UNSW forks out $25m on consultancy

UNSW has forked out over $25 million in consultancy fees as it tries to bed down a radical overhaul of its academic calendar and internal operations.

UNSW vice-chancellor Ian Jacobs has signed off on $25 million in consultancy fees to have his 10-year vision realised.

The University of NSW has forked out over $25 million to consultancy firm PwC in just one year as it tries to bed down a radical overhaul of its academic calendar and internal operations.

The news comes as 500 students marched to the chancellery today in protest of the changes which will see the university move to a trimester model plus optional summer school.

The overhaul will also result in about 400 job losses. The HES understands redundancy notices have started going out in the past week, with around 100 staff so far affected.

In an email to members of Monday following a meeting with vice-chancellor Ian Jacobs, the NTEU said it understood that “at least $25,147,322.09 has been spent over the last 13 months on consultants from Price Waterhouse Coopers, rather than spending the time listening directly to all affected staff.”

Sarah Gregson, branch president of the NTEU, told the HES she found it hard to imagine how the university could have spent so much money on a single consultancy firm.

“Instead of consulting properly with students and staff, they are spending money on a consultancy firm,” Dr Gregson said.

“There are a lot of people who are uneasy about what is happening. There is a lot of consultation but no one is listening to what they say.”

Dr Gregson said $30m had been put aside for redundancies, which equated to around 400 positions, but once again they were unclear about the university’s intentions.

A spokeswoman said the consultancy fees were in line with the university’s 10 year strategy to become a world top-50 institution by 2025.

“UNSW has embarked on implementation of Strategy 2025, to generate the additional opportunities, jobs, finance and impact needed to deliver our objectives for UNSW as a world top 50 university,” she said.

“The program of work needed to deliver our strategic plan is complex and extensive. Our strategic initiatives are being led and directed by UNSW teams, with external consulting support for selected activities.”

The HES has previously revealed Victoria’s nine spent a combined $17.5m on consultancies in 2013.

Professor Jacobs has said his ambitious plan for the university will cost comes with a $3 billion price tag.

Aislinn Stein-Magee, the SRC president, said about 500 students had joined today’s protest. She said they were concerned that the change process was being conducted without “meaningful consultation or engagement with students or staff”.

She said the proposed trimester model, which puts it in line with North America, would “throw it out of whack” with other Australian universities, including others that had adopted trimesters.

“I believe our protests will make a difference. If management hear enough from students and staff about their dissatisfaction, they will have to listen to us,” Ms Stein-McGee said.