Warden and chairman at University of Sydney's St Paul's college retire after latest scandal
The warden and chairman of the University of Sydney's scandal-ridden St Paul's college have both retired and the college council has announced a wider review of its governance structure, a week after the most recent incidence of "sexist behaviour" led to the NSW government flagging possible changes to the way university colleges are set up.
St Paul's warden Ivan Head, who has been in the role for 22 years, was at the centre of last week's incident in which he responded to a student's Facebook post comparing women to "harpooned whales" with a warning about the implications of such behaviour on residents' CVs. Chairman Angelo Hatsatouris has also retired.
The warden and chairman of St Paul's college will both retire, a week after the latest scandal.
Photo: Dominic Lorrimer"The council is greatly concerned by the attitudes expressed about women on the student Facebook page in March this year and acknowledges that it needs to address the aspect of unacceptable culture it indicates amongst the college's student body," the college council's deputy chairman, Andrew Sempell, who is now acting chairman, wrote in a letter to St Paul's community on Tuesday evening.
Mr Head also oversaw St Paul's controversial decision last year to boycott a university-wide review into college culture led by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, which the council attempted to reverse last week with a request to join the review more than a year after it commenced.
Mr Sempell told Fairfax Media: "The college council met on Monday night and from it came a resolution to review the governance of the college.
"It is early days at this stage, and a committee will need to be established to oversee the review process," he said.
Mr Head will retire from the role at the end of the year and Mr Hatsatouris has retired effective immediately, according to the letter.
The council will be responsible for appointing a new permanent chairman and "a new warden who will lead the college into the next phase of its life", Mr Sempell wrote.
"The current circumstances have provided an opportunity for the college to consider those things that need to change so that it may be a better place for its residents and visitors, both women and men, in the future.
"Recognising the need for strategic reform, the council is commencing a process to review the governance of the college with a view to bringing it more broadly into line with modern standards, the current needs of the college and its responsibilities to the university and wider community.
"It is acknowledged, for example, that the size and composition of the council, and the means by which appointments to council are made, require reform."
The college is allowed to govern itself under a colonial act of Parliament dating back to 1854 and all council fellows are currently elected by St Paul's alumni, leading to concerns that "old boys" are standing in the way of cultural change.
The chair of the university's Women's College Julie McKay said the incidents at St Paul's have damaged the wider reputation of colleges.
"I understand that the public's trust in the colleges as a collective has been impacted and I am committed to working with the chairs of the other colleges and the leadership of the university to rebuild that trust," Ms McKay wrote to students, parents and alumnae this week.
The Women's College council is made up of a mix of alumnae, external members and a university representative, according to the letter.
"[It's] a council with a cross section of skills and experience, and one that is gender and age diverse," Ms McKay wrote.
"Should the Minister for Education ... proceed with reviewing college governance, we would be open to sharing our current structure and processes and welcome feedback."
Another Sydney University college, St John's, has also been seeking changes to its similar governance structures since 2014 and its council has said that appointing at least some council members instead of electing them would "produce a council with an appropriately diverse range of skills and experience".
However, the changes have been met by resistance from St John's alumni.
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