CHEMP
Established in 1997, the Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy (CHEMP) is a multi-disciplinary research group that focuses on a range of higher education and post-school issues and problems, with the aim of contributing to enhanced policy development and management skills.
CHEMP draws on the expertise of UNE staff who have special interests in higher education and science policy studies. CHEMP is well-known both nationally and internationally for its research, publications and contributions to the professional development of policy researchers, policy analysts and higher education managers.
Established in 1997 under the leadership of Professor Lynn Meek, the Centre for Higher Education Management and Policy (CHEMP) undertakes projects on topics of national and international significance that aim to contribute to enhanced policy development and management within higher education institutions. While some projects draw on the insights of a single discipline, most CHEMP projects employ multi-discipline and team approaches. Many CHEMP projects have been undertaken with external competitive research funding (especially ARC grants) or as projects commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and its predecessors.
Over the past decade, some of the main themes and issues that have been pursued in CHEMP projects are as follows:
- The Bologna Process and introduction of the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement;
- The changing nature of the academic profession and the impact of managerialism and funding reductions on academic work and values;
- Diversity, change and innovation in higher education systems;
- University management, with special reference to the Deanship;
- International education and the internationalisation of Australian higher education;
- Institutional mergers and new forms of collaboration and partnerships;
- Research training and new directions in doctoral programs;
- New directions in science and research policy;
- University research links with industry and university research commercialisation; and
- Quality assurance and public accountability.
Over the period 2008-2009, CHEMP lost both Professor Lynn Meek and Associate Professor Leo Goedegebuure to the L. H. Martin Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Management. This has forced a scaling back of the level of activity and reassessment of CHEMP future directions.
However, a major project on the impact of e-learning on university workloads and costs has recently commenced. This is funded by a grant of $220,000 from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council and will be led by Emeritus Professor Grant Harman (Project Director) and Dr Deb Vale (Project Manager).