UNIVERSITY of Newcastle Professor Jennifer Martin has been re-elected to her role on the institution's council, four months after she resigned in opposition to Whitehaven chairman Mark Vaile being appointed chancellor.
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Professor Martin told the Newcastle Herald she decided after Mr Vaile walked away from his role to stand for the elected academic staff representative role she had vacated.
She said she wanted to finish the job she started and had received encouragement from colleagues and acquaintances.
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"I was put up to it by a number of members of the community," she said.
"I think I had decided that I had done my bit and I was walking away from it. It did take quite a bit of convincing.
"But I also felt that the issue of Mark Vaile's appointment had been resolved and now I wanted my role back. This had been a line in the sand and the Hunter really needed to focus on the future and I probably had a role to play in that future.
"What happened is in the past now, that's been dealt with and this whole issue of it being a really critical time for Newcastle is still there."
Professor Martin was the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) Newcastle branch's endorsed candidate and will hold the role until August 31, 2022.
She had started what was supposed to be a two-year term on the council in mid 2020. Her resignation in June sparked a large scale campaign that garnered national attention.
"I sort of had a mandate from the people in a way," she said.
"I feel it's important I'm there to help refocus the university about what our major role is going forward.
"The Hunter is in transition and as a member of the council I have to work within the council to ensure that we lead the organisation in a way that is in alignment with our strategic plan.
"I'm really future focused and want to make sure our university is future-proofed in terms of the big challenges. Obviously climate change is the biggest challenge for this generation, but there are other issues I think for boards and councils, including cyber security, workplace sexual harassment, other environmental and social agendas, that the community expects boards and councils to be aware of, particularly after things like the Hayne inquiry into the banks... I'm delighted to be back."
Professor Martin said she hoped to rejoin a "positive environment" on the council and for members to work alongside Vice-Chancellor Alex Zelinsky and management to position UON as a leader of the region's post-coal transition.
"I want to help ensure the membership of council is representative of the communities it serves and the communities of the future," she said.
"It's way bigger than me or my concerns about whether it will be a pleasant job, it's about the future and the future of our kids and I want to use the skills I've got to be able to move away from the histories of the people on council and more to the business that we've been entrusted to do."
NTEU branch president Dan Conway said he wasn't surprised staff had supported Professor Martin's re-election.
"She has proven she will not be a group mouthpiece but a strong independent voice and will act in staff and the university's best interests," Mr Conway said.
"She, I imagine, now feels vindicated by the overwhelming staff support that she did the right thing for the future of the university and the Hunter region in speaking out."
Mr Conway said there was reinvigorated staff interest in the governance of UON and staff and student representation on the council.
"For example, many casual/session staff and conjoint (unpaid) teaching staff have expressed disappointment that they had no right to vote in these staff representative elections," Mr Conway said.
"Further, on the back of member and staff requests, NTEU will be pushing to have University Council meetings public once again so that staff can observe discussions and lift the veil on the interests and debates behind University council decisions.
"Public institutions should be accountable to the public, and the return of general council meetings would be one way of achieving such.
"I hope this closes the door on what has been a distracting time for our peak governance body. Council can now refocus on planning for the future, and holding management to account in achieving the promises they have made in justifying change.
"Too often, change is effected, the processes are not transparent, doesn't achieve what was promised, and those in charge are never held accountable."
President of the Society of University Conjoints of Newcastle Associate Professor Rob Eisenberg said the group was "delighted" the university community had recognised Professor Martin's "integrity and self sacrifice". He said her re-election sent "a strong message that transparent independent university leadership is crucial" and UON must lead the "transition to being a world green hydrogen powerhouse".
UON confirmed the election results but did not answer subsequent questions.
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