A Perspective on a Decade of Change

This chapter provides an introduction to the dramatic and far-reaching changes that occurred in Australian higher education throughout the decade of the 1990s. These changes touched numerous aspects of Commonwealth higher education policy and university life. They also consolidated and extended the substantial reforms of the late 1980s. Particularly important were: • the substantial increase in total student enrolments with the achievement of greater access to university, and the development of stronger and more comprehensive institutions; • a more market-oriented and competitive regulatory environment, with less institutional dependence on government operating grants and substantial increases in revenue generated by institutions, including student fees, particularly from international students; • a more student focused approach to course offerings and student learning, and new access and equity initiatives; • major expansion in research activity and research training, with closer university-industry research links, and an increased emphasis on competition in research allocations and in monitoring outputs; • new quality assurance initiatives, improved monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and a more international orientation; and • within universities, a more corporatist and entrepreneurial approach to institutional management and governance.