By Sarah McCrea
After intense public scrutiny in 2025, ANU governance has started to make changes to their operations. On Wednesday 18 February, they held their first ‘open session’ at a Council meeting, where members of the ANU community could register, via Zoom, to view sections of the ANU Council meeting. This was described by The ANU Governance Project as an increase in “transparency” for the university.
This increase of transparency is one improvement of governance that has been called for by staff, students, and even Senate committees. In November 2025, The ANU Governance Project Working Group, a collection of ANU academic and professional staff, released their final report of recommendations to improve governance at the ANU. This report was formed after extensive consultation with the ANU community. The end of last year also brought the release of a report from a Senate inquiry into “Quality of governance at Australian higher education providers”.
It’s important to note that several recommendations would require changes to the ANU Act 1991 or the Charter of the ANU Council and therefore require a longer time-frame to be implemented. Keeping in mind it’s only been a matter of months, here’s what they’ve already changed, and here’s what’s yet to change.
There was significant overlap between the Senate report and the report from The ANU Governance Project. One unique suggestion from The ANU Governance Project was that the ANU establish a University Senate, which would provide “an internal mechanism for direct accountability and community voice to provide a check on Council”.
Specific reforms suggested by both reports include the composition of Council, such as having a higher proportion of Council members be elected staff or students, and have more Council members with more experience in higher education. Currently, the majority of Council members are appointed, not elected, and this looks set to remain the same.
The Senate inquiry’s first recommendation focused on “transparency and accountability”. This included the disclosure of consultant spending information, and “a publicly disclosed conflict-of-interest register for university council members and senior university executives”. This follows controversy surrounding ANU’s spending on consultants relating to Renew ANU, as well as alleged conflict-of-interests between Council members and procured consultants. In response, the ANU has updated its Disclosure of Interest policy and formed an Expenditure Taskforce.
Another suggestion was to have decisions on remuneration of Council members to be made by elected members, and for these decisions to be published with clear metrics. The Senate report recommended that instead, these decisions be set by the Australian government in tandem with Remuneration tribunals. With the present system in place, the Vice-Chancellor, as an example, has their remuneration determined by the Remuneration Committee. The three members are the Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellor – a currently vacant position -, and the Chair of the Finance Committee, all appointed members of the Council.
Recommendation 2.7 from the ANU Governance Project was one of the first to be adopted by the university. This recommendation suggested that Council meetings “be livestreamed and recorded for dissemination to staff, students, alumni, and the general public, for non-confidential items”. Following the open session for the Council meeting on 18 February, this has been achieved.
Another recommendation was that detailed minutes from Council meetings should be made available within a week following the meetings. Currently, all Council meeting minutes from 2025 are available except for their 28 November meeting. All have redactions, for instance in October’s meeting, the ‘debt issuance’ section is redacted, as is all discussion in the ‘Other business’ section. It was also recommended the Council meet more than at least twelve times a year. In 2025 the Council met nine times. According to the current calendar, the Council will meet only six times in 2026.
Long-term change was proposed as well. The final ANU Governance Project report further suggested that the ANU Chancellor be elected to the position rather than appointed by the Council. The report claimed this alteration would “directly incentivize senior leadership to remain responsive to staff and student concerns”. The ANU Act 1991 would have to be changed in order for this suggestion to be implemented, and with Chancellor Julie Bishop’s term expiring at the end of 2026, the next Chancellor of ANU will be appointed (or re-appointed, if Bishop is hired for another term) in a traditional manner.
An additional recommendation from the community-based initiative was that “ANU staff and students should be included in co-design of the next University budget model.” Further, Recommendation 3 from the Senate Committee was “that universities adopt best-practice and meaningful consultation for major change proposals, including involvement from staff and students prior to decisions being made.” In the open session of the ANU Council meeting on 18 February, it was revealed the ANU community would be invited to partake in a “co-design” process for the next university strategy, to begin this month in March. It added that The ANU Governance Project had participated in aspects of the Council’s strategic planning day on 17 February.
A spokesperson from the ANU stated, “ANU is committed to strengthening governance – at our own University, and as part of sector-wide reforms for all universities.”
They added, “ANU also acknowledges the collective effort of staff involved in the ANU Governance Project. It demonstrates the passion and commitment of our community to the University and the sector as a whole. The ANU leadership will continue to directly consult staff as we move forward.”
ANU governance is already establishing processes to meet some recommendations, yet others have not yet been reached. With a new university strategy ahead, it remains to be seen if new changes could be too.
More to come.
Graphics by Will Novak
Know something we don’t know? Email news@anuobserver.org or use our anonymous tip submission.
If you have an issue with this article, or a correction to make, you can contact us at news@anuobserver.org, submit a formal dispute, or angry react the Facebook post.
If you don’t have an issue with this article and want to hear more from us, we’re in the process of making a newsletter! Sign up here, and have the latest news delivered directly to you.
Want to get involved? You can write articles, photograph, livestream or do web support. We’re also looking for someone to yell “extra!” outside Davey Lodge at 1AM. Apply today!
ANU Observer 