Victoria’s Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee will hold two days of public hearings this week as part of its inquiry into university governance in the state.
The inquiry is examining how governance arrangements across Victoria’s universities can be strengthened, including through the implementation of principles outlined by the national Expert Council on University Governance.
Hearings will take place on Thursday 14 May and Friday 15 May, bringing together representatives from universities, student bodies, unions and the broader community.
On Thursday, the Committee will hear from a range of stakeholders, including the National Tertiary Education Union, Victorian Trades Hall Council, the Young Workers Centre, the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, Academics for Public Universities, and the National Union of Students. A dedicated panel will also explore First Nations perspectives, alongside contributions highlighting regional issues.
On Friday, hearings will focus on evidence from government and university leaders, with senior representatives from the Victorian Government and the eight Victorian public universities, including the Vice-Chancellors of Deakin University, Federation University, La Trobe University, Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Melbourne and Victoria University scheduled to appear.
The inquiry follows the release of the Expert Council on University Governance report in October last year, which outlined eight principles for effective governance, including accountability, transparency, diversity of perspectives, independence and fair remuneration.
The Committee has been tasked by the Victorian Parliament with considering how these principles, alongside priorities agreed by higher education ministers across Australia, can be applied to improve governance outcomes in the state’s university sector.
Further information, including the full hearing schedule and terms of reference, is available on the Committee’s website.
The hearings will be broadcast live on the Committee’s website.
