“My heart, like yours is missing a few beats,” said Vice Chancellor and President Glenice Hancock in an email this week that addressed the situation in Iraq and other events important to the university.

Here is the text of that message.

We need to keep our University running smoothly. We need to ensure that all our students are able to access their studies and services as normal. We need to maintain an environment in which opposing points of view about the current situation can be expressed and debated without fear of ridicule or discrimination. We need to ensure that all staff and students feel well respected and supported. Given our dispersed nature and the richness of our multicultural character, we have a unique opportunity to model how mutual respect, understanding and tolerance are more important than hostility and territoriality. I rely on everyone to contribute to this model.

Professor Hancock also alerted the staff this week about the pending outcome of the Nelson Review of Higher Education.

“The contents of that package have not been revealed and are, I understand, currently being analysed by the Expenditure Review Committee,” Professor Hancock said.

The Vice Chancellor said there was little point in speculating about what might/might not happen.

“There is no precise timeframe available but it is unlikely that there will be any formal announcements before the second week of April,” she added.

Following the announcement, a meeting of senior university managers will likely be convened to examine and analyse the possible impact on CQU.

The Vice Chancellor also announced that certified Financial Statements for 2002 must be submitted to the Auditor General by 31 March 2003 and our Annual Report and Financial Statements to the Minister for Education by 30 April 2003. “At this point, the outlook is encouraging,” Professor Hancock said.

----- Editor’s Note: Professor Hancock will take recreation leave from Monday 24 March to Friday 4 April (inclusive) and then visit CQU Fiji from Sunday 6 April to Wednesday 9 April. During that period (24 March to 9 April), Professor Kevin Fagg will be Acting Vice-Chancellor and President.