By Fergus Wall
Content Warning: This article mentions bullying, harassment, miscarriage and suicide.
This week, students will vote to fill two positions on the ANU Council. In turn, these members will vote to replace former Vice Chancellor Genevieve Bell. The 15-member Council, tasked with “the entire control and management” of the University, has faced extensive scrutiny over its financial management and governance reform. This includes questioning before the Senate, inquiries by the federal regulator and National Audit Office, allegations of breaches of its statutory obligations, a failed Senate attempt to compel documents, and a former Council member alleging she was bullied to “near suicide” by the Chancellor.
At the same time, submissions to the Senate inquiry on higher education are calling for greater transparency, elected representation, and oversight. With extensive reviews and an election underway, understanding the ANU Council’s people, powers and processes has never been more important.
What is the Council?
The ANU Council is the university’s peak governing body and, like all Australian universities, is established under an act of parliament called ‘enabling legislation’ – in this case, the Australian National University Act 1991 (Cth).
This law gives the Council sweeping powers and states it must act “in the way it thinks will best promote the interests of the University”.
In practice, this includes the power to:
- appoint the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor;
- set ANU’s strategic direction and risk appetite;
- approve annual budgets and major projects; and
- make Statutes and Rules on areas from academic programs and staff conditions to student conduct and parking.
How does Council work?
While Council has oversight responsibility, it delegates its operations to the Vice-Chancellor, the executive team, and multiple committees and sub-committees.
Key committees include:
- the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee, responsible for budgeting, investments and borrowing limits, internal controls and compliance;
- the Nominations Committee, which shortlists candidates for appointed seats; and
- the Academic Board (via delegation), which determines academic standards and curricula.
Importantly, the ANU Act prohibits the Council from delegating certain key oversight powers, including monitoring for risks to the University’s finances and operations.
Who sits on the Council, and how do they get there? How am I represented?
Under the ANU Act, Council is made up of three types of members: ex officio, elected and appointed members.
The Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor are ex officio members – that is members by virtue of their position.
Six members are elected to their role by the group to which they belong. Since 2001, one undergraduate and one postgraduate student are elected by their peers to sit on Council for a one-year term. These positions are currently open for voting in the ANUSA election – look for the “Undergraduate/Postgraduate Member on ANU Council”.
Usually, the undergraduate representative is also the ANUSA President. However, this year, Collaboration for ANUSA is bucking the trend by only running for these ANU Council positions.
“We want to have the time and commitment necessary to build relationships and work hard in these roles on Council when these roles are about to become the most important elected roles in ANUSA, NUS or Council” said Thalia Greinke, Collaboration’s postgraduate candidate, at Friday’s ANUSA election debate.
The other five candidates for the undergraduate member are the candidates for ANUSA President: Carter Chryse (No Cuts – Free Palestine), Charley Ellwood (RAGE), Will Roche, and Sarah Strange (Independents) – as well as Lea Fallen, Regrowth’s candidate for Education Officer.
The other four elected members are staff members elected for a two-year term: one by the professional staff, one by the academic staff of the faculties, one by the staff of the Institute of Advanced Studies, and one by the deans and heads of the research schools.
The remaining seven members are appointed by the Education Minister on the recommendation of the Nominations Committee. The ANU Act requires the Minister:
- to consider the “balance of skills, expertise and gender on the Council;
- to appoint at least two members with high financial expertise and one with high commercial expertise; and
- to not appoint ANU students or staff.
In addition to the 15 members, the Academic Board is represented on Council by one non-voting member.
Is it a paid position?
The elected members of the Council are not paid for their work on the Council (though may receive money for other roles).
According to the 2024 annual report, the Chancellor receives $75,000 annually and the appointed members receive a $35,000 honorarium, unless they opt out.
How will they replace Genevieve Bell?
The ANU Council will vote to appoint a Vice Chancellor for a term of up to 5 years.
Importantly, the undergraduate and postgraduate student members of council will be part of this vote.
Until that point, Rebekah Brown will serve as Interim Vice-Chancellor. In her first official correspondence with students, Professor Brown indicated she would retain her interim role “until at least the end of next year”.
What about the other vacancy?
Currently, there is a vacant position on the ANU Council following the August 11 resignation of Dr Francis Markham.
Dr Markham was himself elected in May this year to fill the casual vacancy caused by the departure of Dr Liz Allen in April. At a Senate inquiry on university governance, Dr Allen explained she resigned from Council after she “lost confidence in the leadership”.
“ANU leadership behaved with impunity, keep council in the dark and failed to adequately disclose conflicts.”
She alleged her efforts to seek further probity caused her to experience “threats, intimidation and bullying”.
“I was bullied into near suicide. I miscarried a much-wanted baby. I’ve lost the opportunity of a promotion. I fear for my job and my career has been derailed.”
Then-ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell described the allegations as “very serious” and declined to comment on the “existing workplace grievance”.
“It is hugely important to us as an institution that there is fairness for everyone involved and that there is procedural fairness,” Bell told the ABC.
Provost and now-Interim VC Rebekah Brown echoed Bell’s commitment, stating the “very concerning” allegations “need to be properly investigated”.
“I am convinced that we will ensure a very fair and transparent process.”
In a letter to the Senate committee, Chancellor Bishop “rejecte[ed] absolutely…that ‘dissent’ is ‘discouraged’, that Council is ‘dysfunctional and toxic under the current regime’, that elected members are ‘afraid’, that Council is ‘orchestrated cinema to make it appear that what’s happening is legitimate when… it’s not’, or that the nature of Council is ‘divide and conquer’”.
Bishop stated she had “never been accused of any behaviour or conduct that remotely reflects, even to the slightest degree, what was alleged”.
“I categorically deny the allegations levelled against me during the hearing on 12 August 2025.”
Dr Markham’s replacement will be elected by the academic staff of the Faculties, and serve for the remainder of Dr Liz Allen’s initial term – 29 September 2026.
What rules bind the Council? How does the Council compare with other universities?
Most Australian universities are governed under state legislation and have councils or senates with similar powers. However, ANU’s federal status makes it unique.
It is the only university subject to the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, meaning the university must prepare annual financial statements for the Australian National Audit Office and meet other Commonwealth probity rules.
It is the only university that can be publicly audited by the Auditor-General. A 2021 audit found ANU’s governance “largely effective” but noted that systems of control were only “partially effective”, recommending six improvements, including better risk management and clearer delegation protocols. The ANU agreed to all recommendations.
Under this act, the University can also be called to Senate Estimates to answer public questions about its operations. Observer has reported on the impact of this parliamentary scrutiny of ANU’s governance.
This heightened scrutiny is meant to ensure transparency – but some argue more is needed to achieve meaningful accountability. In an article for The Conversation, Australia Institute’s Senior Economist Jack Thrower and Research Fellow Joshua Black argue that Senate Estimates should be more regular and accompanied with nationally-consistent disclosure rules.
“University managers should be asking themselves, “Geez, if I make this decision, could I justify this at Estimates?”
Under continued scrutiny, the future direction of ANU Council remains to be seen. The ANUSA election presents an important opportunity for students to shape this future.
More to come.
Graphics by Fatima Usman
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