The federal education minister has referred concerns about the Australian National University in Canberra to the country's tertiary education regulator. Independent ACT senator David Pocock wrote to the minister, Jason Clare, on June 16 to raise concerns about governance and financial management at the ANU, which is pursuing a controversial restructure to save $250 million by 2026.

There has been widespread staff and community outcry over the university's ongoing plans to slash hundreds of jobs, after it revealed a cumulative deficit of around $600 million. Senator Pocock's letter, which also includes other unspecified serious allegations, has now been referred to the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA), which regulates higher education.

Mr Clare said he had also written to ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell on June 6 after hearing of 'significant concerns' from his ACT Labor colleagues and the broader community about the university. Education Minister Jason Clare has contacted the regulator with his concerns.

'I wrote to ANU seeking assurances that they are managing these issues appropriately,' Mr Clare said in a statement. Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne said she welcomed the minister's intervention. 'Over many months I have been meeting with ANU staff and community and have become increasingly concerned about the situation there,' Ms Payne said on social media.

More than 400 people attended a town hall address at the ANU campus and online on Tuesday night hosted by Senator Pocock, who said he had no confidence in the ANU's leadership. 'You're trashing an amazing institution,' Senator Pocock said in a response to crowd questions about ANU executives. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said the minister's referral to TEQSA was a significant escalation in oversight of ANU's process.

'This is incredibly significant. This is, in our view, unprecedented,' NTEU ACT Secretary Lachlan Clohesy said. 'Problems have been mounting at ANU, so we're looking at wage theft, conflicts of interest, job cuts, financial mismanagement and more going on at the ANU over a period of time. Those problems have mounted to such a significant extent in our national university that the education minister, who is understandably wary about ministerial intervention, has decided that he could no longer look away.'

The ANU is a Commonwealth authority, which means it is subject to public governance and public interest disclosure responsibilities, and is the only university over which the federal minister has jurisdiction. Renew ANU, which has spearheaded the university's financial overhaul since October 2024, said change plans had so far saved the university $12.5 million.

In a statement, TEQSA confirmed it was considering Minister Clare's referral. 'TEQSA is engaged in live compliance processes in relation to concerns at the Australian National University,' the statement said. 'TEQSA gives consideration to all concerns received, including those from the minister, and where warranted, outcomes can include undertaking regulatory processes to assure provider compliance.' 'As this is ongoing, it is not appropriate for TEQSA to comment further until these processes are concluded.'

The ANU has been contacted for comment.