At a time when Australian and global higher education is undergoing major change, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic argues that a Liberal party suggestion that some regional universities ought to close would be short-sighted and problematic.

 

Political scientist Associate Professor Dominic O’Sullivan at the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Bathurst, defends regional universities in an article titled 'Australian higher education: regional universities under a Coalition Government', which was published in the Australian Universities Review last week (Volume 5, number 1, February 2013).

 

“Projected student enrolment growth places the Australian higher education system on the precipice of significant change, leading to debates about how the system should respond,” Professor O’Sullivan said.

 

“One suggested policy change is that resources be redirected from non-research intensive regional universities to other institutions.

 

“The Coalition’s education spokesperson has outlined a vision for Australian higher education which contemplates the closure of some universities in regional Australia and the diminution in status of others to teaching-only institutions.

 

 “I argue that there are sufficient market and political rationales to protect and justify the continuation of regional universities in their present form as both teaching and research institutions.