I am pleased to provide an update on the work that the La Trobe University Council has been undertaking to review and strengthen our governance arrangements, including in response to the release of the Final Report and Principles of the Expert Council on University Governance.
The Expert Council on University Governance was established by the Australian Government to examine governance standards across Australia’s public universities and to develop a set of principles that reflect contemporary best practice. The Final Report and Principles, released in late 2025, focus on strengthening accountability, transparency, diversity of perspectives and engagement with staff and students at the highest levels of university decision making.
Council has carefully considered the Principles and how they apply in the context of La Trobe University. We are strongly supportive of their intent to strengthen accountability, transparency and the diversity of perspectives at the highest level of university governance.
At our meeting earlier this month, Council agreed, among other measures, to expand its student and staff membership on Council from two staff (including the Chair of Academic Board) to three, and from one elected student position to two. This will uplift the proportion of staff and student representatives (excluding the Vice-Chancellor) to almost 30 per cent of our overall membership, and represents an important step in strengthening staff and student voice in University decision making. Elections for these additional positions will take place next month, and further information about the process will be shared shortly.
Council has also agreed to publish a short summary of key decisions and outcomes within one week of each Council meeting. This will provide greater visibility of Council’s work and priorities. The first of these summaries, from Council’s meeting on Monday 2 March 2026, is now available on our website.
These changes form part of Council’s broader program of work to align with best practice‑ governance principles and to continue fostering trust, transparency and engagement across our University community.
More information about University Council, including its role, membership and recent meeting outcomes, is available on the University’s Council webpages here.
Yours sincerely,
The Hon John Brumby AO
Chancellor