CAPA calls for student income support and secure work for uni staff in Newstart Inquiry
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) urges the Government to extend and improve income support for all domestic students and for a reduction in insecure employment for university employees, in a submission to the Senate Inquiry on Newstart and related payments.
In our submission, we renew our call for income support programs such as Austudy to be extended to all domestic full-time postgraduate students, subject to means testing. It has been more than a decade since the Bradley Review of Australian Higher Education found that income support should be available to students enrolled in all postgraduate coursework programs, yet there is still no universal entitlement to income support for low-income domestic postgraduate research and coursework students. Eligibility for income support is based on course of enrolment, but only a minority of Masters courses are eligible for income support according to an arbitrary list released by the Government, with research students unable to access any Centrelink study payments at all.
Under this system, many students living in extreme poverty are not able to access Centrelink payments. This results in students experiencing homelessness and skipping meals in order to survive. We urge the Government to urgently address this travesty.
We furthermore are concerned about the impact of insecure work in universities on the welfare system. Two-thirds of university staff are employed either as casuals or on short-term contracts. Many of these casually employed university staff are also postgraduate students. Insecure work in universities results in highly-qualified individuals relying upon income support and community charity resources to make ends meet when in between contracts. This state of affairs could be entirely prevented by the implementation of fair employment conditions for university employees, resulting in better educational and research outcomes, and eliminating an unnecessary welfare burden on Australian taxpayers.
We therefore implore the Government to incentivise public higher education providers to increase secure employment in their staffing profiles.
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
Download – Submission to Senate Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart and Related Payments
In this submission, we argue that current income support payments for domestic students are inadequate and exclude many low-income students who are in need of income support. Further, we argue that increasing current income support payments and scholarships, and extending income support to all domestic postgraduate students would be result in increased course completion rates. Specifically, we recommend the following:
Recommendation one: That income support be expanded to domestic students of all postgraduate coursework degrees, subject to means testing of the student.
Recommendation two: That the rate of Austudy be urgently increased in order to help students afford housing.
Recommendation three: That Austudy eligibility be established for domestic students of all research degrees who are not receiving an RTP scholarship or another scholarship of an equivalent or higher amount, subject to means testing of the student.
Recommendation four: That RTP PhD stipends be extended to a minimum of 4 years and Masters by Research stipends to no less than 2 years.
Recommendation five: That the value of RTP stipends be increased to at least minimum wage.
Recommendation six: That the Commonwealth Government implement measures that incentivise publicly funded higher education providers to reduce the proportion of their staff employed on short-term or casual contacts.
CAPA welcomes follow-up survey on SA/SH in universities
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) welcomes Universities Australia’s announcement of a follow-up survey on sexual assault and harassment in universities, as promised following the release of the Change the Course report in 2017.
We are encouraged that the survey will include extensive consultation with students, including with groups, such as End Rape on Campus, which have been instrumental in advocating for change.
We look forward to representing the unique concerns of postgraduate students to the survey team as part of the consultation process.
Research students are vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour from their supervisors due to the power dynamic involved. The follow-up survey represents an opportunity to systematically gather data on this issue for the first time. CAPA strongly encourages Universities Australia to include this issue in the survey, and we look forward to collaborating with our member organisations and others in the sector to advocate for change.
“The Change the Course report two years ago highlighted the prevalence of sexual violence in university communities, sparking many conversations in the sector about the culture we create and inhabit,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “The follow-up survey is an opportunity to examine if any universities have been successful in reducing sexual violence in their community, and will provide the sector with data illuminating where action is needed.”
“Women need to be given a safe environment to work in so they can be successful. For female postgraduate and research students, collecting data will be a crucial step in addressing inappropriate relationships between students and their supervisors and the link to future career success,” says CAPA Women’s Officer, Romana Begicevic. “We welcome this opportunity to better represent and support the success of women in academia. It is wonderful that the follow-up survey has been announced during Bluestocking Week, which celebrates women’s participation in higher education.”
Furthermore, we encourage the survey team to consult with and incorporate feedback from other peak bodies including the National Union of Students, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate Association, the Union of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students, and the Council of International Students Australia.
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
Performance-based funding model tinkers at the edge of failing system, says CAPA
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) cautions that the new performance-based funding model does not address the funding issues plaguing universities.
The Government proposes to distribute $80 million to universities based on graduate employment rates, student satisfaction with teaching, attrition rates, and equity group enrolments. The performance-based funding is only to be applied at an undergraduate level.
This $80 million is a pittance compared to the billions of dollars ripped from undergraduate education, student loans, and research funding in the last two years.
Universities increasingly seek unethical sources of funding to make up for the severe funding cuts from Government. This includes charging extortionate fees to international and domestic postgraduate students, collaborations with weapons manufacturers, and accepting funds from controversial groups such as the Ramsay Centre.
“Implementing performance-based funding without providing an adequate amount of funding to universities is like bailing out a sinking ship using a cup,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “The Government must take decisive action to ensure universities are fully-funded institutions for the public good. While performance-based funding appears to be well-intentioned, it does not adequately address the under-funding of universities and unethical actions taken by university management.”
Moreover, not all metrics used in the performance-based funding model are well thought out. We are concerned about the “student experience” metric, which is not comparable across universities. As we argued in our submission, quoted by the performance-based funding panel’s report, most undergraduate students lack a point of comparison as they have only attended one university. Student perceptions of university are more reflective of their expectations rather than of the quality of education provided.
We furthermore warn that student satisfaction with teaching will create more demands for unpaid labour from the insecurely employed academic staff, many of whom are research students, who undertake the bulk of teaching work.
Our submission to the performance-based funding review can be downloaded here.
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
CAPA calls for NSW student accommodation loophole to be closed
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) has called for an end to the loophole which allows student accommodation to charge excessive fees, impose unfair notice periods, and avoid urgent property repairs.
Student accommodation has an exemption to complying with residential tenancies legislation in New South Wales. In our submission to the review of NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019, we suggest that the exemption be re-evaluated to ensure students do not lose their rights as renters.
Currently, the exemption is applied to residential colleges and halls that are located on the grounds of an educational institution, owned by the institution, or contracted by the institution. Instead of being covered by the Residential Tenancies legislation, the relationship between the student and their exempt landlord is defined by a contract, which is written by the landlord and may impose unfair conditions.
There is no recourse available through NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for student tenants to resolve disputes with their exempt landlords. Financial disputes between students and accommodation operators can have unfair impacts on the student’s enrolment status, visa status, and ability to graduate, as found by the Redfern Legal Centre.
We are particularly concerned by the actions of private owners or operators of student accommodation. In New South Wales, one in five student accommodation beds are commercially managed but located on the campus of an educational institution.
The current exemption can create circumstances that are deeply unfair for students, who are often vulnerable due to their young age or their citizenship status. For many, this is their first experience renting, or their first experience renting in Australia. These students may not realise that the contract conditions are onerous and they are unlikely to pursue legal action should there be a breach of contract.
“Due to the improper or incomplete dissemination of information, it is hard for international students to understand the rules and regulations around tenancy. Further, it can create stressful situations for them, both mentally and financially, if loopholes are used to charge students excessively or to force them to leave their accommodation altogether at short notice,” says CAPA International Officer, Devendra Singh.
“Historically, the exemption to tenancy legislation has existed due to the pastoral care aspect of university accommodation,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “However, some commercial operators are able to enjoy this exemption to rip off students, while providing little of the pastoral care that is the basis of this exemption.”
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
Download – Submission to review of NSW Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019
Tertiary students, and particularly international students, renting in New South Wales are routinely subject to unfair, exploitative, and illegal practices by landlords. We believe that this review of the Residential Tenancies Regulation is an opportunity to close the loophole exempting private operators of institutionally-owned student accommodation from complying with the Act. We also believe that wider reforms are needed to promote fair treatment of international student renters in the private rental market. We therefore make the following recommendations:
Recommendation one: That the exemption to the Act for student accommodation should only apply to residences that are both owned and operated by the educational provider.
Recommendation two: That the Regulation be amended in line with the recommendations made in the UNSW Human Rights Clinic report.
Students call on NSW government to extend student public transport pricing to international students
A coalition of fourteen student organisations is asking the New South Wales government to grant concession public transport fares to international students, in line with all other Australian states.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA), in partnership with the Council of International Students Australia (CISA), National Union of Students (NUS), and all campus-based student associations of NSW, has today released a discussion paper outlining the case for international student concessions.
We estimate that extending public transport concessions to higher education students in NSW would cost the state a maximum of $169 million per year. This is based on the assumption that all students will be using the weekly maximum Opal card (which is currently $25 concession or $50 full fare) for 52 weeks per year. In reality, most students will use public transportation less often, especially those who travel to their home countries during study breaks.
This cost is minimal when compared to the $13 billion injected into the NSW economy by international students in 2018. Reducing this everyday cost for international students will increase their satisfaction with their treatment in Australia, at a relatively small cost to the state.
There are currently no concessions available for international students in NSW, with the discounted MyMulti pass program for international students being quietly ended in 2016.
“With the current situation of international students relying on limited and underpaid casual work for their day-to-day expenses including high rent in NSW, paying full fares is an additional hardship,” says CAPA International Officer, Devendra Singh.
“There are a lot of international students struggling financially and cutting their food expenses in order to pay for their daily commute. These experiences damage the global reputation of New South Wales as an education destination. The state must maintain its reputation by extending concessions on public transport to all students.”
The discussion paper can be downloaded from: http://www.capa.edu.au/discussion-paper-public-transport-concessions-international-students-new-south-wales/
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
Download – International transport concessions NSW discussion paper
New South Wales is the only state which excludes international university students from public transport concessions. Lack of access to public transport concessions makes New South Wales a less desirable study destination for overseas students.
International students bring in $13 billion per year to the NSW economy, with international education being the state’s largest services export industry. We estimate that extending public transport concessions to international higher education students would cost a maximum of $168.6 million per year.
On this basis, we recommend:
Recommendation one: That the New South Wales state government grants all full-time international students access to concession public transport fares.
Recommendation two: That the Council of Australian Governments implements a national transport concession scheme for all full-time students in Australia, permitting the use of concessions for interstate travel.
Recommendation three: That universities in New South Wales fund a transport concession scheme for their international students, in the interim.
This campaign is coordinated by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, in partnership with the Council of International Students Australia and the National Union of Students. The campaign includes the joint effort of all campus-based student associations in New South Wales:
Download – CAPA feedback on freedom of speech amendment
We thank the Higher Education Standards Panel for the opportunity for CAPA to provide our views on proposed amendments to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 (the Standards). The proposed amendments are one outcome of the Hon Robert French’s Review of Freedom of Speech in Higher Education.
In our comments on the proposed amendment, we make the following recommendations:
Recommendation one: That the Higher Education Standards Framework not be amended as proposed.
Recommendation two: That, if the Standards are amended, the ordering be changed such that equitable treatment and wellbeing of students and staff be placed prior to freedom of speech.
Recommendation three: That, if the Standards are amended, the phrase “freedom of speech” be replaced with “freedom of political speech”.
CAPA endorses WorkCover Queensland’s decision that PhD students are workers
WorkCover Queensland has determined that Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students on stipends are considered workers under the Queensland Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003, and thus their stipends are considered to be wages for the purposes of workers’ compensation insurance.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) welcomes this determination. It is a landmark decision that HDR students in Queensland are now rightfully entitled to workers’ compensation for injuries sustained while conducting their research.
WorkCover based their determination on factors including that the university has a large amount of control over how and where the research is conducted, that research students’ work cannot be delegated to others, that the students have access to leave benefits, and that their stipend can be terminated by the university for unsatisfactory performance.
HDR students contribute substantially to their universities’ research output, and regularly work on the projects of their supervisors and colleagues. WorkCover’s ruling is a recognition of the importance of postgraduate research students to the research sector.
It is unjust that HDR students are often treated as salaried employees, often staying in their labs or offices far beyond standard working hours at the behest of their supervisors, but are paid below minimum wage.
We therefore call on Australian universities to raise the value of their stipends to at least minimum wage, and to offer stipends to all full time HDR students, in recognition that their contributions are a form of employment.
We thank WorkCover Queensland for their decision to recognise the rights of postgraduate students.
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
CAPA calls for university counselling services to increase capacity
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) demands that university counselling services address long waiting lists and restrictions on student access, in a submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
CAPA investigated counselling services available at Victoria’s nine public universities, finding that all except two only offer short-term counselling. Most universities restrict their students to a maximum of six counselling sessions a year, with one university only allowing up to three counselling sessions. This means that students who are assessed at their initial appointment as requiring more counselling appointments are turned away, and told to access external services which they often cannot afford.
University counselling services are often the first port-of-call for a student with mental distress, but many have protracted waiting lists. Three Victorian universities warn on their websites that there may be long delays to see a counsellor.
There have been countless surveys and studies on student wellbeing which have found that students are prone to suffering from mental health issues. Marginalised groups of students, including low socio-economic status, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQIA+ students are particularly vulnerable.
We recognise that university counsellors are tasked with an important job which is essential to university communities. More resources – not restructuring – are needed to ensure that university counselling services can accommodate those who need help. If universities are unable to provide additional mental health support, the Government must step in to ensure a suitable minimum level of service.
“It is unacceptable that university counselling services are so underfunded that they are turning away students who have taken the difficult step of asking for help,” says CAPA National President, Natasha Abrahams. “Urgent action is needed to boost the capacity of counselling services.”
Our full submission to the Royal Commission is available here.
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For comment:
CAPA National President Natasha Abrahams
M: 0430 076 993
E: president@capa.edu.au
Download – Submission to Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System
Promoting good mental health outcomes for postgraduate students requires both targeted mental health services (particularly counselling), and policy change to addressing the stressors which cause mental health disorders and sub-clinical distress in students. In particular, the experience of poverty and financial uncertainty contribute to postgraduate students’ difficulties.
We make the following recommendations on crucial policy changes to relieve postgraduate students’ levels of distress:
Recommendation one: That the Victorian Government lobby the Commonwealth Government to expand the coverage of Austudy to all full-time, domestic postgraduate students, subject to means-testing.
Recommendation two: That the Victorian Government provide additional scholarships, of greater or equivalent value to those provided through the Research Training Program, for students undertaking research degrees, as part of the project grants provided by the Victorian Government to universities.
We furthermore make the following recommendations on increasing the capacity of counselling services:
Recommendation three: That the Victorian Government, through legislative or regulatory measures, enforces minimum standards on wait times (no more than two weeks) and number of sessions available (no less than twelve) on the counselling services provided on public university campuses.
Recommendation four: That the Victorian Government supports changes to the Medicare Mental Health Care Plan system, to create a tiered system providing additional support to those with more complex cases.
