Professor Stephen Parker will take over at UC until Bill Shorten becomes Vice-Chancellor and President in February. Photo: LinkedIn.
The financially strained University of Canberra has dumped its interim Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lucy Johnston, only weeks after saying she would stay on until federal Labor minister Bill Shorten takes up the role in February for the start of the academic year.
Former Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker has been brought back to steer the university until Mr Shorten arrives. He will start on Monday.
In an email to staff, Chancellor Lisa Paul said Mr Parker would “work with the Executive to add his expertise to our university-wide approach to achieving financial sustainability”.
“Stephen will work closely with Council, the UC Executive, senior leaders and all staff across the university as we continue to adapt to external settings and make key decisions on our strategy and organisational design,” she said.
Ms Paul said that in a changing higher education sector UC was on the right track but needed to maintain the momentum.
Professor Johnston will not be around for the changeover, taking planned leave next week in the UK and returning as a member of the University Executive from Monday, 14 October.
The switch comes after last week’s call by the National Tertiary Education Union for an ACT Government review of the university’s governance after the election.
The union said this was warranted in the light of the nation-high $1.8 million remuneration provided to former Vice-Chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon in 2023, course and unit closures across the university and a $10.4 million budget blowout, fed mainly by higher spending of $9.5 million on consultants, an increase of about 130 per cent.
NTEU ACT secretary Dr Lachlan Clohessy said the interim VC decision vindicated NTEU member concerns about UC governance.
“To some extent, the Interim Vice-Chancellor inherited many of the issues, but staff members have also been concerned about the ability of the interim Executive to address them,” he said.
“We still believe an ACT Legislative Assembly Review is necessary to provide transparency and accountability around how we’ve got to this point and to allow for lessons to be learned to inform future governance.
“This interim appointment shows that UC is well aware that there have been issues. Where there has been smoke, this confirms there has also been fire.
“We’re reserving judgment on the new interim appointment – we’re willing to judge Stephen Parker by his actions over the intervening months until Bill Shorten gets his feet under the table.”
Ms Paul said in a statement that Professor Parker’s expertise as former Vice-Chancellor would augment the efforts of the university as it made key decisions on strategy and organisational design.
She said Professor Johnston would return to her substantive role as Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise.
“As we have adapted to external settings, Professor Johnston and the UC Executive team have placed our institution on the right track and have the confidence of the UC Council,” she said.
Professor Parker is a legal academic and was UC Vice-Chancellor from 2007 to 2016, leading the university through a significant period of organisational transformation.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2014 for his distinguished service to tertiary education, and as a leader in the growth and development of the University of Canberra.
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