Education Minister Jason Clare proposes new rules for ANU’s council and it’s a template for State and Territory Governments that oversee all the other public universities in Australia.
The Department of Education has released a discussion paper on “aligning” ANU governance “with contemporary standards and community expectations.”
DoE invites responses from, “students, staff, alumni, higher education stakeholders and the Canberra community.” But they will need to be quick, submissions are due in a fortnight.
The paper follows a split on ANU Council between externals, who supported former VC Genevieve Bell’s restructure and staff-student elected members. Former Chancellor Julie Bishop brought forward her scheduled resignation in protest at regulator TEQSA’s involving itself in recruiting her replacement.
Four members followed her out, with former WA Chief Justice Wayne Martin protesting, “TEQSA has taken complete control.”
DoE specifically refers to recommendations to Mr Clare by the Expert Council on University Governance to be enforced by TEQSA and suggests changes to the ANU Act applying to its council including:
- Including stewardship, institutional culture/public purpose as member duties under the Commonwealth Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
- A “balance” of elected members and ministerial appointments
- “Broadening” council to require members with HE governance/leadership and public sector experience, plus “improved gender diversity and First Nations representation. “These would supplement existing financial and commercial expertise requirements.”
- An independent chair and a minimum number of independent members on Council’s membership committee and giving the minister a choice to fill vacant appointed positions.
The recommendations are broadly in line with changes to Councils that the National Tertiary Education Union has campaigned for.