Burgmann College - Leadership Struggle 2005

Leadership Struggle 2005

In August, 2005, Dr Lewis Rushbrook, the longest-serving Principal of an ANU college, was ousted when a combination of student, convocation and church representatives on the College's governing body, notably Council Chair Mr Len Goodman AO, combined to reject an extension of his tenure. The move caused ripples around other ANU colleges and marked a shift in power on the College's governing body, away from representatives of the college's sponsor churches, in favour of student and convocation (alumni) representatives.

The College's governing Council voted 18-10 against offering Dr Rushbrook a new 3-year contract. The margin of 8 votes was the same as the number of student representatives who voted at the Council meeting. It is assumed that student representatives voted as a bloc after undergraduate and postgraduate student leaders united in opposition to Dr Rushbrook's renewal and rejected an eleventh-hour plea from Council member and Rushbrook supporter, Professor Campbell MacKnight. The ANU's representatives on Council, economist Dr Suiwah Leung and Director of Student Administration, Ms Gillian Luck, are also believed to have voted against renewal because of concerns about Burgmann's governance and financial position under Dr Rushbrook.

Board members advertised the Principal's position in the national media during June. In response, Dr Rushbrook gathered enough signatories to force an Extraordinary General Meeting of the College Council, to consider a motion to offer him a 3-year renewal. The Rushbrook team orchestrated a campaign to save his position, during which Ambassador John Dauth (see Notable Alumni) e-mailed all Council members in support of Rushbrook, and Rushbrook used the national college principals' mailing list to ask all Australian principals not to apply for his position. Students, led by council member Matt Bailey and BRA president Ed Cregan, responded with an intense lobbying effort before the crucial EGM. That the position of the student organization, BRA, ultimately prevailed both reflects and confirms that Burgmann's governance structure, unique among Australian colleges, gives students an unusual degree of influence and control over the College.

Fallout and Transition

Within six months of the August vote, Deputy Principal Dr Ben Evans, Staff Tutor Dr Antoinette Harmer and College Officer, Dr Doug Aberdeen had all resigned, representing a complete turn-over in Burgmann's senior staff after the Rushbrook ousting. The only senior staff member to survive the post-Rushbrook purge was Ms Jean Koper, who was elevated by new Principal Dr Philip Dutton from her old position of Bursar to the newly created position of "Deputy Principal (Administration)". Following a worse than expected financial outlook by July 2006, Dr Dutton introduced a 10 point Strategic Plan for the College that led to the closure of the Development Office, extensions to the student contract year and the resignation of Ms Koper to be replaced by a Business Manager, Ms Sue Garnett, in February 2007.

Arrival of New Principal 2006

Rushbrook's successor, Dr Philip Dutton, took up residence at "The Lodge" in early January, 2006. It is understood that, during the selection process, Council members grappled with the demands of finding a candidate who was both a competent administrator and academically meritorious. Dr Dutton spent his career at Monash University including two periods of residential leadership from 1975 to 1979 and from 1981 to 1984 whilst working in the Faculty of Education. He spent fours years as Dean of Students at University of Western Sydney before accepting the position of Foundation Head of Weerona College at Wollongong University in 1990 where he stayed until 2003. His doctoral studies in Education took him from Monash to James Cook University when his supervisor, Professor Diana Davis, moved to JCU. His thesis looked at academic support models in university colleges and included a comprehensive study of mentoring movement and its history as both an ancient phenomenon and a post-modern manifestation. Dr Dutton used his first months at Burgmann to address fiscal problems left behind by the previous administration especially in the areas of taxation, catering and insurance.

Further Progress

The eighteen months till the end of 2007 has seen a financial renaissance that has moved the College from a potential half million dollar blow out in 2006 to a positive turnaround of over $550,000 in 2007. This has been due to a gradual adoption of a standard 40 week student year, the negotiation of further financial support through university interests, the dramatic increase in summer trade and day business and cuts across the board in administrative and operational expenditure.