The Hand That Taketh Away, Taketh Away. (December 21, 2005)

    The preoccupation by the Federal Government, the universities and the media with legislation proscribing the charging of extra academic fees by the universities continues to draw attention away from the fundamental problems facing the universities regarding staffing, infrastructure and balanced curricula.

But there's more.

The Australian now reports, "While institutions explore funding options to replace $162 million a year in student services fees, internal Department of Education, Science and Training [DEST] documents reveal they will be able to draw on some commonwealth grants but not others to bridge the gap.

Apparently DEST's generosity is something of a cleft stick. It has determined that the core Commonwealth Grants Scheme can be used to fund non-academic student services, and while funds for capital projects, some research infrastructure programs, scholarships and superannuation grants and all contributions from Australian students through HECS-style schemes are off limits, "universities will be able to tap into block research funds from programs such as the Research Training Scheme and Institutional Grants Scheme, the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund, the Workplace Productivity Program and equity programs to fund student services."

Remember that antiquated view of universities being seats of learning and places of fundamental research in the arts, humanities and sciences. Can't have been so... a pipe dream, certainly not federal government priorities.