By Will Cassell
Recently appointed ANU Chancellor, Dr Gordon de Brouwer, will not commit to ‘no job cuts’ under his Chancellorship.
In an interview with Observer, the Chancellor said that “no one can ever commit to that”.
“I know this because when you’re running an institution… you’ve got to meet your budget.”
The ANU is in a budget deficit this year, according to comments made by Interim Vice-Chancellor Rebekah Brown last week. However, analysis from the Australia Institute shows that there is “no financial crisis” at the university.
“I have been in positions where I’ve had to cut staff and… it’s the last resort. You do it in a way that gives people as much control and power over their lives as possible. But you can never say no.”
The Chancellor noted the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report, which found that the ANU Council approved $250 million of cuts to the University without clear evidence or assessment of other options.
“Options are really important and you have to be honest about that,” the Chancellor said.
“Then, if you do whatever you [choose], you do that in a particular way which is fully informed by the range of different views that are around.
The ANAO report recommended that the ANU seek independent advice prior to making some financial decisions.
“We’re looking for effective solutions for the university and how it runs.”
Observer reached out to the National Tertiary Education Union for comment but they did not reply in time.
SASH on campus
Asked if he would consider the twenty-three recommendations from the recent report from the ANUSA Women’s* Department on sexual harassment and sexual assault (SASH) on campus, the Chancellor responded “yes”.
SASH is “completely unacceptable”, the Chancellor said.
“You need a safe, really constructive environment and not just neutral… but an actively safe and respectful place.”
“I’ve seen how those systems work, and I’ve seen also how they don’t work.”
Despite 40 per cent of SASH incidents at the ANU occurring at residential halls, the ANU has failed to follow through on their commitments implementing residential hall Cultural Change Plans, according to the ANUSA report.
“[Procedures] can make it hard for a person to raise something or they feel powerless,” the Chancellor said.
The Women’s* Department report calls for independent oversight, reforms to residential halls, and the meaningful inclusion of students from marginalised communities in policy development and implementation.
Governance
The ANU is “deeply grounded in its public purpose.. [in] knowledge, advancing and spreading knowledge, through teaching and education,” the Chancellor said.
When asked about the recent proposal from the federal Education Minister for an equal number of elected and appointed representatives on the ANU Council, the Chancellor said, “they’re both important and they’re both valued”.
“That’s an active conversation…There’s no hierarchy. Once you’re in the room, you’re in the room, you’ve just got different doors into the room.”
“It’s not looking after mates.” Former appointed members of the ANU Council have been accused of being “personally selected [by] and complicit [with]” de Brouwer’s predecessor, Julie Bishop.
The Chancellor called student voices “essential” to university governance.
“They’re not something that you consult at the end. They’re part of actually the formation and that’s the design of Council.”
The Chancellor wants advice that isn’t showing “homogeneity”.
“Different views are valuable,” he said.
Concerns with the conduct of the ANU Council have been raised over the last year.
Former staff member of Council Dr Liz Allen accused then-ANU executives in August last year of “[behaving] with impunity, [keeping] council in the dark and fail[ing] to adequately disclose conflicts”.
In May this year, the Saturday Paper reported that critical legal advice from the higher education regulator, TEQSA, was hidden from Council members. A wide range of community members backed this decision.
Also in May, an independent review found five adverse findings against former members of ANU Council.
Dr de Brouwer’s appointment to Chancellor comes as the ANU celebrates its 80th birthday and Interim-Vice Chancellor Rebekah Brown announced a new strategy looking forward to 2030.
The federal government is looking to amend the ANU Act and pass university-wide legislative reforms. TEQSA is also completing its compliance assessment report into the ANU.
More to come.
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