Chancellor introduction

Having spent a little time in the role, and after recently chairing my first meeting of the UTS Council, I would like to thank to all the people who have reached out to congratulate me on my appointment and welcome me to UTS. I have had an association with UTS for more than a decade, working with researchers, successive Vice-Chancellors and the university’s leadership, as well as a period on the Industry Advisory Board of the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.

Over the years I have been impressed by the breadth and quality of the university’s research, its engagement with external partners and its integration into the physical and cultural fabric of our city.

I have also admired its commitment to the wider community and its students, something that I have seen close up as the father of a UTS graduate.

I am looking forward to getting to know UTS better in my new role and to playing a part in the ongoing success of the university and its people.

Over the last month or so I have had a chance to meet many people and to discuss the opportunities and challenges for UTS and the wider sector. I am grateful for the frankness and candour of these discussions which have been very helpful informing my views about various issues which will be on Council’s agenda for the year ahead. Some have spoken with me about opportunities to extend the university’s impact in the wider community. Others have talked about some of the disruptions over the past year and the challenging environment for the sector going forward. I have listened carefully and I will continue to seek out opinions and feedback from across the university. 

I’ve been having regular discussions with the Vice-Chancellor, and I will continue to work closely with Andrew and other leaders in the university to make sure that Council is providing them with the support, guidance and feedback they need to ensure that UTS continues to thrive.

This is a time of disruption and change for the higher education sector. In discussions to date, I have been asked how the Council intends to engage the UTS community to meet some of these challenges and build greater trust in the governance of the university. I have also been asked how UTS will respond to the Federal Government’s Governance Review and other regulatory changes. I have begun to engage Council on these issues, and we have agreed on a number of changes which can be implemented fairly quickly. These will include:

An independent review of governance to be commenced in the first half of this year.
Changes to the remit and membership of some of the Council’s sub-committees.
The establishment of a new People and Culture sub-committee.
I have also invited other members of Council to join me on visits to faculties, schools and institutes throughout the year. Hopefully this will respond to some of the requests for greater engagement with Council members.

UTS is an extraordinary institution with a unique culture. Everyone I’ve spoken with so far has emphasised how much they value that culture and how much it supports the work of the university.

I am excited to become part of the UTS community, and I hope to play a role in ensuring that the strengths, passion, ambitions and impacts of UTS are understood by everyone who engages with UTS, and by those who haven’t yet heard of us.

I am looking forward to working with you in the years ahead.