Last week in Sydney, we saw a melodrama acted out that could stand in for the state of Australian universities more generally. Inside Sydney’s swish Fullerton Hotel, a glittering cast of vice-chancellors, politicians, public servants, journalists, and consultants deliberated at a higher education summit, sponsored by the Australian Financial Review and consultancy Nous Group.

Teaching-only casual staff, who do the bulk of teaching in many universities, were not represented in the official line up of speakers. Instead, academics and students remained outside, protesting in the rain against staff cuts and governance issues facing the sector…