Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has resigned as chancellor of the Australian National University, effective immediately. The Nightly has confirmed she informed the university council of her resignation last night, before her term was due to end in December.
Her tenure came at a time of controversy and upheaval for the university, including an aborted $250 million cost-cutting plan, which included massive job cuts. The resignation caps months of mounting turmoil inside the Canberra institution, where leadership tensions and restructuring plans sparked fierce backlash from staff and scrutiny from the government.
Bishop cites interference and regulatory overreach
In a statement to The Nightly, Ms Bishop confirmed her resignation, saying she was "deeply privileged to have held this role since 2020" and that she continues to regard the ANU as a truly national treasure. She also took aim at the university regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, over its move to run ANU's council, which she believes is unlawful.
"Following unprecedented and coordinated interference, the ANU Council is no longer able to discharge its legal and ethical obligations," Ms Bishop said. "The higher education sector is at a crossroads of regulatory overreach in the governance of our institutions or autonomy and academic freedom. I fear the collateral from this regulatory overreach will be the next generation of students and staff."
Controversial cost-cutting and leadership crisis
Ms Bishop's tenure was marked by a controversial and abandoned $250 million cost-cutting plan which included massive job cuts. The leadership crisis intensified earlier this year with the departure of vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell. Almost a week after The Nightly revealed Ms Bishop had flown to Canberra to discuss Professor Bell's future with senior staff, the ANU confirmed the controversial professor would be leaving her $1-million-a-year job.
Professor Bell's decision to resign as vice-chancellor followed months of furore from university staff over a $200 million savings drive involving mass redundancies, aimed at reducing the ANU's crippling levels of debt. In a statement, Professor Bell said it was "not an easy decision" to resign, adding "the ANU has been a special place for me, ever since I was a child."
Chancellor Julie Bishop confirmed the departing vice-chancellor, who was on "personal leave", would return to an academic role at the ANU's School of Cybernetics "in due course." The former deputy Liberal Party leader also declined to say whether sexism or gender had contributed to the resignation of Professor Bell, who was the ANU's first female vice-chancellor.
Bullying allegations and town hall meeting
As pressure mounted, both women faced increasing scrutiny over the university's handling of the restructuring program. Ms Bishop again denied bullying allegations made by prominent academic Liz Allen during a senate inquiry. "I reject the allegations that I have acted otherwise," Ms Bishop said. "I have placed a right of reply with the Senate committee last Monday. I am waiting for the Senate committee to confirm that my right of reply will be made public. However, I will not further compromise the integrity of a workplace grievance process that has now been put in place by the council."
Staff anger over the restructuring plans spilled into public view during a tense town hall meeting earlier this year. Ms Bishop convened a snap all-staff town hall meeting on campus where furious staff clapped and cheered when told of Professor Bell's departure, but insisted there were "no grounds" for her to also stand aside. "My contract concludes at the end of 2026. (ANU) Council have confirmed that they have confidence in me to lead this period of transition to a new interim vice-chancellor," Ms Bishop said.
During the town hall meeting, Chancellor Julie Bishop and interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Rebekah Brown would not provide guarantees about the restructuring program, but said more consultation would occur. "I can't make any statement today. What I can say is that we will be giving this very serious consideration, very careful consideration," Professor Brown said.
Federal government referral to TEQSA
The controversy also attracted the attention of the federal government. Education Minister Jason Clare later confirmed he had referred ANU's governance to TEQSA after "significant governance concerns" were raised with him. "Significant governance concerns at ANU have been raised with me. That's why I've referred ANU's governance to TEQSA (the regulator) for assessment," Mr Clare said in a statement to The Nightly.
