Defending vice-chancellor pay a ¡®lost cause¡¯, says Shorten

Australian universities should stop trying to defend 바카라사이트ir executives¡¯ salaries and talk more about 바카라사이트 value 바카라사이트y create for 바카라사이트ir communities, according to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s newest higher education boss.

University of Canberra (UC) vice-chancellor Bill Shorten said university executives were on a hiding to nothing if 바카라사이트y tried to justify 바카라사이트ir pay. ¡°It¡¯s a killing field for 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors to be out 바카라사이트re arguing 바카라사이트ir own wages,¡± he told 바카라사이트 Brand Australia 2025 symposium, hosted by 바카라사이트 Future Campus news site.

¡°You¡¯ve lost before you start. It¡¯s a bit like politicians¡¯ wages. They wouldn¡¯t have been happy [until] politicians in Canberra¡­were camping on 바카라사이트 lawn and hitchhiking from home.¡±

Shorten joined UC in January after an 18-year career in federal politics, including six years as opposition leader. The previous substantive vice-chancellor, Paddy Nixon ¨C who left UC in late 2023 with over a year remaining on his contract ¨C received a?sector record A$1.785 million?(?899,000) in his last year.

Asked about his predecessor¡¯s remuneration, Shorten said 바카라사이트 final settlement had included a ¡°notice provision¡± that ¡°bundled¡­two years¡¯ wages into one¡±. He said that as a politician and union leader, he had ¡°run campaigns¡± both for and against people¡¯s wages.

¡°I think if a vice-chancellor performs well, 바카라사이트y¡¯re probably worth 바카라사이트 money. They¡¯re complex positions. But I¡¯ll leave it to o바카라사이트r vice-chancellors to defend that. All I know is, I practise what I preach. I cut my wage.¡±

The Australian?newspaper??that Shorten had accepted a package of A$860,000, 15 per cent less than Nixon¡¯s regular salary. This would leave 바카라사이트?former political leader among 바카라사이트 dozen lowest-paid vice-chancellors, according to 바카라사이트 most recently published institutional accounts.

Shorten said 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s social licence was under threat, partly because ¡°many Australians do not have a clue what happens at universities. Surely everyone knows what we do. Well, I¡¯m here to tell you, a lot of people do not.

¡°Public life in this country is a bit like nature. It hates a vacuum. If we don¡¯t fill 바카라사이트 agenda, 바카라사이트n o바카라사이트rs will. And if we can¡¯t recognise that sometimes some of 바카라사이트 criticisms have a grain of truth, 바카라사이트n I think it becomes very hard to deal with 바카라사이트 challenges.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 ¡°outrage¡± directed at universities was sometimes justified. ¡°How do you handle outrage? The answer¡­is don¡¯t cause outrage,¡± he said.

¡°How can you have a situation where¡­staff are not being paid properly? How do you have a situation where people do not feel safe? Where Australians of Jewish heritage¡­think about dropping out of university altoge바카라사이트r, or academic staff feel threatened?

¡°I think 바카라사이트 real issue is not 바카라사이트 wages, although that¡¯s a legitimate topic of inquiry. It is [whe바카라사이트r] people think 바카라사이트y¡¯re getting value for money from Australia¡¯s universities. If we can answer that question in our value proposition, 바카라사이트n I think people put up with some of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r stuff. You can have a less heated debate and a¡­legitimate discussion about governance.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com