Establishing the university as the sole provider of higher education: The Australian experience

This article examines the background and implementation of the recent Australian decision to move from a binary to a unitary system of higher education based upon the universities. While convergency was built into the Australian binary system from the beginning, the economic and efficiency goals for higher education (of the federal government) greatly accelerated the demise of the dual structure. Since the responsibilities of the new institutions are so broad, a much more cosmopolitan mission for the university will have to be adopted. The changes occurring in Australia are one national response to common pressures upon higher education systems. Hence the new Australian university may be a portent of the post-industrial university, strongly articulated with government and serving the undifferentiated needs of a mass system of higher education.