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The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp (UOW) will commence the next stage of consultation with staff in line with the requirements of our enterprise agreements after releasing the UOW Operations Revised Change Proposal. The expected release date is 14 July 2025.

Like many universities, UOW is facing significant financial challenges, in part due to the Australian Government’s changes to visa processing and migration policy, and a sharp reduction in international student numbers. As a result, UOW has suffered a $35 million drop in revenue in 2024, with ongoing impacts in 2025 and beyond. There remains a clear ongoing need to reduce both salary and non-salary recurrent costs and to improve the effectiveness of our central services and operations more broadly.  

While there is a strong financial imperative to this change proposal, the outcome will be a platform to drive sustainable growth and impact, with a focus on enhancing academic, research and corporate services, enabled by investment in digital systems and technology. To do this, the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp is proposing to re-design its organisational structure to enable us to grow sustainably, amplify our impact and deliver exceptional outcomes for our students, staff and communities.  

The Draft Change Proposal re-designs UOW’s organisational structure to strategically position its operations and faculties for growth and future sustainability. This will help provide a platform for sustainable growth and impact, with a focus on enhancing academic, research and corporate services, enabled by investment in digital systems and technology. 

Some of the proposed changes include:  

• Establishing a Provost to provide unifying leadership of the faculties and drive execution of our strategic objectives and academic key performance indicators.
• A reduction from four faculties to three, together with a reduction of 18 schools to 11, to group related, complementary disciplines, promote interdisciplinary collaboration and simplify structures under the Provost.
• Creation of a new Growth portfolio to unite domestic and international student recruitment activity, alongside our marketing, brand, communications and advancement functions, to provide a more holistic, agile and strategic approach to driving revenue growth for the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp.
• Resourcing the Office of the Vice-Chancellor to ensure a fully aligned team to support strategic coordination, effective governance, external engagement and high-level operational support.
• The implementation of shared corporate services to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our corporate services across the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp.
• Academic, student and research support services are also proposed to be reconfigured as a hub-and-spoke model within central portfolios to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of academic and student services. 

The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp is working to the following timings: 

• C´Ç³¾±è±ô±ð³Ù±ð:  Preliminary Phase: 3 – 14 February
• Complete:  Stage 1 Consultation: Monday 24 March – Friday 30 May
• Stage 2 Consultation: Monday 14 July – Monday 4 August
• Final Change Plan: Monday 25 August

Information for staff

If you’re a UOW staff member, you can access further information about the extent and nature of the change on the (staff login required).

Information for media

Media enquiries can be directed to the UOW Media Team via phone (02) 4221 4227 or email media@uow.edu.au

Information for students

Student feedback and enquiries about the Transformation can be directed to the Student Advisory Council (SAC).

UOW is proud of its student experience. Important core services will always be available, although how they are delivered may shift over time. Students will continue to be front of mind when decisions throughout the process are made.

All organisations, including universities, review costs on regular cycles. UOW is no exception, and these usual review processes will continue.

The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp has a long-standing commitment to supporting students and HDR candidates through scholarships and tuition fee relief where this is incorporated into scholarships. This commitment will not change. The value and number of scholarships has and will continue to vary every year.

The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp is listening to and liaising regularly with the Student Advisory Council (SAC).

So far this has involved:

• Briefings on the transformation from Senior Executive and been invited to advise the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp on consultation with the student community.
• Information on student experience insights and participated in workshops to surface critical issues for students for consideration in the transformation process.
• Facilitated questions from the student community being presented to the Transformation office.

How can students provide feedback?

Students can forward questions and feedback about Transformation by emailing uow-sac@uow.edu.au.This page will be updated regularly with information and FAQs addressing the issues that are raised by students.

Student Representatives also provide valuable input via ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp committees. Examples include, but are by no means limited to:

• ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp Council
• Academic Senate
• The Graduate Research Committee
• Faculty Education Committee
• The Faculty Research Committee

Students can also contact the AskUOW team. 

Complaints & Safe and Respectful Communities commenced a change process  to deliver a whole of UOW approach to complaints handling across staff and students as well as reviewing UOW’s Safe and Respectful Communities services.

The need for change is precipitated by changes at the sector level. The Australian Government’s Action Plan Addressing Gender-based Violence in Higher Education and the recently established National Student Ombudsman will further increase the need for a refined complaints process. In addition, the proposed National Code and the TEQSA Interim Statement of Regulatory Expectations: Student Grievance and Complaint Mechanisms will set standards and requirements that all higher education providers must meet to make students and staff safer.  

The process will run on a different timeline to the other parts of UOW Transformation.  

Proposed timeline:

• Preliminary Phase: 27 May - 20 June - Complete
• Stage 1 Consultation:  21 July - 18 August  
• Stage 2 Consultation:  8 September - 21 September
• Final Change Plan: 27 October  

Courses and subjects are reviewed routinely and ongoing – these usual processes are an important part of maintaining quality for students and will continue as normal. Changes to courses or subjects are not part of the proposal currently under consultation.

UOW will continue to provide technical services required to deliver world-class research. The operating model and staff providing these services may vary, such that the technical services are provided in manner that is sustainable by the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp.

The amount available to HDR candidates through the HDR Allowance is reviewed annually. The HDR Allowance rate in 2025 has not been reduced.

At present we have not identified any changes to HDR supervision as this proposal is in draft and under consultation. If at any time your supervisor leaves the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp, then the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp will work with you on an alternative supervisory arrangement.

Changes to the university operations and internal structures have been proposed, and the university is consulting with staff in accordance with professional services and academic Enterprise Agreements. No final decisions will be made until the conclusion of the consultation process in late July and UOW is committed to working collaboratively with staff throughout this period.

Up to date information about is always available at the UOW Current Students website.