Martin Bean announced his end June exit as RMIT VC in a YouTube chat yesterday with Chancellor Ziggy Switkowski

Professor Bean  said he had decided, “to put my health as my priority. That’s first and foremost the reason why I am stepping down, to take a little bit more care of my body.”

But he also plans to return to his “great passion – of being a provocateur around the future of work, digital education, (and) what has to evolve in skilling.” Professor Bean will have a continuing role at RMIT, in part as a continuing professor of digital education.

Dr Switkoksi was also interested to know how RMIT would fare this year after Professor Bean’s departure. “I am absolutely convinced that because of you and your wonderful leadership and the commitment of council, an extraordinary council and all of the leaders who stepped up last year … I know I am stepping down and leaving this institution in some very capable hands,” the vice chancellor replied.

Professor Bean was appointed by RMIT in 2014 from the UK’s Open University. His five year plan the following year built on both’ institutions strengths in digital delivery and employment-focused courses. As he put it in 2018, “digital disruption is changing the way people study, work and live and many of our students are looking for flexible, targeted and industry-focused learning options.” (CMM May 29).

He got the disruption bit right. Yesterday the university was reporting most student services operational, but some were still down, in whole or part, including printing on campus, the “mydesktop” study resource, course guides and some of “myRMIT”.

This appears to be a continuing part of a problem which began on February 19, and is widely speculated, (but not by university management) to be an RMIT  defence against a phishing attack.