Problems with Australian universities

In the conservative magazine Quadrant there is a provocative piece Why Australian universities are just not good enough, by James Allan, a Professor in the law school at University of Queensland, where I also work. It pains me to admit that his criticisms and concerns are largely accurate. Allan is to be affirmed for having the honesty and courage to speak out.

Some of the problems include:

• lack of mobility of undergraduates [students just go to the best university in their home city]
• lack of real competition between universities within major cities
• large first year classes 
• an acceptance of students doing part-time paid work that distracts from studies
• centralised decision making
• a fixation on university rankings 
• a fixation on getting research grants [regardless of whether they are actually needed]
• the burdensome grant application process
• obscure and inflexible bureaucratic policies that are applied indiscriminately 
• overpaid administrators who have little experience [let alone excellence] at actual teaching and research 

One of several concrete proposals for improvements is greater public accountability and transparency such as publishing 

• the salaries and job descriptions of the most highly paid employees
• the ratios of administrative staff to lecturers