Address to the Annual TEQSA Conference, November 2025
In November 2025, the UCC Convenor Professor John Pollaers OAM was invited to speak to the Annual TEQSA Conference.
Universities are living systems.
They work when people talk to each other, listen to each other, and learn from each other.
And they go wrong when we shut down, assume the worst, or stop sharing what we’re seeing.
One thing I’ve said consistently, including to the Senate, is that good governance starts with self-reflection. If someone raises a concern, even if it feels unfair, the right response is to pause, listen, and check that our systems and our culture are as strong as we think they are. That’s not being defensive, and it’s not being weak. It’s being responsible.
Professor Macrae’s work reminds us that most failures don’t come out of nowhere. They start as small signs, “weak signals”, things that are easy to dismiss because they don’t look serious yet. The organisations that stay safe and trusted are the ones that notice those early signs and use them to improve.
That’s why I’m wary of throwaway lines like “management overreach.” They shut people down. They pit groups against each other. And they keep the real issues hidden. In universities, academic and professional staff aren’t two tribes: they’re two parts of the same system. When we treat them as opposites, we guarantee that important information goes missing.
The answer is stronger governance assurance: clear roles, good information flow, and predictable ways for issues to be raised and dealt with. It’s not about control; it’s about creating confidence that the system works.
And a big part of that is student and staff voice. And I mean real voice. Not symbolic. Not performative. Real representation on councils. Real advisory forums that feed directly into decision-making. Real support — training, preparation, clarity of role — so people can contribute with confidence. Students and staff often see things before anyone else. When their insights are welcomed and acted on, governance becomes smarter, faster, and far more trustworthy.
This is where the sector is heading.
Through the University Chancellors Council, we’re building a Social Licence understanding focused on integrity, transparency, workforce culture, and genuine partnership with students and staff. It’s about moving from a compliance mindset to a confidence mindset.
That’s what the sector needs now: to act as one learning system across councils, management, staff, students, and regulators — open in culture, humble about what we don’t know, and serious about getting better every day.
Because systems don’t fail from lack of rules. They fail when people stop listening. And they earn trust when they listen well.
Thank you.