tertiary education management conference 2006 the hidden costs of vsu legislation for student...
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Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006
The hidden costs of VSU legislation for student
services
D Noble
The hidden costs of VSUThe hidden costs of VSU
Presentation to 2006 TEMCThe Hilton, Sydney29th August 2006
Presented by David Noble
The voice of dissent is the bell of freedom
Senator Amanda Vanstone
VSU…
• Higher Education Support Amendment
(Abolition of Compulsory Up-front Student
Union Fees) Bill 2005
• Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU)
• December 9th 2005 –passage of legislation
• Effective July 1st 2006
• Approx. $161 million collected at 38
universities
• Sydney 1874
• Melbourne 1884
• Fees charged at Melbourne 1911
• Goal: promote “common interests of
students and assist in social interactions
between its members”
• SRC’s emerge
• Vietnam war era creates division
VSU…
Four areas:• the potential for an exponential escalation in
“vexatious complaints” to university management;
• a disconnection between students and academics, that unit surveys cannot mitigate, if student representation is not maintained;
• an increase in common law actions involving injured students; and
• elite athletes “giving up” on university due to lack of support.
VSU…
VSU…
Complaint categories:
Administrative Academic
Standard process
Standard process
Litigious process
Litigious process
Complaint resolution process
VSU…
Student sends complaint to VC
1. VC’s PA opens letter and includes in material
for VC to assess
4. SS Manager assesses and sends to SS Officer for research and recommendation
3. Director of SS assesses complaint and sends to SS Manager for
evaluation
2. VC assesses complaint and directs PA to send to
Director of Student Services (SS)
5. SS Officer researches and recommends
9. VC’s PA includes with material for VC to
assess
10. VC Assesses Director’s
recommendation and instructs PA to write
response to complainant
11. VC’s PA writes letter to complainant
Student receives VC’s response
6. Director of SS reviews research information and
recommendation and sends to VC’s PA
VSU…
Number of complaints
Total hours per complaint
Complaint hours
Average cost per
hour
Total Complaint
cost
Pre VSU standard 16 2.08 33.33 $ 50.94 $ 5,820
Pre VSU litigious(incl. steps 7 & 8) 4 9.83 39.33 $ 50.41 $ 23,547
Total $ 29,367
Cost of complaints before VSU:
VSU…
Potential cost of complaints after VSU:
Number comp
Total hours/ comp
Complaint hours
Average cost / hour Total cost
Post VSU standard 80 2.08 166.67 $ 50.94 $ 29,098
Post VSU litigious
(incl. steps 7 & 8) 20 9.83 196.67 $ 50.41 $ 117,737
Total $ 146,835
VSU…
Effect of under-enrolment
$0$1,000,000$2,000,000$3,000,000$4,000,000$5,000,000$6,000,000$7,000,000$8,000,000$9,000,000
-2.50% -5.00% -7.50% -10.00%
VSU…
TARGET -1.00%EFTSL 5,800 5,742
CGS grant $41,735,000 41,317,650$
Fee income $41,449,000 41,034,510$
Total income 83,184,000$ 82,352,160$
Shortfall $831,840
Effect of under-enrolment
Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006
Lunch
Please reconvene at 2pm on Level 3, Ballroom A/ Ante (adjacent to the Trade Exhibition)