This article questions the use of the term 'siloed' to describe certain degrees or subjects in the Australian university curriculum. Education Minister Dan Tehan used the term as part of a justification of a re-set of funding priorities for university education from 2021 which he announced in June 2020. The Minister partly turned his argument on…

In 2018 Australia's leading national university, the Austrailian National University (ANU), decided to break off consultation with the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation over a bequest to fund a course on Western civilisation. It is not every day that a university decides to turn down a $3 billion bequest to fund a humanities program (Groch,…

Martin Davies' paper seeks to vindicate the efforts of the Ramsay Centre to fund courses in 'Western Civilisation' at selected Australian universities. He begins by lamenting the rejection of vast amounts of philanthropic money for the humanities, and all too quickly dismisses the stated grounds for the Australian National University's decision to…

This paper presents a compilation of personal reflections from 66 contributors on the impact of, and responses to, COVID-19 in accounting education in 45 different countries around the world. It reveals a commonality of issues, and a variability in responses, many positive outcomes, including the creation of opportunities to realign learning and…

The move to align curriculum has been an important aspect of endeavours to improve and reform higher education. This article places alignment reform at La Trobe University in its institutional context. The reform of generalist degrees programmes is emphasised. The article first traces a problem of curriculum anarchy which La Trobe shared with many…

Discusses the impact of the women's movement in New Zealand as reflected by the introduction of women's studies programs. Examines the origins of women's studies courses, relationships with institutions, and containment/repression issues. Advocates a transdisciplinary approach to women's studies which synthesizes information from multiple…

As Australian higher education advances, new ways of thinking about the college curriculum need to be developed to meet the changing imperatives of the global environment and address the need for student-centered instruction. Internationalization tends to destabilize conventional frameworks of curriculum design and implementation at local,…

An Australian conference for lecturers in educational administration was disrupted by a group dubbed "The Empty Set," which explored the political nature of knowledge and practice in educational administration. The group claims that most of educational administration's major research themes are derived from noneducational areas. Stating…

It is argued that ethics should be taught in general and subject-specific curricula in Australian universities and that recent developments in Australia give ethics-enhanced priority. Current initiatives and specific administrative and instructional issues are discussed. An interdisciplinary approach to applied ethics instruction is advocated over…

Argues that the current move at Australian universities toward instrumental programs of work-based learning threatens the existence of the liberal university, where knowledge is pursued predominantly for its own sake. Four dominant discourses--the liberal, the utilitarian, the reformist, and the liberal-vocational models--are identified as forces…

Two central features of Australian universities are a strong research base and structural organization reflecting a close relationship between teaching and research. Current policy deliberations have produced research policy recommendations for increased centralization, coordination, selectivity, and concentration of research and funding that are…

It is recommended that librarians be involved in college curriculum development. The role of libraries has not been seriously considered for distance study, and there are problems of library service delivery in sparsely populated rural areas. Great effort should be made to extend equivalent services in distance education to preserve educational…

A discussion of second-language curricula in South Australian universities looks at sources of influence on course offerings and content, including institutional administrative structures, institutional approach to organization of the curriculum, the recent reorganization of Australian postsecondary institutions, and government policy. (MSE)

The advantages and disadvantages of college mergers are examined in the context of Australia's experience, and the opportunities offered by cooperative rather than adversarial change are emphasized. (MSE)