Catherine Branson appointed Chancellor of Adelaide University
Adelaide University has appointed Chancellor Catherine Branson to replace Kevin Scarce, and to turn around the business from its massive loss of international students.
Tertiary
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Turning out graduates who find jobs is important but Adelaide University’s longstanding mission is to produce well-educated young people to help South Australia thrive, incoming Chancellor Catherine Branson says.
Appointed to the top job as the university faces multiple challenges, Ms Branson said the way ahead was manageable.
Challenges include federal government plans to change fees and funding so students are directed into sectors with job shortages.
“We are not just a skills training institute, we are an education facility,” Ms Branson said.
“We are in close contact with business and industry.
“We are extremely anxious to know what they are looking for.”
Ms Branson was optimistic the plan by federal Education Minister Dan Tehan to increase places without increasing funding would not necessarily be the outcome.
“At the end of the day, we're very hopeful we’ll get a solution that everyone can be comfortable with,” she said.
“We’re not completely happy with every aspect of the announcement by Mr Tehan but we’re very gratified that he’s speaking with the universities.
“He’s indicating that if these changes go through then a serious look will be taken into how research is funded.”
Mr Tehan said he had “a very good discussion” with Ms Branson and that he would “look forward to working with her in the future”.
Ms Branson’s appointment was announced on Tuesday night following a meeting of the university Council.
Head of the selection panel Christine Locher said Ms Branson was “someone of the highest calibre, proven throughout her outstanding legal and judicial career and in her service to our university”.
Ms Branson’s first priority will be to chart a course for the billion-dollar-a-year business with a projected $250 million budget shortfall over two years and no fixed timeline to resume recruitment of international students.
She said:
SHE was determined to preserve as many staff jobs as possible.
THE university was open to considering a merger with UniSA — or Flinders — but it was not top of the agenda.
STRATEGIC plans, including investment in infrastructure, would need to be reviewed.
ROBUST, respectful debate was welcome but “freedom of speech is not just about being able to say nasty things about other people”.
BEST work came from places where people felt welcomed and respected — a view founded on her own experience as a trailblazing woman and a human rights’ advocate.
ALL of the SA community would be engaged to ensure Adelaide University was the best it could be.
RECRUITMENT of international students needed to be reconsidered in the light of Australia’s changing relationship with China and other countries.
“All universities in Australia are facing this common problem,” she said of the blow from the pandemic.
“The way that universities here are funded has made us — perhaps regrettably — dependent on international students to finance things that are of value to our domestic students and help support our wonderful research.
“Universities will have to accept they’re coming into a quite different environment.
“But we will learn to manage that environment and we will continue to flourish as this university has done since 1874.”
In addition, the university is in the midst of an inquiry by the Independent Commissioner against Corruption into allegations of improper conduct by vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen.
“We have a particular problem of our own which we regret but from which we are already learning valuable things,” Ms Branson said.
“We have no doubt the report of the Independent Commissioner will help us learn even more valuable things.
“I’m confident the university will come out of this even stronger.”
First appointed to Council in 2013 and deputy chancellor in 2017, Ms Branson becomes the 17th Chancellor, succeeding Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce who retired in May.
She is the second woman to hold the post, following Dame Roma Mitchell.