There has been much critical comment in recent years about the tensions between the regulation imposed on public universities and the flexibility needed to compete effectively in international and national markets for students and funding. In the partisan world of politics each side points the finger at the other as the author of "too…

Australian higher education has experienced considerable controversy over issues of academic freedom in its history, but the equilibrium reached in the 1960s and 1970s is now threatened by a trend toward private ownership and participation in institutional matters and the threat to institutional and faculty autonomy that accompanies it. (MSE)

After a comparison of institutional autonomy and government influence patterns in Australian and United States higher education institutions, it is concluded that variety in balances is possible and does exist. These balances can be altered to suit state needs and also free independent institutions for their own purposes. (MSE)

The origins and development of the free market theory of education are examined, and the problems in the trend toward increased privatization and reduced public funding of higher education are discussed, especially for the Australian system. (MSE)

The so-called binary system of postsecondary education in Australia, a subject of recent criticism, is found to be less a matter of concern than the related funding issues and concern for equitable support of all sectors. (MSE)

Fiscal problems facing Australian higher education, the trend toward private ownership of institutions and participation in institutional matters, and political and financial consequences are discussed. Private sector assistance and influence, policy problems in the push for foreign student enrollments, and the changes occurring within institution…

Replacement of Australia's binary system, which separates the roles of colleges and universities, is discussed in this seminar report. In addition to seven seminar papers, information is provided on the Australian higher education system, including access, the curriculum, research, fiscal accountability, and program relevance and quality. In the…

The provisions in Australia's 1993 Higher Education Budget Statement regarding equity, diversity, and educational quality are examined. The discussion draws on current models of governance of public and private systems to examine ways in which the federal government has imposed accountability mechanisms on institutions. (Author/MSE)

Australia's higher education system reform, the booming overseas market, and unmet domestic demand have provided opportunities for private higher education. The growth of private provision, federal and state government responses, and pressures for subsidy and regulation have hastened development of a "peripheral private sector."…