A discussion of Australian higher education looks at the nature of quality and its assessment in higher education, particularly in the context of a new national committee on quality assurance. It examines the compatibility of quality management strategies with existing institutional decision-making and management processes. (MSE)

Implications of two trends in Australian higher education are considered. These trends are shift to a fee-for-services system in which the government pays less of the cost of higher education; and move toward deregulation, with elimination of centralized planning and emphasis placed on institutional response to student demand. (MSE)

This paper argues that in the last decade, Australian higher education has moved from a relatively regulated to a largely unregulated model, resulting in reduction of institutional diversity. The advent of external quality assurance processes that reward the traditional notion of universities has further homogenized the system and diluted…

Implications of academic collective bargaining and unionization in Australian higher education are examined in the context of different models of bargaining advocated by the national government and federal opposition. Problems foreseen include diminution of employment conditions, morale, staff quality, and instructional quality as well as…

Issues of privacy, anonymity, and computer security emerging with advancing information technology are outlined, and implications for universities are discussed. Emphasis is on the Australian context and on Australian government and international initiatives concerning privacy. Sensitive information categories are identified, and measures…

This article examines the interplay between universities and governments, within the context of recent changes in the Australian higher education system. The Australian government is urged to fund institutions adequately and encourage diversity. Australian universities are urged to defend their autonomy and distinctive educational missions. (DB)

Upheaval in Australia's university system in recent years can be attributed in large part to two influences dating to 1987: accession of John Dawkins to the Ministry of Employment, Education, and Training and the advent of federal regulation of industrial relations in education, which has undermined the collegial decision-making tradition. (MSE)

The formal regulatory frameworks for higher education in four nations (Australia, Great Britain, Holland, and Sweden) who have recently enacted similar policies are described. Focus is on five areas: (1) higher education system design; (2) planning approaches; (3) funding; (4) outcomes assessment; and (5) government regulation of degrees,…

A discussion of changes in Australian academe resulting from industrial deregulation and collective bargaining in higher education looks first at the history of employment regulation before 1980, then at transformation in the 1980s. Tenure, pay, academic rank and classification, and the impact of industrial law and public educational policy are…