Policy Paper

9 Enhancing collaboration and structural reform

• 9.1 Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund

A major theme of the Review was the call by higher education stakeholders for more collaboration between universities and other education providers, industry, business, regions and communities. Collaboration can assist partners to fulfil their missions in innovative ways, increase the diversity of course offerings and other services available to students, and maximise the efficiency with which public funding is used.

Collaboration between individual higher education institutions can promote survival of low-demand but nationally or regionally important courses, and can enhance efficiency of operations for the institutions concerned, for example, in some administrative services. Cross-sectoral collaboration between sectors of the education and training system can respond to labour market demand for new and flexible skill sets, and result in more efficient delivery of education, for example, through shared facilities, and seamless pathways for students. Close relationships with business and industry ensure graduates are prepared for the labour market and that the commercial potential of research and innovation is maximised. Regional initiatives recognise the significant role of universities, particularly those in regional areas, in the economic and social lives of their communities.

top

9.1 Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund

A Collaboration and Structural Reform (CASR) Fund will be established for three years, beginning in 2005, to provide competitive funds to foster collaboration between universities and other universities, business, industry, professional associations, community groups or other relevant organisations; and to encourage innovation within the higher education sector. This Fund will absorb the current Higher Education Innovation Programme (HEIP), with new guidelines and additional funding. The new Fund will honour existing HEIP commitments, and the remaining HEIP funds will become CASR funds.

National priority areas for collaboration will be identified for each round of the programme. The initial priorities will be collaboration:

• in course provision between two or more institutions;

• between vocational education and training provider/s and an institution in course provision or an area related to teaching and learning;

• between universities and their communities, particularly, but not exclusively, regional communities; and

• between universities and business/industry/employers or professional associations.

A total of $36.6 million will be allocated to the Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund between 2005 and 2007, which combines $16.6 million of existing Higher Education Innovation Programme (HEIP) funds with new funds of $20 million.

Return to the top of the page
 

Any comments or queries should be sent to: highered@dest.gov.au
This page was last updated on Tuesday, 04 December 2007

Department of Education, Science and Training
Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia
DEST Web Site Privacy Statement
Disclaimer