Advocate, November 2015
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Advocate vol. 22 no. 3 • November 2015 • www.nteu.org.au • ISSN 1329-7295 $100,000 degrees – Delayed, but not ditched • ALP higher education policy • National Council Meeting • Divestment as a powerful tactic • Members defending our unis • Federal Court wins for NTEU Victoria • Academic workloads examined • The case against deregulation • Education for sale around the world • The misuse of metrics • Govt withdraws Lomborg $4m • Tackling attrition rates • Academic freedom in Hong Kong • Investigating research institutes • Innovation Revolution blues • ... and much more. Advocate ISSN 1321-8476 NTEU National Office, PO Box 1323, Sth Melbourne VIC 3205 Published by National Tertiary Education Union ABN 38 579 396 344 1st floor, 120 Clarendon St, Sth Melbourne VIC Publisher Grahame McCulloch Editor Jeannie Rea phone (03) 9254 1910 fax (03) 9254 1915 Production Paul Clifton Editorial Assistance Anastasia Kotaidis email [email protected] Feedback, advertising and other enquiries: [email protected] Division Offices www.nteu.org.au/divisions Contents All text and images © NTEU 2015 unless otherwise stated. Branch Offices www.nteu.org.au/branches 2 New Liberal ascendancy p. 24 p. 48 From the General Secretary 3 Changing university conversations Editorial, Jeannie Rea Cover image: Compilation of UPDATE ‘No $100K Degree’ photos tweeted 4 Outsourcing at Newcastle and the to new Education business of detention Minister Simon UNE shrouds Council decisions in Birmingham in September. cloak of secrecy Graphic: Toby Cotton 5 Two Federal Court wins for NTEU in Victoria 6 NTEU joins ACTU to Save Paid Parental Leave Bjørn Free! Government withdraws Lomborg $4m 7 EI President speaks at UN for public 22 Pollies speak out against $100K 37 What is the value of postgrads? education degrees Univeristy students do not simply consume, New Greens higher ed spokesperson NTEU has released a series of short videos they contribute towards the business of their featuring some of Australia’s most prominent university. Yet this is often overlooked or 8 2015 Women’s Conference & politicians voicing their opposition to the Coali- undervalued. Bluestocking Week: Spin a Yarn, tion Government’s higher education agenda. Start a Fire 38 The misuse of metrics 23 Defending our unis The widespread use and misuse of research 9 Women in Science NTEU members and volunteers were out in metrics is leading to increased concern in force during September as part of a coordi- scientific and broader academic communities Dream jobs at UC? Think again nated campaign targeting the Government’s worldwide. 10 Investigating research institutes unfair plans for higher education funding cuts, deregulation and $100,000 degrees. 40 Not waving, drowning 11 The unstoppable tide of marriage NTEU’s Expert Seminar series on academic equality 26 ALP higher education policy workloads examined the problems and possi- The ALP’s higher education policy stands in bilities of fairly regulating academic workloads. 12 Something big is happening: are you stark contrast to the Coalition’s deregulatory in? agenda. 41 TPP, copyright law & education There is much concern about the impact of the 13 This Changes Everything: responses 27 Divestment as a powerful tactic TPP upon public education. to climate change Our universities are under attack from govern- ments and the powerful corporate interests 42 Hong Kong: Protests in support Global Climate Change Week for uni pulling their strings. But divestment can be of academic freedom staff, students & communities used as a tool to benefit both the environment When an academic accused of plagiarism and our sector. makes front page headlines for three to four UNICASUAL NEWS days, there has to be more to it. 28 The case against the deregulation of 14 Workplace Gender Equity Reports tertiary education 43 Zimbabwe: A tough road for reveal true levels of casualisation A deregulated education market has been on unionist lecturers 16 Dear Casual Academics trial in Victoria’s VET sector since 2008, and it has been a failure. COLUMNS 900 STF jobs. Has your uni filled 44 iPhone, uPay Environment them yet? 30 Education for sale News from the Net, by Pat Wright ISO 14001 An international panel at NTEU National Coun- In accordance with A&TSI NEWS cil 2015 explained how the privatisation and 45 A chat with the Beloved Supreme commercialisation of education is undermining NTEU policy to 17 Change of PM does not equate to a Leader reduce our impact the expansion of educational opportunities for Lowering the Boom, by Ian Lowe on the natural envi- change in the agenda children and adults around the world. ronment, Advocate 46 Dear Mr Turnbull New A&TSI Caucus logo 33 Time to strengthen University Acts? is printed using Thesis Whisperer, Inger Mewburn vegetable based inks 18 A&TSI bargaining outcomes WA University Acts are foreshadowed to with alcohol free replace elected staff representatives on with 47 We can’t and shouldn’t teach people printing initiatives 18 The return of Mal Brough appointed ones. But the changes also present into a job on FSC certified pa- opportunities. per under ISO 14001 19 Unaipon Centre to close Letter from NZ, Sandra Grey, TEU Environmental 34 Singing the Innovation Revolution YOUR UNION Certification. Different White People blues Advocate is available FEATURES National innovation has come into sharp relief 48 National Council 2015 determines online as a PDF at in 2015, with competing reviews looking for secure jobs critical for quality nteu.org.au/advocate 20 University deregulation: Delayed, new thinking on national innovation policy and an e-book at and the regulation of public research signalling 54 2015 Life Members www.issuu.com/nteu not ditched some big implications for universities. NTEU members may Does the appointment of Simon Birmingham 56 Round 7 bargaining in universities opt for ‘soft delivery’ as the new Minister for Education and Training 36 Tackling university attrition rates signal a new approach to higher education 57 A most unlikely union: launch of (email notification Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has revealed policy? Or will it be a case of the more things NTEU history of online copy rather Labor’s policy platform for higher education, than mailed printed change the more they stay the same? saying the focus would be on retaining version). Details at 58 New NTEU staff nteu.org.au/ students in higher education and curbing the softfdelivery numbers dropping out. 59 Obituary: Maarten Rothengatter NTEU ADVOCATE • vol. 22 no. 3 • November 2015 • www.nteu.org.au/advocate • page 1 From the General Secretary Grahame McCulloch, General Secretary New Liberal ascendancy Malcolm Turnbull’s overthrow hunting grounds. Above all, the new Gov- There is an irony at work here, because of Tony Abbott as Prime ernment will remain anti-union and will at the same time the new Labor higher Minister is reflected in press for lower minimum industrial stand- education policy (under Kim Carr) has ards in awards and collective agreements. disavowed Labor’s previous spending cuts generational changes with with a commitment to at least 2.5 per cent Turnbull has already shown his ability to the rise of Mitch Fifield, Peter increases in annual funding and a greater project social liberalism while maintaining Hendy, Michaela Cash, Kelly role for a re-vamped planning and perfor- conservative unity. The subtle but creative mance commission. O’Dwyer, Josh Frydenberg and shift on the nature of any marriage equal- Arthur Sinodinos. In wider ity plebiscite, a thaw in (if not the end of) This is the wider political terrain in which political terms, this group is the culture wars with the ABC, Fairfax, the Union will prosecute the upcoming dynamic with a blend of youth and the wider liberal intelligentsia, and 2016-19 Enterprise Bargaining Round and and experience and is – for the abolition of Abbott’s ill-fated return to our political campaign against university the union movement at least – royalist honours, are markers of this. deregulation and funding cuts. This will require NTEU and the union movement potentially lethal. more widely to review tactics and strat- egy. Despite the Liberal dominance, the The new Prime Minister and his ministry This new Liberal ascendancy power of public campaigning and opinion are economically dry and have much more exposes the Labor Party’s key remains strong. New Higher Education socially liberal views than those of the weakness – the leadership Minister, Simon Birmingham has backed paleo-Liberals associated with the former of Bill Shorten who is away from the Pyne $100,000 degree Prime Minister. Many have backgrounds deregulation model, and it is clear that with merchant banks and traders, resource sleepwalking his shadow our campaign (together with problems in and energy companies and international ministry to defeat. the private VET college market) has forced corporate, legal and accounting services. a new policy debate where planning, By and large they are a well- educated, price caps and regulation are part of the cosmopolitan and cultured group. They discussion. are independently wealthy and some are a little detached from reality (perhaps a little This new Liberal ascendancy exposes Our challenge is to organise in the work- like today’s Vice-Chancellors). the Labor Party’s key weakness – the place, in the Parliament and in the wider leadership of Bill Shorten who is sleep- public arena. A Turnbull Government is as We can expect a more professional and walking his shadow ministry to defeat. dangerous as its Abbott predecessor. Mark articulate advocacy of cuts to, and a He is wooden, projects as old-fashioned its position on industrial relations, penalty greater role for markets in, many aspects and is factionally tarnished. Bill has had a rates (on which many students depend), of health, social welfare, public universities life-long commitment to the trade union climate change, industry superannuation and colleges, and other forms of public movement, but this commitment was al- and trade union regulation.