More resignations from ANU council

“Four more members of the Australian National University Council have resigned from their posts following the departure of Julie Bishop as chancellor last week. An email circulated to staff and students today from acting chancellor Dr Larry Marshall said that former chief justice of Western Australia Wayne Martin, Indigenous leader Tanya Hosch, banking executive Rob Whitfield and former Australian Human Rights Commission chief executive Padma Raman were all leaving their ministerially appointed positions. "I would like to sincerely thank these former council members for their service and contributions to ANU during a challenging period for the university," Dr Marshall said in the email. According to reporting in the Australian Financial Review ( AFR ) Mr Martin's resignation was in response to overreach by the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Authority (TEQSA). The AFR quoted his resignation letter: “It follows from the council’s continuing abdication of the fundamental governance responsibilities expressly imposed upon the council by the ANU Act, at the behest of demands made by TEQSA … that I can no longer serve on the council,” he said. “I sincerely hope that you and the council are able to mitigate the damage which has been done to the reputation and standing of a great university by unidentified malicious actors within either the council or staff of the university, or quite possibly both. “However, achievement of that worthy objective will be much harder now that the council has allowed TEQSA to unlawfully usurp council’s role in the governance of the university.” These latest resignations leave just two members of the council who were appointed by the minister, Jason Clare, with the remaining members made up of staff and student representatives.

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