Julie Bishop resigns from Australian National University amid restructuring and governance backlash

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has hit out at “unprecedented and coordinated interference” by the tertiary education regulator after resigning as Australian National University chancellor.

The Nightly has confirmed the former deputy Liberal leader informed the ANU council of her resignation last night, which has taken effect immediately, months before her controversial term was due to end in December.

Her tenure at the prestigious national institution has been marked by upheaval, including an aborted $250 million cost-cutting plan involving massive job losses, which ultimately led to Genivieve Bell’s resignation last year as Vice Chancellor.

Both women had faced sustained criticism from staff and students for their handling of the restructure, with Ms Bell resigning in September and interim Vice Chancellor Rebekah Brown announcing the push for forced redundancies would be abandoned.

Ms Bishop’s decision to now resign also follows months of mounting tensions with staff and scrutiny from the federal government, as well as a push by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, to run ANU’s council.

The Nightly can reveal that earlier this week TEQSA advised the Chancellor that it expected voluntary undertakings to confirm the regulator would be able to appoint her replacement, as well as the next Vice Chancellor and other senior positions.

In a voluntary undertaking agreed to last week, TEQSA was given the power to appoint a chair and two independent experts to serve on an advisory panel to oversee the new Chancellor recruitment process, including shortlisting and interviewing candidates.

Under the agreement two members of ANU’s council were permitted to sit on the panel, but only if they were approved by the regulator, sparking concerns the university’s independence from government was being compromised.

In a statement provided to The Nightly, Ms Bishop confirmed her resignation as Chancellor and said she was “deeply privileged to have held this role since 2020” and continued to regard the ANU as a truly national treasure.

TEQSA is conducting multiple inquiries into ANU’s governance, but Ms Bishop has accused the regulator of attempting to exert influence over the university’s council, which she suggested was unlawful.

“Following unprecedented and coordinated interference, the ANU Council is no longer able to discharge its legal and ethical obligations.

“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.”

Last August prominent academic Liz Allen used a Senate committee hearing to accuse Ms Bishop and other members of the ANU executive of bullying, harassment and hostile behaviour, which she vehemently denied.

Two months later, the ANU appointed Dr Vivienne Thom AM to lead an independent investigation into the allegations, which The Nightly has been told cleared Ms Bishop of any wrongdoing.

In an email to staff and students, the ANU Council said it had agreed the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Larry Marshall, would act as Chancellor and praised Ms Bishop for raising the university’s profile and strengthening its global connections.

It also noted recent “significant turmoil in the governance of the University” and was committed to “providing a new period of strong and positive governance and leadership”.

Education Minister Jason Clare released a statement recognising Ms Bishop’s “long public service”.

Finance Minister and ACT Labor Senator Katy Gallagher did likewise, saying “rebuilding trust and confidence across the university community will take time and careful work”.

“I have consistently said the university leadership and council need to work openly and constructively with staff, students and the broader community to rebuild confidence and agree on a path forward.”