Students expect a quality education and a rewarding experience at a university that operates with integrity, equity and respect. And – as the leading voice for people who work in higher education in Australia – we think this is exactly what students should get!
We know that student learning conditions are determined by staff working conditions and that’s why we’d love your support to help us build better universities.
While our universities continue to produce world-leading research, we’re seeing the student experience suffer, as teaching and support staff struggle with increasing workloads and larger class sizes.
The higher education sector has become one of the most casualised sectors in Australia, with only one in three higher education staff in permanent, ongoing jobs, further disrupting the quality of education for students.
More than a decade of public funding cuts have also led to increasing degree costs for domestic students and an over-reliance on income from international student fees, distorting university priorities.
On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deliberate exclusion of the sector from the JobKeeper program, saw the loss of tens of thousands of university jobs across the country.
Staff are being stretched to breaking point.
Urgent reform is needed to ensure Australia’s higher education sector can provide world-leading education, research and innovation into the future.
Universities open minds, develop skills and pave career paths. We must prioritise the quality of this education – for students, for our economy and for our society, which relies on well-trained workers and well-educated citizens in order to grow and thrive.
Better universities are built on better workplaces, and through the Universities Review process we now have a chance to make a difference and shape the future of higher education.
Whether you are a future or current student – or if you care about the future of our universities – sign the petition for better universities so we can make a difference, together.