Website to compare universities: Gillard

Scrutinising Australian universities in the same way as schools could damage
smaller, poorer institutions, the nation's peak student union says.
Education Minister Julia Gillard last month hinted she was considering applying the
federal government's My School concept, which compares schools' academic performance
online, to tertiary institutions.
At a Universities Australia conference in Canberra on Wednesday, Ms Gillard
announced a My University website would be developed with the sector, to be launched
by January 2012.
"Universities will be required to publish more information on their courses, campus
facilities, support services and ... the quality of teaching and learning outcomes,"
she said.
However, National Union of Students (NUS) president Carla Drakeford expressed
concerns about how rating universities may affect smaller, less wealthy campuses.
Under Labor's sweeping reforms of the tertiary sector, there will be no limit to the
number of eligible, funded students universities can enrol by 2012.
Ms Drakeford warned naming and shaming institutions online could drastically affect
struggling universities' enrolments.
"NUS would be worried that under a system of uncapped student places, there will be
greater enrolment in top universities, neglecting the smaller and regional campuses,
which often don't have the same wealth," she said.
"We hope that the government will use the ratings to identify and assist poorer
performing universities."
Ms Drakeford called for student representatives to be included in the rating
indicator development process.
"Indicators that NUS will be looking for are student-to-tutor ratios, breadth of
courses and subjects, and university flexibility with students' changing needs," she
said.
National Tertiary Education Union president Carolyn Allport said the plan must not
be allowed to impinge upon universities' autonomy and academic freedom.
"Government policy should not result in a lessening of institutional diversity in
the sector," she said.
"Nor (must it) impede the operation of academic freedom by lessening interest in
more esoteric areas of research."
Ms Gillard said national testing wouldn't be used, as it is in schools, to determine
universities' all-round performance.
"This does not mean a move to standardisation," she said.
"The answer does lie in establishing minimum quality benchmarks that students and
government should be able to expect of all institutions."
Ms Gillard said the new transparency measures would place pressure on universities,
but assured their staff there was nothing to be afraid of.
"No one should be worried about transparency; the best people always strive to do
better," she said.
"This isn't a threat, it's an opportunity and I think they will seize it with both
hands."
The establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)
this year will see higher education providers regulated by a single, independent
body.
Its approach, Ms Gillard said, would be risk-based.
"High quality, low-risk providers will be able to flourish without unnecessary
intrusion," she said.
The government's aim is to bring TEQSA and the vocational education and training
sector's national regulator together after 2013.