ANU is now overseen by staff and student representatives, with a collapse in external membership of the governing University Council.
Three external members of Council have resigned following Chancellor Bishop’s departure last week, six months before the end of her term. Ms Bishop announced she left in protest at regulator TEQSA taking control of the selection process to replace her, when her term expired in December. Suggestions she left before an inquiry by the regulator recommended referring her to the Commonwealth Ombudsman over bullying allegations are misplaced. FC understands the inquiry did not find she had a case to answer under the relevant Public Interest Disclosure Act.
Until Education Minister Jason Clare fills the six external seats on Council that are now vacant, elected staff and students effectively control ANU – which will appeal to union activists and their allies throughout ANU.
There is a paper on the university website by Marija Taflaga, Francis Markham and Keith Dowding, which argues that as academics and students are creators of universities “core product-knowledge creation and dissemination,” they should oversight management of their institutions. They propose “robust committee systems that embed staff and student voices in decision-making,” and academic senates with power to “appoint and review council members.”
The national NTEU’s aspirations are modestly on the same lines, half of university councils to be elected and for a majority of externals to “have experience in the public sector, not the private boardroom.”
For now, it appears Interim Vice Chancellor Rebekah Brown can rely on council members to back her plan for a 2026 balanced budget without staff cuts. Previous VC Genevieve Bell’s restructure including job losses was hugely unpopular on campus.
However, a key factor underpinning Professor Brown’s budget, increased student numbers, is looking unlikely. First semester enrolments were down around 25% on last year, requiring an unlikely lift in mid-year intake reach target. Wage costs from recurrent funds are also set to increase 5% to $609m this year.
As to the funding base Professor Brown is building on, the university Annual Report for 2025, to be tabled in parliament when the government gets around to it, was pulled for another pass last week.