As the cash-strapped University of Technology Sydney (UTS) prepares to sack 10 per cent of its staff, five senior executives have spent more than $140,000 on flights, accommodation and food during a trip to the USA in May, leaked documents have revealed.
The documents show three of the executives flew business class, with flight costs, including US domestic flights, ranging from $21,000 to $23,000 each.
They include vice-chancellor Andrew Parfitt, who is leading a cost-cutting drive called Operational Sustainability Initiative (OSI), which aims to save the university $100 million annually, as well as two senior deans.
The cost breakdowns were released under freedom of information laws and then leaked to ABC News ahead of their public release.
The UTS estimated in a town hall meeting that there would be about 400 job losses and course cuts. (ABC News: Chris Taylor)
The accommodation bill for these staff totalled between $3,000 and $5,000 each across eight days from April 24 this year.
In a statement, a UTS spokesperson said alumni events were “important” and involvement of senior leaders was decided “depending on need”.
“The 2025 visit and functions were particularly important to nurture during a time of flux in US policies towards funding and collaboration with the higher education sector,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, ABC News reported a union survey had revealed one-third of UTS staff were suffering psychological distress as the university prepared to axe 400 staff.
OSI is being led by consultants KPMG at a cost of $5 million, which the university said was “standard practice”.
The leaked documents show two other executives were flown to the United States, one on economy at a cost of $7,200 and another on premium economy at a cost of $13,995.
The trip was to host three alumni events, including one held at sunset on the 71st floor of the Los Angeles Intercontinental and the second at New York City’s historic Penn Club on “clubhouse row”.
The Presidents and Provost Room at the Penn Club in New York City. (www.pennclub.org)
A selection from the menu at the Intercontinental included Humboldt Fog goat cheese, bacon-wrapped sea scallops and Emmolo sauvignon blanc, with the total for the alumni reception hosting 30 people, and leadership dinner of 11 people, costing $13,728.
The total cost of the alumni reception at the Penn Club of 44 people, and leadership lunch of 15 people, cost $12,288, and included items like blackened shrimp and seared fillet of beef gfrestiere.
As well as alumni engagement, the documents said the vice-chancellor and his team engaged in “thought leadership sessions” and 12 one-on-one meetings with alumni and donors.
One of the three alumni events was held on the 71st floor of the Los Angeles Intercontinental hotel. (Instagram)
The total cost of the food, accommodation, flights, catering, transport and food for the five staff totalled $140,119.09 according to the leaked documents.
“These visits provide valuable opportunities to deepen relationships with alumni, engage with donors and partners, explore new avenues for collaboration and identify investment and partnership opportunities,” the UTS spokesperson said.
“They also help extend philanthropic support, benefiting both our students and the university.”
‘Deeply shocking’ spending
National Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Alison Barnes told ABC News the spending was “deeply shocking”.
“It’s deeply shocking at a time when a university is crushing the livelihoods of a significant proportion of staff,” Dr Barnes said.
“It’s a terrible look to be enjoying business class flights, to be having fancy canapes in New York because you’re looking at really damaging the fabric of UTS.“
Dr Barnes says the spending is a terrible look when staff are facing job losses.
University governance was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when a Senate inquiry was launched to investigate transparency, accountability and effectiveness across the sector.
There have also been revelations of wage theft at some institutions, with universities forced to repay hundreds of millions of dollars.
It is not yet known if Senate hearings will resume later this year in the new parliament but an interim report alleged “systemic … non-compliance with workplace laws”.
Labor senator Tony Sheldon, who chaired the inquiry, said the revelations about UTS came as the institution was “spending millions” on accountants to slash jobs and cut courses.
“It’s vital for university administrations to be thoughtful about their decisions, particularly if, like UTS, they are proposing to cut hundreds of jobs,” Mr Sheldon said.
“Staff are living with uncertainty, and students are being told to expect less.”
Labor senator Tony Sheldon says university administrations need to be thoughtful about their decisions. (ABC News: Adam Kennedy)
University sector campaigns for more funding
The university sector is currently seeking greater government funding for teaching and research, with significant job losses looming at several universities.
“There is no doubt that Australian universities need greater funding, but when you see university executives taking business class flights, it cuts against those arguments for greater funding,” Dr Barnes said.
“Universities really need that cash but they need it to be spent on teaching, on learning, and student development.”
Australian vice-chancellors are also some of the best remunerated in the world, with the average annual salary across Australia’s 38 public universities now exceeding $1 million.
