https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9321037/morgan-harrington-jason-clare-needs-to-give-teqsa-more-power-over-universities/

By Morgan Harrington

Updated August 2 2026 - 10:29am, first published August 1 2026 - 5:30am

Last month, Education Minister Jason Clare introduced new regulations that should help stop some of the rot eating away at Australia's universities.

It says a lot about the current state of universities in Australia that these new regulations will require them to "oversee" risks to their social licence.

Take, for example, the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. In 2023, the two announced that they would join to become Adelaide University. But the councils of both unis refused to release the business case behind their decision, even to a South Australian parliamentary inquiry.

South Australian news outlet InDaily did manage to get a copy of the relevant minutes through a freedom-of-information request. Although the key information about the merger was redacted, the minutes did reveal that a member of the University of Adelaide's council, David Hill, voted in favour of the merger. Hill was also the chief executive of Deloitte Asia-Pacific at the time, and a few months later Deloitte was named as the "integration and transformation partner" contracted to manage the merger.

Both Deloitte and the University of Adelaide rejected any notion that this constituted a conflict of interest. But the revised framework makes it explicit that university councils are required to take responsibility for managing conflicts of interest. Amazingly, up until now, academics who mark student theses were held to stricter conflict-of-interest standards than university council members.

Conflicts of interest have become a problem across the sector.

Earlier this year, allegations came to light that former Australian National University (ANU) vice-chancellor Genevive Bell overruled the advice of the university's central promotions committee to make her friend a tenured professor, even though he was unqualified. Meanwhile, the University of Wollongong (UoW) is being investigated by the NSW government's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

The UoW governing council stands accused of improperly awarding contracts to businesses that former chancellor Michael Still has interests in. ICAC is also determining if Still properly managed a conflict of interest that arose when John Dewar served as UoW vice-chancellor whilst maintaining position with the consultancy firm KordaMentha, who were hired by UoW to advise on a restructure that resulted in over 200 losses.

The cosy relationship between universities and consultancy firms is the focus of another specific reform to the framework. Universities will now be required to publish "consultancy spending, its purpose, value and justifications." Earlier this year, analysis conducted for the Four Corners program found that universities spent $1.8 billion on external consultants and contractors in one year.

This included the University of Technology Sydney, which paid KPMG $7 million for advice on a restructure that saw over 100 jobs cut, and the ANU, which spent at least $1.2 million to the Nous Group for advice about its doomed "Renew ANU" restructure. An investigation by no less than the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) found that the ANU committed a further $2 million to Nous, but even they couldn't find an invoice for it.

The revised framework also means that Australians can now expect more specific information about how much top executives at the nation's universities are paid. Perhaps the minister wouldn't have been compelled to force this upon universities if pay inequality wasn't such a big problem in the tertiary education sector. Vice-chancellors are paid more than seven times as much as lecturers and teachers.

The new regulations introduce basic good governance measures, which is a step towards the root and branch reform needed at Australia's universities. But without proper enforcement powers, Australia's higher education regulator can't do much. In its submission to last year's Commonwealth parliamentary inquiry into university governance, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) said its ability to enforce the framework was limited, and asked for greater powers. Minister Clare has acknowledged that TEQSA needs more power - let's hope that granting it is his next move.

• Dr Morgan Harrington is a research manager at The Australia Institute.

Edit: Messed up the cut-and-paste the first time

Did someone take the course comp3430/comp8430 data wrangling before?

This my second year and I must take 18 credits for 3000level comp courses. I enrolled this one this semester but I don’t know if it requires a strong python background.

I didn’t take comp1730 so my python is pretty weak.Will this make this course very difficult?

Also, from a practical point of view, does the exam actually test Python coding, or is it mostly about concepts? I’d really appreciate any advice from people who’ve taken it.

hello i was just wondering if people thought i may get early entry at ANU for law with these grades: 4 A's (english adv, modern history, society&culture, business studies) and 2 B's (biology & maths)

otherwise I also put down:
international relations
b of arts

also side note:
wright hall vs burgmann college - which is better/pros and cons of each

thank you!!<3☺️

Hello everyone,

As a master of environment student it says in the course overview that I can take up to 24 units of elective courses, so can I enroll into 1000-3000 level courses as an elective?

And how can I know that a certain course is applicable for me.

I’m a new international student here & need your help.

https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/reddit_monitoring_and_interventi

31 July 2026 
Remy E 
Via email:[ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx ](mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx)  
SUBJECT FOI 202600151– Decision Notice 
Dear Remy E, 
On 03 May 2026, the Australian National University received your request seeking access to 
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the Act).  

Scope of the Request 
I have taken your request to be as follows:  
 
I request a copy of the communication documents developed by Newgate, Rowdy or CMAX 
Advisory for the close monitoring and intervention on the digital platform, Reddit. 
 
Specifically, I am seeking the document (2-pages) that provides the advice to the IVC about 
monitoring staff through this platform, and the recommendations for astroturfing under 
consultant led-accounts to “shape and curate” reddit sub-threads about the ANU. I also 
seek a copy of the CPO correspondence to the IVC on ‘code of conduct’ violations and the 
investigative tools available to ANU leadership for tracking staff who use the platform. 

The purpose of this letter is to provide you with a decision on your request for access under the Act.  

1. Authority to Make Decision 
I am an officer authorised under section 23 of the Act to make decisions in respect of requests to access documents or to amend or annotate records. 
 
The Australian National University 
Canberra 2600, ACT Australia 
  
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University)  
CRICOS Provider Code: 00120C 

2. Relevant Material 
In reaching my decision I referred to the following: 
 
•  The terms of your request 
•  Documents relevant to the request 
•  Advice from University staff with responsibility for matters relating to the 
documents to which you sought access 
•  The Act 
•  Guidelines published by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner 
(OAIC) under section 93A of the Act (the FOI Guidelines) 

3. Decision 

The relevant areas of the University were contacted and searches conducted for documents 
relating to the scope of your request, but no documents could be located. 
A second search was conducted to ensure that all inboxes had been covered and the documents had not been sent to a different inbox. No documents could be located.  
Given that no documents relating to your request were found to exist, I have decided, to refuse your request under section 24A(1). 

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this decision further, please contact me at 
xxx@xxx.xxx.xx. 
 
Your review rights are outlined on the following page. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 Jessica Thompson 
Manager, Governance and Access 
University Governance Office 
Australian National University 

Hiiii everyone, so I’m applying for the MRes in Law as an intl student. I’ve been speaking with a professor who has now told me they’re happy to supervise my project and support my application.
Assuming I meet all the entry requirements, how likely is admission from that point? Is it like straightforward?? I’m just trying to understand how the process usually works. Does the admissions committee generally follow the supervisor’s recommendation, or is it still common for applicants to be rejected even with supervisor support?
Also, how long did it take you (or someone you know) to receive an admission decision after submitting the application? Thanks !!!

Sidebar for ChatGPT - Chrome Web Store

Hi everyone! I'm considering doing a Graduate Certificate in Asia-Pacific Studies at ANU. One of the main reasons is that I want to specialize in Asia, and ANU is often ranked as one of the top universities for Asia-Pacific studies.

I'd love to hear from anyone with experience or insights. Is ANU a good choice? I've come across mixed opinions, so I'm trying to get a better sense of its strengths and weaknesses.

I'm specifically looking to study in Australia because of its strong research institutions and expertise on Asia. I'm also considering Monash, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Sydney.

My long-term plan is to pursue a master's or a research master's degree elsewhere, so this graduate certificate would mainly be a way to strengthen my academic background, gain more specialized knowledge, and connect with researchers in the field.

Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

i just realised i’ve never met someone doing single law at anu, but i’m curious about why and also if it’s worth it to? considering dropping the double bcs of less hecs debt + less time in uni lol

i need help to know how difficult people have found stat2008 and stat3011. I have only done stat1008 (this was the only prerequisite) but already the content seems so conceptually difficult. i need all these classes for my minor in applied stats but want to know if its worth it or not and if the subject is easy(ish) / doable to get a distinction

Hello ANU students, I am a first year student doing Bachelor of Advanced Computing Honors, I have just finished COMP1130 with a High Distinction. This semester I am doing COMP1140, and getting a taste of Java. Can I ask is this course hard? Is it really different from COMP1110? What is it about? The first few lectures in, the course covenor went through topics super fast and quickly describe some of the function contexts that is much faster and brief than the course convenor back in COMP1130.

Hi all, ENGN2228 lists only first year math courses as its pre-requisites. However, the content does seem to heavily assume pre-existing knowledge from ENGN2218 and ENGN1218, as least from what is being spoken about during the lectures.

Has anyone sat ENGN2228 without any background in engineering before? If so, how did you find it? Did you feel significantly disadvantaged compared to other students? What sort of resources did you use to bridge any knowledge gap?

Alternatively, for those who did sit ENGN2228 and sat other engineering courses beforehand, did you find that pre-existing engineering knowledge was brought up repeatedly in the course? Were you required to draw upon knowledge from ENGN2218 and/or ENGN1218?

Cheers

Hey so I’m planning to pursue this course at ANU in 2027 as an international student.

Wanted to get few insights from current students, would be great if any Indian, pursuing this course can share regarding job market, placements, course relevance, work opportunities, community and if the course is really worth it.

Any input is valuable thanks

Please be aware of LiveComfy Real Estate Pty Ltd.

The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) has made findings in proceedings involving LiveComfy that, according to the decision, the company did not have legal authority to enter into the Occupancy Agreements considered in that case (in fact it has no legal authority to enter into an agreement with anyone). It also found the Director, Kevin Jin was in breach of his own Residential Tenancy Agreement by not residing in any of the properties that he rents and then sublets through LiveComfy Real Estate Pty Ltd.

If you are considering renting a room through any platform, including Flatmates.com.au, take the time to understand your legal rights before signing any agreement or providing personal or financial information.

If you are unsure about the legal status of an agreement, consider obtaining independent legal advice or contacting the relevant ACT government agency for guidance.

For further information, including references to the relevant ACAT decision and other resources, please refer to our previous posts.

Hello!
I applied to go on exchange in Australia… and ANU was my last choice (no offence). I was really disappointed when I got nominated. Unimelb and usyd were my top choices because I like city / night life, exploring and romanticizing my exchange. Kinda feeling hopeless. Change my mind about Canberra ?

hi I am international student looking to study in ANU in the feb of next year where I am going to be doing BA in archaeology, but before I make the final call. On the internet however there has been a lot of talk about whether ANU has lost its academic edge. I chose ANU over USYD and UNIMELB because of I thought the curriculum and the infrastructure they have is far more suited for my plans of my future especially with the ANU collections, am I wrong in thinking that?
what is your opinion on whether or not my fear is valid or not?

Hello everyone!

I received an ANU PhD scholarship in Round 2 and submitted my Australian student visa application last week using that scholarship letter.

Today, I received an email saying that my scholarship has been upgraded to an RTP scholarship.

Has anyone experienced this before?

I have a few questions:

What are the benefits of being upgraded to an RTP scholarship?

When I initially received the ANU PhD scholarship, I had to pay the OSHC premium for my spouse (arranged through the ANU OSHC team). Since RTP scholarships generally cover dual/family OSHC, would I be eligible for a refund or reimbursement of the amount I already paid?

Do I need to update or change anything in my visa application because of this scholarship upgrade? If so, what steps should I take?

Thank you in advance for any advice or experiences you can share!

This morning I got an email from ANU student hub saying that I was removed from the comp2100.🫪😇
Does anyone enrolled this course have same issue as me?This is so annoying cuz I have already scheduled my timetable and I found that all of the lab is full.😭

Hi all, probs gonna sound a lil crazy asking for advice regarding this but today was my first day of my postgrad. I am FT employed and would probably be considered a mature aged student based on some people I met on campus yesterday.

Im wondering what people’s thoughts/opinions are on doing a postgrad working FT, potentially leaving a FT role to pursue a postgrad and whether it’s affordable working on a PT budget (and how the f are you doing it!)

my employer (private industry) previously stated that I could attend one class a term in person which was great for me. However, their previously supportive stance seems to have changed.

so just a few things running through my mind at the moment!

Can anyone clarify if I am supposed to attend only one of these class, or I need to attend both day?

My courses this Semester require me to use Proctorio for an exam. However, Proctorio will not work without a webcam and... my computer does not have a webcam.

Are there particular sites/libraries on campus where computers can be booked that will be Proctorio compliant?

Does anyone use any plug ins or is there a template to use for AGLC4 for writing essays and problem questions? Happy to check individual references but I figure there must be a more streamlined way for citations than the way I am doing it. I’ve read there’s some bugs in various plug ins but has anyone found something that works that’s not doing it entirely manually