Budget holds no surprises for academics

The Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee (AVCC) has adopted a wait-and-see attitude following last night's Federal budget.

AVCC CEO John Mullarvey said that the committee wasn't expecting any major changes to funding arrangements as the review of higher education announced by the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, was only in its preliminary stages.

"We're thankful that the government didn't cut us, but we were disappointed that they haven't put in more funding," he said.

He noted that the additional funding announced was mostly carry-over from previously announced measures.

"It would be most premature for the government to make structural changes in this budget, or worse still, to have announced cuts to funding," said AVCC president Prof Deryck Schreuder in a statement.

He said that the sector was looking to the review to produce a substantial, well-considered package of changes in the 2003 budget.

Mullarvey indicated that the AVCC saw two main issues as being key to the sector. One was additional public investment in universities to provide increased funding for existing students, and more funding for extra places.

In addition, Mullarvey said that regulatory reforms are needed by the sector.

"We absolutely agree that there must be appropriate accounting from the universities to the government that provides funding," he said. "There has been a massive increase in demands for administrative information by the government."

"For it to be done properly we will just have to wait and see," Mullarvey said.