About Universities Australia

Universities Australia was established on 22 May 2007 as the industry peak body representing the university sector.

Universities Australia represents 38 of Australia's universities in the public interest, both nationally and internationally.

Members of Universities Australia are the universities, represented by their Chief Executive Officer - the Vice-Chancellor.

Universities Australia strives to:

• advance and promote the benefits of Australian Universities to the nation;
• support Australian Universities in the performance of their roles;
• develop policy positions on higher education matters through discussing higher
• education issues, including teaching, research and research training;
• advance internationalisation of Australian Universities;
• provide information for and about Australian Universities;
• provide services and programs to Australian Universities including the negotiation of common purchasing arrangements;
• promote the welfare of students, staff and graduates of Australian Universities;
• facilitate opportunities for Australian Universities (in particular, their students, staff and graduates) to develop their knowledge and skills;
• study the problems and needs of Australian Universities and their relations with other education institutions, organisations and the community and to encourage and sponsor their study; and
• assist in the further development of Australian Universities.

Universities Australia Foundations

The organisation that has ultimately become Universities Australia was formed at a conference held in Sydney in May 1920 of Australia's then six universities as the Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (view the full list of AVCC Presidents/Vice-Presidents since 1920).

In 1966, reflecting the influence of the federal bureaucracy and Parliament on decisions concerning higher education, the AVCC secretariat was re-located from Melbourne to Australia's national capital, Canberra.

Universities Australia is funded by annual contributions from the universities of its 38 members. It meets four times a year to discuss policy matters of interest to the Australian universities.

The current Chair is Professor Richard Larkins, Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University.

The role and activities of Universities Australia

The role of Universities Australia has developed considerably over the years, reflecting the changing nature of and environment for universities both nationally and internationally.

Advocacy and Government Relations

Universities Australia acts as a consultative and advisory body for all university affairs, making submissions to public inquiries of interest to the university sector, and preparing statements on major issues. It seeks to influence politicians, the community and opinion leaders, in order to secure the best possible outcomes from Government funding and regulatory decisions, and the actions of other groups and individuals related to the university secotr.

Universities Australia has representatives, or nominated people, on some 67 external national and international bodies of import to higher education. These include the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, the Association of Commonwealth Universities Council, the Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board, the Research Quality Framework Development Advisory Group, the Australian Medical Council, and the National Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee.

International collaboration

Universities Australia maintains strong links with universities and education and education-related organisations internationally.

Its supports universities' international activities through a framework of multilateral and bilateral cooperation at the sector-wide level. It has formal agreements with counterparts in Austria, Chile, China, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sweden and Thailand. These agreements promote links between Australian universities and higher education institutions in the respective country. Under these agreements a suite of programs and projects has been developed to promote educational, scientific and cultural cooperation.

Universities Australia maintains close informal contact with the European University Association and with its counterpart organisations in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, South Africa and Taiwan; and is an international affiliate of the American Council on Education.

Universities Australia plays a coordinating role for the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) program, a scheme to encourage student and staff exchanges within the region. It has also developed the UMAP Credit Transfer Scheme the aim of which is to assist UMAP members and their universities to develop standard arrangements for academic recognition of exchange studies undertaken by UMAP students.

Information provision and other services to Members

Universities Australia supports regular meetings of senior university staff in areas including education policy, indigenous education issues, research and research training, international issues, and university management and administration.

Universities Australia conducts a Staff Development and Training Program that focuses on leadership in universities, catering for both academic and general staff at a variety of levels. The Program attracts participants from Australian and other universities in the region. The target groups for residential programs (usually of four or five days duration) range from senior university leaders (Deputy and Pro Vice-Chancellors) through to middle management level and below. The Program also includes an annual 'Women in Leadership' Course and Workshop.

Through its subsidiary, Higher Ed Systems, Universities Australia provides services to assist university management, such as software purchasing and negotiation of copyright and travel contracts.

Related Organisations

Universities Australia has assisted in the development of the following organisations concerned with higher education that are independent of Universities Australia.

Higher Ed Services (HES) is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Universities Australia, HES negotiates and manages contracts for the provision of software and administrative systems for the university sector. The Chair of HES is Mr Brian Spencer, Registrar and Vice-Principal of Macquarie University. The Chief Executive Officer is Ms Cynthia Hansen.

Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet) was established by the AVCC in 1990 to connect all Australian universities, the CSIRO and subsequently other research organisations nationally and internationally using integrated high capacity telecommunications networks. AARNet became a separate company in 1999. The Chair of AARNet is Professor Deane Terrell, Visiting Fellow, Australian National University. The Chief Executive Officer is Mr Chris Hancock.

Australian Higher Education Industrial Association (AHEIA) is an employer organisation registered under the Industrial Relations Act 1988 (Commonwealth). It represents the industrial interests of universities and several other institutions operating in the higher education sector.

AHEIA is responsible for protecting the industrial relations interests of its members at State and Federal levels. It advises members on award and general industrial matters and represents them, on either an individual or collective basis, before industrial tribunals, and internal disciplinary and appeal committees. In addition, AHEIA formulates policies in consultation with its members and negotiates with industrial unions in accordance with such policies. 31 universities are represented by the AHEIA. The President is Professor Kerry Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President of Edith Cowan University. The Executive Director is Mr Ian Argall.

Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) membership currently includes 18 research, academic, governmental and other groups concerned with the conduct and/or funding of animal-based research and teaching. ANZCCART was established by the AVCC, CSIRO and NHMRC in 1987. The Chair of ANZCCART is Professor Lee Astheimer, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Wollongong. The Director is Dr Rory Hope.

Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) GCA is the country's leading authority on the supply of and demand for new graduates in Australia. Its Board includes representatives from industry, government, Universities Australia, the Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) and the National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS [Aust] Inc).

As well as conducting the annual Graduate Destination Survey, Course Experience Questionnaire and the Postgraduate Course Experience Questionnaire, the GCA produces and distributes a wide range of publications and videos. It is also responsible for the development and maintenance of the Gradlink website in consultation with its stakeholders. The Chair of the GCA is Professor Dennis Gibson AO, Chancellor of RMIT University. The Chief Executive Officer is Ms Cindy Tilbrook.

IDP Education Australia is a world leader in international education and development services. It is a global organisation with more than 90 organisations around the world and activities in some 50 countries. Owned by the 38 Australian universities and representing all education sectors, IDP is an independent not-for-profit organisation. The President of IDP is Professor Denise Bradley AO, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia. Its Chief Executive Officer is Mr Tony Pollock.

National Quality Assurance

Universities Australia members hold key positions on two national authorities established to ensure continuing world-class quality assurance in Australia's universities.

Australian Qualifications Framework Advisory Board (AQFAB) provides advice to Commonwealth and State Ministers for education on the Australian Qualifications Framework. The Framework is a unified systems of 13 national qualifications in schools, vocational education and training and the higher education sector (mainly universities). Universities Australia is represented on the AQFAB Board by Professor Sally Walker, Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University and Dr Glenn Withers, Chief Executive Officer of Universities Australia.

Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) is an independent, not-for-profit national agency that promotes, audits and reports on quality assurance in Australian higher education. It also conducts quality audits of self-crediting Australian higher education institutions and State and Territory Government higher education accreditation authorities on a five-yearly cycle. It operates independently of Governments and the higher education sector under the direction of a board of directors. AUQA is owned by and receives core, operational funding from the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for higher education.

AUQA's responsibilities do not include investigating student and/or staff complaints about individual universities. Such matters remain the responsibility of individual institutions. Self-accrediting higher education institutions are represented on the AUQA board by Professor James McWha, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Adelaide, Professor Alan Pettigrew, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of The University of New England, Professor Bill Lovegrove, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southern Queensland, and Professor Ian O'Connor, Vice-Chancellor and President of Griffith University.