rural bias and asks: LOOKING FOR SOME left. PVC Education and Quality Chris Why were so many people, including TRAINING AND Pilgrim now leads learning professors, uncomfortable with transformation and is recruiting for a nonresident students? And how, DEVELOPMENT? director level position to lead a learning improbably, did much-maligned urban transformation unit. universities go on to profoundly shape contemporary higher education across See our Training and Development webpage focused on training for is the incoming Vice- the nation? institutional researchers. Chancellor of the , replacing Warren Bebbington who left (see also, author interview in Inside Higher Ed)

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29-31 August 2017, Intercontinental, LOOKING FOR HIGHER Sydney EDUCATION The Higher Education Summit will see CONFERENCES AND Vice-Chancellors from across Australia EVENTS? discussing the critical forces that are shaping the future of the sector.

Here is a selection of upcoming events (or EAIR 2017 The TEMC this year will be exploring past events) that may be of interest. See the theme Eureka. The conference will be our Events/Fora webpage for more 3-6 September 2017 revolutionary in exploring ideas that national and international events. encourage and create fabulous EAIR is the European Association for discussion, innovation, awesome 26th National VET Research Conference Institutional Research (International networking and important information association for higher education sharing. researchers, practitioners, managers and policy-makers). There will be eight major Service Improvement and Innovation in tracks: governance and management, Universities teaching and learning, quality management, strategy and strategising, 19-20 October 2017, Pier One, Sydney 5 to 7 July, Hobart professionals, performance and Harbour

th assessment, funding and regional Register now for the 26 National innovation. This year’s conference will sharpen the Vocational Education and Training focus on innovation; what innovation is in Research Conference ‘No Frills’, to be Universities Australia Marketing tertiary education and skills for creating held at TasTAFE Drysdale Campus in Communications and Development innovation. Hobart, Tasmania. Conference 28th ISANA International Education

Join the National Centre for Vocational Association & 22nd Australia and New Education Research (NCVER) for an Zealand Student Services Association exciting program, featuring over 50 Conferences presentations and poster sessions addressing the theme Skilling for tomorrow.

Digital Campus and Blended Learning

Innovation: The New Era of Teaching and Learning 5-8 December 2017, STAR, Gold Coast, 6-7 September 2017 Australia

A UA signature event run by the sector The theme for the conference is for the sector, bringing together Widening Perspectives of Student marketers, communications teams, Success. 18-20th of July, Melbourne, Australia media officers and development officers from the higher education sector to share The conference will give us the opportunity to explore and discuss the The conference will bring forward case best practice and new ideas in a rapidly many factors that contribute to the studies from institutions across Australia transforming marketing landscape overall student success, both within and and abroad, allowing you to gain insights outside the classroom. There will be an into best practices and benchmark your SEAAIR 2017 Annual Conference exciting program of speakers, workshops, institution’s progress against industry 6-8 September 2017 social activities and lots of networking leaders. opportunities. Delegates will be able to

Theme: ASEAN Higher Education at the share successful strategies, engage with Bluenotes Americas 2017 Crossroad: Challenges, Changes, key stakeholders and develop important Capacities, and Capabilities 1-4 August 2017 The Brown Hotel partnerships. Louisville, KY United States From networking with peers to presentation sessions by leading experts This year’s Bluenotes Americas in the field, the annual conference is the Conference theme is ‘Higher Education in must attend event for academics, the 21st Century: Using Data to Respond educators, researchers and practitioners to Opportunities and Challenges‘. A in higher education three-day conference to connect, share expertise, and learn from best practices. Tertiary Education Management Conference 2017

17-20 September 2017, Crown Convention Centre, Melbourne

10 THE INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHER ISSUE 6/2017

professional staff and academic INSTITUTIONAL management collections, I have no CALL FOR RESEARCHER’S CORNER ongoing survey management CONTRIBUTIONS responsibilities.

Five questions with Dr Anne From your perspective, what are the The Institutional Researcher emerging areas of interest in Statham, Queensland institutional research? Issue 7, July 2017 University of Technology  Pinning down the nebulous concepts A great way to get involved with the of quality and value from a student- AAIR community is to share your centred perspective; working out thoughts and ideas. Do you have what we mean by quality and value in something you would like to share with an era of technological change, rising your IR colleagues? The next AAIR costs, changing demographics, Newsletter will be published in mid-July. emphasis on employer-aligned Please send your contributions to the outcomes and political uncertainty [email protected] by Monday 17 July  Thoughtful and ethical use of 2017. mainstreamed data analytics to elucidate organisational characteristics, inform strategic AAIR on Twitter @AAIRaustralasia planning and empower students  Reputation management, including appropriate responses to rankings  Closing gaps between strategic planning and implementation; replacing siloed traditions with cohesive, proactive and directional strategic agendas.

What do you believe will be the future What is your job title? priorities for institutional research?  Embracing chaos, being alert and Principal, Institutional Research & responsive to change, mess Strategy management Monica Chen and Tracy Creagh  Capitalising on opportunities to learn The Institutional Researcher Editors. Briefly, how would you describe your from other sectors; developing new role in terms of your place in your forms of collaboration institution?  Balancing supply and demand of easily accessed, timely, secure and My position is located in QUT’s Strategic targeted information across the Intelligence Unit (SIU), which was University established to source evidence, broker  Continued definition and knowledge and provide decision support demonstration of the value of higher for QUT leadership. Reporting directly to education the Vice-Chancellor and led by Dr Sam  Consolidation of the third-space role Nielsen, SIU is a small, eclectic team that of institutional research; a also includes data scientists and a diminishing of role ambiguity and corporate reviewer. Our activities are lack of skill recognition. geared to guiding the University’s strategic direction, and informing Complete this statement: In my role, I decision making and policy formation in can’t operate effectively without … support of QUT’s mission and objectives. The short answer: Coffee, Google, social I take a broad perspective on institutional media and, of course, the SIU team. research that is inclusive of strategic research projects, benchmarking, survey A more nuanced answer would also outcomes, rankings and other acknowledge that I’ve found reputational impacts, and environmental qualifications and experience in scanning. My role involves extracting communication, marketing, sociology strategic value from diverse evidence and academia to be beneficial in this sources; identifying opportunities, increasingly interdisciplinary challenges and risks for QUT; and institutional-researcher-as-knowledge- preparing discussion documents and broker role. executive briefs. Apart from facilitation of QUT’s participation in the UniForum