‘Game of Thrones’ culture claim in SA university merger

It comes as the new Adelaide University prepares to launch its brand, logo, website and international student marketing in mid-July after getting approval from the national higher education regulator this week.

The new brand has been endorsed by the governing councils of both the University of Adelaide and UniSA, according to an all-staff email sent by UniSA on Monday.

But Miller said not all senior management from the two institutions were working together well on other parts of the merger.

He said co-leadership arrangements between the two institutions for different domains of the merger have led to “clear and obvious tensions”.

“The perception from staff is that this is actually a giant Game of Thrones,” Miller said.

“Essentially, Uni of Adelaide and UniSA have put up one person each to lead those various domains.

“But really, this is a contest between all of those personalities for the final spots of the new Adelaide University, which itself causes tensions, breakdowns and dissonance.”

Miller claimed this perception was “widespread” among staff and backed up by correspondence he has had with staff inside the Integration Management Office (IMO), the body set up to manage the merger with help from consulting firm Deloitte.

“They (in the IMO) say that it’s on for young and old,” Miller said.

“There’s a lot of angriness, there’s a lot of bitterness, there’s clearly people grappling for positionality… clear and obvious tensions. We’ve seen it ourselves in meetings that we’ve been at.

“So, this doesn’t bode well for a successful build when you’ve got that kind of Game of Thrones cultural dynamic happening alongside building a new university.”

The vice-chancellors of the University of Adelaide and UniSA, Peter Høj and David Lloyd, alluded to tensions in the merger process in an op-ed penned for Times Higher Education in March.

The co-leaders of Adelaide University said their journey towards the new institution was “not as linear as first conceived”, adding that a “deliberately democratic two-by-two approach across the board, gives rise to everyday tensions – and, let’s be honest, too many meetings”.

“[D]iversions abound as we attempt to deliver something never done before at this scale in Australia, with a university community of more than 500,000 staff, students and alumni offering different perspectives, experiences and of course, opinions,” Høj and Lloyd wrote.

In response to questions from InDaily, the co-vice-chancellors said: “To create a university of the future is an ambitious and innovative project, and requires healthy debate from within our communities about what Adelaide University should become to fulfill this aim.”

“Additional project resources are being allocated as needed to support the new University’s creation.”

Union push for change to trimester proposal

Meanwhile, the NTEU is pushing the new university not to adopt an academic trimester model, which would see staff and students shift to three 10-week semesters from two semesters

The trimester model was outlined in the new university’s transition plan last year but prompted staff concerns due to “misalignment” with school holidays and the calendars of other universities, potentially disrupting student exchange programs.

Miller said that staff have been “overwhelming critical” of the trimester proposal and expressed as much on IdeaPlace, the staff forum for the new university.

But an all-staff email sent by UniSA’s curriculum leaders last week indicated that Adelaide University would be proceeding with the trimester calendar.

The May 20 email states: “In the latter part of this year, we will commence work on exploring the gradual transition to a trimester calendar across the period 2026 to 2028 to support student experience of our new curriculum.”

“It is important that we carefully model and assess the considerations required to support effective implementation of a trimester model.”

Miller said the new university’s persistence with the trimester model was evidence that “the wheels are falling off co-creation”. Co-creation has been the new university’s catchphrase for its transition planning.

“People are thinking… all we’re really being asked to do is provide feedback to decisions that are located somewhere else in a mysterious subset of senior management,” Miller said.

Lloyd and Høj said the trimester model was referenced in the transition plan “as the overarching preferred model for delivery of content, and which would benefit students by enhancing opportunities provided by the new curriculum”.

The co-VCs also said staff engagement on the merger was taking place “in a structured way” and IdeaPlace was “one of several mechanisms we are using to gather ideas and support co-creation”.

“Engagement to explore a phased transition to a trimester calendar will take place later this year, with further consultation,” Lloyd and Høj said.

“All comments previously posted to IdeaPlace on the topic have been captured and will be referenced when this engagement commences.

“We want to explore this potential transition together, including working through implications for operations, services and staff. Regular meetings are also being held with union representatives.”