Alison Barnes

🙌 Happy New Year!

Start the year protected, connected, and organised.

Join NTEU members making 2026 about better workplaces and better universities: nteu.au/join

2025 proved what we can achieve together.

2026 is about going further.

👉 Be part of something bigger. Join NTEU today: nteu.au/join

After breakthroughs over wage theft, university governance and much more this year, no wonder NTEU members were keen to celebrate!
If you missed the party at Trades Hall last week - no worries - come next year!
Become a member: nteu.info/joinnteu
#HigherEducation @vthc.org.au #HigherEd #AcademicSky

'Time to go': Calls for UTS VC to resign after staff no confidence vote The union-run vote comes as controversial, consultant-designed redundancies continue and politicians call for resignations.

The union-run vote comes as controversial, consultant-designed redundancies continue and politicians call for resignations.

“Professor Parfitt has admitted that elements of this plan were absolutely not in the public good, and were pursued in such a callous way that SafeWork NSW ordered a prohibition order due to what was deemed as a serious and imminent risk of psychological harm.” Sarah Kaine MLC

What do you want from Santa this Christmas?
Casie and Johanna from Baker Institute want more NTEU members!
Join NTEU: nteu.info/joinnteu
#HigherEd #HigherEducation #Union #academiclife #AcademicSky
@damiencahill.bsky.social
@alisonbarnes.bsky.social
@nteunion.bsky.social

Increase in university student numbers – Dr Alison Barnes, ABC news YouTube video by NTEU

📣 An extra 9,500 domestic university places will be available next year.

“Students are entitled to the best education, and we need more staff providing pastoral care in our classrooms rather than seeing thousands of job losses.” - alisonbarnes.bsky.social

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEGJ...

📣 Calling all university staff and students 📣

Our universities are growing – but what does that mean for teaching, learning and student support?

Take our short survey (5–10 mins) today: nteu.info/classes

Putting Student Voices At The Heart Of Universities The Allan Labor Government is putting students and staff at the centre of university decision-making, ensuring Victorian universities reflect the communities they serve.Minister for Skills and TAFE Ga...

This is the third parliamentary inquiry into uni governance - federal, NSW, now Victoria. NTEU members have exposed the damning evidence: $280m+ wage theft, outrageous exec pay, toxic cultures, corporate-stacked boards. We're winning government action. www.premier.vic.gov.au/putting-stud...

MAJOR UNION WIN 🥳 The federal government will implement a new set of university governance principles to strengthen accountability, transparency and public trust following recommendations from the Expert Council on University Governance.

Read more: nteu.info/majorwin
@alisonbarnes.bsky.social

This damning report is really worth reading and the language of the authors’ criticism of uni executives and their failure to acknowledge the governance crisis is uncharacteristically strong.

Academics dispute state of finances at leading Sydney university - ABC listen Almost one in every two Australian universities has been restructured in the past year, and there is more to come. Thousands of jobs have been cut, and thousands more are in the firing line. At the ...

Wish I could talk about the teaching and research achievements of our members but nonetheless was great to join former colleague Sue Wright, debunking the excuses of the vice-chancellors’ lobby group for management’s bad decisions www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

It has taken time to get university governance on the public radar.

Our sector has experienced casualisation, wage theft, & mass job cuts.

@nteunion.bsky.social, especially @alisonbarnes.bsky.social, have been great at going after the root cause - the leadership & governance crisis in higher ed.

Much attention has been on ANU but the governance crisis is broad and deep across the sector. Close scrutiny needs to be applied *everywhere*. This is shameful from UTS management.

The Senate inquiry’s interim recommendations are a massive win for @NTEUnion members’ campaign for governance reform. Transparency, caps on VC pay, stronger staff/student voices & tougher TEQSA powers – all welcome steps. There’s more to fight for!

UTS’s teacher education program set to close as university reveals plan to slash more than 1,000 subjects Of the 1,101 subjects to be discontinued, 463 had no student enrolments and weren’t taught in 2024, according to University of Technology Sydney’s proposal

This devastating plan is a disaster for the community and represents a
direct attack on the core mission of UTS. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Don’t stop the music: Jimmy Barnes signs on to save ANU school A group of 35 musicians have called on the ANU to halt proposed changes to the School of Music saying it will rob musicians of future professional careers.

Go Barnsey 🎸🎸🎸 www.afr.com/work-and-car...

ANU vice-chancellor resigns after months of controversy Genevieve Bell has bowed to intense pressure and resigned from her position as Australian National University vice-chancellor.

Bishop needs to go as well. There is no sensible governance arrangement where she gets to lead appointing a new VC. A new Chancellor / Chair and then a deep breath followed by a proper process to appoint a new VC / CEO needed. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Genevieve Bell resigns as ANU Vice-Chancellor, no word on the future of Renew ANU | Region Canberra UPDATE 11:35 am: The ANU has now independently confirmed Professor Genevieve Bell has stepped down as Vice-Chancellor and President of…

"A completely broken governance system has allowed unaccountable executives to cause enormous damage to staff, students and communities" - Alison Barnes, NTEU National President @alisonbarnes.bsky.social @nteunion.bsky.social #ANU
region.com.au/genevieve-be...

University staff 'disheartened and demoralised' as thousands sacked With the university sector in crisis, thousands face losing their jobs as unions blame poor management and students say they've lost hope.

Extraordinary for uni bosses to suggest they have no control over the bottom line. Yes, the government needs to scrap Jobs Ready Graduates and replace it. But vice-chancellors must own $734m on consultants in a single year and the executive pay explosion! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

In the last two years, ANU leadership has taken an approach of moving fast and breaking things.

Unfortunately, too many of those things were people.

Very proud of @nteunion.bsky.social members at #ANU. Now to lock in no forced redundancies. ✊

With @NTEUnion members at Victorian Parliament to speak with government MPs about the university governance crisis and the need for reform. Thanks to everyone who shared their horror stories with the MPs including Deputy Premier and Education Minister @BenCarrollMP.

Vice chancellors' decision to cut jobs while defending their excessive pay further erodes our public institutions and undermines trust in university governance.

Let's stand together for better universities 👉 betterunis.nteu.au

📰Read in full here: www.news.com.au/national/nsw...

Why ANU boss Genevieve Bell must go Replacing the Australian National University vice chancellor is a necessary first step to rebuilding the reputation of the ANU and restoring its legitimacy.

“Replacing the ANU vice chancellor is a necessary first step… But it is not a sufficient step…

If governance and policy direction doesn’t change, it won’t matter who sits in the vice chancellor’s chair – the outcomes for staff, students and the public will be the same.”

www.afr.com/work-and-car...

At today’s Senate inquiry hearing, VCs spent more time complaining about “compliance costs” than showing contrition for the governance crisis. They want to sack hundreds of staff, hiding behind false narratives instead of owning their disastrous workforce planning. www.news.com.au/national/nsw...

🎙️LIVE NOW🎙️

Hear from VCs in Sydney at the Senate Inquiry into university governance: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfKv...

To Australia’s university fat cats, who may yet face job cuts not of their own making – don’t forget to wash your underwear … It’s been decades since parasitic consultancies began advising our tertiary institutions, at exorbitant cost

Australian universities are a shit show and university managements who listen to corporate consultancy grifters are to blame. My latest in the @theguardian.com.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Australian writers shocked and ‘disgusted’ by closure of 85-year-old literary journal Meanjin After 85 years of continuous publication, Meanjin, Australia’s second-oldest literary journal, is closing.

“If the most prestigious university in Australia will not fund our most prestigious literary journal, then it makes you question whether or not universities actually care about Australian culture.”
johnmenadue.com/post/2025/09...

Petition to ANU Council In support of our petition, we observe that:  • ANU Council has the entire control and management of the University and is required to act in all matters concerning the ANU in the way it thinks w...

Meanwhile, keep up the pressure for change by signing our petition.
www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/pe...