Dear students,

I am writing to provide a further update on the progress of the appointment of our next Vice Chancellor.

The VC Selection Committee has made significant progress and I am pleased to advise we have identified a preferred candidate for our next Vice Chancellor.

While I cannot disclose further detail regarding our preferred candidate at this time, I expect to carry a recommendation from the Selection Committee Panel to our Senate meeting on 6 December 2021 for consideration and approval.

Leading up to the Senate meeting, the Committee will continue its due diligence work to finalise reference interviews, prepare and agree contracts and agree associated timing of the commencement of our new Vice Chancellor.

Following the December Senate meeting, I will be working with our candidate to agree an announcement process and as part of that course, I look forward to announcing our new Vice Chancellor.

I would like to acknowledge the commitment of members of the Selection Committee in ensuring we have maintained focus and momentum on a thorough candidate selection process – and in particular, for continuing to consider the feedback of staff with regard to values, competencies and experience expected of our future Vice Chancellor.

Significant time has been invested by members of the Committee to make sure we select a suitable leader to progress the strategy and success of Murdoch University.

I also take this opportunity to acknowledge how pleased I am that Professor Jane den Hollander has commenced this week in the role of Interim Vice Chancellor for the University. Jane will ensure we maintain strong leadership during this interim period, allowing us to continue to pursue our strategic objectives and maintain a focus on our staff and students.

As always, I will keep you updated as we progress with our critically-important recruitment process and look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Yours sincerely,

Gary Smith
Chancellor