The Vice Chancellor is not for turning

Over a hundred senior academics at Macquarie U wrote to VC S Bruce Dowton asking for details on the financial need to close the Faculty of Human Sciences (CMM November 11) and reallocate its constituent departments. In reply he points to his all-staff message (CMM November 4) ) on the university’s financial circumstances, but assures them his intention  is to “engage and listen in order that any formal change proposal can build in the feedback from many people we are already receiving.”

“In designing the rollout out of this proposal, careful consideration was given to how we would engage with staff. … In this period of informal consultation, colleagues from the executive and I can listen to, understand and acknowledge the concerns and the ideas from the many perspectives I have now heard over the last week both in meetings and on email.”

But having met and listened, the plan to close the faculty and reallocate its departments still seems certain. “Once this process of informal consultation has run its course, we will move into a more formal and structured approach,” the VC writes.