Updated ,first published
Julie Bishop has resigned as chancellor of the Australian National University, seven months before her term was due to end.
The former foreign minister became chancellor of ANU in 2020 and was due to finish her term at the end of this year. However, on Thursday night she informed the university and the Albanese government that she would no longer continue in the role.
Bishop’s five years at the university have been plagued by scandal and controversy. Hours before Bishop’s resignation on Thursday night, this masthead revealed a months-long standoff over an email she sent was only resolved after the university was reminded that failure to adhere to freedom of information laws could result in a prison sentence. There is no suggestion that she was responsible for the failure of the university to produce the email.
Last week, the university regulator Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) took the unprecedented step of intervening in ANU’s hunt for Bishop’s replacement.
In October, TEQSA also flagged concern with ANU about its council’s culture and the “adequacy and effectiveness of governance oversight”. Last week, it announced that a “voluntary undertaking” from ANU will see the next chancellor chosen by a majority-independent panel with an independent chair instead of by the university’s council as is usual practice.
Bishop appointed controversial academic Genevieve Bell as vice chancellor, whose oversight of the controversial Renew ANU – a program designed to find savings for the struggling university – ultimately led to Bell’s early departure from the role.
Staff and students passed a vote of no confidence in Bishop last year; also in 2025, an ANU staff member accused Bishop of bullying her “into near suicide”; a vote of no confidence in Bell and Bishop made headlines the same year.
Bishop said in a statement at the time that she had never interacted with staff “in any way other than with respect, courtesy and civility”.
Last month, the National Tertiary Education Union claimed that the university overstated its fiscal problems to the tune of $125 million to justify redundancies and called for the council to be spilled.
Sources within the Albanese government said that Bishop’s resignation “did not come as a surprise”.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said that it would take time to rebuild trust in ANU.
“I have consistently said the university leadership and council need to work openly and constructively with staff, students and the broader community to rebuild confidence and agree on a path forward,” Gallagher said.
“That remains the task ahead for the university.”
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