In the third VC move of the week, Helen Bartlett is announced as the next VC of University of the Sunshine Coast. She will start in August, replacing Greg Hill

Professor Bartlett told Fed U staff Thursday that, “family considerations are at the forefront of my decision to return to Queensland, my former home state.

“While the timing of this move was not anticipated, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to continue my passion for regional education and contribute to making a difference in another state.”

Professor Bartlett is a regional-specialist. She was appointed to Federation U in December ’16 (joining from Monash Malaysia). She had previously run Monash Gippsland, which is now part of the Fed U network.

It’s the second-time Bartlett has replaced Hill – she took over from him as chair of the Regional Universities Network in January last year.

This is a move-up from Professor Bartlett. While Federation U faces student-demand challenges, certainly in Gippsland and Ballarat, USC serves a growing region – it opened a new campus this week.

Her announcement follows news Peter Dawkins (Victoria U) and Michael Spence (Uni Sydney) are both leaving.