2014-16 Mission-based Compact
Between:
The Commonwealth of Australia
and
University of New England
CONTENTS
4
Context
A. Policy Setting
4
B. The Purpose and Effect of this Compact
4
C. Establishment of the Compact
4
D. The Principles of Commonwealth Funding Support
4
E. The Structure of this Compact
5
Part One: Focus & Mission
6
Part Two: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access and Outcomes
11
Part Three: Innovation and Engagement
15
Part Four: Teaching and Learning
23
Part Five: Research and Research Training
35
Part Six: General Provisions
41
Page 2
This compact is between
The Commonwealth of Australia (Commonwealth) represented by and acting through:
The Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research
Assisted by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and
Tertiary Education (DIICCSRTE)
ABN 77 599 608 295
Of
Industry House
10 Binara Street
Canberra ACT 2601
And
University of New England
ABN 75 792 454 315
A body corporate under The University of New England Act 1993
of
Armidale NSW 2351
(University)
Page 3
CONTEXT
A. Policy Setting
The Australian Government believes all Australians are entitled to a productive, fair and
prosperous life and our higher education system is crucial to achieving this. Universities impart
the skills and knowledge Australians need to realise their personal and professional aspirations
and contribute to the broad economic and knowledge base of our society including the cultural,
health and civic wellbeing of the community.
Over the term of this mission-based compact (compact), Australian universities will confront a
range of opportunities and challenges in fulfilling their social and economic remit. These
opportunities and challenges include, but are not limited to, changing national and international
educational markets, dynamic global financial arrangements including the rise of the Asian
Century, new approaches to teaching and learning, rapidly changing information technologies and
evolving priorities for research and innovation.
Australia’s universities are well equipped to harness the opportunities and meet these challenges
that lie ahead. The 2014-16 compact supports this process by articulating the major policy
objectives and the diverse approaches and commitments universities will adopt to achieve these
strategic goals over the term of the agreement.
B. The Purpose and Effect of this Compact
This compact is an agreement between the Commonwealth and the University. Entering into a
compact is one of the quality and accountability requirements which a higher education provider
must meet under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) as a condition of receiving a
grant. Specifically, subsection 19-110(1) of HESA requires Table A and Table B providers must, in
respect of each year for which a grant is paid to the provider under HESA, enter into a mission
based compact with the Commonwealth for a period which includes that year.
The compact demonstrates the Commonwealth and the University have a shared and mutual
commitment to provide students with high quality educational experiences and outcomes and to
building research and innovation capabilities and international competitiveness.
The compact recognises the University is an autonomous institution with a distinctive mission,
operating within a state or territory, national and international higher education environment.
The purpose of this compact is to provide a strategic framework for the relationship between the
Commonwealth and the University. It sets out how the University’s mission aligns with the
Commonwealth’s goals for higher education, research, innovation, skills development,
engagement and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access and outcomes.
The Commonwealth and the University agree this compact will be published on Commonwealth
websites and may be published on the University website.
C. Establishment of the Compact
The Commonwealth and the University agree the Term of this compact is from 1 January 2014
until 31 December 2016.
D. The Principles of Commonwealth Funding Support
The Commonwealth articulates its vision for the higher education sector, through Transforming
Australia’s Higher Education System (available at the DIICCSRTE website), and the role of
universities in driving our national innovation system, through Powering Ideas (available at the
DIICCSRTE website).
Page 4
In supporting Australia’s universities, the Commonwealth seeks to promote:

academic freedom and institutional autonomy;

a diverse and sustainable higher-education sector;

opportunity for all;

access to university based on merit;

world-class teaching and learning that advances the international standing of Australian
education;

world-class research and research training that advances knowledge, critical thinking and
Australia’s international standing; and

responsiveness to the economic, social and environmental needs of the community, region,
state, nation and the international community through collaborative engagement.
To ensure Australia’s higher education system remains robust and of high quality in a globally
connected and competitive world, the Australian Government has adopted and implemented a
number of system-wide quality measures including establishing the Higher Education Standards
Framework, and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).
E. The Structure of this Compact
Part One provides for the Commonwealth’s focus for the compact and a description of the
University’s Mission Statement and Strategic Priorities.
Part Two provides for matters related to improving access and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people. It contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies and
performance indicators and targets.
Part Three provides for matters related to innovation, industry and skills and engagement. It also
contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies and performance indicators and targets.
Part Four provides for matters related to teaching and learning including student enrolments,
quality, equity and infrastructure. It contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies and
equity targets.
Part Five provides for matters related to research and research training including research
performance and research capability. It contains Commonwealth objectives, university strategies,
performance indicators and targets.
Part Six provides for general provisions of the compact including compact review, privacy,
confidentiality and information sharing, changing the compact and notices.
Page 5
PART ONE: FOCUS & MISSION
The Commonwealth’s Focus for this Compact
The Commonwealth's ambitions for higher education include:

providing opportunities for people from all backgrounds to participate to their full potential and be
supported to do so. This includes supporting the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people through improved access and support arrangements. The Commonwealth is committed to
ensuring the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in undergraduate and
higher degrees by research (HDR), as well as staffing and academic representation, reaches
population parity;

providing students with a stimulating and rewarding higher education experience;

producing graduates with the knowledge, skills and understanding for full participation in society and
the economy;

better aligning higher education and research with the needs of the economy, and building capacity
to respond to future changes in skills needs;

increasing universities’ engagement with all parties and linkages between universities and Australian
businesses in particular;

playing a pivotal role in the national research and innovation system through the generation and
dissemination of new knowledge and through the education, training and development of world class
researchers across a wide range of intellectual disciplines;

improving knowledge transfer and commercialisation outcomes;

consistent with the Asian Century policy framework, ensuring education is at the forefront of
Australia’s engagement with Asia; and

being amongst the leading Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
countries in terms of participation and performance.
In support of these objectives, the Commonwealth encourages universities to consider the following
important measures in their planning and delivery:

developing partnerships with schools and other organisations to improve the participation of people
from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education;

working with business, industry and Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers to provide the
Australian economy with the graduates it needs;

the suite of performance measurement tools being developed through the Advancing Quality in
Higher Education initiative, work on quality in research training, and a feasibility study on research
impact assessment (including the possible implementation of a mechanism, separate from Excellence
in Research for Australia, to evaluate the wider benefits of publicly funded research);

applying the principles and procedures required to support a continuous improvement model for
intellectual property; and

the National Research Investment Plan, including the need for a strategic outlook to address
Australian Government priorities and principles at a national level.
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1
THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION AND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
1.1
The purpose of the University’s Mission
The University's Mission sets out its values and aspirations, what it does and how it can best serve
the interests of its students, staff and key stakeholders. The Commonwealth and the University
recognise the University's Mission may evolve.
The University and the Commonwealth recognise the University is an autonomous institution
which is responsible for the determination of its Mission and for its aspirations and strategies for
their achievement.
1.2
The University’s Mission and Strategic Priorities
UNE is a regionally based, globally networked university that is renowned for the quality of its
student experience and the excellence of its research. UNE was founded with a mission to provide
access to education and research for the regional community. Through this enduring partnership
the University continues to contribute to the region’s economic, social and cultural development
and innovation.
While regionally based, UNE aspires to be known throughout the world for the quality of its oncampus student experience, the accessibility and flexibility of its distance education, and its focus
on research that is of particular significance to rural and regional communities.
The University has long-standing commitment to:
 Providing educational opportunities to people from all backgrounds
 Facilitating access to life-long learning
 Providing the highest quality academic experience
 Producing graduates with the knowledge and skills to participate fully in the workplace
 Building capacity in regional communities in Australia and internationally
 Generating and disseminating new knowledge and research through strategic industry and
government linkages
These objectives reflect both the core of UNE’s mission since its independence in 1953 and the
University’s commitment to the Commonwealth’s ambitions for the 2014-2016 Compact period.
UNE is mid-way through implementing its Strategic Plan 2011-2015 and during the course of the
2014-2016 Compact will complete this phase of its development and begin work on the 20162020 planning cycle. In a context of a rapidly changing higher education sector, nationally and
globally, the next few years will be among the most important in UNE’s history.
UNE’s strategic response to this environment is an ambitious plan to re-build its strengths in the
modern context; radically expand its scope into new ways of reaching students and teaching
them; and become more efficient in its business processes. The current strategic plan sets out five
aspirations:
1. To distinguish ourselves by the quality of our on-campus experience
2. To lead the nation in the innovative use of educational technology for distance education
3. To achieve international distinction in all our specialist fields of research
4. To set the standard for social inclusiveness and access for all to higher education
5. To foster business processes that maximise efficiency, promote a service culture and meet the
needs of students and staff
Educational Offerings
For UNE, the basis for fulfilment of mission starts with the scope of disciplines offered and
extends to include the quality and effectiveness of educational delivery through both content and
pedagogy. Thus, UNE’s priorities and plans for developing or revising educational offerings are
embedded within our strategic plan and detailed within business planning processes.
Intrinsic to planning in this area is UNE’s aim to ensure that our graduates have the knowledge
and skills to engage in life-long learning, meet the demands of employers and professional
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groups, and engage in an internationalised work environment. The course profile has been
refined, with the view to all courses reflecting and advancing these objectives and broadly
aligning with Commonwealth policy objectives and priorities.
Over the past five years UNE has actively sought to increase demand via the development of new
or enhancement of existing offerings. Over this time load has increased by 19% for on-campus
students and 26% for online. Over the course of this 2014-2016 Mission-based Compact it is
envisaged that UNE’s course and load profile will remain stable, albeit with minor changes.
UNE will maintain the focus from these principles:
Undergraduate students: The principles that UNE used to re-develop its course profile to grow
student numbers include:
 a clear link to career directions: i.e. the Bachelors of Psychology, and Criminology and media
and Communication Studies,
 a focus on meeting regional needs: i.e. Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Bachelor of Pharmacy
and
 a focus on meeting current and emergent workforce demand in conjunction with industry
and professional groups: i.e. Bachelors of Exercise and Sport Science, Psychology and
Biomedical Science.
Postgraduate non-research: Most students in this cohort are seeking a new career direction and
the market demand is strongly directed towards courses that lead to career outcomes. Meeting
demand and matching expectation around the allocation of Commonwealth Supported Places
(CSP) is for UNE, like most universities, a delicate balancing act. Criteria have been developed to
guide Schools and Faculties in the development of new courses and to provide the Load
Allocation Committee with a strategy for managing CSP (described in section 4). While demand
for CSP will continue to exceed places during the course of this Compact, UNE expects to convert
much of this excess demand to full fee-paying places. Strong market growth is expected.
Quality of On-Campus Experience
Over 82% of 2012 commencing undergraduate on-campus students have a home address that is
greater than 90 km from Armidale. Our regional location and the dispersed geographic location
of towns in our region means that many students must leave home to commence their studies at
UNE as on-campus residential students.
Over 2014-2016 one of UNE’s main priorities is to make a transformational change to the
residential experience for these students, including improvements to the residential facilities and
substantial upgrades to the infrastructure that supports on-campus academic activities. By the
end of 2016 UNE plans to have completed major additions to the facilities used to teach oncampus students to continue to provide the unique and life-shaping on-campus educational
experience that is UNE’s trademark:
 Residential Colleges renewal: UNE will re-develop its residential capacity and significantly
reduced outstanding deferred maintenance.
 Integrated Agricultural Education Project (EIF): The project will upgrade existing learning and
teaching infrastructure on the UNE Armidale campus, develop the Sustainable, Manageable
and Assessable Rural Technologies (SMART) Farm Education Facilities and establish a new
Animal Husbandry Facility.
 Tablelands Clinical School (TCS): The TCS will cover the geographic area extending from
Armidale to Glen Innes, Inverell and Tenterfield. It will enhance the educational experience
of medical students, providing opportunities for clinician teachers to contribute to medical
education and harness resources from the Joint Medical Program partners to optimise
effectiveness and efficiency in the provision of clinical medical education.
Distance and Online Students
UNE plans to restore its share of the distance education segment by further enhancing its
reputation in innovative online education and by increasing its focus in areas with growth
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potential. In the past ten years UNE has moved from a distance education delivery model with
various mixtures of paper and/or online delivery to a model principally utilising online delivery
methods, including the use of innovative alternative methods such as telepresence.
UNE is undergoing a period of structural adjustment to ensure that it maintains an innovative
edge in its approach to the use of online technologies and pedagogical models.
In the course of the Compact, UNE will:
 Re-develop unit of study courseware to an enhanced set of standards
 Extend the Future Campus concept that supports online education areas with concentrations
of students and growing markets
 Consolidate the benefits of trimesters for distance education students. The principal benefit
sought for online (distance education) students is to facilitate academic progress and reduce
completion times for part-time students. Increased retention rates will also increase load per
student
 Embrace alternative models of delivery to keep pace with international trends and demand.
Distinction in Research
UNE’s research ambitions and activities are influenced by a strong tradition of multidisciplinary
scholarship and research, engagement and partnership, community participation, and the
transfer of knowledge and skills developed via pure and applied research.
UNE is committed to excellence across many disciplines and to supporting research in strategically
important and vulnerable subjects. UNE is setting a target of 12 two-digit and 17 four-digit fields
of research reaching world standards or above in the 2015 ERA.
UNE aims to increase the number of jointly supervised HDR students to 188 (in Australia and
overseas) and decrease Doctoral completion times from 5.1 years to 4.8 years by 2016. In
addition, UNE will develop and implement a comprehensive engagement strategy with new and
existing research partners with the aim of consolidating research links with strategic international
and Australian partners. For this purpose, strategic partners are defined as those arrangements
that result in achieving synergistic research milestones, the transfer of research outcomes to
communities and industry, sharing operational and innovation research costs, commercialisation
of research and/or sharing institutional risk.
UNE does not anticipate establishing a large number of new research collaborations. The
University already partners with key institutions relevant to its areas of research focus (NSW
Department of Industry and Innovation; CSIRO, Meat and Livestock Australia, etc). UNE plans to
broaden and strengthen the pre-existing partnerships with these organisations.
To meet these goals, UNE is implementing a range of strategic university-wide programs such as:
 Research Engagement Strategy, including indicative impact narratives illustrating the
contribution of UNE research to rural and regional innovation and economy and plans for
ongoing stakeholder engagement to monitor the specific cultural, economic, social and
environmental requirements of key communities.
 ERA Reporting Strategy
 Annual Research Seed Grants and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Strategic Research Grants
 Alternative pathways and academic support programs that address Indigenous and low SES
student participation in higher degree programs
 Enhanced Supervisor Training
UNE envisages low levels of commercialisation due to both the small size of the University and to
the fact that much of the contribution to innovation and economic growth occurs via
partnerships. It is therefore financially non -viable to establish an in-house commercialisation
unit.
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Social Inclusiveness
UNE has a long history of catering for students from a variety of backgrounds via the development
of flexible delivery models, alternative entry pathways, and partnerships with community and
TAFE and access to personalised student support. UNE’s model of outreach and support has been
integral to its success in this area; it is a model the university will continue to deploy throughout
2014-2016. In addition, UNE will:
 consolidate its partnerships with TAFE for the delivery of articulated and nested crosssectoral qualifications targeted at low-SES students
 Continue to work with the Northern Region Aboriginal Land Councils to expand the
organisations involved with the UNE Regional Aboriginal Education Strategy
 Actively participate in the global movement toward open courseware via uneOpen
Business Process Improvement
Since 2011 UNE has actively sought to improve business process to maximise efficiency, promote
a service culture and meet the needs of students and staff. This drive for efficiency and
accountability has resulted in UNE delivering a structural surplus for the last two years. While
much of the initial work required to drive change has largely been implemented, UNE will
continue to focus on workforce planning concentrating on academic and administrative staff
succession planning, career progression, changing nature of academic workload, Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander employment, and workplace policy and practices. UNE will also revise its
strategic planning framework.
Page 10
PART TWO: ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ACCESS AND
OUTCOMES
2
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ACCESS AND OUTCOMES
Part Two recognises the important role universities play in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people’s personal and professional aspirations through the provision of accessible and
supportive higher education programs. Increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander higher
education participation and success is important given the direct benefits for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities and broader economic and social benefits for
all Australians.
Universities are asked to detail their strategies and targets to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander access and outcomes over the compact period in this section. Principal Performance
Indicators are compulsory and institutions may voluntarily nominate Optional Performance
Indicators and targets considered reflective of individual institutional goals.
The Commonwealth recognises that universities have diverse missions and, consequently, targets
and performance will vary between institutions. Each university should develop performance
indicators and targets to reflect its individual performance and strategic direction.
2.1
Commonwealth Objectives
The Commonwealth is committed to enhancing the participation and outcomes for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people in higher education consistent with the Closing the Gap initiative
addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage.
In realising this objective, the Commonwealth has set an aspirational national parity target for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff in higher education. The parity target
equates to the proportion of the population aged between 15 and 64 years which is currently
2.3%.
To help achieve this aspirational national target, the Commonwealth has introduced a new focus
on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reporting in the compact as recommended by the Review
of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Universities should report high level Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student and staffing
plans and strategies in this part of the compact including performance targets for student
enrolments, completions and numbers of general and academic staff. Universities may also report
on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives under the Innovation and Engagement,
Teaching and Learning and Research and Research Training parts of the compact.
2.2
University Strategies
Indigenous student numbers at UNE have been growing steadily over the past decade with the
number of Indigenous students at UNE as a percentage of total student body consistently
exceeding the national average. The University has done well in attracting an increasing number
of Indigenous students year on year. Retention and completion remain the focus for ongoing
improvement activity. Attracting and retaining Indigenous staff is also a major priority.
UNE’s approach is embodied in the UNE Regional Aboriginal Higher Education Strategy (RAHES)
developed in conjunction with the Northern Regional Land Council and TAFE New England
Institute. RAHES focuses on meeting two discrete but equally important strategic aims of the
University. To:
 innovate in the recruitment, retention and completion of regional and remote Indigenous
students, particularly within the New England region; and
 support collaboration between education providers to ensure a coordinated approach to
engaging with Indigenous communities to assist in building educational aspiration, relevant
pathways to higher education and rates of retention and completion of higher education by
Indigenous students
Page 11
The strategy is underpinned by ten principles based on UNE’s Mission, the UA Guiding Principles
for Developing Indigenous Cultural Competency in Australian Universities, and the Australian
Government’s Review of the Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander People and encompass five key areas; community engagement, governance and
management, teaching and learning, research and human resources.
Community Engagement
UNE will review and extend its current MoU with the Northern Region Aboriginal Land Council
(NRALC) with the intention of extending and expanding it to include a broader scope of Land
Councils. The aim of the MoU is to develop collaborative programs to increase the capacity of
Indigenous people to participate equitably in the regional economy and to address social
disadvantage in communities through enhanced opportunities for educational attainment. This is
integral to the UNE strategy, which includes collaboration between NSW DEC, TAFE NEI, Oorala
Aboriginal Centre and the NRALC. The focus will be the broadening of engagement with regional
Indigenous communities and the exploration, development and implementation of seamless
articulation arrangements for Indigenous people through the education system.
Discussions are continuing between TAFE NEI, the NSW Department of Education and
Communities, the Northern Regional Land Council and UNE on strategies to increase engagement
with Indigenous communities around education. Whilst discussions continue current plans
include:
 mapping of pathways from School to TAFE to University as a visual aid for students in the
region to go with the development of courses which encourage participation
 TAFE NEI offerings specifically designed for Indigenous students to articulate into TRACKS
programme offered by UNE
Governance and Management: Strategic Planning & Representation
UNE identifies Indigenous access, participation and retention in higher education as a long-term
strategic priority as reflected in its Strategic Plan and annual business plans. A core focus for 2014
and beyond is to increase Indigenous representation in management positions, on University
governing bodies including Council, Academic Board and other University Committees.
Teaching and Learning
Refocusing of the UNE Oorala Aboriginal Centre
The UNE Oorala Aboriginal Centre is undergoing a major restructure with further improvements
and new strategic directions to be implemented during this Compact period. These include
placing priority on academic support, assisting UNE to embed Indigenous knowledge and
pedagogy in the curriculum, increasing Aboriginal academic staffing numbers, increasing
Indigenous participation in the University community, assisting in the development of student
recruitment and retention strategies, and developing a resource to clearly articulate University
support provided both to Indigenous students outside Oorala and to Oorala itself to ensure
Indigenous students have ready access and information on all of the support provided to them.
Retention
Specific student support initiatives to aid retention are a current focus. UNE provides a range of
academic and pastoral support to Indigenous students and staff through Oorala, UNE’s Aboriginal
Centre and UNE’s student support directorates.
UNE has developed two portals specifically for ATSI students in its LMS, one for undergraduates
and one for post-graduates. The portals provide information together with the opportunity to
interact online with support staff. Uptake of the Moodle sites has been encouraging with over
2500 views in the first 12 months of operation. The ITAS tutorial assistance scheme was also
reviewed and application of the scheme revised. Instead of Oorala alone matching students with
tutors, Schools have been encouraged to identify students and staff who are interested in
becoming tutors in disciplines which match student requirements. An academic support officer
has been employed in Oorala to provide a point of access for student's requiring academic
Page 12
support. The role involves directing students to appropriate support as well as providing advice
where appropriate.
Embedding Indigenous Knowledge
In an effort to embed Indigenous knowledge in the curriculum the Oorala Centre is working with
the Schools to have OORA100 Aboriginal Resilience and the Arts, and OORA200 Working with
Aboriginal People included in courses. OORA100 is currently listed as a unit in TRACKS Tertiary
Preparation Program and OORA200 is a Core unit in the Bachelor of Social Work, the Bachelor of
Social Work – Articulation Program (University of Sydney) and a Prescribed unit in the Bachelor of
Education (Primary) (Contextual Studies in Education; Rural and Remote Education and
Indigenous Communities) and a Listed unit in the Bachelor of Social Science (Aboriginal
Perspectives). In 2014 the School of Arts will be including OORA100 in the Bachelor of Theatre
Performance degree and OORA200 in the Bachelor of Media and Communications. UNE is also
considering including cornerstone and capstone units in indigenous studies in a new liberal arts
degree proposed for 2015.
Research: Support for Indigenous HDR Students
The Oorala Centre in partnership with Research Services is developing new initiatives to support
the retention rate of Indigenous HDR students via the following:
 A residential training/support conference to allow students to connect with their fellow
students to meet and discuss their progress and common issues in an encouraging
environment
 Training and support for supervisors of HDR students in the area of cultural competence
 Development of a model of best practice to support HDR students including the further
development and enhancement of the Postgraduate HDR Moodle site
 Development of partnerships with UNE research and scholarship programs in order to add to
the body of knowledge, increase participation in the University community and increase ATSI
staff and student numbers
Human Resources
UNE is preparing, as a matter of priority, a refreshed Aboriginal Employment Strategy for full
implementation during the life of this Compact. In addition an Aboriginal and Torres Straight
Islander Work-Study Program is scheduled for implementation. This program is intended to
provide employment positions for Indigenous people and at the same time allow Program
Participants to study at UNE toward an academic qualification. Employment opportunities will be
available at various levels, both academic and non-academic, and candidates will need to satisfy
the entry requirements for these positions. Academic courses at all levels will be also be
available, from undergraduate to post-doctoral research, providing, that the candidate has the
prerequisite entry qualifications.
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2.3
Performance Indicators and Targets
The purpose of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performance indicators and targets is to
assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University’s progress against the
Commonwealth’s objectives particularly its contribution to reaching national parity.
The University will aim to meet the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander targets set out in the
following tables.
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Principal Performance
Indicators
Number of all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander student
enrolments1
Number of all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander student
completions2
Number of all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
professional/general staff3
Number of all Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
academic staff4
Baseline Progressive
2012
Target 2013
509
530
Progressive
Target 2014
560
Progressive
Target 2015
590
Target
2016
620
43
45
47
49
51
17
18
20
22
24
3
4
6
8
10
Optional Performance
Indicators
Indigenous student
commencements in award
courses by mode of
attendance:
Internal
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
External
Number of Non-Indigenous
students taking Oorala
Centre units in an award
course
1
footnote 1 for definition
3 Refers
4 See
to number by headcount
footnote 3 for definition
Page 14
Target
2016
162
162
175
180
185
58
58
62
65
67
27
60
90
120
150
Refers to total undergraduate, postgraduate and HDR students by headcount
2 See
Progressive
Target2015
PART THREE: INNOVATION AND ENGAGEMENT
3
INNOVATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Part Three recognises the important role of universities in our national innovation system, in
boosting economic productivity contributions to improved social and environmental outcomes
and growth, and in engaging, advancing and inspiring their communities. It also recognises that
universities make an important contribution to building connections and partnerships that
broaden and deepen Australia's understanding of Asia.
Under three themes: Innovation; Industry and Skills; and Engagement; universities are asked to
detail their strategies and targets over the term of this compact. Principal Performance Indicators
are compulsory and institutions may voluntarily nominate Optional Performance Indicators and
targets considered reflective of individual institutional goals.
The Commonwealth recognises that universities have diverse missions and, consequently, targets
and performance will vary between institutions. Each university should develop performance
indicators and targets to reflect its individual performance and strategic direction.
3.1
Innovation
3.1.1
Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth seeks to build an innovation system that ensures Australia can meet the
challenges and grasp the opportunities of the twenty-first century. The Commonwealth
encourages innovation by supporting industry-led research, promoting knowledge-transfer
activities and the commercialisation of research.
3.1.2
University strategies
UNE will continue to focus on research of particular significance to rural and regional
communities both in Australia and across the globe and is committed to appropriate knowledge
transfer to these communities. UNE’s research strategy is externally-focused and encourages
engagement with the international research community across five thematic research priorities:
 Australia’s future food and water security; smart science, smart technology
 Climate change and environmental sustainability; protecting biodiversity, effective policies
 Health and wellbeing in rural communities; social exclusion, health inequity, mental health,
social policy
 Our past, present and future; Australia’s regional history, regional memory, regional identity;
protection and promotion of cultural heritage
 Our communities, our neighbours; regional and rural development, sustainability, prosperity
and peace
The strategy encompasses the development of:
 A UNE-wide framework to provide guidance on the requirements and practices of the
University with respect to intellectual property to maximise the benefits to the University
and the individual and to manage and identify risk
 Indicative impact narratives illustrating the contribution of UNE research to rural and
regional innovation and economy
 Plans for ongoing stakeholder engagement to monitor the specific cultural, economic, social
and environmental requirements of key communities.
 Plans to promote UNE’s areas of world strength to attract new partners internationally
 A communication strategy to improve knowledge transfer between key stakeholders
While preliminary work is being undertaken in 2013, full implementation will occur during 2014
and 2015 with the expectation that by the end of 2016 all outcome targets will be met. Specific
measurable targets are currently being developed for inclusion in the UNE 2014 Business Plan.
Page 15
Strong relationships with key Government bodies and involvement in collaborative nationallyfocused research centres is core to UNE’s strategy in this area and is exemplified by the SMART
Farm initiative which illustrates both arms of this strategy coming together in one, innovative
project. UNE’s SMART Farm (SMART = sustainable, manageable and accessible rural
technologies) will be a national demonstrator site showcasing the latest on-site technologies, and
aims to improve productivity, environmental sustainability, safety, workflow and social/business
support networks on Australian farms. In conjunction with project partners the Australian Centre
for Broadband Innovation (ACBI), NBNCo and the CSIRO, the SMART farm will serve not only as a
trade fair site of technologies, but the broadband connectivity will also see the SMART Farm used
as a connected classroom where the community as well as students of all ages can access the
latest data streaming in from a range of field, animal and machinery sensors. The project builds
upon the University’s involvement in the Spatical Information CRC and will serve as an
‘instrumented research laboratory, a diagnostic landscape unmatched anywhere else in the
world. Examples of technology on display will include ear tag-based livestock tracking, a living soil
moisture map, Pastures from Space, virtual fencing, Access-Cam (or Farmer Cam) and sentinel
vision systems.
Relationships such as that outlined above, including the Animal Genetics Breeding Unit
(partnership between UNE and the NSW Department of Primary Industries), will remain the focal
point for the transfer of knowledge to industry and for aligning research priorities with industry
needs. UNE’s plans for enhanced stakeholder engagement and communication strategy, as
outlined above, will improve communication between UNE and our key partners to ensure
continued and improved alignment of research priorities and transfer and dissemination of
knowledge beyond these groups.
UNE’s nationally focused research centres and long-term involvement as a core member of a
number of Cooperative Research Centres are also vital in reaching regional communities and
other key stakeholders. UNE’s National Centre of Science, Information and Communication
Technology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMMER) works with
State education departments, schools and rural and regional communities with the aim of
transferring knowledge to achieve improved educational outcomes for all students in the areas of
Science, ICT and Mathematics. UNE will also remain a core participant in the Australian Poultry
CRC, Invasive Animals CRC, Remote Economic Participation CRC, Polymers CRC and the CRC for
Spatial Information.
Whilst integral to the dissemination of knowledge to core communities, UNE’s CRC category 4
income will decline in the short-term due to the closure of the Beef and Cotton CRCs.
As discussed above, the University already partners with key institutions relevant to its areas of
research and does not anticipate establishing a large number of new research collaborations but
will broaden and strengthen its existing partnerships. UNE’s focus is on consolidation over
expansion in this context.
The University has a strong track record in exploitation of intellectual property, with large
earnings primarily through commercialisation of Breedplan, a genetic evaluation system
developed through the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) joint venture and
commercialised via a spin out company, Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI).
However, UNE ‘s relatively small size diminishes any economy of scale in relation to the
establishment of in-house commercialisation. This in conjunction with the fact that a large
proportion of commercialisation activity occurs in collaboration with our key partners means that
UNE does not envisage any significant growth in levels of commercialisation throughout the life of
this Compact.
Page 16
3.1.3
Performance indicators and targets
The purpose of the innovation performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and
the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's
objectives and the University's strategies for innovation.
The University will report principal performance information and aim to meet the innovation
performance indicators and targets set out in the following tables.
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Principal Performance Information5
2012
Number of patent and plant breeder’s rights
families filed, issued and held
Filed
Issued
Held
0
0
1
Number of all active licences, options or
assignments (LOAs)6 executed and income
derived
No.
Value($)
19
$7.5m
Number and value of research contracts and
consultancies executed7
No.
Value($)
49 research (RE)
projects and
consultancies
$4.6m
Investment in spin-out companies during
the reporting year and nominal value of
equity in spin-outs based on last external
funding/liquidity event or entry cost
Investment ($)
Value($)
$ 10.1m
$0
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Principal Performance
Indicator
Category 4 Income
Baseline
2012
$4,454,329
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
$3.0m
$3.0m
Progressive
Target 2015
$3.5m
Target
2016
$4.0m
5
This set of performance information does not require targets. Universities will be asked to advise their baseline performance and will report on
their future performance in the context of the Institutional Performance Portfolio Information Collection commencing in 2013. Patent and plant
breeder right family refers to a group of patent or plant breeder rights applications or grants emanating from a single filing. Note: this question
only concerns patent and plant breeder rights families, and is not in reference to families of other forms of registered IP (i.e. trade marks).
6
A LICENCE agreement formalises the transfer of technology between two parties, where the owner of the technology (licensor) grants rights to
the other parties (licensee). An OPTION agreement grants the potential licensee a time period during which it may evaluate the technology and
negotiate the terms of a licence agreement. An option agreement is not constituted by an Option clause in a research agreement that grants
rights to future inventions, until an actual invention has occurred that is subject to that Option. An ASSIGNMENT agreement conveys all right,
title and interest in and to the licensed subject matter to the named assignee.
7 Please
use the definition of contracts and consultancies utilised in the National Survey of Research Commercialisation (NSRC). A copy of the
survey is available at this URL: http://www.innovation.gov.au/Section/Innovation/Pages/TheNationalSurveyofResearchCommercialisation.aspx
Page 17
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Optional
Performance
Indicators
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
Progressive
Target 2015
Target
2016
Revitalised
institutional
framework for
the
management
of IP &
associated
risks
UNE policyIntellectual
Property,
Research
Commercialis
ation
Strategy,
Commercialis
ation of
Innovation
Flowchart
Review of
policies as
per the
baseline, with
revisions
approved for
implementati
on in 2014
Implementati
on of revised
IP policies
and
procedures
Implementati
on of revised
IP policies
and
procedures
Review of
success of the
relevant policy
and review of
policy
implementatio
n plan with
recommendati
ons for
improvement
Development
of Indicative
Research
Narratives
illustrating
the
contribution
of UNE
research to
rural and
regional
innovation
and economy
Nil
developed
Liaison with
RUN
colleagues on
illustrating
broader
impact
complete.
Ongoing
Ongoing
Review and
analysis of the
impact of the
Indicative
Research
Narratives with
key
stakeholders
Research
Engagement
Strategy
Nil
developed
Implementati
on of
Strategy
1 new
research links
with
international
partners
(target areas:
Asia, Arica,
USA and
Finland)
1 new research
links with
international
partners (target
areas: Asia,
Arica, USA and
Finland)
Page 18
Impact
Narratives
completed
and
communicati
on plan
implemented
Strategy, and
relevant
outcome
measures
developed
Focus on
strategic UNE
research
funding on
thematic
research
priorities
1 new
research links
with
Australian
partners
1 new research
links with
Australian
partners
3.2
Industry and Skills
3.2.1
Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth encourages universities and employers to work together so that courses
meet the needs of employers, where relevant. This may include integrating work and learning,
meeting professional accreditation requirements and involving employers in course development
and delivery.
3.2.2
University strategies
UNE’s course enhancement and approvals processes drive the development of high quality
academic programs that are future-oriented and relevant to the needs of students, employers
and professional bodies. Key partnerships and ongoing consultation with professional bodies,
major employers and industry experts ensure that the needs of the workforce are considered in
course development and profile planning and innovation and knowledge transfer.
This close relationship is most evident in courses such as teaching and nursing that require
professional accreditation. Teachers represent 20% of UNE graduates with 86% employed in the
education industry; 54% of them in regional locations. To inform its teacher education curriculum
the UNE School of Education maintains an active communication with schools through student
practicum placements, government education regulators, accrediting bodies containing
experienced industry representatives. Nurses also represent a critical employee resource for the
region. Currently 100% of graduates are employed in the health industry, 76% of whom are
employed in regional areas. UNE specifically prepares nurses to be competent in rural/regional
practice, and the curriculum is informed by active collaboration with the regional health industry
(including on-going relationships with base hospitals who host practicums for students) and
regulated by accreditation.
A similar model is represented within the agricultural sciences, which also involves innovation and
knowledge transfer. Animal sciences and agriculture at UNE represent a major proportion of all
research income and productivity and have porous staff associations with CSIRO and industry
partners. UNE hosts R&D partners on the Armidale campus including major CRCs, CSIRO, State
government/UNE joint research centre, industry funded education liaison officers employed for
knowledge transfer from CRCs. Many of these staff have input into UNE curriculum and senior
undergraduate and research students have access to all of these, as well as to their academics
who maintain these active collaborations. 95% of UNE’s agriculture graduates are employed in
agriculture industry segments with 85% of them located in regional areas. This is a testament to
the success of this model of engagement.
UNE’s ongoing commitment to providing students with the ability to meet the skill and knowledge
demands of an increasingly internationalised workplace is at the forefront of UNE’s Strategic
Teaching and Learning Plan 2012-2016 and Course Profile Planning.
UNE’s priorities for the duration of this Compact are to:
 Enhance alignment of UNE’s policy frameworks and business processes to facilitate agility
and innovation in course development and design. This will include an annual cycle of review
of courseware against quality, accessibility and innovation standards. The review will identify
areas for investment of resources and a subsequent investment in resources for ongoing
improvement
 Review UNE graduate attributes to ensure they continue to reflect the needs of employers,
professional bodies and market needs
 Engage staff to ensure a focus on curricula that meet contemporary discipline demands and
systematically incorporate UNE’s graduate attributes
 Leverage relevant Course Advisory Boards to contextualise graduate attributes within
curricula and provide greater insight into industry and professional needs
 Broaden the University’s Course Profile Planning processes to enable the identification of
emerging areas of skill shortages and opportunities for growth
Page 19




3.3
Focus on developing research-trained HDR graduates with relevant skills for the local,
regional, national and international workforce, who are also trained in development,
innovation and knowledge transfer
Build upon UNE’s NBN capabilities to take advantage of technological innovation in course
delivery, rich-media content, and research opportunities
Facilitate student mobility, physically and electronically, to encourage appreciation of the
global context of their discipline and enhance cross-cultural understanding, including but not
limited to the ongoing rollout of UNE’s Virtual Passport initiative
Work with the CSIRO UNE’s partner in the Integrated Agricultural Education Project, to
attract and train the next generation of rural and regional workers in the agricultural and
agribusiness industries and to create funding opportunities and employment in the region.
Engagement
3.3.1
Commonwealth objectives
As part of its social and economic remit and as an important precursor to innovation, the
Commonwealth encourages universities to engage with all levels of government, other
universities, businesses, schools, the vocational education and training sector, employers, the
professions, research institutions and the wider community including international partners
particularly those in the Asian region.
3.3.2
University strategies
UNE was founded with a mission to provide access to education and research for the regional
community. Even as UNE positions itself to embrace the future of educational delivery, it is
committed to a vibrant regional vision. This vision includes a focus on promoting research into
rural and regional innovation, and on the recruitment of regional, remote and indigenous
students, particularly within the New England region.
Mutually beneficial partnerships are critical to UNE’s future. UNE actively encourages and
supports partnerships with VET providers, universities and commercial companies around the
country and around the world with a view to expanding our market reach and pursuing research
excellence. Many of these have already been discussed in depth in previous sections of the
Compact. Consolidating these partnerships while building upon long-term collaborations will be
the University’s focus in coming years.
Other key relationships of note include:
 Regional University Network: UNE with its five partners will work toward the implementation
of the multi-lateral Accord. The Accord includes a focus on collaboration in research and
research training, benchmarking and joint supervision of higher degree by research students.
The Accord will result in improved efficiencies of scale and transfer of information and
knowledge between members.
 Collaborative Research Network (CRN) on Mental Health and Well-being in Rural and
Regional Communities: In conjunction with UNE’s four university partners and the Hunter
New England Local Health District, UNE will continue to focus on rural and regional mental
health issues including self care and mental health, sexuality, identity and mental health
impacts on well being and inclusion and biomedical science to support rural mental health.
Key outcomes for UNE will include enhanced biomedical capacity both in terms of research
and facilities, research outcomes (publications, briefing papers, research informed teaching
and community initiatives) around sexuality and mental health, and improved support for
self-care, resilience and mental health service provision within rural communities
 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research: UNE has built a strong institutional
relationship with ACIAR and taken a collaborative approach to winning ACIAR contracts and
sought other external funders of international development research. This has more than
trebled grant funding for international development research and UNE has become a
Page 20


preferred provider to ACIAR. UNE plans to build on this position to become the largest
Australian university recipient of ACIAR funding within Australia in the area of agricultural
and environmental research.
Cooperative Research Centres: UNE will remain a core participant in the Australian Poultry
CRC, Invasive Animals CRC, Remote Economic Participation CRC, Polymers CRC and the CRC
for Spatial Information
UNE will work with the CSIRO, UNE’s formal partner in the Integrated Agricultural Education
Project, to increase regional engagement and outreach in agricultural industries
In addition, UNE is developing new international partnerships and will experiment with new
business models through which to deliver UNE open courseware. Key partnerships will be
explored during this Compact period in Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the
Philippines.
UNE will develop indicative impact narratives illustrating the contribution of UNE research to rural
and regional innovation and economy. These narratives will enable UNE to demonstrate the
impact of its research to our key stakeholders and the media and provide a benchmark against
which to measure future performance.
UNE’s staff and student mobility rates in comparison with other universities have been low for
many years. UNE’s new Strategic Teaching and Learning Plan 2012-2016 includes a renewed
emphasis on this aspect of internationalisation. UNE will resource and develop a new strategy to
encourage staff and student participation in mobility programs to encourage appreciation of the
global context of their discipline, break down barriers and enhance cross-cultural understanding.
The NBN has opened new opportunities for cross-cultural experience and collaboration not
previously available. Students and staff are no longer reliant on international exchange but are
able to communicate in real time on an ongoing basis. As a result of its partnership with UC
Irvine, UNE’s School of Rural Medicine is pioneering the use of iPads and portable ultrasound in
undergraduate medical education in Australia. The international partnership has already linked
students at UNE with UC Irvine’s cutting-edge medical training facilities in live, interactive training
sessions via the Internet. UNE plans to expand this model of ‘learning hubs’ with new partners
around the world.
Page 21
3.3.3
Performance indicators and targets
The purpose of the engagement performance indicators and targets is to assist the University and
the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's
objectives and the University's strategies for engagement.
The University will aim to meet the engagement performance indicators and targets set out in the
following table.
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Principal Performance
Indicators
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
Progressive
Target 2015
Target
2016
Number of active
collaborations8 with
industry and other
partners in Australia
20
20
22
22
24
Number of active
collaborations9 with
industry and other
partners overseas
7
7
8
8
9
Category 3 Income
$3,378,453 $4.5m
$4.5m
$5.0m
$5.0m
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Optional Performance
Indicators
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
Progressive
Target 2015
Completion of the
Integrated Agricultural
Education Project
Project
Initiation
2013
milestones
met
2013
milestones
met
2013
milestones
met
Project
Completed
Successful
implementation of Asia
ConneXions project with
the aim of increasing the
global curriculum
experiences of UNE
education students and
academic staff
0
15
25
35
45
8 Collaboration
Target
2016
involves active joint participation with other organisations, by contributing resources such as intellectual property, knowledge,
money, personnel or equipment, with the aim of obtaining a shared goal or objective. Straight fee-for-service arrangements, such as contracts
and consultancies, are deemed not to be collaborative and are therefore excluded. Collaboration with Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) is
also to be excluded. This definition is in line with the ABS and OECD definitions of collaboration.
9
See footnote 8 for a definition of collaboration.
Page 22
PART FOUR: TEACHING AND LEARNING
4
TEACHING AND LEARNING
4.1
Student enrolments
4.1.1
Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth is committed to expanding higher education to provide high quality
opportunities for people of all backgrounds to participate to their full potential. An expanded
higher education system will educate the graduates needed for Australia's future economy, which
will be based on knowledge, skills and innovation.
The main objectives of the Commonwealth are to ensure that:
 by 2025, 40 per cent of all 25 to 34 year olds will hold a qualification at bachelor level or
above;
 by 2020, 20 per cent of undergraduate enrolments should be students from low socioeconomic backgrounds;
 national parity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff is achieved over
time; and
 universities are producing graduates that meet the nation’s skills needs.
These objectives are supported through the Commonwealth Grant Scheme and, in particular, the
demand driven funding of students in bachelor level courses.
4.1.2
University strategies
UNE’s goal is to maintain the size of its on-campus student cohort and to grow online distance
education student numbers in line with the Australian Government’s agenda for growth in higher
education attainment.
The focus of UNE’s course profile planning is to align courses with market demand and priority
skill areas. In order to be responsive to student demand UNE will retain comprehensive course
offerings. Increased collaboration with universities and other higher education providers, such as
UNE’s blended language agreements with the University of Newcastle, University of Wollongong,
Massey University, Southern Cross University and the University of Southern Queensland, will
help sustain this model.
UNE is renowned in certain fields and will concentrate on promoting courses such as agriculture,
education and health during this Compact period and beyond.
The most significant impact on load in 2012 was from the introduction of a trimester-based
teaching calendar. Trimesterisation gives students the opportunity to make faster progress
towards graduation. It will be of particular benefit to distance education students and those
balancing work, family and study commitments. It is expected that this change will contribute to
increased retention for distance education students, an increase in completion rates and a
subsequent increase to load. UNE’s courseware development project will also assist load
outcomes by increasing engagement and retention of distance education students.
Undergraduate sub-degree
Student demand for sub-degree places remains strong across enabling courses and diplomas.
Enabling courses
The popularity of UNE’s enabling courses continues for students whose educational background
does not provide them with the requisite preparation for admission. These courses include the:
 Pathways Enabling Course: targeted at mature age, distance education students, however
UNE has seen a shift in the median age of commencing students in these awards towards
younger applicants;
 TRACKS Enabling Course: for Aboriginal students
Page 23

Teacher Education Enabling Course: literacy and mathematics skills enhancement for teacher
education students enables them to meet their band 4 competencies in literacy and
mathematics
The Pathway Enabling Course accounts for two thirds of the enabling course places and is an
important part of UNE’s equity initiatives. UNE received an additional 60 places for enabling
courses from 2013, which will build on the 2011 baseline of 212 EFSTL, providing the University
with 272 EFTSL. UNE expects to fill these places through 2014-2016.
Sub-degree award courses
UNE's deployment of the remaining places (142 EFTSL) will be consistent with UNE's strategic
intent to strengthen the alignment of courses with workplace skill requirements and /or national
workforce needs. For example, UNE responded to the recent Government emphasis on the study
of languages other than English in schools by providing a teaching methodology course for
modern Asian and European languages at diploma level to assist teachers to meet this challenge.
Diploma courses in agriculture and applied sciences also play an important role in transferring
knowledge created though CRCs to industry employees.
Uncapped undergraduate places (Bachelor)
Healthy demand from newly introduced courses, combined with the introduction of trimesters,
will drive much of the growth in this segment. In 2012 newly introduced courses were significant
drivers of growth. New courses contributing to load increases are as follows:
 Cluster 3: psychology, criminology and social work
 Cluster 7: zoology, pharmacy, and sport and exercise
In 2013 UNE expects consolidation of the pipeline from these courses, plus a new course in plant
science, to have a positive impact on load. Important changes are also taking place in teacher
education, with the introduction in 2013 of two new awards that respond to and accommodate
the most recent framework for teacher education standards. It is anticipated that this will also
increase load. Undergraduate nursing was recently revised in similar fashion and is now enjoying
an increase in enrolments and load.
In addition, UNE’s partnership with University of Western Sydney (UWS) is predicted to further
contribute to load as participation grows. This partnership involves providing distance education
units for UWS students, thus increasing their flexibility and choice. The mechanism used for load
reporting will be cross-institutional enrolment. A smaller contribution will also come from the
partnership with the University of Sydney. The arrangement admits students to a first year at
UNE who then have the opportunity to transfer to University of Sydney from second year. Both of
these partnerships target participation by low SES students.
The completion of the new SAF funded Future Campus at Parramatta, together with the further
development of regional study centres, will also assist to grow to load. Stimulated by the
presence of the Future Campus, and its promotional activities, UNE expects an increase in
distance education mature age enrolments from the western suburbs of Sydney. (UNE already has
a significant distance education load from that area.)
Over 2014-2016 UNE anticipates the following adjustments by cluster (comparing the 2016
position with the 2012 outcome):
 Cluster 1: No change - UNE is not anticipating large growth in law and the UNE Business
School is concentrating on growth in fee-paying postgraduate awards
 Cluster 2: Little change is expected
 Cluster 3: Growth- UNE anticipates 5% growth principally in the behavioural and social
sciences
 Cluster 4: Contraction - providing that discussions regarding further allocation of
postgraduate non-research places in teacher education are positive, UNE forecasts a five to
seven per cent contraction in undergraduate load for teacher education. The nett output of
teacher graduates across all levels will not decrease
Page 24




Cluster 5: Little change is expected
Cluster 6: Growth – 12% growth is planned in undergraduate Nursing
Cluster 7: Growth – UNE anticipates growth of 5% from 20% to 25%, consolidating
developments in zoology, plant science, pharmacy, and sport and exercise sciences, together
with the science disciplinary contributions to growth in agricultural and environmental
sciences
Cluster 8: Growth - from 10 to 12% in agricultural and environmental sciences
Postgraduate non-research
In comparison to the sector nationally, UNE has a relatively high number of postgraduate nonresearch students. This is consistent with the long-term strategic direction of the University to
promote off-campus education provision, which is especially attractive to mature age students
seeking to undertake career-related postgraduate awards.
UNE’s provision of postgraduate Commonwealth supported places is consistent with the criteria
for allocation of new places in that it is dominated by students studying in professional qualifying
and applied disciplines (including areas for which a postgraduate qualification is a necessary,
though not a formally accredited, qualification) with a high ratio of national to private benefit. A
small proportion of these places are allocated to historical load of general educational benefit.
Overall, there is a shift in demand relating to professional accreditation away from undergraduate
courses to postgraduate. This particularly affects teacher education. Structural change to
graduate entry teacher education was a significant growth factor in 2012, and the pressure from
student demand for Masters level graduate entry primary teacher education will plateau from
2013, but growth will continue for Masters in secondary teacher education because course
changes to accommodate accreditation requirements require more load per student. For
example, the Graduate Diploma in Education will close to new entrants after 2013 and is replaced
by a Masters degree that meets new practicum and accreditation requirements, resulting in a
requirement for more load per student enrolled.
Increased emphasis on accreditation and professional registration is also leading to increases in
psychology, and social work. A short course at graduate certificate level on teaching history in
schools is increasing in popularity as a result of Commonwealth government policy concerning the
National Curriculum.
The disciplinary deployment of Commonwealth supported places in 2013 is:
 Education: 51.85%
 Psychology: 9.07%
 Health care: (General) 6.17%
 Social care and Counselling, including a Professional Master of Social Work: 4.92%;
 Master of Arts: 4.36%
 Linguistics: 3.68%
 Applied Science in Agriculture and Environmental Management: 3.60%
 Master of History (providing advanced study to support a national interest in history), 3.06%
 Academic study of economics: 3%
 Urban and Regional Planning: 1.97%.
Over 2014-2016 UNE’s strategy is to use CSP consistent with the description of intent above. Of
particular note are the following disciplines:
 Teacher education: Demand for post-graduate teacher education is expected to remain
strong, and UNE's new courses require more EFTSL per student due to an increase in course
content. UNE will deploy commencing places in education for the new suite of courses that
provide teacher training for graduates in a discipline, and teach out the pipeline of other
education courses thus releasing their places for teacher training. UNE will also respond to
the increasing emphasis on quality of intake and focus on its commitment to quality of
graduate competencies
Page 25


Psychology: Demand is expected to increase, in particular at the graduate 4th year level of
the psychology accreditation framework. Counselling and social work is also in demand and
UNE wishes to grow this area of strategic importance to regional Australia.
Applied Science: UNE anticipates growth in the applied sciences across broad areas of
agriculture, animal sciences, environmental sciences and other niche sciences. The strategy is
to continue to seek out skills-based and specialist knowledge requirements for employment
in these areas and provide postgraduate extension courses to add to the disciplinary
foundation of bachelor level courses.
UNE plans to manage the capped places in areas of high demand by offering fee-paying places
once the available designated places for a year have been filled using the principles described
above. UNE also expects that fee-paying load for domestic students will increase for courses that
are outside the suite into which UNE deploys designated Commonwealth supported places. For
students who commence on a fee-paying basis as a result of quotas, UNE will offer the
opportunity to transfer to a CSP place when places are available.
Medicine
The UNE medical program is part of the Joint Medical Program together with the University of
Newcastle and Hunter New England Health, and continues to be strongly in demand. In 2013 it
will graduate its first cohort. The Joint Medical Program is currently considering a proposal to
change the course structure. This is prompted by a recent course review. UNE and the University
of Newcastle will jointly keep the Commonwealth advised.
International students
UNE is teaching-out its remaining third-party arrangement with the International School of
Business and Technology, and continuing to increase load at Armidale. UNE's long-term strategy
of maintaining strong relationships with key pathway partners will continue as it has proven
beneficial in reducing the University's risk to down-turns in the international education market
and its quality assurance requirements (in comparison to its previous partnership operations).
These agreements involve articulation arrangements where students complete the second half of
their course at UNE after doing the first half at their home institution.
Undergraduate load has more than doubled in five years, and modest growth in load is still
expected over 2013-2016. Two-thirds of coursework load is in business and finance/accounting.
On-campus PhD student load has doubled over the past five years and some 10% further growth
is expected into 2014-2016.
4.2
Quality
4.2.1
Commonwealth objectives
A focus on teaching and learning quality underpins the Commonwealth’s vision for Australia to be
one of the most highly educated and skilled nations in the world.
The Commonwealth has made a commitment to provide more autonomy to universities through
the removal of funding caps on Commonwealth supported bachelor level places. In turn, the
Commonwealth requires the University to participate in the higher education quality
arrangements which are overseen by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. The
arrangements are designed to support academic autonomy while ensuring that the achievement
of standards can be demonstrated and that there is a strong focus on enhancing the quality of
teaching and learning while expansion of the higher education system meets national
participation ambitions.
The Commonwealth’s commitment to quality is demonstrated through initiatives such as the
Office for Learning and Teaching, which provides a suite of grants, awards and fellowships to
recognise quality and promote innovations in learning and teaching.
Page 26
The University also has obligations under the quality and accountability requirements in Division
19 of HESA. This compact does not change those obligations.
4.2.2
University strategies
Quality of Teaching and Learning
UNE prides itself on the provision of a high-quality standards-based formative educational
experience that is aligned to student needs. Over time UNE has witnessed the continuous
improvement of its courseware through the systematic monitoring and evaluation of courses and
units against minimum standards, through a focus on enhancement. Annual monitoring provides
the opportunity to respond promptly to both positive and negative student feedback, to changes
in the student profile or disciplinary environment, and to make changes that are in line with the
University (and School) strategic priorities.
Improving student retention is one of UNE’s core goals in respect of teaching and learning. UNE’s
strategic commitment to improving retention has already seen the University implement the
Retention Project “Early Alert” that utilises technology to collate data and identify students who
may be at risk of disengagement and attrition, expansion of the First Year Teaching and Learning
Network Coordinators and the Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) program. The First Year
Experience Group is also working on identifying issues relating student expectation and any gap in
the University’s delivery against expectations. This project is currently in its infancy.
The University has established an Office for Learning and Teaching within the Office of the Pro
Vice-Chancellor (Educational Innovation and International). The OLT Program Manager has
responsibility for managing communication of information and providing leadership in effective
implementation of OLT outcomes (relevant to UNE) in University policies and procedures. The OLT
Program Manager has developed a Stakeholder Engagement Plan to disseminate key OLT
outcomes. The Plan focuses on communication channels with the Chair of Academic Board, Pro
Vice-Chancellors, Academic Advisors, staff of the Learning Innovations Hub, and key industry and
professional groups where appropriate. It incorporates an all of institution response to
establishing internal objectives relating to key OLT recommendations and evaluation criteria,
embedding required changes in policy and procedures, consistent application and
implementation across the University and evaluation of the effectiveness of these outcomes over
a determined period of time.
UNE has commenced implementation the new Strategic Teaching and Learning Plan 2012 -2016.
The Plan commits UNE to the further enhancement of our Teaching and Learning via an
investment in the scholarship of teaching and learning. This investment will enable UNE to
leverage the latest communication technologies to provide quality learning opportunities for our
students. The implementation will include the development of an enhanced Teaching and
Learning Operational Plan with discrete deliverables reflecting UNE’s integrated approach to
articulating and addressing the interrelationships and operational convergences associated with
the courseware revitalisation project, AQF compliance, TEQSA threshold standards and the
revised UNE quality assurance policy framework. This plan is to be monitored through the
Academic Board’s Teaching and Learning Committee.
Primary foci include:
Course Re-development
UNE is embedding resourcing and implementation of processes for the continual renewal of
courseware to sustain the high-quality teaching infrastructure initiated through the Courseware
Redevelopment SAF project. The University is also incorporating ACODE benchmarking and the
Quality Matters rubric into the review cycle of our courseware as a component of an enhanced
range of products and services from the Learning Innovations Hub emanating from the 2012
review of this area. Enhanced services include targeted redevelopment of Pathways programs,
and the increased use of learning analytics to identify and assist students at risk. Both projects
Page 27
are expected to be fully embedded within UNE’s academic quality management framework by the
end of 2014 with a review of implementation and practice scheduled for 2016.
Staff Development
Through processes in place for the induction of new staff, provision for study leave and the
ongoing Performance Planning and Review process UNE will continue to encourage and resource
staff to engage in professional development via a number of initiatives including participation in
the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, the Teaching Flexibly @ UNE program, webinars and
short online courses and the higher degrees supervision professional development initiative. UNE
will be tracking annual staff take-up of staff development programs against targets and
undertaking a review of programs based on user feedback on a two-year cycle.
Teaching Performance
Teaching performance is and will remain primarily recognised and rewarded through the UNE
promotion scheme. This is achieved through the assessment of experience and achievement in
teaching, curriculum development and research supervision, including leadership in teaching.
Good teaching practice is disseminated formally through the Innovation in Teaching and Learning
Seminar Series, mentoring programs, and recognised through University Unit Commendations
and through School-based teaching awards. Targets for teaching performance are included as
additional indicators below.
Research informed teaching
The UNE Teaching and Learning Model embeds research-informed teaching as a key part of its
approach to ensuring teaching and content is reflective of the latest developments. This is
reinforced in the Strategic Teaching and Learning Plan 2012 -2016 which sets out a framework to
extend the reach and depth of research-informed teaching and scholarship. Teaching practices
that are informed by research and scholarship will continue to be fostered through a community
of practice for the dissemination of best practice examples of research informed teaching, the
Learning Innovation Seminar Series, the provision of fellowship and mentoring opportunities,
participation in the national and international scholarship of teaching and learning, and
collaborative partnerships with the communities served (e.g. low SES and Indigenous
communities) to understand their learning needs and inform approaches to teaching and
learning.
Greater emphasis on research informed teaching as an articulated strategy will assist in the
spread of knowledge within and between discipline, will encourage students to become more
active on the UNE research agenda, will improve teaching practices and ensure currency and
relevance of content of UNE courses. This will be reflected in consistency and improvement in
student satisfaction indices.
Student engagement
UNE has a culture of mentorship and providing appropriate information and support to all of our
students and is committed to improving its retention rate by 1% per year. A number of specific
initiatives focused on retention have already been discussed in this section. In addition, UNE will
continue its commitment to ensuring that student outcomes are maximised through:
 monitoring of every unit in a teaching period to identify units and courses with high attrition
rates (above 20 %) and a subsequent requirement to develop a plan for improvement,
 providing high quality personalised support services, include the new First Year Teaching and
Learning Network Coordinators, Program Early Alter and the PASS program all designed to
improve student retention
 incorporating graduate attributes throughout the curriculum that recognise the diversity of
student learning needs and ensure graduates are provided with generic and discipline
specific attributes and knowledge that reflect the needs of employers and professional
bodies
 providing students with independent learning skills to assist them to take responsibility for
their own learning
Page 28


incorporation of work placement directly into the program of study (e.g. Pharmacy and
Education) and providing the opportunity to self-enrol into the WorkReady Program to gain
practical knowledge in relation to the theory students are learning, whilst concurrently
completing their studies
leveraging Course Advisory Boards to ensure graduates are gaining the skills necessary to
meet the needs of employers and for courses/students to meet professional accreditation
standards
The success of these initiatives will be measured via improvement in UNE’s DIISRTE First Year
Retention Rates for all Domestic Bachelors Students.
Note: All calendar year references below relate to projects and awards in that calendar year.
Principal Performance
Indicators
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
Progressive
Target 2015
Target
2016
Number of active learning
and teaching projects
supported by the PELTHE10
program where the
University is the lead
institution
6
3
5
5
5
Number of active learning
and teaching projects
supported by the PELTHE11
where the University is a
partner institution
3
3
5
5
5
Number of citations for
outstanding contributions to
student learning
2
2
3
4
5
Number of awards for
teaching excellence
0
1
1
1
1
Number of awards for
programs that enhance
excellence
0
0
1
1
1
10 Promotion
of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - the program providers learning and teaching grants, awards and fellowships and is
administered by the Office for Learning and Teaching.
11 See
footnote 10 for definition.
Page 29
Note: All calendar year references below relate to projects and awards in that calendar year.
Optional Performance
Indicators
4.3
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target
2013
Progressive
Target
2014
Progressive
Target
2015
Target
2016
Maintain a High Overall Unit
Satisfaction Rating: Annual
Unit Monitoring
3.99
Overall
Satisfaction
Rating
(maintain
at 3.98, aim
> 4.0)
Overall
Satisfaction
Rating
(maintain
at 3.98, aim
> 4.0)
Overall
Satisfaction
Rating
(maintain
at 3.98, aim
> 4.0)
Overall
Satisfaction
Rating
(maintain
at 3.98,
aim > 4.0)
Maintain a High Overall
Course Satisfaction Rating:
Overall Satisfaction Index,
Course Experience
Questionnaire
4.14
Overall
Satisfaction
Index
(maintain
above 4.0)
Overall
Satisfaction
Index
(maintain
above 4.0)
Overall
Satisfaction
Index
(maintain
above 4.0)
Overall
Satisfaction
Index
(maintain
above 4.0)
Increase Overall Satisfaction
with Teaching Performance:
Good Teaching Scale,
Course Experience
Questionnaire
3.86
Good
Teaching
Scale (aim
for above
4.0)
Good
Teaching
Scale (aim
for above
4.0)
Good
Teaching
Scale (aim
for above
4.0)
Good
Teaching
Scale (aim
for above
4.0)
Increase Student
Satisfaction with Generic
Skills: Generic Skills Scale,
Course Experience
Questionnaire
3.96
Generic
Skills Scale
(aim for
above 4.0)
Generic
Skills Scale
(aim for
above 4.0)
Generic
Skills Scale
(aim for
above 4.0)
Generic
Skills Scale
(aim for
above 4.0)
Improve DIISRTE First Year
Retention Rates for all
Domestic Bachelors
Students
74.46%
(2012
IPP)
DIISRTE
First Year
Retention
Rates for all
Domestic
Bachelors
Students
(aim for
above 75%)
DIISRTE
First Year
Retention
Rates for all
Domestic
Bachelors
Students
(aim for
above 75%)
DIISRTE
First Year
Retention
Rates for all
Domestic
Bachelors
Students
(aim for
above 75%)
DIISRTE
First Year
Retention
Rates for
all
Domestic
Bachelors
Students
(aim for
above 75%)
Equity
4.3.1
Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth is committed to a fair and equitable higher education system that provides
equal opportunity for people of all backgrounds to participate to their full potential and the
support to do so.
In particular, the Commonwealth has an ambition that by 2020, 20 per cent of higher education
enrolments at the undergraduate level will be people from low socio-economic status (SES)
backgrounds.
The Commonwealth expects all universities to play a part in meeting the Commonwealth's higher
education participation ambitions, consistent with the objectives and regulatory requirements of
Commonwealth funding.
Page 30
The Commonwealth funds a range of programs to encourage and support access to and
participation in higher education by people from low SES backgrounds and other underrepresented groups, including the Higher Education Loan Program and Student Income Support.
The Commonwealth will monitor the University’s equity performance through the reporting
requirements and evaluations of programs and initiatives. The University’s performance in
meeting equity objectives will also be linked with teaching and learning Performance Funding
targets.
Universities have obligations under the fairness requirements in Division 19 of HESA. This compact
does not change those obligations.
4.3.2
University strategies
UNE has a proven track record in promoting social inclusion in higher education and currently
exceeds Commonwealth government targets for the proportion of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
The University facilitates a number of programs and initiatives with the aim of educating
secondary school students and regional communities about tertiary education. These include a
mix of general school visits and on-campus experiences It also provides alternative modes of
entry to higher education including the UNE Early Entry Admission Scheme, the UNE-University of
Sydney Alternative Entry Scheme, the Internal Selection Program aimed at Indigenous students,
and Mature Aged Special Entry. It also has in place 17 institutional scholarships for targeted
equity groups, with five specifically targeted at Indigenous students. In addition a Peer Mentor
Program, a peer-to-peer mentoring initiative for distance education students has been
established. It is targeted at students who live in regional and remote locations; are first in family
entrants to higher education and who are low SES. UNE’s varied student support program and
Early Alert system are designed to identify students, who may be at risk of disengagement and
attrition through a unique blend of personal and system engagement strategies which are
managed by a dedicated and automated student wellness engine.
Over the course of the Compact UNE plans to enhance its entry pathways and support for low SES
and Indigenous students and to undertake activities that extend educational opportunities to
areas that are not well serviced by tertiary education providers. UNE will:
 deploy recruitment and retention activities aimed at regional, remote and Indigenous
students, particularly within the New England region
 develop innovative partnerships focused on students from low SES areas and Indigenous
students (e.g. alternative entry pathways, scholarships, strategic courses) that build capacity
in these students and their communities
 encourage collaborative partnerships with the communities it serves (e.g. low SES and
Indigenous communities) to understand their learning needs and inform approaches to
teaching and learning
 develop courseware and teaching and learning approaches that are accessible and enable all
students to engage in the teaching and learning process
 support students throughout their programs with appropriate careers advice
 enhance the experience of non-residential on-campus students
 as it comes online, deploy the NBN to reach into remote areas of the country to deliver
academic programs and provide flexible technology enabled learning spaces to support
collaborative learning
 participate in global movement towards open courseware
UNE ‘s strategy for the utilisation of HEPPP funds matches its strategic objectives in two particular
areas; maximising the first year experience and reducing attrition. Key projects to be funded
either fully or partially via HEPPP are listed below.
 Implementation of a centralised complaints unit, scheduled for 2013, to handle student
complaints, streamline processes and manage compliance issues. The period 2014-16 will
Page 31


involve the continuing support of the unit, a review and any required changes to the process
and the systematisation of the process to ensure sustainability.
The opening of the Parramatta Future Campus and planned upgrades to the Tamworth
Access Center to a Future Campus model will be supported by the employment and training
of staff to provide student support. The use of the Centres for orientation and academic and
personal support for students will require the development and deployment of support
models to match the student cohorts who utilise the Centres.
The First Year advisor network, currently in pilot, will be rolled out across the University to
improve retention of first year students and maximize their capacity to progress throughout
their degree. The Armidale based network will be considering how to provide support to the
extensive off-campus cohort of students.
This does not preclude utilising the funds for other projects within the parameters of the funding
allocation, based on a submission process.
UNE expects that it will be able to maintain its current rank in the top 10 universities in the
University Equity Rankings for:
•
Low SES (All Ages) – 2011 rank 7
•
Regional Students – 2011 rank 6
•
Remote Students – 2011 rank 10
4.3.3
Participation and Social Inclusion Targets
Proportion of domestic undergraduates who are from a low SES background
Baseline for improvement target: To be determined
Principal
Performance
Indicators
Excellence Target
2014
Reward Payment
(target for 2013
students)
To be determined
2015
Reward Payment
(target for 2014
students)
To be determined
2016
Progress target
(target for 2015
students)
To be determined
Improvement Target
Outcome
To be determined
-
To be determined
-
To be determined
-
Proportion of domestic undergraduates who are from another underrepresented group
Baseline for improvement target: x% (Either 2009 or average of 2008 and 2009 data)
Principal
Performance
Indicators
Improvement Target
Outcome
Page 32
2014
Reward Payment
(target for 2013
students)
To be determined
-
2015
Reward Payment
(target for 2014
students)
To be determined
-
2016
Progress target
(target for 2015
students)
To be determined
-
4.4
Teaching and Learning Infrastructure
4.4.1 Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth is committed to the development of world class higher education
infrastructure. A contemporary, technology rich, well designed and equipped campus
environment has a positive influence on staff and student performance and satisfaction.
While the responsibility for capital infrastructure development and maintenance rests with the
University, the Commonwealth’s commitment is demonstrated through programs such as the
Education Investment Fund. Universities also utilise Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding for
capital works and maintenance.
The Commonwealth will monitor the University's infrastructure performance, through the
Institutional Performance Portfolio/CAMS.
4.4.2
University strategies
The reinvigoration of UNE’s teaching and learning infrastructure is at the core of UNE’s strategic
plan. Creating and sustaining a high quality learning environment in both physical and virtual
settings is paramount to UNE’s aim to provide a unique quality on-campus experience while
leading the nation in the innovative use of educational technology for distance education.
As many universities seek to grow domestic numbers substantially the Armidale campus of UNE
will maintain its focus on the quality of the student experience over volume of students. Its
aspiration is to attract students by the quality of its residential college system, its on-campus
student experience and its reputation for excellence.
UNE’s distance students will make use of an expanding network of Future Campus’ and Access
Centres and the latest educational technologies to connect, study and interact with staff and
students all around the world.
Given the above objectives, management of assets and reducing building maintenance levels is a
strategic priority for the University. During the term of this Compact UNE will develop a UNE
Strategic Asset Management Framework (SAMF) and Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAM)
based on industry good practice which will include:
 a compliance audit of existing facilities that identifies the extend to which each facility meets
current legislation, codes and standards
 a Condition Assessment of existing facilities
 a Space Functionality Assessment
 implementation of the SAMF & SAM
As part of the deliverables of this project, UNE will develop and implement a building
refurbishment /replacement plan in three year cycles for the next fifteen years. This plan will map
the required infrastructure to deliver the University’s Strategic Plan and ensure funding is
allocated to meet the future needs of the organisation. It will also result in consistent
deployment of IT systems and learning resources across teaching spaces.
UNE installed the Space Management module of Archibus to form the foundation of its space
information systems. All campus buildings have AutoCAD floor plans drawn to scale and linked to
the Archibus database for accurate departmental area reporting. In addition to physical audits of
the campus to maintain the data integrity, a Space Management Web Portal is functional,
allowing key personnel to update data as it changes. In 2012 UNE moved to Enterprise Plus as its
room booking system and, in conjunction with the space management information, UNE now has
enhanced visibility of opportunities to improve room utilisation. This, in association with the
SAMF, which will include a functionality audit, will provide the framework to determine future
alterations and refurbishment of teaching spaces. UNE commits to reporting space utilisation
rates through CAMS.
Page 33
By the end of the Compact period UNE aims to have an improved BM/ARV index of 0.95, (with the
2012 baseline being 0.86), consolidated physical assets, and consistency in quality and resources
across teaching spaces.
In addition UNE will continue to implement the following projects:
College Renewal Project: UNE aspires to be Australia’s pre-eminent collegiate University, with the
majority of its on-campus students residing in or affiliated with UNE’s unique residential college
system. Having completed the first stage, work will continue to finalise upgrades to colleges to
meet the compliance requirements of relevant authorities. UNE will continue to enhance the
academic life of the colleges through the appointment of full-time academic College Heads and
the promotion of academic activities based in the colleges, and improve the standard and range
of student accommodation in the colleges, including through the negotiation of a proposed new
220 bed residential facility on vacant land on campus.
UNE Future Campus: The UNE Future Campus concept is central to the University’s mission of
being Australia’s provider of choice for online learning through a blend of online, voice, video and
face-to-face media. Future Campus’ will provide online students with improved access to
academic and support services and will support growth in key markets. A Future Campus
servicing outer metropolitan Sydney and another in Tamworth will allow UNE to participate in a
rapidly growing market and provide distance education students with greater access to UNE staff
and facilities. The Sydney and Tamworth campuses will serve as the prototypes for an expanded
network of technology focused centres. During the course of this Compact new activities will be
scoped and implemented in support of its operation at these campuses, including the scheduling
of courses to be offered synchronously and asynchronously, the coordination of student support
services and workforce planning, and the completion of a market research project identifying
course preferences among school leavers and mature age students in key markets.
Integrated Agricultural Education Project: The project will deliver a new three-storey Agricultural
Education Building to support UNE’s teaching and learning and research outcomes in agriculture
and the sciences. It will provide specialised and flexible teaching laboratories, sound-proofed and
temperature controlled workrooms, zoology teaching museum and a learning resource centre. In
addition the project will result in upgrades to existing learning and teaching infrastructure on the
UNE Armidale campus, develop the Sustainable, Manageable and Assessable Rural Technologies SMART - Farm Education Facilities and establish a new Animal Husbandry Facility. The upgrade of
the Tamworth Access Centre, discussed above, will also be funded in part from this project.
Courseware Redevelopment: This ongoing program will increase UNE’s ability to compete
effectively in the online market. UNE will engineer faster, cheaper and more innovative delivery of
online courses to a greater number of students, and will achieve “online readiness” of courseware
with a focus on cost effective and innovative student experiences and improved teaching and
learning outcomes. This will be supported by investments in IT infrastructure and service delivery.
UNE will commence the first phase of courseware redevelopment this year, with the objective of
making new and augmented courseware available for students in mid-2013.
Page 34
PART FIVE: RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING
5
RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING
A range of research and research training performance indicators and targets are proposed in this
section. Principal Performance Indicators are compulsory and institutions may voluntarily
nominate optional performance indicators and targets considered reflective of individual
institutional goals.
The Commonwealth recognises universities have diverse missions and, consequently, targets and
performance will vary between institutions. Each university should develop performance
indicators and targets to reflect its individual performance and strategic direction.
5.1
Research performance and research capability
5.1.1
Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth encourages excellence in research performance and the strengthening of
research capability. Particular objectives are to:
 progressively increase the number of research groups performing at world class levels, as
measured by international performance benchmarks; and
 promote collaboration, amongst universities, across sectors, between researchers and
industry Australia and internationally.
The Commonwealth, through the Australian Research Council (ARC), conducts the Excellence in
Research for Australia (ERA) which evaluates the quality of research undertaken at Australian
universities by discipline against international benchmarks. ERA is used to assist in determining
funding in the Sustainable Research Excellence in Universities program administered by the
Commonwealth.
5.1.2
University strategies
UNE has a proud history of undertaking high quality research and producing valuable research
outcomes. UNE is dedicated to identifying and delivering innovations of value to society and
industry, in Australia and internationally, with a particular emphasis on inter-disciplinary research
for tackling complex problems in rural and regional Australia. This research involves extensive
engagement in large-scale collaborations within UNE, nationally and internationally.
UNE’s strategy to achieve international distinction in all its specialist areas of research and to
develop its research capacity will be supported by activities which further enhance those areas
performing at world standard, as evaluated by ERA, and to build those areas of strategic
importance for UNE.
UNE’s research in Environmental and Agricultural Sciences is world class. This includes ERA
assessed disciplines of Animal Production, Environmental Sciences, Evolutionary Biology and
Zoology. The Zoology discipline has demonstrated strong growth, and is expected to further
improve on ERA ratings in the short term. UNE is Australia’s leading institution in Livestock
Sciences, and is among the top three achievers worldwide, continually delivering value to society
and industry. For example, UNE has developed most of the research and all of the technology
development that enables the genetic evaluation and improvement programs of the Australian
sheep, beef cattle and pig industries. The net present value of the sheep and beef improvement
programs since the programs began in 1985 to 2010 were estimated by Meat Livestock Australia
to be $12.8 billion, with current gains of $441m per annum Net Present Value (over 10 years)
accelerating at $40m per annum largely based on UNE research results and wholly based on UNE
technologies. Research into UNE supplemental feed enzymes for poultry to counter the effects of
anti-nutritional factors in feed ingredients improved industry feed conversion by 3% worth $21m
per annum. This contributed to global application of a derived technology; worth over $1billion in
saved costs annually.
Page 35
Rural and Regional Education comprises another area of traditional strength at UNE, with scope
to further build capacity. The National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for
Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR) at UNE is leading world-class research through programs
such as QuickSmart. The QuickSmart Numeracy program has been approved by the NSW
Department of Education and Training to be offered as a numeracy intervention program under
the new state/federal school partnership funding arrangement for schools with literacy and
numeracy needs and schools in areas of low socioeconomic status. Over 400 QuickSmart
Numeracy and Literacy schools are operating in all States and Territories and continue to take
part in the program.
Rural Health is an emerging and rapidly expanding area at UNE, at this stage not captured through
the ERA. UNE’s successful bid for a Collaborative Research Network on Mental Health and Wellbeing in Rural and Regional Communities will underpin further expansion and capacity building in
this area.
UNE will continue to build capacity and improve ERA performance in Education (FoR 13) and in
Public Health and Allied Health Services, including Clinical Sciences (FoR 11). This however, is a
long-term strategy and is unlikely to show results during the term of this Compact. In the short
term, Mental Health Psychology is expected to achieve improved ERA ratings, assessed as part of
the Psychology discipline (FoR 17).
Notwithstanding UNE’s strategic focus on strongly investing in and enhancing distinct research
priority areas, UNE will implement a number of initiatives to build research culture and capability
across the University, to enhance research infrastructure and to strengthen the availability and
use of research performance data for decision-making. The breadth of UNE’s world class research
was underpinned by ERA 2012 results, with all disciplines submitted for ERA 2012 assessment in
the Humanities and Arts cluster, and all UNE submitted Social Sciences disciplines, evaluated as
conducting research at world standard.
Key programs and activities to broadly build on and strengthen UNE’s research areas include:
 Utilisation of workforce planning and recruitment processes to enhance UNE’s research
capability
 Providing funding for strategic DVC postdoctoral positions in disciplines with high ERA
rankings with low-levels of enrolment (i.e Pure Mathematics). The first of these were
formalised in 2012
 Embedding research development as a core part of the PPR process
 Strongly supporting, rewarding and investing in staff whose research performance meets or
exceeds stated expectations
 Assisting researchers via Research Seed Grants that focus and accelerate research in priority
areas
 Enhancing the Grant Development Programs for ECRs and other targeted groups of
researchers
 Seek and obtain external research funding aligned to research strengths and priorities
 Maximising research impact by leveraging research partnerships
 Embedding research performance data collection, analysis and reporting within the
Corporate Intelligence Unit as a part of normal business operations
 Improving the structure, efficiency and productivity of the Research Services Directorate to
provide sector best-practice services to the university’s research community
In addition UNE has commenced granting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Research
Fellowships. The aim of this Fellowship is to support the University of New England's Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Research Support and Retention Strategy. Through this Fellowship the
University acknowledges that it has the responsibility to foster an environment in which
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers can work on research that benefits Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander communities, and in order to do this the University must support skills
development and ethical knowledge transfer between the University and Aboriginal and Torres
Page 36
Strait Islander individuals, families and communities. The purpose of this Fellowship is to begin
this work in those communities closest to the University.
Given the lag inherent in improving research outcomes, UNE expects that these programs will not
start to show quantitative outcomes until towards the end of the Compact period. Such
outcomes should be reflected in increased citations for publications and increased success in
external grant applications.
5.1.3
Performance indicators and targets
The purpose of the research performance and the research capability performance indicators and
targets is to assist the University and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress
against the Commonwealth's objectives and the University's strategies for research performance
and research capability.
The University will aim to meet the research performance and research capability performance
indicators and targets set out in the following table.
Principal Performance Indicators
ERA 2010
Number of disciplines, as defined by two-digit
Fields of Research (FoR), performing at world
standard or above (3, 4 or 5)
Number of disciplines, as defined by four-digit
FoR, performing at world standards or above
(3, 4 or 5)
Disciplines the University commits to
demonstrating substantial improvement
in as defined by two-digit FoR and/or
four-digit FoR
ERA 2012
ERA 2015 Target
5
12
12
7
17
17
Disciplines nominated in
2011–13 Compact
Disciplines nominated in
2014–16 Compact
Education
Biological Sciences
Psychology
Education
Zoology
Psychology
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Principal Performance
Baseline
Progressive
Progressive
Progressive
Indicators
2012
Target 2013
Target 2014
Target 2015
Target
2016
Category 1 income
$5,109,262 $6.0m
$6.5m
$6.5m
$7.0m
Category 2 Income
Number of joint
research grants in
Australia
Number of joint
research grants
overseas
Number of jointly
supervised PhD
students in Australia12
Number of jointly
supervised PhD
students overseas13
$5,498,241 $6.0m
34
36
$6.0m
36
$6.5m
38
$6.5m
38
8
8
8
10
10
118
130
140
150
160
16
20
24
26
28
12
Please provide the number by headcount of jointly supervised HDR students enrolled in your institution who have a supervisor from an external
organisation in Australia (examples include someone from a government organisation, hospital or another university).
Page 37
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Optional
Performance
Indicators
Baseline
2012
Progressive
Target 2013
Progressive
Target 2014
Progressive
Target 2015
Target
2016
Establish and
implement a
strategy to
improve
research
outcomes wrt
publications,
grants and
HDR students
Implement
strategy,
improve
grant %
success
Implement
strategy,
improve
grant %
success
Ranking
outcome
expected
At least
$400k
amount of
Research
Seed Grant
distributed
At least
$500k
amount of
Research
Seed Grant
distributed
At least $600k
amount of
Research Seed
Grant
distributed.
Establish an ERA
reporting
strategy and
process to
maximise the
University’s
position in
research
rankings
ERA 2012
National
Report
Produce quality
research
outcomes of
high impact
with the
assistance of
annual UNE
Research Seed
Grants that
focus and
accelerate
research in
priority areas
Percentage of
successful
Category 1
funding
applications,
as against
total
applications
At least $300k
amount of
Research Seed
Grant
distributed
Increase the
proportion of
high quality
publications
achieving high
citations
Proportion of
papers in RCI
classes IV-VI
of ERA 2012
metrics
assessed
disciplines
Ongoing
Ongoing
ERA 2015
Proportion of
papers in RCI
classes IV-VI
of ERA 2015
metrics
assessed
disciplines
Decrease
Doctoral
candidature
completion
times
ABS
5.1 yrs FTE
5.0 yrs FTE
4.9 yrs FTE
4.8 yrs FTE
13
Review
success of
strategy as
measured by
an increase in
publication
citations,
grant success
and HDR
numbers
Review
success of
Seed grant
program as
reflected in an
increase in
the
percentage of
successful
external grant
applications
Please provide the number by headcount of jointly supervised HDR students enrolled in your institution who have a supervisor from an
external overseas organisation (examples include someone from a government organisation, hospital or another university).
Page 38
5.2
Research training
5.2.1 Commonwealth objectives
The Commonwealth encourages excellence in the provision of research training. Particular
objectives are to:
 support research excellence and develop an internationally competitive research workforce
in Australia through high quality research training;
 develop an internationally competitive research workforce in Australia through high quality
research training; and
 significantly increase the number of students completing higher degrees by research over the
next decade.
5.2.2
University strategies
UNE strongly supports a high quality research training environment by providing a wide range of
services and facilities to its HDR students. These include:
 a wide range of HDR scholarship opportunities, including living cost stipends, and tuition fee
stipends for international HDR students
 UNE was the only university within Australia to score 100% across 32 indicators in an
independent study conducted by the Australian Council of Postgraduate Associations
 up to $15,000 (for a three-year PhD program in specific disciplines) to provide additional
research operating support for postgraduate research students
 one-on-one induction sessions for newly enrolled postgraduate research students; additional
discipline-specific induction sessions, e.g. laboratory and field work safety issues
 a Confirmation of Candidature for UNE HDR Students Policy including detailed guidelines and
reporting proforma, which allows the early (at the six months point in time of full-time
equivalent candidature) evaluation and management of risks to mitigate potential delays in
research projects or performance related matters
 a comprehensive HDR Progress Reporting program, conducted twice a year for continuing
HDR students who successfully complete their Confirmation of Candidature. This will be
undertaken by HDR students, their principal supervisor and their Head of School to allow
ongoing monitoring and risk assessment of matters in relation to research students and their
research projects
 School-based seminar series and postgraduate conferences to provide to postgraduate
research students an opportunity for early presentation of research project outlines and
preliminary results
 International conference travel support for postgraduate research students through
university wide funding programs (e.g. K&D Mackay Postgraduate Travelling Scholarships)
and specific School-based funding programs
 UNE postgraduate research student participation in the Australasian 3-Minute Thesis
competition; with preliminary School rounds; the UNE winner is sponsored to attend the
Australasian 3MT competition finals.
UNE is aiming to increase its HDR student body, domestic and international, and improve
completion rates via the promotion of its student focused program, and internal support
programs and incentives to reduce the time to completion of HDR students.
Through the life of this Compact UNE plans to introduce or strengthen:
 an increasing number of HDR Completion Scholarships
 Supervisor Training modules augmented by focus workshops
 career development programs for UNE HDR students
 staff and HDR student collaborative research networks
 benchmark and improve research related policies and procedures to achieve sector best
practice
 online information for HDR students to provide easy access to funding opportunities, updates
on policies and procedures, and other candidature related issues
Page 39


enhanced online promotional material to showcase excellent research conducted by HDR
candidates and UNE in general, to attract new HDR candidates
alternative pathways and academic support programs that address Indigenous and low SES
student participation in higher degree programs
These activities will result, over the term of this Compact, in an increased number of domestic
and international HDR students, broader development opportunities available to HDR students
and a decrease in completion times for HDR.
5.3
Performance indicators and targets
The purpose of the research training performance indicators and targets is to assist the University
and the Commonwealth in monitoring the University's progress against the Commonwealth's
objectives and the University's strategies for research training.
The University will aim to meet the research training performance indicators and targets set out
in the following table.
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Principal Performance
Baseline
Progressive
Progressive
Progressive
Indicators
2012
Target 2013
Target 2014
Target 2015
HDR student load
405.9
425
435
445
HDR student completions by 18
18
20
18
masters
HDR student completions by 75
65
60
70
doctorates
Note: All calendar year references below refer to the previous year’s data collection.
Optional Performance Baseline
Progressive
Progressive
Progressive
Indicators
2012
Target 2013
Target 2014
Target 2015
Roll-out of the
Pilot
Review of
Embed in
Ongoing, an
Emeritus Mentoring
program
pilot
ODU
additional 5
Scheme
program
5 staff
staff
mentored
mentored
Enhance the Early
Career Researcher
Mentoring Scheme
Program
established
20 ECRs
mentored
Ongoing, an
additional 20
ECRs
mentored
Ongoing, an
additional 20
ECRs
mentored
Increase the number
of academic staff able
to supervise HDR
Students
75% of
academic
staff on
supervisor
register
Developmen
t of
supervisor
training and
registration
programs
Embedding
supervisor
training
program
Ensure all
new
research
active staff
complete
supervisor
training
Introduce career
development
programs for HDR
Students
Non
available
Developmen
t of career
development
programs
Embed
career
development
programs
Page 40
Target
2016
455
22
80
Target
2016
Ongoing,
an
additional
5 staff
mentored
Ongoing,
an
additional
20 ECRs
mentored
Ensure all
new
research
active staff
complete
supervisor
training
PART SIX: GENERAL PROVISIONS
6
GENERAL PROVISIONS
6.1
Compact Review
6.1.1 The Commonwealth and the University will review the compact annually. This review will
be a mechanism for considering progress made towards agreed goals outlined in this compact.
Compact review will aim to ensure that the Commonwealth and the University will continue to
focus on key objectives and strategies and will be an opportunity to consider developments that
may impact on the compact or trigger a need to change the compact.
6.1.2 To facilitate this review the Commonwealth will produce an annual Institutional
Performance Portfolio and the University agrees to contribute to the annual Institutional
Performance Portfolio Information Collection (IPPIC). The Commonwealth will consult with the
higher education sector on the information collection requirements and any issues arising from
the IPPIC process.
6.2
Privacy and information sharing
6.2.1 Subject to clause 6.2.2 below, the University acknowledges and agrees that any
information it provides to the Department for the purposes of this compact, may be accessible
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and may also be:

published by the Commonwealth in any manner in accordance with any legislative
requirement;

used by the Department for any purpose of the Commonwealth, including dealings with
other Commonwealth or State or territory agencies;

used in reporting to or answering questions from a Minister of State of the Commonwealth
or a House or Committee of the Parliament of the Commonwealth; or

disclosed where the Commonwealth is required or permitted by law to do so.
6.2.2 The Commonwealth and the University agree to carry out their roles under this compact
in accordance with any obligations they have under the Privacy Act 1988 or any state or territory
law relating to the protection of personal information.
6.3
Changing the Compact
6.3.1 Either party may propose changes to this compact at any time. Any variation to this
compact is to be in writing and signed by the University's, and the Commonwealth’s
Representatives.
6.4
Notices
6.4.1
A party wishing to give notice under a provision of this compact:
a. must do so by sending it to the other Representative set out in clause 6.4.2; and
b. must, if a response is required to the notice, set out the time in which the response is
to be given;
6.4.2
The Representatives are:
a. University Representative
Professor James Barber
Vice-Chancellor
Booloominbah
Elm Avenue
University of New England NSW 2351
Ph: +61 2 6773 2004 Fax: +61 2 6773 3710
Email: vc@une.edu.au
Page 41
b. DIICCSRTE Representative
Division Head
Higher Education Group
Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary
Education
GPO Box 9839
Canberra ACT 2601
OR
compacts@innovation.gov.au
6.5
Dictionary
In this compact, unless the contrary intention appears:
‘Department’ means the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change,
Science, Research and Tertiary Education or any successor.
‘HESA’ means the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and includes any subordinate legislation or
Ministerial determination made under that Act.
‘Institutional Performance Portfolio’ (IPP) is a report which provides an historical record of a
university's performance based on information provided by the University and an analysis of the
Higher Education Data Collections. An IPP will be prepared by the Commonwealth for the
University annually using the latest available data.
‘Institutional Performance Portfolio Information Collection’ (IPPIC) is a set of Commonwealth
instructions requesting that universities provide a submission to the Commonwealth, endorsed by
the University's chief executive, that includes student, staff, financial and research
information needed for the preparation of an Institutional Performance Portfolio for that
university.
‘Minister’ means the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.
‘Mission’ means the University’s Mission set out at Part One of this compact as amended in
accordance with the variation provisions in this compact from time to time.
‘TEQSA’ means the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
‘Term of this compact’ means the period set out in Part B of the Context of this compact.
‘University’ means University of New England, ABN 75 792 454 315
Page 42
Signed for and on behalf of the University of New England
by
……………………………………………………..
Signature
…………………………
Date
Professor James Barber
the Vice-Chancellor
In the Presence of:
.....................................................................................
WITNESS
.....................................................................................
Full name and occupation or profession of witness (Please print)
SIGNED for and on behalf of
THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
by
……………………………………………………..
Signature
…………………………
Date
Mr David deCarvalho
the Head of Division
of Higher Education Division
of the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
a Delegate of the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research
In the Presence of:
.....................................................................................
WITNESS
.....................................................................................
Full name and occupation or profession of witness (Please print)
Page 43