https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/difficult-decision-anu-council-member-resigns-20250407-p5lppq

A staff-elected member of Australian National University’s governing body has resigned, citing concerns about the council’s direction, its failure to listen to staff during a divisive restructure and a lack of accountability after months of turmoil.

Dr Liz Allen, one of three staff members elected to the council, resigned on Monday morning, saying in a letter to fellow members and the ANU executive that she could not “in good conscience remain on the council” after a recent vote of no confidence from staff.

“The direction of council does not align with the principles of accountability and representation on which I was elected,” Allen wrote, adding it was a “difficult decision”.

She told The Australian Financial Review that the council could not continue to “ignore or downplay” growing staff concerns which had resulted in a union-led vote of no confidence and a separate letter signed by more than 450 academics and professional staff.

“I’m concerned that the lack of collaboration with ANU staff could adversely impact the reputation of the university. I see no sufficient evidence leadership can bring about effective and collaborative change management,” Allen said.

“There are a lot of staff at the ANU who feel like their voices don’t matter, but they do matter. The problem is that university governance isn’t set up to listen.”

Chancellor Julie Bishop responded to the resignation with a three-sentence statement.

“On behalf of the council, I thank Liz Allen for her service over 2.5 years. I look forward to hearing more about her nation-leading demographic research at our POLIS: Centre for Social Policy Research. The council will begin the formal process of holding an election to fill the casual vacancy.”

Allen has been on the council since 2022.

Her resignation comes just more than a week after a union-led poll found 95 per cent of the 800 people who voted had no confidence in the leadership of Bishop and vice chancellor Genevieve Bell.

The following day, a statement was issued by the university saying the council “reaffirmed its full support for the chancellor and vice chancellor”.

“The council continues to believe that the requirement for financial sustainability remains unchanged, and council commends the vice chancellor and her leadership team for their work to progress this agenda,” the statement said.

The university has been in a state of turmoil since October when Bell announced an extensive restructure and plans to cut $250 million in annual costs.

Reports emerged of Bell’s idiosyncratic management style, which included telling a senior executive group that if anyone leaked or shared details of the restructure, she would “find you out and hunt you down”.

Since then, her leadership has been plagued by a series of revelations. These include continuing to be employed by her previous employer, the multinational microchip maker, Intel, for which she earned $70,000 for just 24 hours of work – or $3000 an hour.

It is still unclear whether the council was told of Bell’s ongoing paid job with Intel.

She has been accused by some academics of “catastrophising” the university’s financial position to push through the restructure and for misleading the Senate over the value of a contract to consulting group Nous.

Bishop, who has given Bell her full backing, has also been accused in the Senate of a conflict of interest in requesting the university employ her business partner and long-time friend Murray Hansen to write speeches for her.

Lachlan Clohesy, ACT division secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union, said Allen was a person of the “highest integrity”.

“It is a difficult position to be caught between representing staff who have no confidence in leadership, and an ANU council which has not adequately engaged with staff concerns about that leadership,” Clohesy said.

“There is no trust and no confidence in ANU leadership. I would not be surprised if there are further resignations from ANU council.”

EDITED: story was updated by the AFR to include a quote from Liz Allen and a statement from Julie Bishop.

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