With curriculum development well underway ahead of the merger university opening in January 2026, some staff at the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia were briefed over the last week that lectures will not form part of the new university’s course structure.

A frequently asked questions page on Adelaide University’s staff portal – accessible to staff from the two universities and seen by InDaily – confirms the shift away from face-to-face lectures.

“There will not be a learning activity type described as a lectures (sic),” the page states, in response to the question “will there be lectures?”.

“Learners will no longer be expected to attend face-to-face lectures – they will be replaced by rich asynchronous Digital Activities with an equivalent learning volume.

“There will be opportunities to draw together the cohort for specific formats of learning (e.g. industry presentations, initial course orientation for large cohorts to create cohesiveness).”

A separate information package on the portal gives an indication on the timeline, stating: “At Adelaide University, most students will no longer attend face-to-face lectures, which from 2026 will gradually be replaced by rich digital learning activities”.

The asynchronous learning activities are described as “self-paced and self-directed, utilising high-quality digital resources that students can engage with anytime and anywhere”.

Adelaide University’s publicly available FAQs page for students also does not list lectures as a type of class that can be attended.

It does, however, list “forums” as a class type. This is described as a setting where “deep insights into course -related concepts, ideas, or skills through oral and/or audio-visual presentations [are] delivered online by industry leaders or discipline experts”.

In-person teaching remains for tutorials, practicals and other learning settings, according to the public FAQ page.

The end of face-to-face lectures is not entirely unexpected given Adelaide University’s previously stated ambition to “deliver online education to more students than any other Australian university”.

It also comes after the onset of the pandemic shifted lecture delivery online, with UniSA largely keeping this approach even as pandemic restrictions on gatherings eased.

A spokesperson for Adelaide University said: “Universities have been increasingly responding to student needs for flexible delivery over the years, and the shift away from face-to-face lectures is not new.

“Lectures are passive learning activities that can be delivered online to maximise flexibility for students without impacting learning quality,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Still, the revelation has caused some anxiety among staff. One merger university lecturer, who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters, said it was unclear what would replace lectures.

“The best reassurance we have is there can still be practicals, tutorials or workshops, yet we cannot really teach content in these,” they said, adding that activities like quizzes, readings, and “short videos” might replace lectures.

“This mode of teaching is almost impossible for STEM, health and medicine degrees.

“I wonder, what academics and students would ever ask for absolutely no lectures? How can this be viable for students straight out of high school?”

Students at the future Adelaide University will not have to attend face-to-face lectures. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily

But another merger university lecturer, who also declined to be named, played down the significance of the change.

“We sort of already do what is suggested anyway, i.e. we have recordings that the students are supposed to watch, and then we have face-to-face sessions that are more interactive and drill down into bits that they had difficulty with,” they said.

“What they are proposing is simply not calling those ‘lectures’ anymore. There will be ways to sneak in face-to-face interaction.

“The silly thing about it all is that’s what we do anyway, and the reality is students often don’t watch the recording before coming to the class, so the class winds up a bit like being a lecture anyway to make sure they get through the material.”

The spokesperson for Adelaide University said that “a blend of teaching and learning approaches maximises benefits for students and educators”.

“Flexibility in learning modes is one of the key decision-making factors for students in selecting their university program, helping them balance study with other commitments such as work and caring responsibilities,” they said.

The spokesperson highlighted that practicals, tutorials, studios, seminars, clinics and workshops will still be delivered on campus.

“Our curriculum approach will be tailored to the needs of each area and will not be standard across unique programs. It will also take time to be fully implemented, within an expected 10-year horizon,” they said.

“Like most modern universities, many lectures at the University of Adelaide and UniSA currently include an option to engage online.

“We have seen a steady decline in attendance on campus, indicating that students prefer to access lecture content at a time suitable to them.”

Asked what was meant by asynchronous digital activities, the spokesperson said: “Asynchronous digital activities refer to learning activities that do not need to be completed with a teacher and that students can undertake at times that suit them.

“Adelaide University is investing in sophisticated digital technology that enables us to present seamless and flexible options for students, including core course content via videos, podcasts and modularised resources rather than on-campus lectures.

“These include activities that involve engagement with peers and educators.”

In August, Adelaide University said that its online program will “enable significant access to higher education” and would help to “realise Adelaide University’s aspiration to deliver online education to more students than any other Australian university”.

It also noted the benefits of online education to its international education aspirations. The business case underpinning the merger forecast that the new Adelaide University could enrol 6000 additional international students by 2034.

“We also expect it (Adelaide University Online) to form an important component of our flexible delivery to international students in our quest to offer highly sought after programs across a wider range of geographical locations,” the university said, in response to staff feedback to a discussion paper floated earlier in the year.

“Adelaide University Online is identified in the Discussion Paper as a transformational project that will be undertaken from 2026 and is currently under consideration.

“Our immediate priority during the transition period is to prioritise the smooth transfer of fully online students from both our existing universities to Adelaide University Online without interrupting the established student support and delivery processes.”