CSU says its savings plan has halved the 2020-21 financial year deficit to $22m, with a balanced budget expected by the end of the 2021-22 FY

This may go some way to settling community concern over  the impact of savings measures, which has percolated into politics. Federal regional education minister Andrew Gee has CSU campuses in his seat and has not been happy. Last month he called on CSU, “to open up the books and to shine some light on its finances, management and operations. Sunlight is the best form of disinfectant,” (CMM August 7).

This might be why Acting VC John Germov is keen to remind the world that the NSW Audit Office examines all the state’s universities and that CSU also commissioned KPMG “to review our financial position.”  The consultants “broadly confirmed the key points” in the university’s financial projections and Professor Germov now hopes, “our students, staff and community stakeholders are reassured that our actions are returning the university to financial sustainability.”

He adds, “the response from the staff of Charles Sturt has been exceptional” as the university “has dealt with this challenging period.”

Challenges he might mean could include a first set of redundancies (CMM June 19), course cuts (CMM July 31) and leadership changes (CMM July 30). And then there is curiosity on campuses on why long-serving VC Andrew Vann, who was implementing a change plan went on sabbatical in June, with his job advertised that month (CMM June 19).