Inquiry into the Role of Institutes of TAFE
Submissions

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Submission 93

5 January 1998

ACUADS

The Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools

INQUIRY INTO THE APPROPRIATE ROLES OF

INSTITUTES OF TECHNICAL AND FURTHER EDUCATION

Thank you for inviting the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools (ACUADS) to make a submission to the timely Inquiry into the Appropriate Roles of Institutes of Technical and Further Education. As Professor David Williams indicated in his letter to you (10 November 1997), the Inquiry was discussed by the Executive at its meeting held on 15 December 1997, and my comments below reflect views expressed at the meeting.

Australian tertiary professional education in art and design is offered by both TAFE institutes and the universities. The programs of study offered by universities and TAFE are distinctive in pedagogy, in their emphases on conceptual and practical skills, and in the assumed vocational/professional destinations of graduates. Australian artists, craftspractitioners and designers are well-served by the diversity of courses available in the higher education sector. ACUADS supports the view that the distinctive differences which characterise university undergraduate courses and TAFE courses should be retained in the best interests of meeting the needs of the discipline and its industry applications.

In art and design, there are significant numbers of practitioners who take both university degrees and TAFE diplomas in the course of their training and on-going professional practice. TAFE courses are seen to offer a specific vocational training in skills and techniques, both at a post-secondary level and at an advanced level for practitioners seekin- to up-rade skills or acquire new skills and techniques. Students undertaking undergraduate degrees in university art and design schools are offered a greater focus on the conceptual aspects of the practices of art and design. This stronger conceptual education is evidenced in both the history/theory and the studio components of the courses.

A number of university graduates will, at some point in their careers, take TAFE courses to further hone their skills, to develop specific techniques or to work with new materials. More generally, however, the traffic goes in the other direction, with TAFE diplomates seeking entry into university undergraduate programs. This raises issues of articulation, advanced standing and credit transfers. To date, articulation arrangements have been negotiated on an institution-to-institution basis and advanced standing and credit transfers have frequently been granted on individual case-by-case basis. (In general, TAFE diplomates are granted advanced standing in studio subjects and-to a lesser extent-in history/theory subjects.). For most undergraduate courses in university art and design schools, student selection procedures place strong emphasis on case-by-case examination of an applicant's suitability assessed through the extensive use of interviews and/or portfolios, as well as results achieved in the final year at secondary school. In general, TAFE diplomates are not offered automatic entry but submit to the same selection procedures as other comparable applicants.

ACUADS support the goal of developing a national credit transfer scheme with recommendations on the minimum levels of credit which universities should grant for students entering undergraduate degree courses with completed TAFE qualifications. To this end, ACUADS is an active participant in the Australian Vice Chancellor's Committee Credit Transfer project and proposes to utilise the project to actively promote and publicise improved flexibility and clearly stated articulation arrangements and study pathways available for students in art and design.

Currently, there is a range of institutional patterns in the relationship of TAFE and university sectors. In some instances, TAFE and university sectors co-exist on a single campus, or in a single faculty. More frequently, TAFE institutes and universities are separate entities, but collaboration and collegial relations are evidenced by the sharing of facilities, participation in course accreditation and review processes, and professional links in the art and design industries.

In conclusion, ACUADS strongly endorses the retention of the distinctive character of TAFE education vis-a-vis university education, and supports the development of a systematic approach to articulation and credit transfer between TAFE and university courses in art and design. If I can be of any further assistance to the Committee, please contact me (contact details are given below).

Professor Sue Rowley

Chair
Australian Council of Universities Art and Design Schools

c/- UNSW College of Fine Arts, PO Box 259, Paddington NSW 2021
Phone: 02.9385.0691 w; 0414.840978 mobile - Fax: 02.9385.0615 or 02.4285.2372
Email: S.Rowley@unsw.edu.au

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