Flinders staff “fear repercussions” if they ask management difficult questions says the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union, which has offered to put them to the VC on the university community’s  behalf. The union proposes a public meeting where officials would raise people’s concerns with Colin Stirling.

Professor Stirling says nothing doing – that there are already five fora for people, “to raise concerns and ask questions, to resolve both ideological and individual concerns.” “I would not consider that a panel-like session in the student hub would be an appropriate environment for staff to raise concerns that might relate to individual confidential matters that may not be appropriate for public discourse. Nor would an open forum protect staff anonymity which you raise as a key concern in your letter,” he tells the union.

As to the questions staff have given the NTEU, he says raise them in existing meetings or send them to him.