Western Australia’s four public universities could be consolidated into just two, with a committee announced to undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the sector.
Under proposed plans, university campuses would still continue to operate, but under one name if combined.
Murdoch University. Credit: Aja Styles
The committee has been formed following an independent review into the university sector – announced in 2023 – due to plummeting student numbers and research grants.
The review was meant to have been completed by the end of 2023, leading to some rumors within the industry it had been scrapped entirely until the announcement of the committee on Sunday.
Committee members include former Labor minister Alannah MacTiernan, former Education Department Director General Lisa Rodgers and Emeritus Professor Bruce Walker.
ECU Vice-Chancellor Clare Pollock said the university welcomed the review, and “supports Minister Buti’s commitment to strengthening the performance and long-term sustainability of Western Australia’s tertiary education sector”.
“ECU is financially sustainable, future-focused, and firmly committed to our students, staff and the communities we serve,” she said.
A spokesperson for Murdoch University was less positive, stating they had not been consulted about the committee being established.
“We remain of the view that the state is best served by having four public universities, each with its own special characteristics,” they said.
“From the start of this process, we have suggested that a full cost benefit analysis and business case should be performed for any options for structural change, so we welcome this next step.”
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