NTEU is urging Deakin management to investigate a recent restructure at the university, following the sudden resignation of the man who led it, Peter Auhl, the former chief information and infrastructure officer, who departed abruptly "after discussions"with his employer.
As reported in the Geelong Advertiser, the controversial restructure saw dozens of staff let go, while close former colleagues of Peter Auhl were promoted to high-ranking positions.
You can read more reporting in the Geelong Advertiser.
The revelations come at a difficult time for Australia's university leaders, as the senate inquiry into university governance is already underway in Canberra, with criticism directed from all sides at the executives in charge of Australia's tertiary institutions, following NTEU's lengthy submission to the inquiry that detailed reports from members, covering wage theft, corporate graft, and frequent, excessive restructuring, among a range of issues.
You can watch NTEU's submission to the inquiry on YouTube.
Questioning the legitimacy of this restructure, given the sudden resignation of Peter Auhl and subsequent revelations, NTEU Assistant Secretary, Ruth Jelley has called for an urgent investigation by the university. Read the NTEU statement from Ruth below:
NTEU is deeply concerned by reports of alleged improper conduct involving the former Chief Infrastructure and Information Officer at Deakin University, Peter Auhl. We call on Deakin University to investigate any allegations relating to the selection and appointment of senior leadership in the department formerly lead by Mr Auhl. We are equally alarmed about reports from staff of bullying and a toxic top-down management culture that indicates a lack of respect for the expertise of staff.
NTEU is appalled by reports of the poorly implemented restructure spearheaded by Mr Auhl without adequate consultation with staff. The introduction of additional layers of management within the department have failed to delivered the promised improvements to systems and processes and raised questions regarding the transparency of senior leadership appointment processes.
NTEU calls on Vice-Chancellor, Professor Iain Martin, along with Chancellor, John Stanhope AM, to put an end to the relentless restructuring that Deakin University has undertaken in recent years. We also call on the Victorian Government to conduct an inquiry into the systemic governance failures at Victorian universities that have led to skyrocketing executive salaries and millions of dollars in wage theft across the sector.