Welcome to 2012: Australian academic developers and student-driven university funding

Abstract

Are there consequences for academic development arising from the move to student-driven funding in the Australian higher education sector from 2012? In a move that has similarities to the UK, Australian government-supported student university funding will, from 2012, attach to students who can select a programme at the university of their choice and take their government funding with them. The authors of the present article note that in both Australia and the UK the organisation of academic development has, in the recent past, been impacted by government initiatives that have consequences for funding. The argument in this article, based on data collected in Australia and the UK, is that 2012’s funding changes will lead to a propensity to reorganise academic development arrangements within universities. University strategic plans will impact on the nature of academic development work and lead to further imposition of key performance indicators on academic developers.