How the Australian National University fell — and continues to fall —from grace

Australia Broadcast Center

18 hours ago

The list of global change makers who have strolled the eucalypt-lined avenues of the Australian National University (ANU) is very, very long.
No fewer than six Nobel laureates, two prime ministers, a string of diplomats and ambassadors, a state premier, a High Court justice, defence force chiefs, comedy icons, the former CEO of Kellogg's, and even a Japanese prince have braved the blistering winters of Canberra to study or teach at the foot of Black Mountain.
Its prestige even drew visits from the late Queen Elizabeth II and Nelson Mandela.
But decades later, the university is facing a very different set of headlines.
The ANU is now being forced to respond to accusations made at a Senate hearing that ANU executives caused one staff member to contemplate suicide and that the stress from her time on the university's council contributed to her miscarriage.
The explosive allegations by ANU demographer Liz Allen at the Senate inquiry on Tuesday unleashed other claims by current and former staff that bullying, threats, intimidation and surveillance have been rife among the ANU's hallowed halls.
Chancellor Julie Bishop, against whom most of Dr Allen's claims were levelled, denies she has treated staff or students with anything but "respect, courtesy and civility" and the university says it is treating those allegations seriously.
The jewel in the ANU crown is its historical status as the most research-intensive university in the country.
It was born out of a spirit of post-World War II optimism when Australia realised it would need to develop its own expertise instead of relying on research from the United States and United Kingdom.
The founding focus was on science, medicine, and Asia-Pacific studies — areas considered "strategically important" for the country's development.
Initially, the university didn't even accept undergraduate students, such was its laser focus on research, which established a legacy of the ANU ranking among the best universities in the world, peaking at 47th according to Times Higher Education (THE) rankings.
But in recent years, its powerhouse reputation has been trumped by the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the University of Sydney, dropping to a THE ranking of 73rd.
Today, the ANU is the only Group of Eight university with a research publication rate in decline.
And while the university sector is collectively tightening its belt, having been battered by COVID, international student caps and reduced federal funding contributions, the level of backlash has been far more heated at the ANU than at any other institution.
That backlash began in October last year when an online town hall meeting chaired by ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell revealed the university was $600 million in the red after years of cumulative deficits.
Scripted talking points hinted at significant job cuts, but with no room for Q&As and very little clarity about just how many jobs would be lost, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) was forced to guesstimate that the cuts would amount to about 650 positions.
The university has never confirmed or denied that, instead opting for a dollar-value goal of shedding $250 million by 2026 — including $100 million from its salary spend, which stoked fear and anxiety among staff.
Professor Bell, who was lauded as a rockstar vice-chancellor when she was announced as Brian Schmidt's replacement in 2023, was the unfortunate bearer of bad news that had been building since before she took on the job.
But it did not help that she failed to front the media for nearly six months, as unrest stirred in the community.
The ABC's tracking of the progress of ANU's restructuring suggests that the goal is around halfway completed, with another significant round of cuts expected next week at the College of Arts and Social Sciences, including the widely criticised axing of the ANU School of Music, which will be absorbed by another college.
To add salt to the wound, former head of the School of Music, Professor Peter Tregear, said he had heard reports that the ANU had already begun selling the school's instruments, though that has not been confirmed.
"They should be held in trust for the nation," he said.
"They're not an asset to be sold in a crisis.
Campus environment staff are expected to learn about their job cuts today.
Good people will leave the university, whether through force or free will, with a voluntary redundancy scheme underway.
The lack of transparency has been the foundation of the backlash by staff, who have long accused executives of botched consultation, including claims that executives were deleting staff questions during town hall meetings.
And though it was not enforceable, 95 per cent of votes in an 800-person union-led poll backed a no-confidence motion against the ANU chancellor and vice-chancellor.
Professor Bell has vowed to stay the course, albeit with the knowledge that her leadership style is very different to that of her predecessor, Brian Schmidt.
"The deans work for me, not the other way around," Professor Bell told the ABC in March.
Mounting evidence suggests Professor Bell's approach is not working.
There was more outrage when it was revealed that Professor Bell was also accepting a wage from Intel, her former Silicon Valley employer, alongside her $1 million vice-chancellor salary.
The ANU council's decision to accept that situation brewed more mistrust among staff and students.
Dr Allen, who was a member of the council until her resignation in April, validated those fears on Tuesday when she told senators under parliamentary privilege that she was hauled into a meeting with Ms Bishop and wrongly accused of leaking confidential material to the media.
Her testimony also alleged militant surveillance of non-compliant staff, including through CCTV footage, scrutiny of staff emails, and thwarting promotion opportunities.
Her allegations were the human face of findings made in the Nixon Review, which found the ANU College of Science and Medicine had a "remarkable tolerance for poor behaviour and bullying".
Professor Tregear, who also fronted the Senate hearings, said the council was not fulfilling its role in keeping Professor Bell in check.
"We should expect university councils, like any governing body, will always encourage a healthy forensic scepticism towards the organisations they are governing, will always be willing to probe and challenge managerial decisions, and be prepared always to listen to reasonable dissent," he told senators.
Professor Bell was unable to respond to questions at the hearings because she was sick with the flu.
The Senate hearings are attempting to interrogate the quality of governance at Australia's higher education providers, including their make-up, transparency, accountability and effectiveness.
They are also examining the powers of the higher education regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, which on Wednesday confirmed it was investigating a referral made by Education Minister Jason Clare about concerns over ANU governance.
Independent ACT Senator, David Pocock, wants the university to better acknowledge staff concerns and has gone so far as to call for chancellor Julie Bishop to stand aside while Dr Allen's allegations are investigated.
Perhaps they are still riding the wave of ANU's post-WWII optimism — or what little is still left.