UQ vice-chancellor Paul Greenfield hastens his exit

UNIVERSITY of Queensland vice-chancellor Paul Greenfield is bringing forward his departure over a nepotism scandal.

Paul Greenfield

UNIVERSITY of Queensland vice-chancellor Paul Greenfield is bringing forward his departure over the nepotism scandal that has rocked one of the country's top centres of higher learning.

Professor Greenfield, who quit with his deputy Michael Keniger after a close relative of Professor Greenfield's was given irregular entry to the university's sought-after medicine course, had intended to stay on until mid-next year, after his 65th birthday.

But he announced today he would now stand down as university boss next Friday, and leave on January 13. "In recent weeks, it has become increasingly difficult for me to serve as vice-chancellor in the way this organisation and its partners deserve," Professor Greenfield said in a statement.

To date, the university has refused to detail the full circumstances of how Professor Greenfield's relative, a student, was admitted to the medicine course under an admission rule that did not apply. The student had also failed to meet some unspecified criteria for medicine, but was academically qualified to undertake the highly-competitive course.

Senior deputy vice-chancellor Professor Keniger also finishes up on December 16, the university said today.

The moves follow a meeting of the University's governing Senate on Thursday, in which the situation with the two men was thrashed out.

In a statement today, UQ chancellor John Story, speaking on behalf of the Senate, said it had become "increasingly clear" that Professor Greenfield could no longer fully discharge his duties in a way "either he would like or which the university could expect".

Mr Story said the resignation of the university's two most senior executives was an extraordinary situation for any organisation, let alone one of the size and complexity of UQ.