One of Western Australia¡¯s most senior judges resigned from Murdoch University¡¯s governing body after distancing herself from its?decision to?procure funds for a?A$105?million (?57?million) development while ripping A$25?million from its salary bill.

Carmel McLure left Murdoch¡¯s senate in March, more than 12?months before her three-year term was due to?end, amid a?secretive review of the university¡¯s governance and consternation over job losses and deteriorating work conditions.

Ms McLure had earlier dissented from the senate¡¯s resolution to draw A$15?million from Murdoch¡¯s A$100?million ¡°debt facility¡± to fund early works on Murdoch¡¯s long-proposed New Academic Building (NAB) project, a facelift of the university¡¯s main Perth site that will house 60?per cent of on-campus teaching in the largest timber construction at any Australian university.

The senate had earlier resolved to more than double Murdoch¡¯s borrowing limit to A$250?million, to cut spending on salaries by A$25?million and to adjust key performance indicators relating to Murdoch¡¯s financial health.

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The building project has split the university community, with some saying it is desperately needed to revitalise dated infrastructure and boost enrolments. Others question capital spending amid a pandemic that has ravaged university revenues and pushed teaching online ¨C a?change that Murdoch plans to make permanent for large-scale lectures.

During Covid-19, most Australian universities stopped building work unless it was near completion or there were contractual obligations to continue?it. Neither circumstance applies to the NAB,?on which construction began in June?2021.

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Ms?McLure is a former president of the Court of Appeal in the state¡¯s Supreme Court. The first woman appointed to this role, she was also awarded Australia¡¯s highest civic honour for her service to tertiary education, law and the arts. She did not respond to?³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ¡¯s requests for?comment.

Minutes from the senate¡¯s October 2020 meeting, in which she dissented from the decision to draw down debt, say an unidentified council member ¡°questioned whether the NAB was still in the best interests of the university in the post-Covid-19 world¡±.

Murdoch said the building would enrich virtual as well as face-to-face delivery. A?spokesman said the project featured ¡°the very latest digital technology¡± and flexible learning spaces including more than 1,000 ¡°informal learning seats¡±.

¡°Investment in high-quality learning environments is paramount for our student experience,¡± he said. ¡°To?serve the needs of our students and staff now and into the future, we need to invest in both physical and digital infrastructure.¡±

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Murdoch¡¯s senate is considering a report into the university¡¯s governance by former University of Western Australia vice-chancellor Alan Robson and consultant Geoffrey Kiel. Their review followed 2019 changes to senate guidelines that barred members from approaching regular staff for information about operational issues.

Murdoch¡¯s spokesman said that it was ¡°good practice¡± to undertake such reviews and that the results were kept confidential.

In a to the review, the Murdoch branch of the National Tertiary Education Union raised concerns that senate minutes and agenda papers were not publicly available. The submission cited an ¡°overriding¡± staff concern that the senate operated secretly and without scrutiny as a ¡°rubber stamp¡± for university management.

A recent staff survey gave Murdoch low marks for transparency. Just 24?per cent of the almost 1,200 respondents said there was ¡°open and honest communication¡± at the university, with 53?per cent disagreeing.

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john.ross@timeshighereducation.com