The Western Australia Crime and Corruption Commissioner Len Roberts-Smith QC, has warned Curtin University’s senior managers that universities in Australia are at significant risk of misconduct and corruption.

Mr Roberts-Smith has now talked to all Western Australian universities and the Western Australia branch of the NTEU with the same message. Mr Smith said the main risks for universities included the learning process, with cheating, plagiarism, soft marking, favouritism; Research in falsifying results, favouritism in employing research staff, pecuniary interest, undeclared conflicts of interest and misuse of research funds; Financial processes which involve fraud and accepting bribes, gifts or other benefits; Staff behaviour such as falsifying credentials, plagiarism, favouritism, accepting bribes, gifts or benefits, pecuniary interest, undeclared conflict of interest and abuse of confidential information; Corporate behaviour in failing to take action if wrong doing is reported and collusion; and the behaviour between universities and private business. This can involve a lack of transparency in and evaluation of outsourcing and contracts and commercial activities, and a lack of market testing for services.

The Commission is set up to investigate misconduct, but is taking a broader approach to their jurisdiction and believes it to include such things as bullying. Mr Roberts-Smith argues that universities ignore and cover up issues of concern, victimise whistleblowers and sanction bullying, and a have willingness to deal with misconduct allegations against junior and non-academic staff but not senior academic staff. “ He also suggests that “some universities are more careful about taking action to protect their reputation than managing misconduct”.