Australian Greens' additional comments

1.1The Greens welcome the opportunity to contribute additional comments to the committee's Final Report and thank the witnesses and those who made submissions, contributed their time, and shared their expertise to the inquiry process. These comments are in addition to the Australian Greens' additional comments to the interim report of the inquiry.

1.2The Greens thank staff and students across universities who have shown immense courage and commitment and refuse to accept the neoliberal corporate culture that pervades our universities. This corporate culture treats staff and students as mere cogs in the wheel of a profit-making university, instead of the heart and soul of a public institution. Staff and students and their unions have spoken out in a hostile and intimidatory environment and this inquiry would not exist without their activism, advocacy, and solidarity. The Greens will continue to amplify their voices in our mission to rebuild universities based on equity, democracy, and public good.

1.3The final report of the committee presents very strong evidence on the complete failures of a neoliberal agenda, and the corporatisation and commercialisation of universities, which has led to obscene Vice-Chancellor (VC) salaries and a bloated managerial class that has lost the trust of their community. The public-focussed knowledge creation teaching and research mission of universities has given way to the commodification and marketisation of public higher education to the detriment of staff, students and the general public.

This is not just mismanagement; it is systemic decay, driven by a leadership culture that thrives on deceit, manipulation, and ruthless self-preservation at the expense of students, academics, and the future of higher education.[1]

1.4The Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have become the latest glaring case studies in how the corporate governance model in universities is failing the public interest test, as transparency and accountability are falling by the wayside. For example, the UTS management engaged in bureaucratic contortions to avoid disclosing information.[2] What is happening at these universities is by no means an anomaly, it is a symptom of a rotten model that has spread across universities in this country. It is a model built on running universities as businesses, where consultant capture and endless restructures have become the norm. KPMG, Nous and other big consultancies feast on public money while the people who teach, research, support students, and hold the university together are overworked, underpaid and exploited. The corporate university model has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in wage theft across the sector in just the last few years and resulted in $55 000 Arts degrees, courtesy of the disastrous Job‑Ready Graduates (JRG) scheme. It is a model that has turned public education—a public good—into a market for profit-seeking firms and austerity-obsessed executives.

1.5The evidence provided to the committee shows not only the high cost and increasing reliance on private consultants, but also the difficulty of determining how much universities are spending on consultants and for what purpose. It is perplexing why there is so much reliance on external consultants, many of whom do not have higher education expertise, when this expertise already exists in universities.

1.6The UTS Governance Project's draft report based on a survey of staff and students, notes that '[d]isregard for internal staff expertise was also frequently described by participants in relation to outsourcing to consultants'.[3] It also includes that one participant 'believed that reliance on consultants and what they perceived as disregard for staff expertise extended beyond OSI (Operational Sustainability Initiative), describing examples such as the use of external companies for researcher training'.[4]

1.7Some of the more disturbing evidence relates to external consultants' self-interest in ensuring ongoing demand for their services and the use of consultants by university managements to distance the managers themselves from unpopular decisions. A very troubling aspect of the corporatisation of university governance is the heavy representation of corporate executives or consultants on university councils, which highlights the existence of very real conflicts of interests. As Professor Cortese puts it, 'consultancies and their interests are represented on all sides of the higher education "table"'.[5]

1.8Successive Coalition and Labor governments have played a part in the path to this crisis in universities: chronically underfunding universities, hiking student fees, and leaving staff and students to cope with casualisation, job insecurity, wage theft and crushing student debt for far too long. As highlighted by the Australia Institute and others, Australian universities have one of the lowest levels of public funding compared to other OECD countries. Across the OECD, countries invest an average of 0.99 per cent of GDP, while Australia invests only 0.73 per cent of GDP and Commonwealth funding for universities has been going downwards since tertiary education was free for students in the 1970s.[6] Universities Australia's submission notes 'student funding arrangements are inadequate, government research has never been lower and universities no longer receive dedicated infrastructure funding. Our sector can't expand in line with Australia's growing need for skills and research under these conditions'.[7]

1.9Many witnesses yet again raised the negative impacts of the ill-conceived and punitive JRG scheme, which has hiked fees for students and cut funding for teaching. Staff, students and the broader sector have been unanimous in the need to urgently dump this scheme which punishes students and universities.

1.10The evidence provided by staff and students of a culture of intimidation, silencing, mistreatment, secrecy and exclusion is heart-wrenching.

1.11Dr Lachlan Clohesy from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) ACT branch stated during a hearing:

The vice-chancellor told a senior leadership group meeting that she would hunt down leakers—that is language which I think is appalling in a public sector institution, or any workplace, really. We've seen that happen: staff are having their emails searched and monitored; staff are being hauled into meetings at short notice and questioned about leaks; ANU leadership are using CCTV footage from within buildings to surveil and investigate staff.[8]

1.12Dr Alison Barnes, NTEU National President stated:

… a sector where intimidation, secrecy and exclusion have become routine features of governing culture and bodies. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents described the culture on their university's board as very negative, toxic and intimidating, and even hostile to dissent.[9]

1.13Ms Mia Campbell, a fifth-year student at UTS and the President of the UTS Students' Association gave evidence that 'at every level, students see how little voice we have in decisions that directly affect our education and how far university leadership has drifted from transparency, accountability and public purpose'.[10]

1.14Mr Richard Lee, Vice-President of the Council of Australian Postgraduates Association, reported that 'members who are student members on governing bodies have repeatedly talked to us about being treated as second-class members on their respective university councils'. Mr Lee went on to note that in some universities 'the student members are the only ones who are not remunerated for their time. This is indicative of the levels of respect afforded to student members in the university senates'.[11]

1.15Given the hostile and toxic nature of leadership at universities, it is not surprising that staff at UTS and ANU have lost trust in them and have overwhelmingly voted 'no confidence' in their VCs.[12]

1.16Risks to psychosocial safety and high stress amongst university staff are a result of governance practices which fail to recognise overwork, insecure work, the way change processes are undertaken, as well as the silencing of dissent and fear of speaking out against management decisions. These severely impact the well-being of staff and the fundamental principle of academic freedom.

1.17Also affecting academic freedom is the crackdown we have seen across universities on the right to protest. It is absolutely crucial to protect the democratic right of staff and students to safely protest on their campuses without fear of repression or repercussion. Whistleblowers are a vital part of our democracy, and staff and students should be able to safely report information without fear of punishment.

1.18As institutions whose dominant purpose should be the public good, universities should not partner with industries that cause harm, such as fossil fuel industries and weapons manufacturers. With decreasing funding, universities have increasingly sought out private partnerships and investments, and it became clear through the inquiry just how opaque the partnerships that universities have with big corporations.

1.19Responses to questions on notice in relation to universities' investment and partnerships with fossil fuel, gambling, and weapons companies were unclear and indirect. A number of universities stated they do not invest in 'controversial' weapons[13] with limited explanation of what weapons they view as sufficiently 'non-controversial'. The University of Melbourne's response encapsulates this very evasion, with an explanation of the 'improvements' to 'everyday lives' that defence research has resulted in, neglecting to mention they partner with 13weapons companies[14], many of whom are directly linked to Israel's genocide in Gaza.

1.20Stop Woodside Monash is a grassroots organisation at Monash University formed in opposition to the university's partnership with Woodside Energy, Australia's largest climate polluter. Their submission states:

It is unclear that Monash University, at any stage, took the opinions expressed by its students and staff on this matter seriously, and that is a failure of governance. There is a growing sentiment, as a result, that university management is callous, corporate, and has lost sight of the scientific and ethical heart that should underpin Australian public tertiary education.[15]

1.21During the inquiry, Monash University confirmed that they would not be renewing their existing partnership with Woodside. This was a big win for staff and student activists who want to see their university working towards the public good, not partnering with climate-destroying companies. Disappointingly, however, Monash University failed to rule out any future partnerships with Woodside in answers to questions on notice.

1.22Universities should be places that advance the public good, not help dirty industries profit from human misery. While universities continue to invest and partner with such harmful industries, they will be unable to fulfil their proper purpose to create knowledge and research to progress humanity and for the collective good of society. They must be required to disclose and divest from these partnerships.

1.23While university executives are paid exorbitant salaries and enjoy extravagant benefits, postgraduate research students, who undertake a significant portion of a university's research and teaching, are living off stipends that are below the poverty line. This issue was raised by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations. If universities are to return their focus to education and research, they must properly remunerate postgraduate researchers. In line with valuing the important work and contribution made by postgraduate researchers to our universities and to innovation, research, and development, the Australian Government must raise PhD stipends to the minimum wage.

1.24The Greens welcome this final report, which details a scathing assessment by witnesses and submitters, of the corporatisation of universities and the severity of the crisis at hand. While the report has some good recommendations, it falls short of providing remedies that match the urgent and systemic problems including those of governance, accountability, transparency, funding and fees that have been highlighted by the damning evidence provided during the inquiry.

1.25The Greens make the following recommendations to strengthen this report.

Recommendations (including those in the interim report)

1.26That the Australian Tertiary Education Commission's foundational legislation should clearly articulate the public mission and the educational, social, and civic functions of a public university sector.

1.27That the establishing acts of universities be amended to clarify that their central purpose is public research and education, not commercial or corporate performance.

1.28That the Australian Government immediately reverse the Job-ready Graduates Package fee hikes and funding cuts.

1.29That the meetings of all university councils and governing bodies be held in public and be livestreamed online.

1.30That all higher education provider governing bodies reflect the community's diversity including First Nations peoples, Culturally and Racially Marginalised people, LGBTIQA+ people and people with disabilities.

1.31That the majority of members on university governing bodies have public administration and higher education expertise.

1.32That a minimum membership requirement of at least 50 per cent democratically elected staff and student representatives (including undergraduate and postgraduate students) be set for governing bodies.

1.33That, in addition to council minutes, reports produced for council and annual self-performance reviews be published on university websites.

1.34That complaints processes be examined and enhanced by working with students, staff and student bodies.

1.35That the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency's Higher Education Standards Framework be amended to include a consultation framework for how universities meaningfully involve, consult and work with students and staff as partners in major change proposals and governance, prior to decisions being made.

1.36That to limit the use of consultants and outsourcing at universities, an appropriate Federal government agency develops principles for this purpose that prioritise in-house expertise.

1.37That Federal government funding to public universities be increased in order to fully fund universities and make them free, starting by increasing funding to at least the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average.

1.38That universities implement protections for whistleblowers and student activists, including the establishment of a Whistleblower Protection Authority, and protect the right of students and staff to protest on university campuses.

1.39Require all public universities to adopt transparent ethical investment and procurement policies, with binding commitments to divest from weapons manufacturers, fossil fuel corporations, and gambling industries.

1.40Establish a publicly accessible register of all university partnerships, sponsorships, and funding arrangements with corporations and external entities, including the nature and value of the partnership.

1.41Increase PhD stipends to above the minimum wage.

Concluding remarks

1.42The corporate reshaping of universities as businesses that operate in a market has replaced the public-focussed mission of the university with an agenda centred on the production of work-ready students and the profit-maximising commercialisation and commodification of education and research. The evidence to the inquiry has made it clear that the corporatisation of universities, the failure of leadership, and the lack of accountability and transparency is as systemic and widespread as wage theft, casualisation, and insecure work.

1.43A university system has been crafted where VCs and executives are paid exorbitant salaries and receive lavish benefits, while staff and students bear the brunt of job cuts, restructures, course cancellations and high fees. Conflicts of interest are rife, and millions of dollars of public funds are being poured into private consultants rather than into our public education.

1.44The failures of governance in universities go hand in hand with decades of underfunding by Commonwealth governments. This is most viciously exemplified by the more recent fee hikes and funding cuts of the JRG scheme, which have been widely condemned and yet have still not been reversed by the Labor government.

1.45Despite the risk of retribution from university managements, immense courage has been shown by university staff, students and their unions in highlighting the structural problems at individual universities and the issues that plague individual universities, as well as the sector more broadly.

1.46Staff and students across universities are calling time on a rotten and broken system and saying enough is enough. They want universities to be collegial communities not corporations. They deem education to be a public good, not a pipeline for private consultancy firms. They want leadership to be accountable, transparent and honest. They are demanding governance that is democratic and representative of staff and students, not stacked with corporate appointees and consultants.

1.47It is unfortunate that the final report's recommendations do not match the urgent need for an overhaul of governance and an increase in funding to address the dire crisis universities face.

1.48It is imperative that the Government listen to the damning evidence provided to this inquiry, take seriously the recommendations being made by staff and students and act strongly to turn things around. This is necessary to ensure our universities can once again be institutions that are grounded in equity, democracy, accountability and transparency, and that are empowered to pursue their public research and education mission, not chase corporate or commercial interests.

1.49Our communities need and deserve an education system run in the public interest, not run into the ground.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi

Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens

Australian Greens spokesperson for Higher Education

Senator for New South Wales

Footnotes

[1]The University of Sydney Association of Professors, Submission 113 (47th Parliament), p. 3.

[2]Rick Morton, 'Exclusive: University sought secret KPMG staff spreadsheet', The Saturday Paper, 27September 2025.

[3]UTS Governance Project, UTS: How Did We Get Here? How Can We Move Forward?, December 2025, p. 44.

[4]UTS Governance Project, UTS: How Did We Get Here? How Can We Move Forward?, December 2025, p. 44.

[5]Professor Corinne Cortese, Submission 75 (47th Parliament), p. 8.

[6]Universities Australia, 2020 Higher Education Facts and Figures, October 2020, p. 21.

[7]Universities Australia, Submission 13 (47th Parliament), p. 1.

[8]Dr Lachlan Clohesy, Secretary, ACT Division, National Tertiary Education Union, Committee Hansard, 12 August 2025, p. 9.

[9]Dr Alison Barnes, National President, National Tertiary Education Union, Committee Hansard, 12August 2025, p. 1.

[10]Ms Mia Campbell, President, UTS Students' Association, Committee Hansard, 8 September 2025, p.29.

[11]Mr Richard Lee, National Vice-President, Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, Committee Hansard, 8 September 2025, p. 31.

[12]Conor Duffy, 'University of Technology Sydney facing crisis amid union-led no-confidence vote in vice-chancellor', ABC, 9 December 2025 and Caroline Schelle, 'ANU staff pass no-confidence vote against chancellor Julie Bishop', Sydney Morning Herald, 27 March 2025.

[13]University of Adelaide, answers to questions on notice (received 24 November 2025),p. 7; University of Wollongong, answers to questions on notice (received 25 September 2025), p. 6; and Flinders University, answers to questions on notice (received 1 December 2025), [p. 3].

[14]Paul Daley, 'WHO worries that Melbourne University’s links to arms industry will threaten joint medical research', The Guardian, 22 January 2021 and James Costa, 'Transparency? Melbourne University disclosures on weapons links stir more questions', The Citizen, 12 July 2024.

[15]Stop Woodside Monash, Submission 118 (47th Parliament), p. 6.