For background on this issue, see my report of the Senate meeting of 25 May 2006.
The response of the Federal Minister of Education is here.
It's now apparent that the University was not required to change the constitution of its committees, particularly the Finance Committee, but the interfering conservative Federal Government of the time is glad they did.
It seems the then Vice-Chancellor's desire to exclude staff and students on the basis of "conflict of interest" (when has it been a problem before now?) is the real reason for the change.
For an update on this issue, see my report of the Senate meeting of 27 July 2006.
And for more on the possible future size of Senate and what it could mean, see my report of the Senate meeting of 31 May 2007.
