University of Southern Queensland Vice Chancellor Geraldine Mackenzie has quit, less than a week after the National Tertiary Education Union warned of potential job cuts at the Toowoomba campus.
Last week the union warned that the Toowoomba campus could be hard hit by job cuts in a bid to plug a $32 million budget hole.
NTEU UniSQ Branch President Professor Andrea Lamont-Mills said the union believed 60 jobs had been lost already, with one area set to lose almost 40 per cent of its staff.
“These job cuts are devastating for not only the people affected, but colleagues left behind who will inevitably be forced to shoulder massive workload burdens,’’ Professor Lamont-Mills said.
“The impact on Toowoomba, Ipswich and Springfield cannot be underestimated. A major regional employer shedding this many jobs will have enormous economic and social consequences.”
University of Southern Queensland Chancellor John Dornbusch announced Professor McKenzie’s departure this week.
“Professor Mackenzie has led the University to deliver a number of key achievements, particularly the acceleration of our research performance, including the $180 million iLAuNCH Trailblazer program, the launch of a new flexible academic calendar, and a suite of high-demand allied health programs,” he said.
“She has championed external stakeholder relationships and enabled the University to have renewed relationships with government and industry.
“On behalf of Council, I thank Professor Mackenzie for her service to the University of Southern Queensland.”
Professor Mackenzie’ was appointed as UniSQ Vice-Chancellor in 2017 and reappointed in 2021 followed senior leadership positions at various other universities.
In a statement Professor Mackenzie said it had been a privilege to lead the university.
“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together, particularly in strengthening UniSQ’s research and academic offerings, which have positioned us as a leader in key areas like allied health and space innovation,” she said.
“Research in our key flagship areas of space and defence, agriculture, health, and regional development has a significant impact across the world, while our graduates earn the highest median starting salary in the country.”
The University Council has appointed Provost, Professor Karen Nelson as Acting Vice-Chancellor.
