Protests by staff and students have made it very clear that many have been unhappy with how the university has handled the Renew ANU process. Photo: No Cuts at ANU.
The Australian National University has announced it will pause its forced redundancies under the Renew ANU program, but that the current change proposals will go ahead.
In an all-staff email today (20 August), it was announced that a second round of the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) would be opened next week.
“The University has achieved $59.9 million in savings to date towards the salary reduction target of $100 million,” a media statement read.
“There are a further six change proposals in consultation with further savings expected.
“We still need to keep reshaping our organisation and reducing our salary costs, but we’ll do this in other ways such as voluntary separations, recruitment controls and natural attrition.”
No further change plans will be released in 2025.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell said the current change proposals and implementation plans would continue to be consulted on and released through the Renew ANU website.
“Implementing a change of this scale is significant to our operations, our services and most critically of all, our people and the fabric of our campus,” she said.
“I acknowledge this has been a challenging period of change in our community, and it has raised questions about who we are, what we do and how we deliver our national mission in the 21st century while being financially sustainable.
“We have farewelled good colleagues, and we have had to have hard conversations where it has tested our values about respect and collegial dialogue.”
One ANU staff member told Region that receiving the email had left them stunned.
“The relief that my job won’t be cut this year is only tempered by the fact that my friends and colleagues are still going through their change management plans and closed EOIs.”
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has welcomed the news but pointed out there were still eight restructures at various stages of proposal and implementation underway.
“We still have eight processes in place, with more than 100 people currently facing the prospect of having their jobs cut,” NTEU ACT division secretary Dr Lachlan Clohesy said.
“This announcement gives no comfort to those facing the axe. The Vice-Chancellor needs to revisit those existing proposals, which include disestablishment of incredibly significant resources like the Australian National Dictionary Centre, the Humanities Research Centre, the Centre for European Studies and the ANU School of Music.”
The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, Marketing and Communications, Finance and Business Services, and People and Culture had been flagged for change management proposals (CMPs) by 31 October. These areas are no longer completing any formal organisational changes.
The Renew ANU website has stated these areas will now “consider what change they need to undertake to meet any financial goals or to achieve structural and operational efficiency”. The Colleges of Business and Economics, Law, Governance and Policy, and Systems and Society will also need to consider these goals.
The Campus Environment Division, Residential Experience Division, Academic Portfolio, College of Arts and Social Sciences, and College of Science and Medicine CMPs are out for consultation.
Consultation on the Research and Innovation Portfolio has closed, and implementation plans have been enacted for the Planning and Service Performance, Information and Technology Services, and Information Security Office divisions.
It’s been suggested that more CMPs could come in 2026.
“We’re calling on the Vice Chancellor to confirm that there will be no forced redundancies in 2026, whether ANU leadership considers them part of Renew ANU or not,” Dr Clohesy said.
“ANU has lost more than 1000 staff since April 2024, including those already gone and those proposed to go. It is misleading to only refer to forced redundancies when talking about jobs lost.”
NTEU ANU branch president Millan Pintos-Lopez said all proposed redundancies needed to be paused at least until the next VSS round was finalised and the investigation by the national regulator was completed.
“There are still over 100 staff members who don’t know if they’ll have a pay cheque this Christmas,” he said.
“It is ludicrous to continue down this path when new student caps aren’t factored into new financial forecasts, a TEQSA investigation is underway and the outcome of the second round of voluntary separations is not yet known.”
ACT Senator David Pocock (left, with NTEU ACT division president Dr Lachlan Clohesy) has been a vocal critic of the way the ANU has handled its restructuring. Photo: James Coleman
The ANU’s announcement has been commended by independent ACT Senator David Pocock.
He’s called for the current CMPs to be abandoned, describing them as “very damaging”.
“A pause, reset and rebuild is needed, alongside more transparency into the true financial position of the university and better governance,” Mr Pocock said.
“The priority must now be repairing the damage Renew ANU has inflicted and putting all efforts into rebuilding student numbers and earning back the trust of staff and students.
“I urge both the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor to consider their positions and what is right for the long-term future of Australia’s National University.”
