Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor Designate, Steven Schwartz, Gives an Interview. (October 1, 2005)

Steven Schwartz

  On May 22, 2003 the UK's Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke, requested the Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University, Steven Schwartz, "to conduct an independent review of the options which English institutions providing higher education should consider in assessing the merit of applicants for their courses". That review, Fair admissions to higher education: recommendations for good practice was published in September 2004.

In concluding his forward to the review Professor Schwartz wrote, "I believe that we should be trying to build a society in which as many people as possible are free to make choices about how they live and are free to achieve their potential. The fairest and most acceptable way to achieve this is through higher education. If we have a fair admissions system, then success will not depend on connections, money or influence but on talent and motivation. This is a goal worth working towards."

Just how able he will be in effecting that goal when he comes up against the Minister for Education, Science and Training and his Bureaucratic bulwark is a moot question.

Over the years as a university administrator, Professor Schwartz has gained a reputation as a "hard man" not afraid to crack heads.

According to Paul Sheehan, writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, "As the vice-chancellor of Brunel University in London for the past three years, Schwartz went out and recruited new talent. He got rid of 60 staff, mostly teaching academics who did not do much research." Not an approach that endeared him to the Association of University Teachers who came out swinging against the New York born Schwartz who came to Australia in 1978 and stayed until he was recruited by Brunel in 2001 to take up its vice-chancellorship.

In his interview with Sheehan Professor Schwartz, who takes up the Macquarie University Vice-Chancellorship on February 1 was circumspect.

    I'm a bit wary of coming across as telling people what to do, as if I know everything before I even get there. I do not come to Macquarie with all the answers. I do not even know all the right questions yet. I plan to spend my first 100 days listening and fact-finding. I can say that I believe a university's international reputation is determined mainly by its scholarly performance, so I will do what I can to ensure that Macquarie does well in research.

    I should also say, with some emphasis, that I expect to work co-operatively towards a common goal with all stakeholders, including staff unions."

In regard to his term as Brunel's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Schwartz says, "It was particularly gratifying that Brunel progressed up the league tables in every one of the last four years. We achieved this not by turning the university into a business but by being business-like. We set targets, employed strategies to reach targets, and measured our progress... Over the past three years we employed more than 100 new research-active academic staff and increased our research income by 50 per cent...

    "This does not mean neglecting teaching. Research universities are excellent teaching universities as well, because academics who are actively engaged in their fields, who work at the cutting edge of their disciplines, communicate their excitement about their subjects to their students."

    In his final annual report from Brunel, Schwartz writes, "Brunel moved up from No. 30 to be ranked 27 out of 122 institutions in this year's Guardian league table (in the top 22 per cent of universities). This exceeds our eight-year target to be in the top 33 per cent. But The Guardian's ranking excludes research. The Times 2005 league table [which includes research] ranks Brunel 43 of 111 institutions (top 38 per cent)."

However, it is also the case that Brunel is not listed in the Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University rankings, i.e. it is not in the top 500 of the world's universities. Macquarie came in the 203 - 300 group.

It would be good to see Professor Schwartz bring Macquarie University up to where it rivals the current best of Australia's Group of Eight but he may find he'll be swimming through glue.