Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay said he would recommend to the University Senate on June 5 that it accepts a proposal to defer the introduction of full-fee places for Australian students beyond 1998.
He said a process of wide consultation within the University had persuaded the strategic planning committee to recommend deferral at this time, a position which was endorsed by the Academic Board after debate at its meeting on May 19.
Professor Hay, who chairs the strategic planning committee, said that while recommending against the introduction of full-fee places for Australian undergraduates in 1998, the committee proposed that the matter should be kept under review, based on advice from faculties on levels of demand and capacity, consultation with professional groups and market research.
Professor Hay said the strategic planning committee had recognised that the probable demand for undergraduate fee paying places was limited to a small number of high-demand professional courses, and before any introduction, detailed consultation with the professions would be required to avoid oversupply.
However, there were also uncertainties because of the fluid state of government policy which may be modified further by the outcomes of the West Committee of Review of Higher Education Financing and Policy.
Further, the availability of an additional 185 HECs-liable places in 1998 would also moderate demand.
Academic Board president Professor Lister said that the Board, while voting to defer full-fee access to quota places, had supported the option of a repeat offering of subjects on a full-fee basis in a summer semester to allow accelerated progress or catch up on subjects that had been missed. Students would always be provided with opportunities at other times to complete the subjects on a HECS-liable basis.
Professor Hay said debate at both at the committee stages and at the Academic Board had highlighted two key issues - the importance of maintaining the academic integrity of the University courses and of ensuring equitable treatment of full-fee-paying and non-full-fee students.
Professor Hay praised the collegial processes through which the Academic Board had taken account of the particular circumstances of the University of Queensland without being swayed by positions adopted by other universities.
He said the University had other initiatives which were of more immediate importance including the opening a new campus at Ipswich in 1999.
For further information, contact Professor Hay, telephone 07 3365 1300.
