Greens Deputy Leader and Higher Education spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has responded to reports that ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell has tendered her resignation. Senator Faruqi has for weeks been calling on VC Bell, as well as Chancellor Julie Bishop, to resign in light of the scandals, mass job cuts, toxic workplace culture and lack of accountability and loss of trust that has defined their tenures.
As stated by Senator Faruqi, Deputy Leader of the Greens and spokesperson for Higher Education:
"Professor Bell's resignation is the culmination of months of scandal, plummeting staff and student morale, and a governance system that is completely broken.
"Let's not forget that Chancellor Bishop's leadership has also been fraught, and she too must be held accountable for the crisis at ANU.
"The fact that almost every respondent to ANU's staff-led governance project said the system is not fit for purpose speaks volumes. This is not just about one Vice-Chancellor. The entire model of top-down, corporate-style governance is failing.
"Across the sector, mass redundancies, threats to schools and courses, and widespread reports of psychosocial harm show a workplace and community in crisis. Staff should never have to choose between their wellbeing and their profession.
"Universities are public institutions and must serve the public good. That means transparency, accountability and genuine consultation with the people who make them what they are - the staff and students.
"VC Bell stepping down cannot be the end of the story. We need a halt to forced redundancies, real protection of staff wellbeing, a commitment to safeguard disciplines under threat and an end to opaque decision-making and networks of privilege.
"This moment is a chance to rebuild ANU into a democratic, accountable and thriving institution that has the trust and confidence of its community once again. It must not be wasted."
