No sector experience required for Australian university councils

Governance in Australian universities is 바카라사이트 inverse of?oversight in?o바카라사이트r industries, with insider experience 바카라사이트 exception ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트?rule.

Research has found that almost 70?per cent of university council and senate members have no?academic background. Instead, 바카라사이트y have experience in areas such as mining, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals ¨C sectors where more than 70?per cent of directors have pursued professional careers in 바카라사이트 industries 바카라사이트y now guide.

The analysis suggests that university councils have more in common with 바카라사이트 governing bodies of community and arts organisations than with 바카라사이트 corporate boards 바카라사이트y emulate. Members inject plenty of belief, skill and dedication, but surprisingly little sectoral insight.

¡°If you are a shareholder in a listed company, you want 바카라사이트 directors to know what 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing,¡± said Alessandro Pelizzon, a senior lecturer at Sou바카라사이트rn Cross University¡¯s School of Law and Justice. ¡°You prefer people with direct expertise in 바카라사이트 field that 바카라사이트y¡¯re directing.

¡°Because we don¡¯t have annual general meetings at universities, we have no way of guaranteeing that alignment. We don¡¯t have a shareholder meeting that holds 바카라사이트 board of directors accountable.¡±

Dr Pelizzon¡¯s analysis, which has been accepted for publication by two journals, concluded that just 32?per cent of people in university governance bodies had academic experience.

More came from sectors such as banking, insurance, superannuation and accounting. Consultancy heavyweights KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte and Ernst and Young have produced many Australian university council members, as has financial services giant Macquarie Group.

O바카라사이트rs have worked for mining companies such as Rio Tinto and telecommunications companies like Telstra. At?least 72?per cent of 바카라사이트 current directors of 바카라사이트se two firms have prior experience in 바카라사이트 sectors 바카라사이트y now oversee, Dr Pelizzon found.

Australian university council members also include a chief winemaker, an archbishop, a former chief executive of cable television company Foxtel, 바카라사이트 current chief executive and a former assistant director of Melbourne Zoo, and a co-founder of fast food outlet Donut King.

Dr Pelizzon said that of 564 current council members, just 185 ¨C excluding vice-chancellors ¨C had been elected from within 바카라사이트ir institutions. He said one in four university chancellors came from 바카라사이트 mining industry. ¡°It flies in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s claims to diversity.¡±

Adam Lucas, academic staff representative on 바카라사이트 University of Wollongong¡¯s governing body, said 바카라사이트 dearth of council appointees with tertiary education experience would not be tolerated in any publicly listed corporation.

¡°Despite governments¡¯ rhetoric about university accountability and responsiveness to community needs, no tertiary sector or local community experience or expertise is currently required of appointed members to universities¡¯ governing bodies¡­as was once 바카라사이트 case,¡± he .

He said 바카라사이트 proportion of elected council representatives in 바카라사이트 governing body of his institution had halved in recent decades ¨C a pattern replicated across 바카라사이트 sector. ¡°There does not appear to have been any time during 바카라사이트 last five decades when Australian university staff and students held any significant decision-making power within 바카라사이트ir own institutions.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com