Latest news with #ChristineNixon
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell says she's committed to implementing the report's recommendations.
Australian National University Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell says an external investigator will review allegations of "wildly inappropriate behaviour" within the College of Health and Medicine. The allegations are contained in a second, confidential report by Professor Christine Nixon who yesterday released a damning review of the "toxic" culture within the college.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
'Wildly inappropriate behaviour' within Australian National University medical college to be investigated
People accused of "wildly inappropriate behaviour" at the Australian National University's medical college could be fired if allegations are proven, Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell says. A report by Professor Christine Nixon into gender and cultural issues at the College of Health and Medicine and its constituent schools — found an entrenched toxic culture and a "remarkable tolerance for poor behaviour and bullying". The college includes the John Curtin School of Medical Research, the School of Medicine and Psychology, and the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. Professor Bell said a second, confidential report by Professor Nixon was also presented to university leadership, which included allegations about people who still worked at the university as well as ex-staff. "We expected, as people talked to [Professor Nixon], that people were going to disclose and make allegations about really wildly inappropriate behaviour and we asked her to quarantine that from the report," Professor Bell said. Professor Bell said an external investigator would be appointed to review those allegations. "At the moment they are allegations and the thing about that is they need to be investigated appropriately," she said. She did not rule out firing people if the allegations were found to be true. "When we have had serious misconduct we will manage it within the parameters that we have," Professor Bell said. Professor Bell said the report primarily focused on one college — arising from "disturbing accounts" of what had been happening. Since the review was commissioned last year, ANU closed the College of Health and Medicine and created a combined College of Science and Medicine. Professor Bell said the eight key findings and 17 recommendations made in the report were "absolutely" applicable across the university. Profesor Bell said previous reports into different aspects of the College of Health and Medicine over the years had pointed to challenges in the culture there. "I suspect this is not a recent phenomenon," she said. "Something that's been there that long will take time to unpick and change." She said she read the report alongside her predecessor Brian Schmidt, and said all previous vice-chancellors had "done their best" to improve the university. "He reflected on how hard it is to change large institutions," Ms Bell said. "He said it was a hard read — which it has been for all of us." ANU Students' Association president William Burfoot said the report's findings were "shocking and incredibly, incredibly concerning" but reflected a culture not limited to just the medical school. "I don't think it's unique to the medical school. "It is a more pervasive issue and that just requires us to do much, much more to address it and to make sure that these kinds of things can't continue to happen." Mr Burfoot said it was great the report was initiated and shared publicly, but the community needed to see "top to bottom" change implemented. Professor Bell said the university was already taking steps to implement the report's recommendations. She said a leader had been allocated to each recommendation and would report back on first steps taken by July. "There should be an expectation about accountability. There should be an expectation about action." Professor Bell said Professor Nixon would carry out a follow-up assessment at the beginning of 2026.
AU Financial Review
6 days ago
- Health
- AU Financial Review
ANU's ‘remarkable tolerance' for bullying, sexism, nepotism: review
A 'deeply dysfunctional culture' marked by 'bureaucracy, territorialism, bullying, entitlement and resistance to change' are among the findings of a report into workplace culture in the Australian National University's now defunct College of Health and Medicine. The review conducted by former Victorian police commissioner Christine Nixon outlined issues which extended across the university, including a 'remarkable tolerance for poor behaviour and bullying'.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Review finds harassment and bullying 'widespread' at Australian National University's College of Health and Medicine
Harassment and bullying, sexism and racial discrimination, nepotism, and an entrenched disrespectful culture have been laid bare in a damning review into the Australian National University's (ANU) College of Health and Medicine. Professor Christine Nixon was tasked with investigating gender and cultural issues at the college and its constituent schools — the John Curtin School of Medical Research, the School of Medicine and Psychology, and the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. It was sparked by reports of harm from staff and students. The independent review included meetings with 83 people and 67 written submissions. "Staff and students told me about inflexible work practices, unfair workloads, bullying and discrimination," Professor Nixon said in a letter to the ANU. The review outlined eight key findings and 17 recommendations. Since the review was commissioned last year, ANU closed the College of Health and Medicine and created a combined College of Science and Medicine. The review found harassment and bullying of both staff and students were "widespread practices", with little or no consequences. "ANU has a remarkable tolerance for poor behaviour and bullying," the review found. "For many staff and students, deciding how to respond to an experience of discrimination involves a careful calculation of the risks of speaking up and the likelihood of an unsatisfactory outcome." At times, the reporting pathway for bullying or harassment was through a person with a longstanding connection to the perpetrator. "ANU pretended to be asleep. You can wake up someone who's asleep, but you can't wake up someone who is pretending," one participant said. The report also identified a "poor and disrespectful culture" that had existed for many years. "Staff describe a deeply dysfunctional culture across the college and the broader university marked by bureaucracy, territorialism, bullying, entitlement and resistance to change," Professor Nixon said. "At JCSMR [John Curtin School of Medical Research], basic professional civility is not enforced because there is a cultural acceptance of having strong views and shouting them at your colleagues in professional settings." Students described a "very toxic work until you drop mentality", where supervisors expected them to routinely work 14 hours a day. Nixon also highlighted how "some supervisors do not yet understand that it is inappropriate to form personal or sexual relationships with students under their supervisory authority". The review found of the 18 academic staff at JCSMR with continuing positions, only three were women. Of the 16 Level E Professors, only three were women — and none were tenured, unlike 12 of the 13 men. "Gender imbalance at senior levels means women are making disproportionate contributions in service roles to ensure gender balance on committees, selection panels and working groups," the review said. It found no effective steps had been taken to address gender bias, sexism and racial discrimination. Aboriginal staff told the review they were relied on to provide "good-news media content", but leadership was less interested in making changes to accommodate the needs of Indigenous people. Despite a substantial suite of recruitment policies at the ANU, the review found the system "doesn't follow its own rules" and featured a series of "captain's picks". As a result, the "appointment and selection systems lack integrity and fair process and facilitate bias, nepotism, and abuse". "This systemic disengagement from fair recruitment processes has had profound impacts within the college," the review said. In a statement, ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell said the report was sobering and the university was committed to addressing the concerns of staff and students. "Every member of our community has the right and expectation that they will work and study in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment," Professor Bell said . "We will address every recommendation and ensure that our progress is externally monitored. "To all of the students and staff who have been affected by these behaviours and this culture over many years, we at ANU say sorry." National Tertiary Education Union ACT division secretary Dr Lachlan Clohesy said he welcomed the release of the Nixon Review. "While the issues described may have been particularly acute in the schools reviewed, these are problems that exist across the entirety of the university. "It is important that the university's words are now followed up with actions."
AU Financial Review
6 days ago
- AU Financial Review
Nepotism, sexism, bullying rife at ANU's medical college
A damning report has found nepotism, sexism, bullying and destructive workplace culture rife in Australian National University's now-defunct College of Health and Medicine and describes 'a dysfunctional culture' that extends beyond the college to the broader university. The report by Christine Nixon, a former Victorian police commissioner, details a litany of appalling behaviours, particularly from senior staff.
