Pay rise of $60,000 for Australian Catholic University boss Zlatko Skrbis despite a year of controversy

A $60,000 pay rise has been handed to the beleaguered vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, Zlatko Skrbis, after he delivered a $38m financial surplus on the back of rising international student enrolments.

Natasha BitaEducation Editor

Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Zlatko Skrbis.

3 min read

6 hours ago.

Updated 4 hours ago

Despite a chain of controversies, Professor Skrbis revealed he was paid a $1.1m salary package last year, $60,000 more than in 2023. “My salary is going to be $200,000 lower than my predecessor’s salary in 2019,’’ he said.

The former vice-chancellor, constitutional lawyer emeritus professor Greg Craven, was given a $1.35m remuneration package, the 2019 annual report shows.

“I know the community is quite curious about these salaries,’’ Professor Skrbis said. “We have done an awful lot to actually pull back the benefits.

“When I became vice-chancellor (in 2021), the first thing I did was I sold the vice-chancellor’s house and used that money to build 46 beds for our students on the Canberra campus.

“I abolished bonuses for senior executives, including myself, I have constrained travel, I have eliminated first-class travel and I hardly ever fly business (class) domestically.’’

Professor Skrbis said the ACU’s financial report, to be released on Friday next week, would show a $38m surplus in 2024, compared to a $35m deficit in 2023.

The financial results will show that commencing enrolments from international students rose 76 per cent last year, to 2645, despite the federal government’s efforts to cap foreign student visas.

Domestic commencing enrolments grew 15 per cent to 10,201.

Total enrolments grew from 24,000 in 2023 to 26,000 last year, boosting revenue from $572m to $644m.

Professor Skrbis revealed his target to increase international student numbers to 20 per cent of total enrolments – up from 17 per cent last year and 11 per cent in 2021. “We have grown quite considerably, and that was part of our attempt to actually improve the overall financial performance of the institution,’’ he said.

ACU executive dean of education and arts Mary Ryan announced her sudden resignation last month to join Monash University.

“I think international students … are an enriching component of our community, both academically and financially.

“We have no ambition to exceed our overall international enrolments beyond 20 per cent.’’

Professor Skrbis called on the Albanese government to “stabilise policy settings so we can plan ahead in terms of our international growth’’.

“It’s a very risky business now to predict anything around international (enrolments), given we have no idea what the government is going to allow us, and we have no idea how visa processing is going to go next week, let alone next month or next year,’’ he said.

Professor Skrbis said he was disappointed that ACU’s executive dean of education and arts, Mary Ryan, had quit to join Monash University as dean of education. “I think Mary has done a tremendous contribution to this university and I am very, very proud that ACU is becoming a feeder institution for the Group of Eight (universities),’’ he said.

“I am disappointed to have lost her … but am I happy for her that she’s moved to a Go8, which was her ambition. I’m delighted.’’

Professor Skrbis said the universities regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency, had not directed the university to make governance changes following a compliance assessment announced in December: “We are an open book when it comes to TEQSA.’’

Professor Skrbis would not say why ACU had appointed as dean of law a pro-abortion academic, Kate Galloway, who was paid $1m in compensation when her role was terminated weeks later following a conservative backlash.

“We are publicly funded and we are Catholic,’’ he said. “I have to stay true to government, to the church, to our senate. We have a very complex stakeholder structure … welcome to my world.’’