University of Melbourne Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Michael Wesley appeared today before the Senate Education and Employment Legislative Committee on the quality of governance at Australian higher education providers.
Professor Michael Wesley made the following opening remarks
Good governance is fundamental to the effective operation of our universities. It enables us to fulfil our academic missions, deliver high quality education and research, uphold academic integrity, and respond effectively to the evolving needs of the diverse communities we serve. It also ensures we maintain trust and community confidence.
Over the years, Australian universities have grown significantly in size, scope and complexity. The University of Melbourne now serves over 77,000 students and employs over 13,000 staff, with an annual operating income of more than $3.2 billion. Our Parkville campus, when in session, is effectively the size of a small city. As our institutions have expanded to serve our communities, so too have the scope and complexity of compliance and quality assurance measures – for example we must navigate more than 400 pieces of legislation across our operations. Strong governance frameworks are imperative to ensure we meet these obligations.
The University of Melbourne Act 2009 establishes the University and its objectives, the Council and its core functions. We work closely with our State Minister on Council appointments and governance matters, and with the Federal Government and our regulators to uphold national governance responsibilities.
The University of Melbourne's governance frameworks, including our legislative and regulatory instruments, delegations, policies, practices and consultation mechanisms ensure the University meets its obligations to students, staff and the wider community. They underpin a safe environment, a culture that promotes equity and learning, and an administration that adopts high standards of probity and accountability in all its operations.
The active contribution of our staff and students to effective governance at the University is invaluable.
Our University Council includes an elected staff and student member as well as the elected President of the Academic Board, a key committee of the Council. Students and staff are also members of other committees of Council and the Academic Board.
However, engaging with our staff and students goes further than Council and its Committees.
The Presidents of the University of Melbourne Student Association (UMSU), UMSU International, and the Graduate Students Association report quarterly to the University Executive team (comprised of the Vice-Presidents, Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Deans) and engage in open and constructive discussions that help shape University decisions and priorities. The Presidents also meet with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students and Education) on a regular basis to exchange ideas and discuss current issues affecting students at the University. Additionally, the Melbourne Student Forum comprises a diverse group of 100 students committed to improving the student experience by contributing their ideas and reflections to the University.
Students and staff contribute feedback through a range of mechanisms such as formal policy reviews, major change proposals through targeted consultation, focus groups, committees and via online feedback. We are currently refreshing the University's Strategic Plan through to 2030 and consultation throughout this process has involved actively seeking staff and student feedback. We regularly survey students and staff to monitor our institutional culture and inform ongoing improvements to make our governance frameworks more transparent, accessible, and robust.
These are all valuable engagements and ensure a strong student and staff voice in the University's governance.
I recognise we don't always get things right. Where we have fallen short, such as the underpayment of our staff, we have worked diligently to rectify issues and put in place systems, policies and processes to ensure they are not repeated. We have also made positive strides in the decasualisation of our workforce.
We acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, and we are committed to continuously enhancing our governance frameworks.
In this spirit, we have engaged in the comprehensive review undertaken by the Expert Council on University Governance on behalf of the nation's education Ministers. We welcomed the release of the Expert Council's Final Report and Principles last month. We have also engaged in good faith with this Committee's review and have noted the Interim Report.
As Ministers consider the recommendations from these reports, we remain committed to increasing transparency and engagement. We will also continue to improve our practices, and work collaboratively with both federal and state governments.
We will also work closely with our staff, students and regulator, to evolve and maintain strong and effective governance practices across our University.
