Securing a sustainable future for Australian universities through mergers

Universities Australia reports in "Critical challenges in Australia’s university sector: securing a sustainable future" that almost two-thirds of university revenue is from student (directly & via government subsidies) and this is falling. At the same time universities have fewer casual staff, thus less scope to quickly cut costs. I suggest it is time for universities to consolidate and professionalize. Teaching can no longer be left as something researchers do in their spare time and for which they need no expertise or qualifications. Also universities can adopt efficient blended learning techniques. The alternative is that students will go elsewhere for their education: to commercial for-profit arms of international universities in Australia, or vocational sector, or abroad, either in person or online. When I wanted to learn about education and there was no suitable program in Australia, I chose to study online abroad, which turned out to be slightly cheaper.

Australian Universities Campaign Against International Student Cutbacks Takes to the Airwaves

Universities Australia has ramped up its "Universites Matter" campaign, with  advertisements on broadcast TV.  The advertisement depicts research helping Australian health and industry. There is no direct mention of recent government moves to restrict the numbers of international students, but clearly the campaign is being run in response. 

Half jokingly I had previously suggested dressing students in high visibility vests and medical scrubs and show them building houses and caring for the aged, which is essentially what this campaign is does. Universities have been relatively restrained in response to government restrictions on international students. Campaigns by industries such as mining, when threatened by government action, have been far more direct. Government members and ministers will have made a careful political calculation that votes from being seen to cracking down on foreigners will play well with the electorate. Universites, I suggest, need to remind voters that it is themselves, their friends and families, who will suffer as a result, from loss of jobs, income and services.