Chancellors who run the Councils that govern the nation’s universities have washed their hands of responsibility for the much-discussed size of VC pay packets, proposing to punt responsibility to the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal.
In a Media Statement yesterday University Chancellors Council (UCC) head Professor John Pollaers announced that they would ask the Tribunal to set VC pay, “aligning the sector with best practice and ensuring remuneration settings are transparent, appropriate, and publicly defensible.”
The UCC proposes a joint working group to nut out how to set up the new system, taking current contracts, legislative considerations and performance incentives into account – providing neat cover for so long as the group deliberates each time a VC pay story comes out.
“This is about strengthening public trust through credible, sector-led reform,” Professor Pollaers said. “We see this as a timely opportunity to demonstrate leadership, transparency, and a shared commitment to responsible governance.”
The UCC even went so far as to thank the NTEU, for stoking the bin-fire of negative headlines in relation to VC pay for years, in a statement that implicitly reads poorly for the Councils that have blithely set pay rates in closed door sessions, failing to justify their deliberations.
“We acknowledge the critical role that staff and their representative bodies – including the NTEU – have played in raising concerns around transparency and accountability,” said Professor John Pollaers. “This work is part of a new approach to governance that listens, engages, and responds.”
This is a significant step forward by Professor Pollaers and the team. It won’t rekindle social licence with the Australian public one jot, but it does establish a pathway to nullifying one of the easiest opportunities to hate on the sector.
If the UCC continues to walk beyond the shadows and commit to transparency and accountability on a greater array of governance decisions, councils and universities will begin to become more accountable to those they purport to serve.