Higher education in the bush: build it and they will come

Regional universities need to build up their own communities to generate the critical mass vital for their institutional survival, an Australian discussion paper argues.

The “framing” paper, released on 23 January as a first step towards a regional, rural and remote education strategy, says that bush campuses deliver better satisfaction and graduate employment rates than their metropolitan counterparts.

“Despite these outcomes, regional communities sometimes struggle to attract university students and graduates,” the paper says.

“Addressing this challenge by strengthening regional universities could create a virtuous cycle where more people and potential entrepreneurs are attracted, which in turn may attract more employers and job opportunities to the area.”

Prepared to inform consultation on the strategy, the paper says that regional Australians are about half as likely as their city peers to have degrees or high-level vocational qualifications by the time they turn 25.

It says that non-metropolitan people are less likely to seek university entry, even if they have equivalent school results, while those who start degrees are more likely to drop out. It attributes the problem to five “major challenges”: fewer local study options; financial, emotional and social problems; low aspiration; entrenched disadvantage; and a dearth of people and jobs.

“Strengthening the capacity of regional universities and supporting their research capabilities is part of this challenge,” the paper says. “Attracting more students and researchers to regional areas has the potential to drive growth in high-skilled jobs, and reduce the disparity.”

The paper was fashioned by an expert advisory group headed by Denis Napthine, a former premier of Victoria. It poses 13 questions designed to elicit “practical policy suggestions”.

While sidestepping the contentious issue of whether visa policies should be framed to shepherd international students into regional areas, it asks for policy proposals to attract more foreign students to the bush.

It also suggests that targets should be adopted for regional tertiary attainment, despite the unpopularity of numerical educational targets with the current federal government.

Dan Tehan, the education minister, urged Australians to “have their say” on the strategy. “We want to hear practical ideas,” he said.

People have only slightly over a week to share their wisdom, however, with submissions due by 1 February. The advisory group intends to reflect them in “key issues papers” to be released next month.

The rushed timetable will add to the workload of university administrations, with government reviews also under way into provider category standards, the Australian Qualifications Framework, free speech and vocational education. Analysts also have until mid-February to respond to the government’s proposed reallocation of postgraduate and sub-bachelor places.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com