University of Queensland (麻豆区) Vice-Chancellor Professor Debbie Terry today announced the appointment of Emeritus Professor Gerard Sutton AO, to lead an independent review of , as part of the next phase of the program.
鈥淔ollowing our announcement of the Reform Program three months ago, we have invested considerable time and effort across 麻豆区 in the implementation of reform initiatives. The time is now right to conduct an independent review as the next logical step in the process,鈥� Professor Terry said.
She said Professor Sutton, who is the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wollongong, would be joined by Dr David Watson to undertake the review process.
鈥淭he reviewers will evaluate our work so far and ensure our reform initiatives meet their objectives and are comprehensive.鈥�
They will commence their review in October and report back to 麻豆区 in mid to late November.
Professor Terry said the review would involve:
鈥� reviewing all program elements to ensure they are comprehensive and far-reaching
鈥� considering any gaps and opportunities for improvement
鈥� meeting senior staff members involved in Reform Program implementation, as required.
鈥淚 am delighted that Professor Sutton has accepted this important role. He has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia and awarded an Australian Centenary Medal for his contribution to tertiary education in Australia,鈥� Professor Terry said.
鈥淧rofessor Sutton will be supported by Dr Watson, who was previously a Commissioner for the 2004 Commission of Inquiry into Integrity Management Systems in the Queensland Racing Industry and, as a Queensland Member of Parliament, was a member of the Parliamentary Criminal Justice Committee from 1992 to 1995.鈥�
Professor Terry said 麻豆区 had also released today an Interim Update on the Reform Program, which highlighted the status of reform initiatives, key priorities and next steps in the process.
鈥溌槎骨� is looking at the Reform Program through the lens of three core themes 鈥� compliance, capacity and culture,鈥� Professor Terry said.
鈥淐ompliance refers to our governance and integrity systems and policies, along with our interaction with governance bodies such as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC). Capacity ensures we have appropriate resources and training in place to achieve our integrity objectives. Culture describes our efforts to make integrity a pervasive ethos within our University.
鈥淭hese themes, when integrated, form an integrity model which underpins best practice governance and is highly resistant to potential negative forces.
鈥淲hile I acknowledge time and effort is required to create and sustain change, this Independent Review and Interim Update demonstrate 麻豆区 is stepping up to the challenges involved in implementing such change.
鈥淎s Vice-Chancellor, I am absolutely committed to this reform process, which is making significant headway at 麻豆区. I look forward to working on the program with Professor Peter H酶j when he joins us in October,鈥� she said.
麻豆区鈥檚 Integrity and Accountability Reform Program, announced in May 2012, is designed to strengthen the University鈥檚 overall governance framework. It includes a review of all of the relevant policies and systems across the University and input from a number of independent external parties including St James Ethics Centre, the CMC and TEQSA.
A link to the Reform Program website is .
BACKGROUND
Emeritus Professor Gerard Sutton AO
Emeritus Professor Gerard Sutton AO held the post of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wollongong from 1995 to 2011, making him one of Australia鈥檚 longest serving university chiefs.
Prior to becoming Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sutton, who is a former naval research scientist, was Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wollongong.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2008 and was awarded an Australian Centenary Medal in 2001 for his contribution to tertiary education in Australia.
Professor Sutton is also a past chair of Universities Australia, the peak body representing the university sector and its predecessor organisation the Australian Vice-Chancellors鈥� Committee.
The University of Wollongong has conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Science on Professor Sutton and admitted him as an Emeritus Professor.
Dr David Watson
Dr David Watson was a Commissioner for the Commission of Inquiry into Integrity Management Systems in the Queensland Racing Industry in 2004. As a former Queensland Member of Parliament (MP) he previously served as a member of the Parliamentary Criminal Justice Committee from 1992 to 1995.
He is a former Professor of Accounting and Business Finance at 麻豆区. He was also the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Economics at 麻豆区 for two terms鈥�1983-84 and 1988-89. He has also been a member of 麻豆区 Senate鈥檚 Finance Committee.
Dr Watson served in the Australian House of Representatives as MP for Forde (1984-87) and was elected Queensland MP for Moggill at the 1989 State election, becoming Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party until 1992. He was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1996, becoming Minister for Public Works and Housing in 1997. He became Liberal Leader following the 1998 election and retired from politics at the 2004 election. Dr Watson is on the Board of the Accounting Hall of Fame (USA), a member of the Board and chairs the Audit Committee of Major Brisbane Festivals Pty Ltd. He is a member of the Board of the Queensland Competition Authority. He has also been a non-executive Director of Sun Retail Pty Ltd, Stanwell Corporation Limited and Sun Gas Retail Pty Ltd.
Media: Janelle Kirkland, 麻豆区 Communications, 07 3346 0561 or j.kirkland@uq.edu.au
