List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

6.54The committee recommends that state and territory governments review the establishing acts of universities to ensure the primacy of public research and education in their objects and functions, and consider the composition of members on governing bodies that ensure this can be achieved.

Recommendation 2

6.62The committee recommends that the duties of council members should reflect the primacy of education for the public good, and assessments of the performance of university councils should reflect their role in ensuring the primacy of public research and education as the core functions of universities.

Recommendation 3

6.73The committee recommends that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, in addition to the embedding of the Expert Council on University Governance into the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, update its guidance to universities to support proactive adoption of key compliance, oversight and governance measures (such as the following measures agreed by the University of Melbourne in its Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman) including by:

implementing a comprehensive enterprise resource planning system that includes a human resources and finance system, payroll system, and rostering and time-and-attendance system, and undertaking an audit of the new system following its implementation;

embedding a worker voice mechanism, such as a standing committee comprised of representatives from the National Tertiary Education Union and university management, and a focus on corporate governance by ensuring there is centralised oversight of and accountability for wage compliance and an effective flow of information in respect of wage compliance issues from employees to executive level, and vice versa;

establishing subcommittees of the University Council and the University Executive with an explicit focus on workplace relations compliance as well as a new centralised Employment Compliance Directorate committed to supporting a culture of compliance and continuous improvement; and

commissioning training and education for relevant staff and providing clear internal pathways for employees to raise queries relating to their wages and entitlements.

Recommendation 4

6.82The committee recommends that the Department of Education prioritise its work related to requirements for universities to provide improved data on the number of casual staff to increase transparency and understanding of workforce patterns and issues (including headcounts, as well as the proportion of teaching hours undertaken by casual staff).

Recommendation 5

6.84The committee recommends that the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 be amended to require academic boards to conduct an annual review of the academic staffing profile for each course, ensuring there is sufficient academic oversight, teaching capacity and support to maintain high-quality learning and outcomes. This review should also ensure that courses with practicums or work-integrated learning have an adequate number and quality of placements with appropriate supervision. The balance of continuing and casual staff must support consistent teaching quality and reliable access to individual student assistance.

Recommendation 6

6.85The committee recommends that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency develop a monitoring and reporting framework for course quality and staffing, and establish an ongoing program of course monitoring to provide continued assurance of quality and appropriate staffing.

Recommendation 7

6.92The committee recommends that the Australian Government, as part of its commitment to modernise and strengthen the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency's (TEQSA's) powers:

introduce an explicit requirement for TEQSA to consider matters relevant to the interests of students and the preservation of Australia's reputation for quality higher education as part of its regulatory function; and

introduce a positive duty on providers to take reasonable and proportionate actions to comply with the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021.

Recommendation 8

6.97The committee recommends that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency develop a statement of expectations that sets out the key considerations which academic governance processes should oversee in their internal quality assurance. This should include ratios of continuing vs casual staff, experience of teaching staff including PhD candidates and subject coordinators. It should also set out expectations of regular reporting to the governing body.