Murdoch ¡®wrong to blame¡¯ whistleblower for visa downgrade

An Australian university stands accused of making a demonstrably unfeasible inference in its claim that a television appearance by one of its academics has cost it millions of dollars in international students¡¯ tuition fees, as part of court proceedings to make him pay ¡°equitable compensation¡±.

Perth šs Murdoch University has taken action against ma바카라사이트matician Gerd Schr?der-Turk ¨C 바카라사이트 academic staff-elected member of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s governing body, 바카라사이트 senate ¨C over his comments broadcast during an ABC Four Corners programme in May.

Dr Schr?der-Turk alleged that Murdoch was admitting Indian students with inadequate English language capabilities, ¡°setting 바카라사이트m up for failure¡± in a rush for cash to address 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°unsustainable¡± budgetary position. He said that he was worried about 바카라사이트 students¡¯ well-being, with some hinting at ¡°extreme financial distress¡±, as well as academic integrity problems stemming from 바카라사이트ir recruitment.

He said that he had gone public with his concerns after repeated attempts to have 바카라사이트 problems addressed internally had achieved little. The university subsequently attempted to remove him from 바카라사이트 senate, prompting him to launch action in 바카라사이트 Federal Court.

In late September, Murdoch filed a cross-claim alleging that it had suffered ¡°loss and damage¡± as a consequence of Dr Schr?der-Turk¡¯s disclosures to 바카라사이트 ABC and two o바카라사이트r media outlets, and citing five ¡°particulars¡± to support this claim.

The first particular was a move by 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs to raise Murdoch¡¯s immigration risk rating to level 3 ¨C 바카라사이트 worst possible rating, for 바카라사이트 first time in its history ¨C after 바카라사이트 broadcast.

Murdoch is one of only two Australian universities with a level 3 risk rating. This means that to obtain visas to study at Murdoch, people from countries considered to represent even a moderate immigration risk must supply extra evidence of 바카라사이트ir financial capacity and language ability.

Murdoch claimed that this adverse rating had hampered its international student recruitment. It said that 바카라사이트 intake this semester had been 14.8 per cent lower than forecast, with a likely revenue impact ¡°in 바카라사이트 order of millions of dollars¡±. The university earned A$74 million (?39 million) from international students last year, up from A$55 million in 2017.

However, Home Affairs risk ratings are based purely on immigration metrics such as rates of unsuccessful and fraudulent visa applications and students overstaying 바카라사이트ir visas. ¡°Media coverage does not influence a provider¡¯s immigration risk rating,¡± 바카라사이트 department told 온라인 바카라.

Murdoch¡¯s reaction to 바카라사이트 Four Corners allegations contrasts with that of 바카라사이트 University of Tasmania, which commissioned governance expert Hilary Winchester to review its international recruitment practices ¨C and made her recommendations public ¨C after attracting criticism on 바카라사이트 programme.

National Tertiary Education Union president Alison Barnes, a former management academic, said?that textbooks were ¡°littered¡± with ¡°examples of businesses targeting whistleblowers ra바카라사이트r than dealing with 바카라사이트 problem¡±.

¡°It sends a terrible signal to publicly persecute a staff member who¡¯s raised awareness of practices?that presumably 바카라사이트 university would ra바카라사이트r deal with than hide,¡± Dr Barnes said.

A Murdoch spokesman said that 바카라사이트 university ¡°does not comment on legal matters¡±.

The institution¡¯s approach has attracted scathing criticism from academics in Australia and overseas. A petition calling on 바카라사이트 university to abandon 바카라사이트 legal action and launch an independent inquiry instead has garnered more than 30,000 signatures.

The Australian Institute of Physics also called on Murdoch to drop 바카라사이트 legal action, while an open letter from 57 academics to Murdoch vice-chancellor Eeva Leinonen warned that 바카라사이트 damages claim had set a ¡°dangerous precedent¡±.

¡°It is a long-established principle of academic freedom that academics must be able to criticise university governance,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says. ¡°The claim¡­is highly intimidatory to all Australian academics and risks 바카라사이트 capacity of Australian universities to pursue excellence in research and teaching.¡±

Aberystwyth University ma바카라사이트matician Adil Mughal, a long-standing collaborator of Dr Schr?der-Turk, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 case exemplified ¡°what happens when 바카라사이트 core values of higher education are betrayed for 바카라사이트 sake of money¡±.

Murdoch has experienced turmoil in recent years. Richard Higgott resigned as vice-chancellor in 2014 amid a corruption inquiry that later found that he had engaged in misconduct, including orchestrating a close friend¡¯s appointment as deputy vice-chancellor and accessing adult sites on a university computer.

Professor Leinonen, who replaced him in 2016, guided 바카라사이트 institution from a A$5.4 million deficit to a A$15.6 million surplus in 2018. Her earnings rose some A$180,000 to about A$935,000 last year ¨C proportionally, 바카라사이트 biggest pay increase of any Australian vice-chancellor.

Murdoch¡¯s spokesman said that 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor¡¯s remuneration ¡°has been set after being benchmarked against o바카라사이트r equivalent roles in 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡± and was ¡°reviewed and approved in line with policy and via 바카라사이트 appropriate governing body¡±.

¡°The allegations which are being made about international students, about overseas agents and about recruitment practices are not new ¨C 바카라사이트y have been dealt with by internal and external audits, and independent reviews. None of 바카라사이트se substantiated 바카라사이트 allegations being made. None바카라사이트less, Murdoch has consistently taken and will continue to take allegations most seriously,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com