ANU Council 6/2025
Schedule
Tuesday 19 August 2025, 16:30 — 18:30 AEST
Venue
Zoom
Description
The 496th meeting of the Council will be held at 4.30pm
(AEDT) on 19 August 2025 via Zoom.
All enquiries should be directed to the University Secretary,
Phillip Tweedie by email: xxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or
s22(Irrelevant)
Phillip Tweedie
University Secretary
Director, Governance and Risk
Notes for Participants
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://anu.zoom.us/j/88465471130?pwd=HcfCZsJxcp8erFOU
1mzz7F7d4Oa0Fx.1
Meeting ID: 884 6547 1130
Passcode: 856602
Organiser
Phillip Tweedie
Agenda
Important Information
Agenda Item 0 - Important Information.docx
1
PART 1 - PROCEDURAL ITEMS
1 - Procedural Items.docx
2
PART 2 - KEY BUSINESS ITEMS
2. ANU Response to matters raised at Senate
Agenda Item 2 - ANU response to matters raised at Senate.docx
3
Attachment 2A - Hansard Transcript.docx
6
PART 3 - OTHER BUSINESS
3 - Other Business
Agenda Item 3 - Other Business.docx
68
4 - Next Meeting
Agenda Item 4 - Next meeting.docx
69
Glossary
Glossary of ANU Terms.pdf
70
ANU Council 6/2025
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS
CONFIDENTIALITY
Members of Council and others receiving the agenda are reminded of the need for careful discretion in
the use and communication of Council business, referring to the University Secretary (and Director,
Governance and Risk), or other appropriate Council secretariat officer of the Council when in doubt.
Council business marked or declared confidential and any associated material is not at any stage to be
communicated to others by anybody without the prior authorisation of the Chair or the University Secretary.
All matters relating to individual persons, including appointments, enrolment, candidacy for degrees,
personal details, performance and conduct are declared to be confidential.
CONDUCT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
Members of Council are considered
officials for the purposes of the
Public Governance, Performance
& Accountability Act 2013. The definition of
officials includes all members of the ANU Council, as well
as all officers, employees and members of the University.
Division 3, sections 25 to 29 of the
Public Governance, Performance & Accountability Act 2013, sets
out the general duties of officials. As an
official, a member of the Council may be removed from their
position if they breach those general duties.
Duty of Care & Diligence
A member of the Council must exercise their powers, perform their functions and discharge their duties
with the degree of care and diligence that a reasonable person would exercise if they:
• were a member of the Council in the University's circumstances; and
• occupied the position held by, and had the same responsibilities within the University as, the
member of the Council.
Duty to Act in Good Faith and for Proper Purpose
A member of the Council must exercise their powers, perform their functions, and discharge their duties
in good faith and for a proper purpose.
Duty in Relation to Use of Position
A member of the Council must not improperly use their position to gain an advantage for themselves or
for any other person; or to cause detriment to the University, the Commonwealth or to any other person.
Duty in Relation to Use of Information
A member of the Council who obtains information because of that position, must not improperly use
that information to gain an advantage for themselves or for any other person; or to cause detriment to
the University, the Commonwealth, or any other person.
Duty to Disclose Interests
A member of the Council who has a material personal interest that relates to the affairs of the University
must disclose the details of the interest.
SUBMISSION OF ITEMS BY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
Members of Council should communicate to the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor or University Secretary
matters which they wish to have included on the agenda for a meeting of Council. Full details and
documentation relating to any items to be included in the agenda should be submitted at the earliest
possible time.
GLOSSARY
A glossary of common terms and acronyms used in the University has been included in the meeting
agenda pack and is also available on Convene.
Page 1 of 72
ANU Council 6/2025
*1.
PROCEDURAL ITEMS
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND APOLOGIES
Subsection 15(1)(d) of the
Australian National University Act 1991 provides that if a member of the
Council (other than an ex officio member) is absent without leave of the Council from three consecutive
meetings of the Council, the member’s office becomes vacant.
The Chair will invite members to seek leave from any future meetings of Council which they expect to
be unable to attend.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL PERSONAL INTEREST
In accordance with Division 3, section 29 of the
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability
Act 2013, members of Council are required to declare any direct or indirect material personal interest
in matters on the agenda.
Page 2 of 72
PART 1 – PROCEDURAL ITEMS
ANU Council 6/2025
* 2
ANU response to matters raised in the Senate Hearing on 12/8/25
PURPOSE
To determine how the University should respond to matters raised in the
Senate Hearing of 12/8/25, including who should lead the response and under
what authority.
PREPARED BY
Chief Operating Officer
SPONSOR
Chief Operating Officer
s47C (Deliberative matter)
ACTION REQUIRED
For discussion
For decision
For information
SPEAKER
Chief Operating Officer
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidential
Not Confidential
GOVERNANCE / MATERIALITY
Serious allegations have been made publicly about the actions of a number of senior officers and
employees of the ANU by Dr Liz Allen and others at a Senate Hearing on 12/8/25. The determination
of the University’s response to those allegations creates conflicts of interest for those officers and
employees and they should not participate in determining that response.
The allegations raised by Dr Allen specifically are concerned with compliance with relevant work, health
and safety and possibly other laws as well as the ANU Code of Conduct.
The allegations also give rise to reputational harm to the University and its officers and employees and
a range of other issues.
As ANU’s testimony outlined, an existing workplace grievance process was underway, however a
number of the allegations made are outside of the scope typically contemplated by the grievance
process, and the rights and protections afforded by the grievance process are no longer appropriate.
RISK
In addition to the risks outlined above, consideration should be given to the existing TEQSA compliance
assessment underway. The Chief Operating Officer has spoken to TEQSA in this regard.
Page 3 of 72
ANU Council 6/2025
BACKGROUND
The Senate is conducting an inquiry into the quality of governance in universities. ANU was invited to
appear on 12/8/25 and a number of ANU staff and students also gave public testimony, together with
the NTEU, Universities Australia, the Department of Education and Employment and TEQSA.
Dr Allen’s witness testimony included serious allegations against the Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor, Vice-
Chancellor and others within the University community, including testimony regarding events that took
place in Council meetings.
The University needs to decide how to respond.
SUMMARY OF ISSUES
s47C (Deliberative matter)
s47C (Deliberative matter)
ATTACHMENTS
2.1
Hansard Transcript
Page 5 of 72
ANU Council 6/2025
HECS
Higher Education Contribution Scheme
HELP
Higher Education Loan Program
HESA
Higher Education Support Act 2003
HESF
Higher Education Standards Framework
IO
ANU International Office
ISF
International Student Fees
ISFS
International Strategy and Future Students Division
ITS
Information Technology Services Division
Ledger - “C”
Activity relating to major capital works projects for building
infrastructure.
Ledger - “D”
Philanthropic gifts that are intended to be disestablished once all
monies are expended or conversion to a perpetual fund occurs.
Ledger - “E”
Activity relating to philanthropic gifts that are established to support
an activity or activities in perpetuity.
Ledger - “F”
Activity relating to full fee paying income, including International
Student Fees (ISF) and Domestic Tuition Fees (DTF) for post graduate
students.
Ledger - “Q” Research activity with no specific reporting requirements or need to
return unspent funds, consultancy activity, individual academic
research accounts.
Ledger - “R”
Recurrent activity funded by the University's main income streams.
Ledger - “S”
Activity funded from research grants that are managed under a
specific research contract with and without explicit reporting
requirements and deliverables.
Ledger - “T”
Activity for commercial operations of the University.
Ledger – “W” Externally-funded contractual projects (research and non-research)
without an obligation to return any unspent funds
LTC
Learning and Teaching Committee
NC
Nominations Committee
NCI
National Computational Infrastructure
NHMRC
National Health and Medical Research Council
NIG
National Institutes Grant
NSC
National Security College
OVC
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
P&C
People and Culture Division
PG
Postgraduate
PGPA
Public Governance, Performance & Accountability Act 2013
PID
Public Interest Disclosure
PSP
Planning & Service Performance Division
RBG
Research Block Grant
RC
Remuneration Committee
RII
Research Initiatives and Infrastructure
RIS
Research and Innovation Services
RTS
Research Training Scheme
SIS
Scholarly Information Services Division (Libraries & Archives)
GLOSSARY OF ANU TERMS
UPDATED AS AT FEBRUARY 2025 Page 71 of 72
ANU Council 6/2025
SLG
Strategic Leadership Group
TEQSA
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency
Tjabal
Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre
UA
Universities Australia
UAC
University Admissions Centre (for NSW and ACT)
UE
University Experience Division
UG
Undergraduate
ULO
University Legal Office
URC
University Research Committee
VC
Vice-Chancellor
GLOSSARY OF ANU TERMS
UPDATED AS AT FEBRUARY 2025 Page 72 of 72
