Our universities are run by corrupt, entitled grifters. While the key reports from the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (ICAC) investigation into the University of Wollongong (UOW) are yet to be released, the hearings have made this abundantly clear.
The probe into UOW was sparked by questions about favouritism in the appointment of several highly paid managerial positions, as well as dubious awarding of contracts to private consultancy firms that may have been conflicts of interest.
UOW has been embroiled in controversy for years. From its revolving door of vice-chancellors, a Fairwork ombudsman finding that staff were underpaid $6.6 million, an attempt to establish a new campus in Saudi Arabia, cuts to more than 200 academic and professional staff and the liquidation of several courses—it’s been scandal after scandal.
The inquiry shows that the rot runs deep. At the centre of the probe is the role played by chief governance officer and university secretary Alyssa White. Breaking down in tears on the final day of the hearing, White defended giving plum jobs to people in her friendship circle and developing a new role that she hoped to occupy herself, with a $389,000 salary attached.
Then there was former interim Vice-Chancellor John Dewar admitting to helping his consultancy firm Korda Mentha win a $2.2 million contract from the university while he was vice-chancellor. With Korda Mentha’s help, Dewar did a major hack job on staff and courses last year, euphemistically labelled the “transformation”. Dewar’s admission of guilt might get him in trouble, as it contradicts his statements at a previous NSW parliamentary inquiry into the same issue.
The multitude of scandalous details would make for a good Netflix drama. Chancellor Michael Still, who, like White, resigned days before being brought before the inquiry, denied impropriety in awarding contracts and managing conflicts of interest.
Socialist student activists at UOW are familiar with Still, having had our Palestine club disaffiliated for questioning him at a campus cafe about the university’s relationship with Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We are yet to hear whether that disaffiliation will be revoked in light of this corruption scandal. At least we can take solace in the fact that Still is now disaffiliated.
This inquiry raises serious questions about the corporatisation of universities. First, no-one should believe university managers when they talk about “necessary” job losses. During a supposed hiring freeze, John Dewar was still giving jobs to mates. Second, universities are run as corporate institutions that are at odds with the broader interests of students and staff. Like any other corporate workplace, universities are run by beefed-up management teams that have little connection to the actual work that makes universities run: work done by tutors, librarians, cleaners and so on. Third, the corporatisation of our universities brings with it all the corruption of capitalist profit making. If we want to stop universities becoming cesspools of corruption, we need to radically overhaul the entire education sector.
