The university has stopped its legal action against staff member Gerd Schröder-Turk, who has ended his counter-claim against the university

What’s happened: The university adds it has “permanently withdrawn” a motion put to the university’s Senate in May last year to remove Aspro Turk from his staff-elected membership of the governing body.
“Associate Professor Schröder-Turk remains a valued member of both the Murdoch University academy and of the Murdoch University Senate,” it said in a Friday statement.

Where this came from: In May ’19 Schröder-Turk appeared on ABC TV’s Four Corners, alleging Murdoch U had accepted international students whose academic-quality was low. Management vehemently rejected this and moved to end his Senate membership, which Schröder-Turk opposed.  In October, the university also sued him for loss of income and reputation.

Which led to: the university being condemned on social media, one petition attracted 38 500 supporters.  Academics and scholarly associations in Australia and Europe also criticised the university.  National Tertiary Education Union leader Alison Barnes summed up the critics’ case, “Academic staff not only have the right, but also an obligation to the public to speak out about matters of importance to higher education, including to criticise their employers when necessary.”

The university started to walk things back in January, when it dropped its claim for damages, although it still wanted Schröder-Turk off Senate, with the case scheduled for an April court hearing.

But it appears Murdoch U management thinking changed, in early February the university invited Aspro Schröder-Turk’s lawyers to “resolve the on-going legal matters” adding, “as always, Murdoch University is committed to freedom of expression and will always provide an environment for students and staff to speak freely,” (CMM February 4).

It’s all over now: Speaking-freely is what Associate Professor Schröder-Turk intends to do. In a message to supporters Friday he said; “I … look forward to contributing, as a member of the academic community, to the public debate on the many aspects of Australia’s higher education sector that, as is now clearer than ever, require some discussion.”