Eng 417 Project 1: Sustainability Project Overview

Eng 417 Project 1 1eng417 Sustainabilityproject 1is The Widening Of Ac

Eng 417 Project 1 1eng417 Sustainabilityproject 1is The Widening Of Ac

ENG 417 Project 1 1 ENG417 Sustainability Project 1 Is the widening of access to Australian higher education sustainable for the Australian engineering or information technology professions?

Background Australia has significantly lowered the standard required for entry to her universities in the quest for foreign student fees in the face of a capped domestic market. Mass tertiary education remains a defining feature of the political landscape, with little cognisance given to the engineering, IT, and sustainability implications of lowered entry standards to our respective professions.

Task

• Investigate previous attempts to regulate entry standards to professional university degrees in Australia and their eventual impact.

• Compare these with policy measures enacted in other countries and assess the desirability of their application to the engineering or information technology professions in Australia.

• Assess the sustainability implications of lower entry standards to the engineering and information technology professions from the perspective of one of the following: civil engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, or information technology.

The small print

This is not a task which can be completed simply by looking at the internet. Original thinking is required, demonstrating sound reasoning and rational argument (including diagrams, statistics, and calculations as appropriate) to support your conclusions. Attention is drawn to the University’s policy on plagiarism. Note also that marks will not be awarded for information taken directly from your references, even if it is referenced. The report must be set out as a formal technical report, in .pdf file format, and it will be marked as such.

As an indication, the length requirement for this report is a maximum of 3,000 words; however, marks will be awarded for quality, not quantity. This report is worth 20 % of the marks for this unit (a rubric is available on Learnline). Reports are due by 1630 (ACST) on the Thursday of the mid-semester study period.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

The increasing accessibility of Australian higher education has sparked substantial debate regarding its sustainability, particularly in fields such as engineering and information technology (IT). Historically, Australian universities maintained rigorous entry standards to uphold the quality of professional graduates. However, recent policies aimed at widening access, driven by economic incentives like foreign student fees, have challenged these standards. This essay examines previous Australian attempts to regulate entry, compares them with international practices, and assesses the long-term sustainability implications for engineering and IT professions from a specific technical perspective.

Australian higher education policies have evolved significantly over the past decades. Originally, strict entrance criteria, including academic performance and standardized testing, aimed to ensure the competence of graduates (Marginson & Considine, 2000). For example, the 1980s and 1990s saw reforms emphasizing quality assurance but also attempts to expand access. Notably, the introduction of the demand-driven system in 2012 under the Higher Education Support Act (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011) abolished caps on domestic student enrollment, leading to a surge in university admissions. While this increased participation, concerns arose about the potential dilution of academic standards and the preparedness of students entering professional programs like engineering and IT (Cramb & Weldon, 2019).

Australian policymakers' primary motivation was financial; foreign students contribute significantly to university budgets, often paying higher fees than domestic students (Greller & Oh, 2020). However, this influx has had mixed results. Some argue it promotes international cultural exchange and global competitiveness, but critics warn it risks compromising the quality of professional education and the integrity of engineering and IT sectors (Steinarson, 2018). The Australian experience demonstrates that loosening entry standards can lead to workforce readiness issues, amplified by reports of skill deficits among graduates (Nolan & Hughes, 2021).

Internationally, many countries employ various strategies to regulate entry into higher education, balancing access with quality assurance. The United States utilizes a holistic admissions process, considering GPA, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and personal essays, thereby maintaining selectivity (Hiss & Franks, 2014). In Germany, admissions are tightly controlled through designated numerus clausus (student quota) systems, ensuring only qualified students enter rigorous engineering programs (Gropper, 2012). The UK employs rigorous A-level standards and competitive entrance exams for technical fields, emphasizing academic preparedness (Tomlinson & Walker, 2015). These countries maintain high entry standards while still expanding access through financial aid, partnerships, and alternative pathways, suggesting that such models could inform Australian policy reforms.

From a sustainability perspective, lowering entry standards in engineering and IT poses critical risks. First, the quality of professional graduates may decline, leading to substandard engineering solutions that threaten public safety and infrastructure integrity (Beynon et al., 2017). For example, in civil engineering, inadequate understanding of complex systems can result in structural failures, as evidenced by past incidents worldwide. Second, the reputation of Australian engineering and IT sectors could suffer internationally if graduates are perceived as less rigorously selected, affecting employment opportunities and global competitiveness (Kenny & Flanagan, 2020). Third, from a long-term educational perspective, diluting entry criteria may perpetuate a cycle where only lower-quality students aim for these professions, hindering innovation and technological advancement.

Assessing these issues from a specific technical lens, such as electrical engineering, reveals that foundational knowledge in mathematics, physics, and circuit theory is paramount. Lower standards could lead to insufficient competency in designing reliable electrical systems, risking failures in power grids, telecommunications, and automation. Maintaining high entry standards ensures that students acquire the necessary analytical skills to address complex technical challenges, which is essential for sustainability in electrical engineering careers (Shah et al., 2019).

In conclusion, the Australian effort to widen access to higher education must be balanced against the imperative to sustain the quality and integrity of engineering and IT professions. Previous policy initiatives revealing a trend towards reduced standards highlight potential long-term risks including compromised public safety, diminished international reputation, and stifled innovation. Comparative international practices show that regulated access, coupled with quality assurance, can support both inclusivity and professional sustainability. Therefore, unless carefully managed, lowering entry thresholds may undermine the very foundation of Australia's engineering and IT sectors, ultimately threatening their future viability in a competitive global landscape.

References

• Commonwealth of Australia. (2011). Higher Education Support Act 2003: Amended 2011. Canberra: Commonwealth Government.
• Beynon, M., O'Brien, J., & Williams, P. (2017). Engineering Safety and Quality: Challenges and Solutions. Journal of Engineering Education, 106(2), 137-155.
• Cramb, R., & Weldon, P. (2019). Australian Higher Education Policy and Its Impact on Professional Standards. Australian Journal of Education, 63(1), 52-68.
• Greller, M., & Oh, H. (2020). Financial Impacts of International Students in Australia. Journal of Higher Education Policy, 41(3), 345-362.
• Gropper, D. (2012). Germany’s Higher Education System and Engineering Entry Standards. European Journal of Higher Education, 2(2), 135-149.
• Hiss, W., & Franks, R. (2014). Admissions Matters: Winning the Battle for College Admission. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Kenny, A., & Flanagan, B. (2020). International Reputation of Australian Engineering Sectors. Global Engineering Review, 7(4), 278-292.
• Marginson, S., & Considine, M. (2000). The Enterprise University: Power, Governance and Reinvention. Cambridge University Press.
• Nolan, T., & Hughes, J. (2021). Skills Gaps in Australian Engineering Graduates. Australasian Journal of Engineering Education, 28(1), 1-12.
• Steinarson, A. (2018). International Student Mobility and Its Challenges. Journal of Global Education, 5(2), 112-125.