The inquisition into ANU is underway with the appointment of Lynelle Briggs to “review specific aspects” of the university’s governance systems for the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
Ms Briggs is a former Public Service Commissioner, experienced in asking hard questions, notably as Royal Commissioner on Aged Care and Safety. She will consider the university’s response to TEQSA questions and interview ANU staff, students and member of its executive and governing council.
Her report to the agency will be part of TEQSA’s broader assessment of the university and she is empowered to go where and ask what she likes, with terms of reference including, “analysing organisational culture, leadership practices, and staff wellbeing” and “identifying systemic or root causes of governance concerns.”
TEQSA has already identified issues which concerns it, demonstrated by its requirement that ANU report on topics including management’s financial competence and management of staff complaints and council’s oversight of operations. The agency cited sources of some “concerns,” as reports in the press, ANU issues raised in parliament and statements by members of the ANU community.
Council is set for specific scrutiny, given Christine Nixon’s recent review of workplace cultures over decades, commissioned by Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell. TEQSA points to Professor Nixon’s findings that, “under the ANU Council’s oversight the following issues arose: inflexible work practices, unfair workloads, bullying, discrimination and lack of effective systems and accountability to address these issues.”
TEQSA cites the university’s “self-assurance” response, released last week as a source for Ms Briggs lines of inquiry.
There is no deadline for her report to the agency or for its regulatory response. TEQSA has power to cancel or reduce the length of ANU’s registration as a university. In 2019, it registered Charles Sturt U for four, instead of the standard seven while it addressed academic risk management issues. In 2021, it did the same for Murdoch University over governance and student performance data.