University students feel betrayed by the corporatization of higher education, as a Senate inquiry calls for urgent legal reforms to restore trust. The bipartisan report highlights governance failures, urging state and federal governments to take action. The inquiry's findings expose systemic issues, with recommendations focusing on accountability, transparency, and the protection of public research and education. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) welcomes the blueprint for reform, emphasizing the need to address crises like corporatization, casualization, and wage theft. The report's key points include mandatory reporting of casual teaching rates, reforms to university governance, and a call for federal legislation to ensure higher quality teaching and fairer pay for staff. The Senate committee's chair, Labor Senator Marielle Smith, emphasizes the importance of universities serving the public good, while also addressing concerns about overlapping regulation and conflicts of interest among university leaders. The inquiry's recommendations aim to strengthen accountability and governance, but the challenge now lies in implementing these changes and ensuring universities prioritize public research and education.
