People are cross with new VC Pascale Quester

An open to all staff meeting at Swinburne U has voted no-confidence in university management. The meeting, convened by the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union follows management launching a 150 max compulsory redundancy round. It follows a VR programme.

Professor Quester says revenue is down $75m, the university faces a $45 deficit this year and will face “unprecedented levels” of competition for domestic students next (CMM October 21).  The union responds that “in comparison to most Australian universities” Swinburne U “is well protected from the impacts of COVID-19.”

“This is a time when we need real leaders who listen and fight for our staff and students more than ever,” NTEU Victorian Secretary Mel Slee says.

Which is unlikely to faze Professor Quester. As a DVC at Uni Adelaide she led enterprise agreement negotiations for management in a particularly frank bargaining round (CMM June 2014).