University of South Australia | Developments & News

[dbl96]

I'm very surprised why this is even being considered given that the majority of people don't even want it to happen.

A friend who is an academic at an interstate institution told me that UofA was floundering across the board even before Covid ripped away all their full fee paying internationals, and this is more about keeping UofA alive than anything else.

That's what people always say, but Listy's post above would suggest otherwise.

[Llessur2002]

Annual reports are freely available online. I think COVID has presented some challenges but I don't think you'll find anything to suggest any of the state's unis are in serious trouble.

[SRW]

COVID caused a bit of a reckoning at UofA. It's currently course correcting through an organisational restructure that the other two unis completed versions of years ago. As indicated, UofA is behind on many fronts, but all three unis are sustainable*. The argument lays with whether there are unrealised opportunities at large scale.

(*at least no less sustainable than the sector as a whole. There are some kinks in enrolment levels post-pandemic that will take a few years to work through the system, as well as ongoing impacts from the Coalition's 2021 JRG changes.)

[abc]

Universities these days in this country are all about pushing through the highest volume of full fee paying students as possible rather than providing elite academic education. Majority of those being overseas students from places like China.
Standards have dropped and students are often provided pass grades that would've otherwise failed in bygone eras. I know for a fact this is done systematically.
Little wonder they're churning out NPCs en masse and local innovation is at an all time low. I wouldn't advise anyone to attend one of these universities unless it was required to gain a certificate to practice a profession.

[Nathan]

I guess time to merge the UniSA and Adelaide Uni threads. Story dropped at 8:43pm Saturday night, which is a time that well reasoned and popular announcements are always made.

Historic merger of the universities of Adelaide and South Australia gets green light

A long-vaunted merger of the universities of Adelaide and South Australia has the green light after being backed by both councils and almost $450m in state government funds.

Premier Peter Malinauskas will on Sunday announce the government and universities have signed an heads of agreement to create the new Adelaide University after a feasibility study outlined “compelling” benefits.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we are seizing it,” Mr Malinauskas said.

The new university is forecast to generate an extra $500m annually for the state economy by 2034, create an extra 1200 jobs and educate more than 70,000 students – about 13,000 more than today’s combined total.

Also by 2034, the universities’ feasibility study forecast it would attract 6000 extra international students, generate an extra $100m in research revenue annually and help an extra 800 low socio-economic people into study.

The Liberal Opposition, which Mr Malinauskas hopes will support law changes needed for the merger to proceed, has demanded clear details of the plan’s cost to taxpayers and economic return to the state.

Mr Malinauskas on Sunday will reveal a state funding package to back the merger including:

• $300m to establish two state-owned perpetual funds enshrined in legislation and invested in Funds SA.
• ONE is a $200m fund to back research.
• THE other is a $100m student support fund to encourage enrolments from low socio-economic groups.
• BUYING university land with $114.5m, involving $64.5m for the UniSA Magill campus and $50m for occupation rights for a surplus part of its Mawson Lakes campus.
• ANOTHER $30m over three years to attract international students to Adelaide University.

Both universities have committed to no compulsory redundancies or retrenchments because of the new university, ahead of its expected January 2026 opening, or for 18 months after that.

In an interview with the Sunday Mail, Mr Malinauskas argued the measures achieved his policy objectives of building international student numbers, growing research capacity, as urged by a SA Productivity Commission report, and enhancing access to higher education for regions and outer suburban Adelaide.

The funding package would remain on the government’s balance sheet and not add to debt, with the universities getting the returns on the $300m investments, while the land purchase is designed to add to government assets.

“The government was only ever willing to support the endeavour, financially, through carefully calibrated policy. that minimises the impact on the budget, but helps realise the collective aspirations of the universities and the government combined,” Mr Malinauskas told the Sunday Mail.

Mr Malinauskas vowed the new university would be “the largest educator of domestic students in Australia and will have the scale and resources to be sustainably positioned in the top 100 in the world”.

“We will sustainably have one of Australia’s best and top ranked universities here in our state. Importantly, this new university will be accessible to everyone with the capacity to succeed,” he said.

“This is an idea which has been talked about for years and years. The time for talk is over, the time for action has arrived.”

The government’s Commission of Inquiry into universities – a cornerstone election promise – will now be axed because of the Adelaide and UniSA agreement to merge.
Instead, the government will introduce The Adelaide University Act 2023 to parliament, which is required because universities are established under state law.

The Magill campus purchase is likely to trigger ongoing questions about open space, although UniSA insists it has long held sale plans.

The site will be leased back to UniSA at a peppercorn rent for as long as needed, while courses are relocated.

The state government will develop “a detailed master plan for the future use” of the site.

The Mawson Lakes campus will continue to operate and the new Adelaide University has expansion plans in the northern suburbs.

Deputy Premier Susan Close said the combined university would have a “new contemporary curriculum with flexible entry requirements and learning aligned to the needs of industry and professions”.

In a joint statement, Adelaide and UniSA chancellors Catherine Branson and Pauline Carr said: “Our councils found the benefits of combining the two universities to create a new Adelaide University to be significant and in the best interests of each of our institutions, as well as the state of South Australia.”

Also in a joint statement, Adelaide and UniSA vice-chancellors Peter Hoj and David Lloyd said: “We believe the new institution will, in the medium and longer term, be of higher national and international standing than anything we could achieve individually. It will be better for our students, our staff and our community.”

Merger critics have warned of staff and resource cuts, highlighting that some of the world’s top institutions are of similar size to the state’s existing universities.
Five UniSA staff town hall meetings have been scheduled from Thursday, July 6, to discuss the merger.

The universities last Decemberinked an unprecedented deal to start a merger process, including agreement on name, leadership and starting date.

The statement’s terms included no net job losses, a new brand and an immediate initial “co-leadership model” for two vice-chancellors (one from each university) until the combined university appoints one in an open and competitive process.

The level of agreement between two of the state’s three universities went far beyond their scuttled talks in 2012 and 2018.

It triggered the feasibility study, business case and financial plan phase, ahead of the final merger deal.

Mr Malinauskas faces a challenge passing the necessary legislative changes through the upper house, because the Greens are likely to push for a parliamentary inquiry that could delay the combined universities’ opening by up to a year.

He is likely to focus on convincing the Liberals to back the merger, which deputy leader John Gardner on Wednesday said would require the “government to be upfront and clear about how much money this is going to cost and what taxpayers are going to get for their money”.

In parliament on Tuesday, Mr Malinauskas declared theuniversity merger decision a test of the parliament and the state’s resolve to make bold decisions for the future or slump into a “holdback mentality”.

Treasurer Stephen Mullighan told parliament on Wednesday that his June 15 state budget had been prepared with “sufficient room to make a contribution to the universities in the event that they should agree amongst themselves to pursue a merger”.

In his first major economic policy release as Labor leader, Mr Malinauskas in October, 2020, vowed merger talks between Adelaide’s universities would be triggered by a Labor government, which would effectively compel them to combine if deemed in the state interest.

[[Shuz]]

Nobody asked for this except the university corporate big wigs. I literally don't know one student or staff member who are in support of this.

This will cost Mali the election. Absolutely terrible policy.

[gnrc_louis]

This merger is going to be incredibly messy and made worse by the fact the state government are spending $444 million on making it happen. Higher education is a federal responsibility - it's insane that the state government are spending this money on it, whilst completely neglecting state responsibilities like public transport. Malinauskas is the most dangerous type of politician: devoid of any substance, obsessed with photo ops and clearly thinks of himself as always the smartest person in the room. Him and Morrison are two peas in a pod.

[rev]

This merger is going to be incredibly messy and made worse by the fact the state government are spending $444 million on making it happen. Higher education is a federal responsibility - it's insane that the state government are spending this money on it, whilst completely neglecting state responsibilities like public transport. Malinauskas is the most dangerous type of politician: devoid of any substance, obsessed with photo ops and clearly thinks of himself as always the smartest person in the room. Him and Morrison are two peas in a pod.

I don't really see the similarities between Mali and SCOMO. Be thankful we don't have a fuckwit like Albanese running the state, bad enough we have him running the country.

Personally I think the following is what's driving Mali's interest/support of this merger...

The new university is forecast to generate an extra $500m annually for the state economy by 2034, create an extra 1200 jobs and educate more than 70,000 students – about 13,000 more than today’s combined total.

Also by 2034, the universities’ feasibility study forecast it would attract 6000 extra international students, generate an extra $100m in research revenue annually and help an extra 800 low socio-economic people into study.

Mr Malinauskas on Sunday will reveal a state funding package to back the merger including:
$300m to establish two state-owned perpetual funds enshrined in legislation and invested in Funds SA.
ONE is a $200m fund to back research.
THE other is a $100m student support fund to encourage enrolments from low socio-economic groups.
BUYING university land with $114.5m, involving $64.5m for the UniSA Magill campus and $50m for occupation rights for a surplus part of its Mawson Lakes campus.
ANOTHER $30m over three years to attract international students to Adelaide University.

Both Universities have come to a conclusion on a merger, and the state government is picking it up because they see an economic potential with it, that they'd be stupid to ignore and will obviously promote it for political gain against a weak, inept and completely devoid of policies opposition party.

If the state government is going to spend $444 million on this, but this merger is going to generate an additional $500 million annually, plus increase in research revenue, then that's a positive for the economy. Extra university places, especially for locals and particularly for kids from poorer upbringings, is even better.

Has anyone, even the opposition, asked what the economic reality for both Universities is? Whether one or both can continue to operate let alone improve offerings and services? I personally don't know, but I'd think that Spiers with his annoying voice and persona would be asking questions like that maybe?

[Prodical]

I am not sure why this merger has been pursued relentlessly. The culture within the three SA unis is different (and complementary). I would think that the estimated increase in the institutional income that have been used in favour of the merger are (best case) guesswork and (worst case) a bit farcical.

No leading university in the world rely on their staff and student size for rankings, as if that provides some form of prime advantage. The top global universities are generally smaller (around the size of Adelaide uni) and rely on quality staff, quality research and a long-term focus on excellence.

This is a sad weekend for tertiary education in SA. Expect several years of chaos, jockeying for senior positions, cuts, competition and creation of empires, no new buildings (as they "rationalise") and the global rankings to drop.

If only there was the same zeal for merging some of the 20 bloated and expensive Adelaide councils.

[rev]

Was just on the news, apparently it will be the largest University in Australia, and is the biggest merger of its kind in the world.

[ozisnowman]

Treating education as a BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY is totally wrong. We need to ensure our kids are being educated and to a world class (or at least a decent standard) rather than worrying about how many international students the university can lure or how many research dollars the unit can lure.

Does not surprise me however this is the approach our gov is taking when you also see that the top 5 richest private schools are making more than the bottom 300 public schools its not about the education its about the DOLLARS.

Good to see our tax payer dollars hard at work on making the RICH - RICHER, whilst the poor are told to suck it in during these times of rising food prices, power prices, council fees, mortgages etc.

You know its getting bad when an elderly couple on the pension is not able to pay the rent and when crying out for help is told to go out and buy a tent.

[Saltwater]

whatchu talking about, the annual budget of the two universities is around $1.6 billion annually combined, of course its about the dollars, and the best outcomes possible for students and taxpayers.

[[Shuz]]

Universities should be about the best outcomes for the students NOT taxpayers.

[abc]

Universities should be about the best outcomes for the students NOT taxpayers.

lol
that hasn't been the case for 30 years

[rhino]

Universities should be about the best outcomes for the students NOT taxpayers.

lol
that hasn't been the case for 30 years

That doesn't make it untrue. Somewhere along the line we dropped the ball, we need to fix that.