MEDIA STATEMENT Saturday, August 25, 2007

ARCHAEOLOGY EDUCATION IN SPOTLIGHT

Archaeologists from Australia's leading universities are urging a 
major rethink about the way archaeology education is funded in 
Australia's higher education system.

Professor Iain Davidson, from the University of New England, said that 
while universities were struggling to meet the growing demand for 
well-trained graduates, archaeology teaching and learning was still 
funded mostly as a library-based research discipline.

"Australian archaeology graduates have traditionally been regarded 
amongst the best in the world. But we risk falling behind if the basic 
teaching infrastructure needs of archaeology in the 21st century are 
not being met," Professor Davidson said.

Previous studies in Australia had shown that the major skills gaps 
among archaeology graduates were in areas that required specialised 
science-based facilities and resources, he said.

"Practical fieldwork and laboratory requirements are vital for the 
delivery of the best education in this important field," he said.

As part of a project to develop national benchmarks for archaeology 
degrees, senior academics representing 12 universities met last week 
for a two-day workshop at the University of Melbourne's Centre for the 
Study of Higher Education.

The two-year benchmarking project is funded by a grant from the 
Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.

Project Leader Associate Professor Wendy Beck, from the University of 
New England, said that modern infrastructure requirements and the 
ongoing mining boom had created unprecedented demand for archaeologists.

"Urban sprawl and industrial development have placed an increasing 
emphasis on the need to manage Australia's rich cultural heritage and 
to consult with local communities," Professor Beck said.

"The professional services of archaeologists are widely used in these 
management processes, which are generally backed up by heritage 
legislation at the federal and state level."

Dr Jane Balme, from the University of Western Australia and Chair of 
the Australian National Committee for Archaeology Teaching and 
Learning said research showed more than 75 per cent of Australian 
archaeology graduates were employed in the heritage management sector, 
either with private firms or government agencies.

The Melbourne meeting followed a comprehensive survey of university 
archaeology departments around the country.

"Essentially we asked what an Australian archaeology graduate should 
know and what sort of basic training they should be expected to 
receive," said Catherine Clarke, who coordinated the survey.

Ms Clarke said there was a strong consensus that national benchmarks 
were needed to ensure professional standards in archaeology were being 
met and to provide employers and clients with a consistent level of 
confidence about the type of training graduates had received at 
university.

Similar projects have been undertaken overseas and educational 
benchmarks for archaeology degrees have been operating in the UK now 
for several years.

One of the key issues highlighted during the workshop in Melbourne was 
the urgent need for a major rethink about the way archaeology 
education is funded in Australia's higher education system.

A draft set of benchmark statements for archaeology honours degrees, 
covering subject knowledge, subject-specific skills, and generic 
skills of graduates is expected to be released by the end of the year.

MEDIA REFERENCE:

Ms Catherine Clarke
Project Officer
Benchmarking Archaeology Degrees in Australian Universities
Phone: 0422 490 946
Email: cclarke@une.edu.au

Professor Iain Davidson
Workshop Delegate
Phone: 0402 106 853
Email: Iain.Davidson@une.edu.au