“….Former Australian National University business and economics dean Keith Houghton attached much attention at the summit with his university productivity data that showed wide variations across the sector in the cost of producing each research paper and educating each student…”
“……..This conference has already been exploring concepts on how to modernise universities to deliver greater benefits for students and realise desperately needed efficiencies.
“Earlier this month we reported remarks by former ANU business dean Keith Houghton that although his research showed that universities as a sector had lifted efficiency over recent years, the track record of some institutions suggested they would struggle to find the productivity to meet the government’s 2.5 per cent efficiency dividend …”
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham will bluntly tell universities they are “kidding” themselves if they think the pressure to constrain spending on higher education is going to go away.
“Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham has issued a tough warning to universities to focus on efficiency and value for money or risk losing public trust and goodwill…
Australia’s universities are facing a potential $1.2 billion funding cut. An essential ingredient to the announced cuts is the ability of universities to absorb them without unintended and undesirable consequences.
“…Year after year universities have made productivity gains but not of the scale that could consume $1.2 billion without some consequences,” said researcher Keith Houghton,”…