Why are Australian universities facing a governance crisis?

Let’s agree that there is a governance crisis in Australian universities. Of course, not all of them, but they are too many to worry about. The evidence is there for all of us to see: four government investigations, unflattering headlines, resignations, leaks, and outrageous, unseemly behavior by people who really should know better.

The questions I’ve been asking myself for the last nine months or so are how bad is this crisis, how did we get here, and why now, why at this particular point in time?

Let’s start with some history.