Acknowledgement of Country

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, programs and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture.

In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia.

words written by Debra Bennell

Right from its inception as Australia’s first regional university, UNE has consistently redefined what a university is.

UNE’s first Vice-Chancellor, Sir Robert (Bert) Madgwick, pioneered distance education in the 1950s. Madgwick believed the University’s job is

to find out what people want, give it to them… and never take the easy way and start with what the University thinks they need.

The pioneering spirit lives on across UNE, with leading innovation in teaching design and delivery, whilst researchers test the boundaries of the unknown.

UNE now stands as the only public university to be awarded 5 stars for overall experience, on-campus and online, for the last 17 years running*.

UNE is now looking for an ambitious Vice-Chancellor with the courage and determination to assume Madgwick’s mantle - to resist conformity and push beyond convention to lead bold teaching and research that empowers people, wherever they are, to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Madgwick's spirit lives on at UNE.

"...to find out what people want, give it to them ... and never take the easy way and start with what the University thinks they need."

UNE’s first Vice-Chancellor, Robert Madgwick, pioneered distance education in the 1950s

Madgwick's legacy

Robert Madgwick, UNE's first VC

"The argument about what is proper and what is not makes me impatient, and wastes a great deal of time, which could be used in the field finding out what ordinary people are really like...their environments and what they want...

Sir Robert "Bert" Madgwick
Robert Madgwick, UNE's first VC

"Let us therefore accept as a challenge the differences that exist between ourselves and other Australian universities. Let us work out a curriculum that is our own, and not merely copied with minor modifications from the other universities...

Sir Robert "Bert" Madgwick
Robert Madgwick, UNE's first VC

"We teach not subjects or courses of study, but people. The danger is that the subject becomes more important than the student, and to me, the student, not the subject, must become the central feature of the university"

Sir Robert "Bert" Madgwick

The position

Stylised image showing an anonymous Vice-Chancellor leading a group of academics towards a romantically-lit Booloominbah homestead.

The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer is accountable for the strategic leadership and management of UNE.

As Vice-Chancellor you will lead the University with energy, flair and vision, plus exhibit the necessary leadership and emotional intelligence qualities to champion executive management of the highest order. Committed to the value of communication, you will possess the ability to motivate a complex organisation, and its rich mix of stakeholders, to develop, grow and achieve great things.

Candidate enquiries

The appointment of the Vice-Chancellor and Senior Executive Officer is supported by executive search firm Perrett Laver.

For a confidential discussion about this role, please contact:

T: +61 2 6198 3270

E: UNEVC@perrettlaver.com

Closing date for applications (TBC).

It is anticipated interviews will take place during March 2023.

A five-star experience

2024 Overall Experience Good University Logo

Five Stars,
18 Years in a Row

UNE is the only public uni in Australia awarded 18 straight years of five stars for Overall Experience

Good Universities Guide 2007-2024
2024 Student Experience Good University Logo

No.1 in NSW for
Student Experience

QILT (government-endorsed) ranks UNE as the top public NSW uni for Student Experience

QILT Student Experience Survey
2024 Teaching Quality Good University Logo

Five Stars for
Teaching Quality

UNE rates among the top 20 per cent of universities in Australia for Teaching Quality

Good Universities Guide 2024

Explore UNE

Explore UNE. The links below will take you to parts of the UNE website.