For around 20 years I have been attacking the universities here at ALOR, arguing that they are parasite institutions, producers of woke ideology that is destroying the West. Higher education needs radical reform around nation building, not serving the elites of Asia. I have noticed the salaries of vice chancellors rising over the years so now most of these rotters take in over a million dollars a year. Now while my attacks may seem extreme to the meek, some of these points have been recognised (independently of my influence) by Labor Senator Tony Sheldon, who chairs the Senate Education and Employment Committee.He has announced the formation of a committee to investigate VCs and chancellors for what he described as an "extraordinary range of governance issues that have arisen on their watch." Indeed, he sees the universities as a "lawless sector."
Perhaps the freedom movement, One Nation and the like will now begin tackling the universities issue, since they will not have to fear being written off as "anti-intellectual." They all ignored my plea for action over the years. Me, I am fine with being seen as being "anti-intellectual!
"Australia's most prominent vice chancellors will be grilled by a powerful new parliamentary committee about governance and management failures as a former union official and Labor senator Tony Sheldon described universities as a "lawless sector".
Senator Sheldon, who chairs the Senate Education and Employment Committee, will announce the creation of a committee to investigate VCs and chancellors for what he described an "extraordinary range of governance issues that have arisen on their watch".
The former national secretary of the Transport Workers Union is deeply critical of executive pay in the sector – average VC pay topped $1 million in 2023 – as well as university governance oversights that include widespread instances of underpayment of staff and poor student experience.
His decision to form a committee to question Australia's most senior tertiary education leaders will be announced on Friday and follows sustained calls by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the sector. Senator Sheldon is also likely to target spending on external consultancies, which he says reached $734 million in 2023.
"Australians deserve universities that put students and staff first, not the interests of university executives," Senator Sheldon said.
"There's no other job in Australia where you can be paid so exorbitantly while performing so badly, with seemingly no consequences or accountability for the impact on university staff and students."
"It's clear the Liberals' and Nationals' governance framework is failing, which is why the Albanese government is taking swift action to rein in what is becoming a lawless sector."
Restructuring amid deficits
The changes come at a difficult time for the sector. Several universities have recorded deficits for several years and are restructuring as domestic student enrolments continue to decline.
The $51 billion international export sector, which has paid for research and new buildings is also under threat, as migration has emerged as a key election issue for both sides of politics in the face of a housing crisis.
An attempt last year to cap overseas student numbers by the Albanese government was torpedoed after the Coalition and Greens agreed to block the legislation. University leaders have also been under intense pressure over antisemitism and sexual assaults on their campuses.
Education Minister Jason Clare first flagged university governance as a cause for concern more than 18 months ago following the release of a major review into universities by former NSW chief scientist Mary O'Kane.
He named the make-up of a new expert council to advise him on the issue on Wednesday. It will be chaired by Melinda Cilento, chief executive of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and includes former lawyer Bruce Cowley, former trade union leader Sharan Burrow and representatives of peak groups.
The underpayment of casual staff is now approaching $400 million, according to the NTEU as widespread casualisation, poor compliance with workplace laws and rolling redundancies also plague the sector.
The new committee is likely to examine why Australian National University VC Genevieve Bell remained on the payroll of multinational technology company Intel while also running her university.
Others who will be under scrutiny are Colin Stirling, the VC of Flinders University, who earned $1.3 million for that role in 2023, but also raked in another $160,000 for sitting on the board of student recruitment giant IDP Education.
Melbourne University's recently departed vice chancellor Duncan Maskell was paid $300,000 for his appointment as a non-executive director of biotech company CSL on top of his $1.5 million salary.
The inquiry will also scrutinise whether university governing bodies have the necessary skills to provide effective oversight of university managers and whether their composition has enough understanding of universities and their core missions.
The NTEU has also criticised the appointment of chancellors who are also major benefactors to institutions.
University of Melbourne chancellor Jane Hansen and her husband Paul Little donated $40 million to the institution in the years before she was named as its most senior officer.
Her predecessor, Allan Myers, had also donated $10 million before he was appointed chancellor in 2017."
What a swell time these guys are having … while it lasts!