Staff at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have voted overwhelmingly to declare they have no confidence in Vice-Chancellor Andrew Parfitt, with 95% of voters supporting the motion. In this historic vote, open to all UTS staff members, more than 1500 UTS staff participated.
The extraordinary rebuke follows months of key failures of the VC’s leadership team and the ‘Operational Sustainability Initiative’, which has proposed cutting hundreds of jobs and suspending enrolments in over 120 courses.
The results of the ballot, conducted on behalf of UTS staff by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), were formally announced at a UTS community rally on campus today to a large crowd of staff, students and community members.
Attendees were joined by Labor MLC Dr Sarah Kaine and Greens Deputy Leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
This announcement comes the day after a VC All-Staff Town Hall was ended abruptly by the Vice-Chancellor after a sequence of critical questions and comments from UTS staff.
Quotes attributable to Dr Sarah Attfield, NTEU UTS Branch President:
“This powerful response from staff confirms what we have already known and felt deeply for many months now – the Vice Chancellor's plans are not aligned with a public institution, and staff have little faith in his leadership.
“Staff are exhausted, demoralised, and fearful. We have seen our colleagues pushed to the brink, courses slashed, and the student experience threatened—all while the VC and his executive ignore the people who keep this university running.
"Today’s results send a clear message to the public and UTS Council: the Vice-Chancellor has lost the mandate to lead. The destruction of our university community must stop. Staff are here, ready and eager to work towards a better future for UTS with new leadership."
Quotes attributable to Vince Caughley, NTEU NSW Division Secretary:
“UTS staff have delivered an unmistakable verdict: they have no confidence in Andrew Parfitt, the financial basis for these cuts has never stacked up, and the entire process has been botched from the start. The Vice-Chancellor must do the right thing and resign, and UTS must recognise its public duty and walk back these damaging cuts immediately.”
“This vote also exposes a deeper problem: governance reform in NSW is now urgent. Multiple university managements have created crises of their own making, yet there are no formal mechanisms for staff or the public to interrogate the books, scrutinise Council decisions, or recall a Vice-Chancellor who has lost the confidence of their community. Corporations and charities have these safeguards but shamefully our public universities don’t.”
“The NSW Government now has a clear responsibility to act to restore real public scrutiny and accountability to these crucial public institutions.”
Quotes attributable to NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes:
“Unfortunately, what's transpired at UTS isn't an isolated case.
"Unaccountable vice chancellors' damaging decisions are tearing at the fabric of our public universities with staff, students and the community the ones who suffer.
“The UTS debacle is a classic example of why the Senate inquiry into university governance called for staff to be involved in best-practice and meaningful consultation for any major change."
Contact details:
Trevor Murray, 0499 023 585
