Julie Bishop has confirmed she will remain as chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) following the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve Bell. Bell's departure ends a tumultuous two-year tenure marked by redundancies, proposed course closures, and allegations of a toxic work culture. Provost Rebekah Brown will serve as interim vice-chancellor while a permanent replacement is sought.
Bell stated that returning to her role as a distinguished professor at the School of Cybernetics after study leave was "not an easy decision," adding that being the university's 13th vice-chancellor had been "an extraordinary privilege and also a heavy responsibility." She expressed a desire for ANU to thrive and said she did not want to "stand in the way of that."
Pressure on Bell intensified after five of six college deans informed the council and chancellor that they had lost confidence in her leadership. Bishop held meetings with deans, council members, and union representatives last week, and met with the ANU governance project—a group formed amid a growing "crisis of confidence" in leadership—on Wednesday. A report by the governance project found that 96% of about 600 respondents believed ANU's governance was not fit for purpose.
Labor Senator Tony Sheldon and independent Senator David Pocock have called for Bishop to answer questions about her leadership. However, Bishop insisted there were "no grounds" for her to step aside and that she has the full backing of the council to continue until 2026. She noted that the university's financial difficulties began "a very long time ago" and that ANU is not alone in facing such challenges.
The university's governance has faced scrutiny over a restructure resulting in at least 399 redundancies and the proposed closure of several research centres. The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is investigating ANU after Education Minister Jason Clare raised concerns. Additionally, an internal investigation into the council and senior leadership team is underway following allegations by academic Liz Allen that she was bullied into near suicide while serving on the council.
Bishop rejected Allen's allegations and said she provided a written response to the inquiry. She described Allen's statements as "ventilation" that compromised other witnesses. Allen had reported suffering a miscarriage after distressing meetings with Bishop, and TEQSA noted that 627 psychosocial risk reports were logged by staff in 2024.
