Our pathway to
establishment
(subject to the passage of legislation)
The interim Commissioners will consult with and engage widely with the sector and stakeholders and work collaboratively to support and oversee the establishment of the ATEC prior to the passage of legislation, including providing advice to Government.
Once established through legislation, the ATEC will be led by three expert Commissioners.
Professor Mary O’Kane AC
Professor O’Kane has diverse leadership experience across higher education, science, innovation and public policy and brings a deep understanding of the Accord reforms from her leadership as Chair of the Australian Universities Accord Panel throughout 2023. Professor O’Kane’s advice to government spans federal, state and territory governments, and across a range of portfolios.
Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO
Professor Behrendt has a legal background with a strong track record in the areas of Indigenous law, policy, creative arts, education and research. She is deeply familiar with Accord reforms from her role on the Accord Panel, has experience as a leader in the higher education sector, and experience working with government in advisory roles, including the 2012 Review of Higher Education Access and Outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, ‘the Behrendt Review’. Professor Behrendt is the Laureate Fellow and Distinguished Professor at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology Sydney.
Professor Barney Glover AO
The interim Commissioners will work closely with the JSA Commissioner, Professor Barney Glover AO, to support the ATEC in its establishment phase. The JSA Commissioner will ensure that Australia’s skills needs, vocational education and training (VET) and dual sector perspectives are woven through the ATEC’s operations.
Equity and participation
The ATEC will steward the higher education sector, supporting the sector to deliver on the Government’s commitment to lift tertiary education attainment to 80 per cent of working aged people by 2050 and raising equity participation and attainment. The ATEC will make sure there are enough places at universities to allow more people to be able to access the opportunities that a higher education can deliver.
Collaboration and engagement
The ATEC’s advice and decisions will be underpinned by collaborative and purposeful engagement across a range of stakeholders, including with students. The ATEC will work in new, collaborative ways with the higher education sector, States and Territories. The ATEC will be responsive to local and regional needs while driving national objectives.
The Australian Universities Accord
In November 2022, the Australian Government commissioned a panel of experts to undertake the Australian Universities Accord (the Accord), the broadest review of the higher education sector in 15 years.
The ATEC was a headline recommendation of the Accord. The Final Report of the Australian Universities Accord recommended that the Australian Government establish an ATEC (Recommendation 30) to take a new leadership and stewardship role of Australia’s tertiary education system.