The Victorian Government announces more staff and student power over universities. And ahead of a NSW corruption inquiry report, Uni Wollongong VC Max Lu says the choice of a new chancellor will be “guided by community feedback” and will be “humble and guided by a commitment to the university's values and its mission to benefit our community in the region.”
They add to the political and union pile on over university governance in NSW, Victoria and especially at ANU, where regulator TEQSA oversaw the selection process for its new Chancellor.
The Victorian Government promised Friday that if re-elected it will legislate to increase elected staff and student memberships of university councils to a minimum of two each. The government will also ensure universities are consistent with State Government appointment and remuneration guidelines “and require them to “consider the perspectives of Victoria’s First Peoples.”
The government also supports universities publishing council agendas, meeting outcomes and “more detail on consultancy spending and remuneration.”
The Labor Government response is to a scathing Legislative Council report which reported university governing councils did not address the underpayment of staff, spending on executive salaries and consultants, a lack of transparency on decision-making, potential conflicts of interest and cuts to staff and courses.
The Council made 17 recommendations “to increase transparency within governing bodies, to enhance the accountability of public universities, and to strengthen the voice and influence of staff and students.”
A similar report by the NSW Upper House was even more extensive in its critical coverage of the state’s public universities, reporting “concerns about increasing corporatisation, the concentration of decision-making authority among a relatively small group of senior executives and council members, declining opportunities for meaningful staff and student participation (and) diminished collegial governance.”
The NSW government is due to respond in late December.
The University of Wollongong is also under attack from union and community critics following evidence heard by a State Independent Commission Against Corruption Commission. Although ICAC is yet to report, there are demands for the University’s entire council to be replaced. Professor Lu, who arrived after the matters ICAC investigated, responded Friday in Wollongong’s local paper, setting out governance changes and reporting that two-thirds of council member were recently appointed.
These are all wins for the National Tertiary Education Union. State and local branches of the union have long been powerful voices in demanding stronger staff and student roles on councils. They are now effectively unopposed, with the University Chancellors Council disbanding in a fortnight.
And on Friday, La Trobe U VC Theo Farrell backed “measures to strengthen accountability, transparency and the diversity of perspectives at the highest level of university governance.”
Perhaps this is the peak of union policy influence over university governance or perhaps there is still a summit to reach. The ANU council is now made up of staff and student representatives, following external members resigning when TEQSA intervened mid-year. Recommendations on replacements go to Education Minister Jason Clare next month – whether they will be people from the private or public sectors will be the test.