Overview
- The ICAC announced on Tuesday that it will hold a three-week public hearing into the University of Wollongong starting June 22 to examine alleged misconduct by senior figures.
- The inquiry will focus on three main claims: whether recruitment for governance roles was subverted, whether work was improperly awarded to Aspirall Consulting, and whether conflicts tied to John Dewar and KordaMentha were mismanaged.
- Reporting and parliamentary evidence say KordaMentha won a roughly $2.9 million contract for a 2024 transformation review while John Dewar served as interim vice-chancellor and retained ties to the firm.
- The university says it is cooperating with ICAC but will not comment while hearings proceed, and unions say consultant-driven restructuring in 2025 caused about 200 or more job losses and damaged staff morale.
- Unions and a parliamentary inquiry have called for greater transparency and stronger governance rules for universities, and the ICAC hearings could prompt legislative or sector-wide reforms to consultant disclosure and council accountability.