New Western Sydney University VC has wasted neither time nor words in making headlines of the right kind for his new charge.
Insisting that he would continue the informality favoured by his predecessor Barney Glover, he is on a mission to distance WSU from the ivory tower precinct, and says the sector needs to change its language and its attitude to reconnect with community.
He used a welcome reception speech to declare that universities need to speak less about themselves and focus more on students.
“I want to acknowledge that there’s been a loss of trust with universities that has betrayed, I think, the fact that many people see us as straying from our mission. That is, not as corporations, but as public institutions dedicated to the public good.”
“We’ll be listening more; we’ll be caring more; we’ll be getting back to basics; and we’ll be doing so in a way that is fundamentally different from other universities in this nation.”
Professor Williams wisely avoided the public obsession with VC pay, but said the sector had to address other headlined grievances.
“There’s widespread disenchantment, understandabl(y). There’s been issues around unpaid wages. There’s been issues of scandals where universities have failure to care for their staff and students. And again, my commitment is that under my leadership we will respond to those issues.”
He also flagged moves to reduce costs, flagging an unwillingness to wait until the Federal Government decides to wind back the much-criticised Job Ready Graduates pricing structure. “We’re about to move to $50,000 Arts degrees in Australia. Now, Arts degrees are usually the degree of choice for Indigenous students and low SES students. It’s about to hit $50,000, and those students are increasingly turning away from a university education.”
