Postgrad conference focuses on quality

Wednesday, 2 July 2003

Around 90 speakers and delegates from around Australia will gather in Adelaide this weekend (July 5-6) for the first national Quality in Postgraduate Coursework Conference.

To be held at the University of Adelaide, the conference theme is "Does anybody know what postgraduate coursework is?"

The theme emphasises the widely held belief that postgraduate coursework programs are of a lower standing than postgraduate research programs, despite being the most popular option for postgrad students.

"Around 25% of all university students are enrolled in postgraduate courses, and of these, three-quarters are enrolled in coursework programs. Fees for these courses have been deregulated since 1987, but is anyone paying attention to the quality of these courses, the lack of regulation or the value for money for students?" asks conference organiser Anthony Long, from the University of Adelaide's Postgraduate Students' Association.

"With fees sometimes running into the ten of thousands of dollars annually, it's important that universities offer a good standard of coursework program," Mr Long says.

"This conference, which is the first of its kind in Australia, aims to highlight issues of best practice in coursework education, as well as those concerning fee paying for students."

More information is available from the conference website:

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/pgsa/events/courseworkconference/

The event is sponsored by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, the three South Australian universities and the University of Adelaide's Postgraduate Students' Association.

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