Former Australian National University chancellor slams 'gobsmacking' proposed university cuts
In a letter addressed to current Chancellor Julie Bishop, Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell, and Federal Education Minister Jason Clare, Mr Evans expressed concerns with the university's recently released College of the Arts and Social Sciences organisational change proposal.
Mr Evans said the changes had ignored the maintenance of the National Institutes Grant, which the ANU receives from the federal government for research "supporting the development of Australia's national unity and identity".
He said that during his time as ANU chancellor from 2010 to 2019 he could not have been more conscious of how important the grant had been to the ANU's viability.
The ANU faces a $250 million budget shortfall and has announced plans to cut around 100 jobs in recent months.
Mr Evans said he found it "gobsmacking" the ANU was looking to abolish the National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) and downsize the National Centre for Biography (NCB).
The NCB maintains the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB), a huge database of Australian stories and the evolution of Australian English, started in 1957.
Mr Evans said to drastically diminish the role of the ADB "makes no sense at all".
Mr Evans condemned the abolition of freestanding centres such as the Humanities Research Centre (HRC) and the Centre for European Studies (ANUCES).
He said the HRC had been "hugely respected both nationally and internationally for the last 50 years", and the ANUCES was "making a significant contribution to the government's trade and security policymaking with the EU".
The former chancellor also raised concerns with a move to remove the Crawford School of Public Policy from the College of Asia and the Pacific.
An ANU spokesperson said the university "welcomes a diversity of views and encourage constructive feedback including ideas to help meet the University's financial sustainability".
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