The Australian National University (ANU) has announced that the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Genevieve Bell, will be leaving her position.
NTEU welcomes this development. It must now be accompanied by an announcement that all forced redundancies will cease.
Quotes attributable to NTEU ACT Division Secretary Dr Lachlan Clohesy:
"The announcement of the Vice-Chancellor's departure must also be accompanied by an announcement that all forced redundancies will now cease."
"Nobody takes delight in the situation of the Australian National University at the moment. We welcome this development. But we also need to recognise the incredible toll the last two years have taken on the ANU community, and that will take time to heal."
"In the last two years, ANU leadership has taken an approach of moving fast and breaking things. Unfortunately, too many of those things were people."
"Changing the Vice-Chancellor will not fix the ANU's issues unless governance concerns are also addressed. The Chancellor still faces serious allegations, and under her watch ANU is now subject to investigation by TEQSA and the Fair Work Ombudsman. We believe Comcare should also be looking closely at the ANU."
"We are incredibly proud of everyone who has stood up for the Australian National University and its people. In so doing, they've set an example which will encourage university staff and students across the country in dealing with leadership and governance problems at other universities, which are unfortunately all too common."
"Genevieve Bell will not be the last Vice-Chancellor to go in these circumstances if other universities fail to heed the lessons of what has gone wrong at the ANU. University staff deserve to be valued, supported, and respected."
Quotes attributable to NTEU ANU Branch President Millan Pintos-Lopez:
"ANU leadership needs to now reflect and consider the University it wants to be. The leadership style of the past cannot continue into the future. We also need to reflect on why it has taken Council so long to act."
"There are still over a hundred colleagues facing the loss of their livelihoods across the University. All job cuts must stop."
"Renew ANU is now thoroughly discredited and needs to end. We can't continue with forced redundancies and the disestablishment of significant parts of the University."
"Staff have fought hard over the past year to ensure their voices have been heard, and now is the opportunity to listen."
Quotes attributable to NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes:
"A new Vice-Chancellor presents an opportunity for a reset, but there are broader leadership and governance concerns at the ANU.
"Unfortunately, what's playing out at ANU is far from an isolated case. A completely broken governance system has allowed unaccountable executives to cause enormous damage to staff, students and communities.
"The NTEU will continue to fight hard nationally for major governance reform to stop the type of profound leadership failures we've seen at ANU."
