National Context for Learning and Teaching

The Higher Education Support Act 2003 also known as the Nelson Reforms will have significant effects on learning and teaching at the University of Sydney. The reform package emphasises the importance of teaching and learning, particularly at the undergraduate level. The Higher Education Support Act 2003 is based on four imperatives:

• sustainability – financial viability, increasing capacity to generate non government funds and to address labour market needs.
• quality –introducing performance based funds to recognise quality in teaching and learning, and for external audit requirements.
• equity – increasing participation and improving outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• diversity – through targeted performance-based incentives, encouraging greater differentiation between universities.

Through these reforms the government expects universities to provide students with skills and appropriate knowledge which will meet their own needs and expectations as well as those of employers and professional associations.

The higher education reforms put greater emphasis on learning and teaching through the allocation of funds through specific program initiatives.

• The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education will allocate funds to foster and support improvement in learning and teaching.
• Learning and Teaching Performance Fund has been established to reward those institutions that best demonstrate excellence in learning and teaching as specified by a set of performance indicators that relate to student satisfaction, outcomes and success. Funds will be allocated on the basis of recommendations from an Expert Panel and advice from DEST.
• The Australian Awards for University Teaching will be increased in number to over 200 in order to improve the status of teaching in universities.