Julie Bishop said she will remain chancellor of the Australian National University, rejecting calls from staff and students to step down after the resignation of Vice‑Chancellor Genevieve Bell and amid allegations of misconduct that have shaken the university.
Bishop announced Bell's departure at an all‑staff meeting on Thursday at Llewellyn Hall, where the vice‑chancellor's resignation was met with applause and cheers from the audience. The atmosphere turned confrontational after Bishop acknowledged the day as "R U OK Day," drawing laughter and scoffing, and a staff member asked when Bishop herself would resign.
Speaking to staff at the meeting, Bishop said she would remain in the role to help the university "achieve our goals on active sustainability and change to our organisation." She said she "reject[ed] the allegations that I heard for the first time on the 12th of August, that I have treated any staff at ANU with anything other than the greatest respect, civility, and courtesy," and added that there were "no grounds" for her to stand aside. "I, and the council, will work with [staff] to find options that help us find the best way forward," she said.
The leadership change comes after months of internal tensions at ANU tied to a major cost‑saving program and disputes within university governance. Professor Bell, who in her leaving statement reflected on a lifelong connection to ANU, said she remained committed to the university's mission to deliver research and teaching of the highest quality and that doing so required a "solid financial, cultural and operational foundation." ANU said Bell would remain at the university in an academic role, and appointed Professor Rebekah Brown as interim vice‑chancellor.
The governing crisis has been intensified by allegations made in August before a Senate committee by Dr Liz Allen, a former ANU council member. In testimony, Dr Allen said Bishop had falsely accused her and an undergraduate student representative of leaking confidential council information, allegations Allen denied. Allen described a February council meeting in which she said Bishop delivered a "near two‑hour disciplinary‑like lecture," followed by a private confrontation in another room with another council member present. Allen told the committee she felt "threatened" and feared for her job and said Bishop suggested commencing a legal investigation and contacted a journalist to confirm she was not the leaker. Bishop has categorically denied those claims.
University staff and student groups have repeatedly called for changes to ANU's leadership as the institution implements a wide cost‑saving program announced in October of the previous year. The "Renew ANU" plan aims to reduce operating expenses by A$250 million by 2026, including about A$100 million in salary‑related savings, measures that prompted sustained concern among academics and professional staff over jobs, workloads and the future of research and teaching programs.
At the all‑staff meeting, reaction from the audience reflected deep frustration within the university community. The cheers that greeted Bell's resignation underscored the dissatisfaction that has built up over the past year, while calls for Bishop's resignation and the jeering during her remarks signalled the persistent divide between some staff and the university's governing council.
ANU has not announced a timeline for a permanent replacement for Bell. Bishop and the council said they would engage with staff to identify options for moving forward, while Bell will continue at ANU in an academic capacity. The university's governance and finances remain under close scrutiny as the Renew ANU savings program proceeds and parliamentary attention on the allegations persists.