Australia's universities have found themselves in crisis. But it has been decades in the making | Hannah Forsyth

Rather than a set of teaching and learning relationships, universities have become a bunch of metrics to be gamed. Unwinding these systems will take effort Past/Present is a column which places current events in historical context Universities are in crisis. Federal and state government inquiries point to serious problems with governance, financial transparency and managerial decision-making. The pressure on university leadership, particularly well-paid vice-chancellors, is mounting. After decades of public shaming, some university executives are finally starting to suggest that their “social licence” might require them to earn a more average wage. It comes at a time of relentless, often unexplained staff cuts for professional and academic staff. In some cases, Safework NSW has issued “stop work” orders due to “psychological harm”. Things are hardly better for students, who are facing a world in which affordable housing is often out of reach and intergenerational inequality has been exacerbated. They also face growing levels of student debt – which is needed, students are repeatedly told, so they can have a job one day, even as the threat of AI looms. All this seems t

Mar 16, 2026 → Apr 3, 2026