Universities across NSW may be compelled to change their governance structures next year.

NSW Education Minister Verity Firth said the government planned to introduce significant legislative reform of university governance early next year.

“We’ve basically said to all the vice-chancellors that we’re happy to work with them to make their university councils work as they would like them to,” Ms Firth said.

The University of New England (UNE), where a conflict between vice-chancellor and chancellor in 2008 led to a parliamentary inquiry, has devised a mechanism for the removal of a chancellor and would like to see this included in next year’s omnibus legislation.

At the University of NSW, vice-chancellor Fred Hilmer wants the freedom to appoint, rather than elect, members to alumni positions.

He says as few as 1 per cent of alumni vote, making it too easy for sectional interests to sabotage a governing body.

Ms Firth said the idea of the omnibus bill for an update of university statutes arose from the parliamentary inquiry.

By Bernard Lane at the Australian