Belinda Hutchinson reappointed as chancellor of the University of Sydney
In the middle of a budget crisis Belinda Hutchinson has been reappointed as University of Sydney chancellor.
Leading business figure Belinda Hutchinson has been appointed to a third four-year term as chancellor of the University of Sydney.
Ms Hutchinson’s reappointment comes as the university faces a budget crisis, due to the COVID-19 travel ban which has blocked the entry to Australia of international students.
This year the university has forecast a $470 million shortfall in a budget which was expected to have revenue well in excess of $2.5 billion. The massive budget hole is due to the university’s high degree of reliance on international students for revenue.
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During the first five years of Ms Hutchinson’s chancellorship the ratio of international student fees to total revenue more than doubled. In 2013, when she was first appointed, international student fees made up 17 per cent of revenue.
In 2018, the latest year for which budget figures have been released, international student fees as a proportion of revenue had risen to 35 per cent, making the university highly vulnerable to a fall in international student numbers.
On Friday the university’s senate, its top governing body, agreed to reappoint Ms Hutchinson until February 2025. Her current term expires in February next year.
Vice-chancellor Michael Spence, who is leaving at the end of the year to take charge of University College London, said the senate had no hesitation in reappointing Ms Hutchinson who, as chancellor, is the university’s highest official — the equivalent of a chairman of the board.
“The senate’s unanimous decision today ensures a strong champion will continue to lead the institution into the future, as we prepare for a period of change with new challenges and opportunities ahead,” Dr Spence said.
One of Ms Hutchinson’s major tasks this year will be to manage the appointment of Dr Spence’s successor.
“I am determined to help provide some vital stability, as we all adapt to this new world we find ourselves in and as we transition to a new vice-chancellor when Michael departs for the UK at the end of the year,” Ms Hutchinson said.
She said that “now, more than ever, the role of universities is critical”.
“We’ve emerged from this summer’s devastating bushfires into a pandemic that’s taking a heavy toll on the world,” she said.
“Our researchers are working tirelessly on solutions to these and other problems, while our teaching staff continue to provide exemplary teaching and learning for our students in new and exciting ways.
“It is a privilege to consider myself part of this community, and I look forward to continuing in this role into the future.”
Ms Hutchinson is also chairman of Thales Australia and a director of Qantas.
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