Unis probed over anti-Semitism amid reports of wage theft and bullying

The tertiary education watchdog has named four universities it is investigating over allegations of anti-Semitism on campus.

A Jewish student at the University of Sydney, which is being investigated over complaints of anti-Semitism on campus. Picture: John Feder

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Four of Australia’s biggest universities are under investigation for anti-Semitism on campus, the tertiary education regulator has revealed during a fiery Senate inquiry that heard alarming allegations of bullying, wage theft and conflicts of interest.

The Australian National University, Macquarie University, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Sydney were named by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency as the targets of its “live compliance processes’’ relating to anti-Semitism complaints.

TEQSA chief executive Dr Mary Russell told the Senate inquiry into university governance on Wednesday that the ongoing investigations “may or may not result in the imposition of conditions, according to our findings’’.

Eleven universities in total were under investigation for a variety of alleged regulatory breaches, she said.

The revelation of a regulatory probe came after opposition education spokeswoman Senator Sarah Henderson blasted TEQSA for failing to take strong action against universities over “the really alarming issues we’ve seen with the safety of Jewish students and staff, with all of the protests and the encampments and the invasions of classrooms’’.

“You’ve done barely anything,’’ she said.

“You wrote a few letters, you never took the strong action ­required to protect students on campus.

“If I had been in the job, I could assure you under a Dutton government, life would be very different for the universities. We would not tolerate this.’’

Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson questioned TEQSA during an inquiry into university governance. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

Dr Russell told the hearing that “protests on campus was not an issue simply for TEQSA as the regulator, but involves a number of other agencies, including potential involvement of law enforcement agencies’’.

Senator Henderson responded: “This is rubbish, you’ve got powers to raise concerns with the minister, and you did nothing.’’

Dr Russell, who has been in the job for barely 10 months, said she had not yet written to federal Education Minister Jason Clare seeking the new regulatory powers outlined in her submission to the Senate inquiry.

The Senate education legislation committee chairman, Labor senator Tony Sheldon, rebuked Senator Henderson for “yelling and yelling’’ at Dr Russell.

Senator Henderson denied she had yelled, saying that “this is a forum for robust questioning, and I’m entitled to ask those ­questions’’.

TEQSA chief executive Mary Russell was grilled during the Senate inquiry

Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth told the inquiry that her office was investigating wage theft across 26 universities, and had already recovered $180.9m in underpayments to as many as 99,000 employees.

Nine universities had failed to respond to an FWO letter raising concerns about wage theft in 2020, she said. The FWO later refused The Australian’s request for it to name the nine universities.

Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth has revealed that universities ripped off 99,000 workers. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

National Tertiary Education Union president Alison Barnes said universities had stolen wages from 150,000 staff, while at the same time vice-chancellors’ salaries ­averaged $1m a year and 300 senior executives were paid more than state premiers, who earn between $400,000 and $500,000 a year.

“I’ve yet to encounter a vice-chancellor who’s had their wages stolen,’’ she told the hearing in Canberra.

“Monash University alone has 16 people who earn more than the state premier.

“We need the public to examine their remuneration packages.’’

Professor Fiona Probyn-Rapsey, an NTEU member who recently lost her job as part of 90 redundancies at the University of Wollongong, told the hearing that 150 more sackings would be announced on Monday.

She said the university had appointed John Dewar – a partner of the consulting firm KordaMentha – as interim vice-chancellor, while also paying the firm to review the university’s operations.

“Many staff expressed concern about the conflict of interest, which management has gone on to confirm does exist,’’ she said.

Professor Probyn-Rapsey said the university was refusing to release any of the consultants’ reports, so “we can’t even see what taxpayers’ money has paid for’’.

A University of Wollongong spokesman later told The Australian that Professor Dewar had ­provided “exceptional leadership’’ during his eight-month appointment, which ended last month.

He said Professor Dewar had declared his association with KordaMentha and taken unpaid leave during his time at the university.

The spokesman said Professor Dewar had worked a nine-day fortnight as interim vice-chancellor “to allow him to maintain a professional connection with his KordaMentha colleagues’’.

“KordaMentha’s appointment for two university reviews followed a robust, transparent and competitive tender process, assessed by an independent panel,’’ the spokesman said.

“Professor Dewar was not involved in any part of the tender process, assessment or appointment decisions.’’

Dr Matthew Abbott, the NTEU branch president at Federation University and the sole staff representative on its council, told the hearing that university chancellor Terrence Moran had mocked him during meetings. “The chancellor has also shouted at me repeatedly in meetings, and that has felt like an attempt to intimidate and silence,’’ he told the hearing.

The Australian sought comment from Mr Moran through the university, which issued a statement saying that “these are serious allegations … we will be formally responding through the Senate process’’.

Senator Henderson also grilled TEQSA over its sudden call for stronger powers to punish errant universities.

“I feel like I’m living in a parallel universe because ever since I stepped into this role two years ago I’ve been screaming from the rooftops about TEQSA not speaking out about its lack of powers and not taking appropriate action,’’ she said.

“Now we’ve seen you suddenly wake up … you’ve seen the light and understood that you require additional powers.

“Well, congratulations, but this has taken far too long.’’

The Australian revealed on Wednesday that TEQSA would tell the Senate inquiry that its existing powers under the TEQSA Act are inadequate, and that it needs legislative changes so it can seek warrants, fine universities or suspend individual courses.

The NTEU said it had alerted TEQSA to wage theft “over many years’’.

“There’s been a real sense of frustration … that TEQSA is a bit of a toothless tiger, that won’t step in and deal with these really deep-seated problems,’’ Dr Barnes said.

“TEQSA needs more enhanced powers to deal with these problems … and also an increase in the range of penalties that they’re able to apply.’’