Content Warning: this article contains references to suicide.
By Will Cassell
Over the last year, the 15-member Council that governs the Australian National University (ANU) has been the subject of unprecedented regulatory intervention, bullying accusations, and decisions to cut hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop has resigned.
How did we get here?
How TEQSA’s intervention prompted Council resignations
The national university regulator, TEQSA, previously announced it was intervening to find a replacement for Julie Bishop as Chancellor. It’s a move never seen before in its 14-year history.
The regulator has already chosen a number of panel members in an attempt to keep the body independent.
Ms Bishop thought this intervention was unlawful, according to reporting by The Australian Financial Review.
She’s not the first person to resign in this spirit.
Alison Kitchen AM resigned from Council two weeks ago, on 25 April 2026. She too was led to resign by TEQSA’s intervention, according to reporting by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ms Kitchen served as National Chairman of KPMG Australia until August 2023, having worked on the ANU Council since 2021. Last year, she was alleged at Senate Estimates to have failed to disclose a conflict of interest that her child was studying and living on campus
TEQSA has raised concerns about the ANU Council’s culture, information, and oversight. Its findings show “inflexible work practices, unfair workloads, bullying, discrimination and lack of effective systems and accountability to address these issues”.
The role of ‘Professional staff member’ on Council was also recently up for election. With current elected member Megan Easton’s term ending on 25 May 2025, ANU professional staff had the opportunity to vote for a new representative. Ewelina Przybyszewski was elected as the incoming Professional staff member on Council. Her term will begin on 26 May 2026 and she will hold the role until 2028.
Calls for more resignations
Seven of the Council’s members are appointed, chosen by the federal Minister for Education, Jason Clare. However, the Minister chooses them based on recommendations provided by a Committee chaired by the Chancellor.
Some leaders in the ANU community blame these appointed members for the ensuing problems at the university.
They should all resign, according to demographer and former elected Council member, Dr Liz Allen.
“The ANU cannot meet its objectives while being undermined by self-serving council members putting themselves above this institution,” said Dr Allen.
ACT Independent Senator David Pocock labelled recent stories as “potentially scapegoating” Professor Brown.
“We judge people by actions, we judge people by results,” said Lachlan Clohesy, ACT Division Secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union. Mr Clohesy cited Brown keeping her word on stopping any forced job redundancies.
Professor Brown’s Signal messages show her executing her responsibilities as then-Provost, according to Former Vice-Chancellor Ian Chubb. “[Brown] was the line manager of the deans, the deans had a position, they sought advice, she gave advice,” he said.
Rebekah Brown’s Signal messages
The Canberra Times confirmed reports made in the The Saturday Paper (TSP) that Professor Rebekah Brown, as University Provost, used Signal messages to help plan a letter of no-confidence against then-Vice Chancellor Genevieve Bell. This correspondence was with the Deans of all ANU Colleges and took place in 2025.s
The ANU’s refusal to release these text messages through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request was alleged as a potential breach of the FOI Act. In a meeting on 24 April, then-ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop advised Council that she was seeking external legal advice on the matter.
In one Signal message, Brown allegedly asked colleagues to “plan Tuesday – the narrative critical as I am being watched and loyalty tested constantly at the moment and I want great outcomes here”.
In a previous statement toTSP, Professor Brown said, “I stand by everything that I’ve ever done”.
“I’ve always been careful not to disparage the reputation of Professor Bell. All my efforts are to support and strengthen a cherished institution that’s in a very vulnerable state.”
An alleged toxic culture
In February, TSP reported “shouting” directed at Professor Brown by a recently appointed council member. Then-Chancellor Bishop allegedly failed to bring this behaviour to order.
Last year, allegations of bullying, harassment and hostile behaviour were made against Ms Bishop by then-Council Member Dr Allen.
Dr Allen reported being “bullied into near suicide”.
“ANU leaders behave with impunity, keep council in the dark and fail to adequately disclose conflicts,” Dr Allen said. “Council is dysfunctional under the current regime and elected council members are afraid.”
Then-ANUSA President, Will Burfoot, reported watching other council members be “intimidated, mistreated and gaslit”.
“In my view, the core of the issues that have plagued this institution, from serious governance failures to allegations of bullying and intimidation, all stemmed from Bishop’s leadership,” Mr Burfoot wrote in a post on Facebook, following Bishop’s resignation.
Where to from here?
TEQSA is due to release their independence governance review in the coming weeks. The review is conducted by former Commissioner of the Australian Public Service, Lynelle Briggs. TEQSA has the power to force the complete spill of the ANU Council, a move that would be unprecedented in Australian universities.
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) is due to release its report this month as well. A draft of the report alleged that the ANU was not in an immediate financial crisis at the time of the ANU Council approving a cut of $250 million across the university in Renew ANU.
The federal government workers’ compensation insurer, Comcare, is also undertaking a review into work health and safety concerns for ANU staff.
There are internal reviews also underway, including an investigation into claims of bullying against Ms Bishop and a review into governance.
For all the reviews that are underway, one has come back. An independent investigation into allegations of serious misconduct has cleared Professor Bell, lifting her suspension as a Distinguished Professor.
In a statement, the ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA) said, “How we as a community navigate the next 12 months are vitally important to what the following decades look like at ANU”.
“What we must do is look back at the past two years with honesty and look at the true extent to which RenewANU has hurt the ANU.”
More to come.
Graphic by Laudine Cao
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