The university has added new content to the 2017 enterprise agreement clause on intellectual and academic freedom for the replacement it proposes

In the past agreement intellectual and academic freedoms were codifed and qualified, with the words “these rights are linked to the responsibilities of staff to support the role of universities as places of independent learning and thought … “

However additions to the draft agreement are “reasonable and proportionate” “prohibitions, restrictions or conditions”.

A university representative tells CMM that this is to, “to ensure alignment” with the recommendations in the Robert French model code of academic freedom and freedom of speech and the Commonwealth’s Higher Education Threshold Standards and that the proposed agreement is “underpinned” by Griffith U’s policy on both.

But National Tertiary Education Union state secretary Michael McNally says the university’s proposal is “completely unacceptable.”

“It provides no enforceable protections for staff. … Who determines what ‘proportionate regulation’ is? Arguably the university.”

The union likes clause 47 in the old agreement.

Griffith U led debate on the French code and free speech protections  back in 2019, when Vice Chancellor Carolyn Evans invited consultation with academics, students and the university council (CMM June 25 and November 12 2019).

The university’s proposal for the new enterprise agreement appears in-line with the position of the Australian Higher Education Industrial Association, which represents most university managements, (CMM October 12).