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Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Part-Time Faculty Win Voice at SMU Senate
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2025-- After years of fighting for better worker representation in university governance, the Saint Mary's University (SMU) Senate have voted to amend their by-laws, allowing for part-time faculty to run for a seat on the Senate. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) applauds this worker-driven victory. 'This is a huge win for academic workers,' said Lauren McKenzie, CUPE 3912 President. CUPE 3912 represents approximately 400 part-time faculty at Saint Mary's University. 'We can finally take part in the decision-making processes that impact our lives and the work we do—as the full-time academic staff we work alongside every day have been doing—and work together to protect workers and protect the standard of postsecondary education that we know SMU students deserve.' The Senate is a body of elected members responsible for the SMU educational policy, including determining courses of study and creating or discontinuing academic departments. The change in by-laws also means part-time faculty at SMU are now eligible to nominate and vote for all elected members of the Senate, which they were previously unable to do. This is an important victory for academic workers at SMU, particularly in the wake of recent cuts to SMU course offerings—which have resulted in half of part-time faculty at SMU losing work or losing their jobs entirely. Previously, CUPE 3912 members taught a third of SMU courses and workers have been vocal about the impact of these cuts on both their members livelihoods as well as the quality of postsecondary education in Nova Scotia. 'These cuts are primarily impacting the humanities, meaning SMU students are losing opportunities to explore subjects like history, religion, and language and culture,' continued McKenzie. 'SMU students are losing a wealth of knowledge in these areas and the incredible expertise our members bring. It's not just about the course list; it's about the kind of academic institution SMU is—or is at risk of becoming. That's why we fought for a voice at the Senate, and this is what we can do with that voice.' :so/cope491 View source version on CONTACT: For more information, please contact:Lauren McKenzie President, CUPE 3912 [email protected] Manek CUPE Atlantic Communications [email protected] KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: EDUCATION PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT LABOR UNIVERSITY SOURCE: CUPE Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/22/2025 09:20 AM/DISC: 05/22/2025 09:19 AM
The Guardian
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Five vice-chancellors in Victoria paid more than $1m in 2024, prompting claims of ‘largesse'
Just three of Victoria's vice-chancellors took pay cuts last year despite growing outside pressure to address 'broken' university governance and accusations of 'executive largesse'. The universities' latest annual reports, tabled in state parliament on Tuesday, showed six of Victoria's nine vice-chancellors increased their pay or left it unchanged last year compared with 2023. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Five were paid more than $1m annually, none higher than the University of Melbourne's Duncan Maskell, whose salary hit $1.5m in 2024 before his retirement this year. Maskell's pay was reduced to $1.4m in 2023 amid an operating deficit of $71m. Last year, the university recorded a larger deficit of $99m, the report revealed. A spokesperson for the university said the main reason for the remuneration increase was annual leave entitlements, paid on completion of the contract. The president of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), Dr Alison Barnes, said despite 'years of community outrage', Victoria's chancellors were continuing to sign off on 'even more executive largesse'. A November report by the NTEU found 306 senior executives were earning more than the premiers of their university's state, at an average of six per institution. 'On one hand, universities blame budget deficits for job cuts, and with the other they push vice-chancellor pay into the stratosphere,' she said. 'Add these insulting pay bumps to the sky-high pile of evidence showing university governance is completely broken.' The education minister, Jason Clare, has previously flagged that the Universities Accord, handed down last year, 'made clear' that university governance needed to be strengthened and workplace relations compliance improved in the tertiary sector. The largest pay bump went to Swinburne University's Prof Pascale Quester, who received a $130,000 annual increase to a total salary of $1.1m. Deakin University ($1m), Victoria University ($850,000) and Federation University ($910,000) also increased the pay of their vice-chancellors by $50,000, $10,000 and $20,000 respectively. RMIT's vice-chancellor's pay remained unchanged at about $1m. Overall, six universities were in the red in 2024 and three posted a surplus – including Swinburne ($28.1m), Victoria University ($66.1m) and RMIT ($1.8m), however overall deficits largely improved on 2023. A spokesperson for Victoria University said the vice-chancellor, Prof Adam Shoemaker, had received his first increase, in alignment with public sector benchmarks, since his appointment in 2021. Shoemaker said 2024 had been a 'remarkably successful year for VU, but our work continues in the context of the University Accord'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion A Federation University spokesperson said the vice-chancellor's $910,000 salary was set independently by the University Council and benchmarked against other sectors and peer institutions. They said under Prof Duncan Bentley's leadership, the university had dramatically reduced student attrition, grown domestic student numbers by 15% and improved in its rankings and equity performance. A Swinburne spokesperson said its surplus would be reinvested in 'even better facilities, technology and campus upgrades, and ensuring our financial sustainability'. The vice-chancellor of the University of Divinity, Prof James McLaren, took a pay cut of about $40,000, paid $210,000 to $219,999 annually amid a $289,000 deficit, the reports showed, as did La Trobe University's vice-chancellor, Prof Theo Farrell. Farrell, who commenced the role last year, earned between $860,000 and $869,999 in 2024, $100,000 less than the previous vice-chancellor. The salary of Monash University's vice-chancellor was reduced from $1.5m to $1.1m. A Monash University spokesperson said the reduction was principally due to the departure of the previous vice-chancellor. Excluding philanthropic funds, donations and investment income, Monash University's underlying result was a $6m deficit, an improvement on its $123.5m deficit in 2023.
