From the archives: When grade distribution still needs a bit of a boost then there is usually no difficulty in finding some basis for extra marks in the thick pile of special-consideration forms sitting on the academic’s desk. The pressure to erode standards is even greater where full-fee-paying overseas students are involved

The main factor behind the groupthink that prevails amongst public university academics is not self-interest but an ignorance of the world outside their institutions. We need new thinking about the future of Australian higher education if the general public, perhaps even governments, is to be re-engaged in the needed reshaping and reform of our tertiary sector

The proportion of Australian university research rated at or above world standard has been rising, but taxpayers, academics and students need to look quite a bit harder before joining the celebration of our universities’ rankings success

We're so much better than those jumped-up, Johnny-come-lately tertiary institutions, say the likes of Australian Catholic University's Greg Craven. A boast worse than hollow, it is a view at odds with both fact and the tertiary sector's future

There has been a great deal of recent hand-wringing about […]