Mind the gap: Universities as employers of choice

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 29: Critical Visions Thinking, learning and researching in higher education

July, 2006, 392 pages
Published by
Alison Bunker and Iris Vardi
ISBN
0 908557 69 8
Abstract 

Universities have been greatly unsettled by rapid change and increasing demands from government, community and students. As public institutions which enable knowledge rich nations, they carry a strong obligation to reflect the shifting expectations of their various stakeholders. However, the evolving context of higher education is generating some conflicting drivers of higher education change. On the one hand, Federal government funding is forcing more creative ways of building economically viable tertiary practices while students are seeking increased individualised support and presence from their university teachers. Similarly, the university sector regards its international positioning as increasingly critical while local communities are agitating for stronger relationships and partnerships with their higher education bodies.

Keywords: Keynote Address