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Our ANU

@ouranu.bsky.social
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Staff campaigning against cuts and poor governance at the Australian National University.

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NTEU @nteunion.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
The Expert Council on University Governance has delivered its recommendations – the depth of the crisis in our universities is clear. Thank you to every member who attended meetings, presented evidence, and stood up for better universities. Read the report 👉 betterunis.nteu.au/inquiry/
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NTEU @nteunion.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
MAJOR UNION WIN 🥳 The federal government will implement a new set of university governance principles to strengthen accountability, transparency and public trust following recommendations from the Expert Council on University Governance. Read more: nteu.info/majorwin @alisonbarnes.bsky.social
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Senator @mehreenfaruqi.bsky.social “accused Mr Churchill of lying to … the Senate when he’d … said underlying UniForm data and methodology had been released to ANU staff … He said ANU had made an explainer … as the university didn’t have access to the raw data.” region.com.au/anus-financi...
region.com.au
ANU's financial outlook 'stable'; $800,000 Perth base set to close | Region Canberra
The Australian National University is looking to exit the lease of its Perth office, which cost almost $800,000 to establish,…
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Tim McLellan @timmclellan.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Some very interesting revelations about UniForum at Senate Estimates last night. First, ANU exec appears to have misled the Senate by implying they gave staff access to the underlying UniForum data and methodology. In fact, they gave staff little more than opaque scatter plots like this one👇 1/3
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
“The challenge for Australia’s top universities … is to align perceived prestige with academic integrity. That should mean linking executive incentives not to ranking positions alone but to measures like … equitable pay, staff retention and audit transparency.” www.crikey.com.au/2025/10/10/a...
crikey.com.au
Australia's universities may win in global rankings, but they're failing teachers and students
An overreliance on foreign students and a predilection towards wage theft means Australia's universities are worse than the rankings suggest.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said 2,000 ANU staff and students had signed a petition calling for the termination of Bishop’s appointment. “Do their views not matter to you? Are you only interested in the cabal of executives who back you?” www.timeshighereducation.com/news/anu-cha...
timeshighereducation.com
ANU chancellor’s expenses ‘a good return on investment’
Former politician not for turning, amid denunciation of culture, oversight and spending at national university
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Bishop repeatedly claimed she had the “full support” of the council and the university’s deans, and that it was her responsibility to ensure that when her term finished at the end of 2026 “we have stability in place”. www.afr.com/politics/fed...
afr.com
Bishop clashes with senators over the ‘unmitigated stuff-up’ at ANU
Julie Bishop has refused to apologise for any of the fallout at ANU over the past year which has been marked by scandal and unrest.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
“Labor senator Tony Sheldon hammered the former foreign minister [Chancellor Julie Bishop] for racking up $150,000 in travel expenses as well as her performance overseeing the university for more than five years.” citynews.com.au/2025/absolut...
citynews.com.au
'Absolute shemozzle': embattled ANU head faces probe | Canberra CityNews
Foreign minister-turned-chancellor of the ANU Julie Bishop has faced senators to discuss governance issues that have plagued the institution.
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Dr Liz Allen @drdemography.com · 11/10/2025
‘Absolute shemozzle’ citynews.com.au/2025/absolut...
citynews.com.au
'Absolute shemozzle': embattled ANU head faces probe | Canberra CityNews
Foreign minister-turned-chancellor of the ANU Julie Bishop has faced senators to discuss governance issues that have plagued the institution.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
“Ms Bishop had to take the exact dollar figure on notice, but said the “resignation package was what she was entitled to under the contract of engagement as vice-chancellor.” Ms Bishop said Prof. Bell was paid part of her salary for a period of time rather than giving notice.” tinyurl.com/4ma8ujkr
tinyurl.com
Lavish ANU Perth office to close, Bishop reveals at Senate estimates
Rebekah Brown tried to change Renew ANU but didn't have the authority, Senate estimates hears.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
“Characterising [Julie Bishop’s] leadership as "chaotic", Mr Sheldon asked if she would apologise for several governance failures which he described as "an absolute shemozzle and ... an unmitigated stuff-up".” www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908613...
canberratimes.com.au
'Absolute shemozzle': embattled ANU head faces probe
Foreign minister-turned-chancellor of a top-tier university Julie Bishop has faced senators to discuss governance issues that have plagued...
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StaffyMama @leftankle.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
"So, how do you turn a $90 million surplus into a $142.5 million deficit? Easy. You just exclude nearly a quarter of a billion dollars of revenue that the auditor thought should be included." tinyurl.com/5b4ruecb @ouranu.bsky.social @nteuact.bsky.social Full text on r/anu on Reddit
tinyurl.com
A closer look at the ANU books reveals a hard truth about these job cuts
The phantom deficit and a series of cuts by choice, not necessity.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
“If the new leadership wants to rebuild trust … they need to explain why they think the audited accounts are so misleading … and what future plans they have that are so beneficial they are willing to take an axe to … students, … staff, and … reputation…” www.canberratimes.com.au/story/908473...
canberratimes.com.au
A closer look at the ANU books reveals a hard truth about these job cuts
The phantom deficit and a series of cuts by choice, not necessity.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
VCs are “not interchangeable” with people who run banks or mining companies ... “Yet the current approach prices them as though they could walk into the C-suite of a listed company – a fiction that drives pay packages ever higher.” @marijataflaga.bsky.social and @francismarkham.bsky.social
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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
So many Australian colleagues put through a year of worries and uncertainty. All because Nous Consultancy only thrives on a scarcity narrative? Bit if a reminder that those cuts can never be justified in pedagogical or academic term, whatever the spin.
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Thesiswhisperer @thesiswhisperer.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Can you help us boost this signal? UTS colleagues are doing a governance project to talk back to the consultant led 'reform' of their university. Please repost!! UTS people please have your say! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
UTS Governance Project Survey: A Staff-Led Collaborative Project
The UTS Governance Project is an independent, staff-led initiative to strengthen transparency, accountability and participation in how our university is run. Inspired by the ANU Governance Project, ...
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Associate Professor Nick Cheesman summed up the rebellion for the ABC, “The Vice-Chancellor would not have had to resign but for the increasingly organised revolt against ANU management by thousands of academics and their pupils.” solidarity.net.au/highlights/e...
solidarity.net.au
End to forced redundancies at ANU shows power of fighting campaign – Solidarity Online
After a year-long campaign, interim Vice-Chancellor Rebekah Brown has announced an end to forced redundancies under management’s drastic restructuring scheme, Renew ANU.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
“The terms of reference limit Thom to investigating only the allegations raised during the August 12 Senate hearing. She will not look into broader issues of culture, governance and leadership at the university.” www.afr.com/work-and-car...
afr.com
Canberra’s go-to investigator looks at Julie Bishop bullying claims
A major 12-month probe will examine allegations of threats, bullying and intimidation made against the ANU chancellor.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
“Herein lies the question: if not to sustain ANU’s once diverse range of courses and degrees, and if not to retain the knowledge and skills of its academics, then what is that $232.4 million revenue for?” www.woroni.com.au/news/austral...
woroni.com.au
WoroniAustralia Institute Analyses ANU Budget Reports—No Deficit Found - Woroni
The Australia Institute has released its audited analysis of ANU’s 2023 and 2024 budget. ANU’s unaudited deficit was reported at $142.5 million, while its audited revenue showed a surplus of $89.9 mil...
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 02/10/2025
The ANU says it's in crisis. Does this look like a financial crisis to you?
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The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 02/10/2025
'Cooking the books': national think tank questions ANU finances Our research was covered by the Canberra Times today. Read the report: australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-anu... Read the article: www.canberratimes.com.au/story/907948...
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Important new independent analysis from David Richardson and @richarddenniss.bsky.social at @australiainstitute.org.au They argue that ANU’s books “appear designed to present a ‘crisis’ that is contradicted by the audited financial statements.” australiainstitute.org.au/report/cooki...
australiainstitute.org.au
Cooking the books at the Australian National University - An analysis of the ANU accounts
Audited financial statements show that the ANU made a ‘profit’ of $90 million in 2024 and $136 million in 2023. Despite such strong financial results, ANU
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
“In a research paper from the @australiainstitute.org.au called *Cooking the books at the Australian National University*, David Richardson and @richarddenniss.bsky.social said the ANU's argument about its unhealthy financial position was "flimsy".” www.canberratimes.com.au/story/907948...
canberratimes.com.au
'Cooking the books': national think tank questions ANU finances
'They should make clear how they use such donations.'
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QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Already 20% of the workforce gone and yet somehow still looking to impose compulsory redundancies? What on earth is going to be left of Brunel when this management team is done? co-sign here: speakout.web.ucu.org.uk/stop-brunel-...
Stop compulsory redundancies at Brunel University of London
26 September 2025
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Brunel University of London management have expressed their intention to move forward with plans for further compulsory redundancies in 2025-26. This comes after a year of decimation in 2024-25, when the institution put more than a third of staff at risk of compulsory redundancy, and over 465 staff members, amounting to around 20% of the workforce, left Brunel as a result of multiple redundancy schemes.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
“Professorships have been awarded to academics with no PhD, little research, and no record of supervising postgraduates. Professor Paul Matin, of the Australian Association of University Professors, criticises this trend...” www.woroni.com.au/news/inside-...
woroni.com.au
WoroniInside ANU’s School of Cybernetics — Bell’s Personal Fiefdom - Woroni
The ANU School of Cybernetics, launched with bold ambitions to shape the future of technology, is not at the centre of controversy. With 28 academic staff and just 15 PhD students this year, it has th...
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Thesiswhisperer @thesiswhisperer.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
ANU colleagues and students - please share this post if you can: The ANU governance project has extended our deadline to comment on the Draft report to next week - 7 October. Here's a link to a feedback form, which also contains the link to the draft report: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
Feedback on ANU Governance Project Draft Report
The ANU Governance Project Working Group are proud to present the Draft Project Report for community feedback and consultation. The Draft Project Report is available on our website or through THIS LINK. Using a process that has involved deep listening and a participatory and deliberative process across the ANU community, we have compiled a unique and valuable body of evidence that documents what’s wrong with governance at the ANU and charts a way forward to help rebuild trust and to deliver best practice governance. Over 600 ANU staff, students, and stakeholders have participated in this project, and in contributing constructively to the future of ANU. This includes 590 members of the community who participated in our survey, 75 who participated in one-hour small group discussions, and over 40 from across the university who participated in our project workshop. The ANU community told us there a critical need for change: Over 96% of survey respondents and all discussion group participants believe current ANU governance is not fit for purpose and should be reformed. Over 92% of survey respondents and all discussion group participants expressed dissatisfaction with current ANU governance. Over 93% of survey respondents said they were dissatisfied with current practices of transparency at the ANU. Over 93% of survey respondents said they were dissatisfied with accountability frameworks at the ANU. The ANU Community has proposed the following near-term steps forward for a reformed ANU: Council must direct Finance to produce and publish a current budget breakdown. Council must revise and publish selection criteria for Executive positions. Council meetings must immediately be made fully accessible to the community. Academic Board must regularly review and assess the financial decisions of senior executives and Council. Commence senior leadership listening tours with the ANU community. Additional recommendations forwarded by the community are summarised in the full report, including a proposal to co-design legislative reform of the ANU Act with the community. The Working Group invites the ANU community and stakeholders to offer feedback via this form on the draft report by midnight on Tuesday 7 October. This deadline has been extended in order to allow us more time to hear and incorporate community feedback ahead of the release of our final report on Monday 20 October.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
“It gave us false hope we could stop these changes through some form of consultation. … The university keeps pushing that they will keep performance, however it is clear they are at the very least degrading the level of performance at the school.” Mert Boyali region.com.au/anus-removal...
region.com.au
ANU's removal of one-to-one performance teaching 'entirely independent' of restructure | Region Canberra
The Australian National University is standing firm on not including one-to-one performance teaching in its core curriculum, stating its decision…
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
“The university says it is saving itself from financial crisis, but a team of accounting professors have crunched the numbers and say they tell a different story.” Depressingly familiar to our experience at ANU. Solidarity to colleagues at UTS. ✊ www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
abc.net.au
Academics dispute state of finances at leading Sydney university - ABC listen
Almost one in every two Australian universities has been restructured in the past year, and there is more to come. Thousands of jobs have been cut, and thousands more are in the firing line. At the ...
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
“[The CASS Dean’s] confusing statements about the future of the College’s academic architecture, and her refusal to engage with the substance of issues raised by colleagues, continue the pattern that has been so destructive to the University” www.canberratimes.com.au/story/907511...
canberratimes.com.au
'Rumours flying everywhere': ANU staff want to see tangible changes
Some staff are 'waiting to see signs' that relationships can be repaired.
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Alison Barnes @alisonbarnes.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Much attention has been on ANU but the governance crisis is broad and deep across the sector. Close scrutiny needs to be applied *everywhere*. This is shameful from UTS management.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
““It really never should have come to this … consult with workers before you do [things]. “[The ANU needs] to have more awareness of the human cost of the executive’s prerogative.” Ian Prager region.com.au/federal-work...
region.com.au
Federal work health and safety regulator begins probe into ANU | Region Canberra
CONTENT WARNING: This article references self-harm and suicide. The Federal work health and safety regulator has launched an investigation into…
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Thesiswhisperer @thesiswhisperer.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
ANU campus notice boards continue to inspire 😂
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Marija Taflaga @marijataflaga.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
The report is welcome, but its important that we think about first and second order effects 1st order: broken accountability systems, weak transparency mechanmisms 2nd order: VC salaries, low staff and student representation, wage theft 2nd order effects are SYMPTOMS of the 1st order CAUSES
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
“Ultimately, the responsibility [for ANU] rests with the chancellor, Julie Bishop. She presided over this continued period of dysfunction, and it was under her watch that catastrophic failures occurred,” Senator Anthony Sheldon www.afr.com/politics/fed...
afr.com
ANU’s ‘catastrophic failures’ happened on Bishop’s watch: Sheldon
If ANU is serious about rebuilding trust, it cannot do so while Julie Bishop is chancellor, says Tony Sheldon, the man behind the Senate report into university governance.
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Dr Liz Allen @drdemography.com · 19/09/2025
University governance dysfunction perfectly highlighted. Public uni councils are fed carefully curated information from their chancellors and vice chancellors; given talking points and manipulated realities. Council members don’t know what they don’t know. www.theage.com.au/national/uni...
This one conversation worried me most. Me: Are you worried about the impact of all the negative publicity (course cancellations, mass staff sackings) on the reputation of UTS? Council member: No. It's all misinformation and disinformation. Poor Andrew Parfitt [the vice
chancellor]. Me: Not sure what you mean. The university is ditching its education degree. Council member: That's not true.
Reader, it is true, although UTS suggests it is still subject to consultation. Eye roll.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
“The ANU Chancellor is putting a lot of emphasis on workplace safety and due process for her own benefit, but very little as regards to Dr Allen and other staff who have raised concerns.” Senator @davidpocock.bsky.social spokesperson region.com.au/anu-chancell...
region.com.au
ANU Chancellor accuses Senate inquiry of ignoring psychosocial hazards when hearing adverse testimony | Region Canberra
CONTENT WARNING: This article makes references to suicide and pregnancy loss. ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop has accused a Senate inquiry…
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
An unhappy reminder that there remains much more that must be done to fix governance and bullying, and to make ANU a positive environment in which to work and study.
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Dr Liz Allen @drdemography.com · 18/09/2025
ANU interim vice chancellor today announced no more forced redundancies under the Renew ANU program. Cuts are ongoing, but forced redundancies are off the table. It’s been a hard slog. Harms are ongoing. There’s still more work to do. I’m so proud of my colleagues, ANU community.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
"Bishop, the university’s chancellor, and members of the council have faced pressure over their own roles in ANU’s financial management and associated transparency and governance concerns. NTEU… the academic community and some politicians … have repeatedly called Bishop’s leadership into question.”
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NTEU ACT @nteuact.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
BREAKING: #ANU has announced that there will be no forced redundancies. ✊ Union members fought tirelessly to save these jobs, and every university staff member facing job cuts can take heart from what we have achieved. Together, we have changed what is possible. nteu.au/join@nteunion.bsky.social
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NTEU @nteunion.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
✊UNION WIN✊ The ANU has announced that there will be no forced redundancies. @nteuact.bsky.social members have fought tirelessly to save these jobs, showing every university staff member facing job cuts that change is possible. 📰Read here: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
There remains uncertainty about the future of some divisions, schools and disciplines, and the work to reform governance must go on. But this is a huge win for the ANU community. Well done to everyone who has been standing up for the future of our university! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
abc.net.au
Breaking: ANU walks back plans for forced redundancies
The Australian National University abandons its plans for forced redundancies as part of its efforts to cut costs.
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
The Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) called on CASS dean Prof Bronwyn Parry to implement “urgent suicide prevention measures” and investigate allegations that staff were being “coerced and bullied into applying for voluntary redundancies”. region.com.au/jimmy-barnes...
region.com.au
Jimmy Barnes joins the fight to save the School of Music; cease unsafe work order issued for CASS staff | Region Canberra
CONTENT WARNING: This article references suicide and mental health harms. Aussie music icons Jimmy Barnes, Dave Faulkner from the Hoodoo…
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Our ANU @ouranu.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
The report detailed complaints by staff of aggression, bullying and harassment. The order … advised workers affected by the restructure process, which has been named Renew ANU, to “remove themselves from the hazardous work environment”. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Almost 30 staff at ANU humanities school stop work after health and safety report warns of ‘serious harm’
Workers affected by university restructure advised to ‘remove themselves from the hazardous work environment’ if they believe they are at psychosocial risk
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Tim McLellan @timmclellan.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Private consultants are taking control of how public universities are evaluated and run. My submission to the Senate university governance inquiry raises concerns about the impact of Nous Group and their dodgy UniForum data on our universities. www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStor... A thread
Image shows a screenshot of the conclusion of the linked Senate inquiry submission. This text can be found on page 10.

The text is too long for alt text, but here is the first three quarters of the text:

Conclusion

Over the past decade, Nous Group’s UniForum data has quietly taken on the status of authoritative benchmark for the quality of a range of professional and academic services performed by public universities in Australia and across the world. This authoritative status is performed through scientific-looking graphs and scientific-sounding jargon designed to imply UniForum data is generated through rigorous methods and backed by expert consensus. This performance of authority is significant: it lends UniForum data an air of credibility and facticity that makes acting upon its results irresistible.

When one begins to open the black box and examine how UniForum data is actually produced, however, it becomes difficult to justify the degree to which Australian university executives are relying upon it in their decision-making. My analysis is based on a review of publicly available documents, and it is therefore possible that Nous or its clients would point to things not in the public domain that address some of the conceptual and methodological flaws that I have highlighted in UniForum. But the fact that the underlying UniForum data and methodology is not in the public domain is itself one of the key causes for concerns. When the stakes are so high, it cannot be acceptable for Nous Group and its clients to simply tell university staff and governing councils, ‘trust us, these numbers are based on rigorous methods and analysis.’ The lack of rigor, external scrutiny, and transparency in UniForum’s underlying data and methodology would be a cause for concern in any public institution, but it is especially concerning in the context of universities where rigorous, transparent, and accountable knowledge production is a core part of what we do. ...
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Dr Lachlan Clohesy @lachlanclohesy.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
The @nteunion.bsky.social member who is the HSR involved in this doesn't want the spotlight, but he has been heroic on this issue. He knows who he is, and his colleagues know who he is, so I won't name him here - but congratulations on standing up for your colleagues. ✊
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Dr Liz Allen @drdemography.com · 17/09/2025
Unsafe conditions, imminent risk www.canberratimes.com.au/story/906834...
canberratimes.com.au
'Psychologically unsafe': ANU work halt ordered over Renew program
Staff allegedly coerced into voluntary redundancy applications.
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Mehreen Faruqi @mehreenfaruqi.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
It is a disgrace that UTS management don’t have a problem with forking out millions of dollars on private consultants and hundreds of thousands to attend extravagant alumni events abroad, yet have no qualms about slashing disciplines like education, international relations, and public health.
smh.com.au
‘Your positions will no longer be required’: Plans to shut down uni degrees revealed
Staff were called to a meeting on Tuesday and told about the plans, to be officially unveiled tomorrow morning, which would “disestablish” the UTS school of education.
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Dr Liz Allen @drdemography.com · 16/09/2025
BREAKING | ANU staff in the College of Arts and Social Sciences have received a Cease Work Order due to dangerous working conditions. Under the WHS Act staff will be paid while this order is in place. The order seeks to protect lives and wellbeing.
N
E
T
U
National Tertiary Education Union
Cease Work Order in CASS A CASS Health and Safety Representative
(HSR) has ordered that unsafe work cease due to psychosocial hazards and psychological injury resulting from Renew ANU
NTEU is supporting the HSR and members in CASS.
This email contains information on your rights in this situation
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