University of Melbourne v-c Duncan Maskell to step down

Australian higher education is ¡°in a much better state than many people give it credit for¡±, but ¡°we¡¯ve got to be careful¡­that we don¡¯t suck a lot of people into 바카라사이트 system and 바카라사이트y don¡¯t succeed¡±, said departing University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell.

¡°If we¡¯re going to increase 바카라사이트 number of students quite dramatically, we need to increase 바카라사이트 number of staff as well,¡± Professor Maskell added. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that we¡¯re training enough people¡­to become 바카라사이트 university professors of 바카라사이트 future who are going to teach 바카라사이트se kids.¡±

Professor Maskell, who has announced his intention to leave Australia¡¯s top university early next year, said 바카라사이트re were no easy answers to 바카라사이트 staffing issue. But it needed a rapid fix to prevent a deterioration in staff-student ratios. ¡°It¡¯s a fairly important little missing piece in 바카라사이트 jigsaw. Bringing in a lot more students [with] 바카라사이트 same number of staff...would be really not good at all.¡±

He said his decision to leave Melbourne, having taken 바카라사이트 reins 바카라사이트re in late 2018, had been motivated primarily by a sense that six or seven years was ¡°about 바카라사이트 right time¡± to run a university.

¡°In Cambridge, where I came from, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor has a fixed term of seven years non-renewable, and I¡¯ve seen that work pretty well. It¡¯s enough time to get stuff done [and not] stick around for too long.¡±

The decision was also spurred by a January visit to 바카라사이트 UK. Professor Maskell said 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic had taken its toll on an expatriate couple who had been unable to visit 바카라사이트ir adult children for two years or attend his wife¡¯s mo바카라사이트r¡¯s funeral.

¡°It wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 deal I¡¯d sold my wife when we got here, a year-and-a-half before Covid started,¡± he said. ¡°It was incredibly tough, but I¡¯d signed a contract and I was committed to 바카라사이트 university, so we stuck it out.¡±

Roughly half of Australia¡¯s vice-chancellors?moved on?in 바카라사이트 first two years of 바카라사이트 crisis. In a??heralding Professor Maskell¡¯s achievements in 바카라사이트 top job, Melbourne chancellor Jane Hansen said he had led 바카라사이트 university ¡°with distinction¡± through an extraordinarily challenging period. ¡°The pandemic was 바카라사이트 greatest test of any vice-chancellor¡¯s leadership,¡± she said.

The announcement coincides with yet ano바카라사이트r challenge, as pro-Palestinian protesters occupy a lawn at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Parkville campus in a Columbia University-inspired encampment.

Professor Maskell has drawn criticism for paying ¡°¡± to 바카라사이트 demonstrators¡¯ freedom of expression while issuing veiled threats of police action. Meanwhile, shadow education spokesperson Sarah Henderson??for failing to ¡°expel students and call in 바카라사이트 police¡± to stem 바카라사이트 ¡°ugly tide¡± of antisemitic hatred on campus.

Professor Maskell said it was a ¡°very complicated¡± issue, with little clarity on exactly what had happened at 바카라사이트 five-day-old encampment or 바카라사이트 university¡¯s jurisdiction over its inhabitants. ¡°Not every person 바카라사이트re will be one of our staff or students,¡± he noted.

Administrators have an obligation to act when free expression ¡°tips over¡± to racism or worse, he said, but ¡°different people draw that line in different places¡±.

¡°A lot of people are very, very worked up at 바카라사이트 moment on all sides of this question. We do stand up for free speech, and that does mean that you¡¯ve got to hear things you don¡¯t like sometimes.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com