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The NSW anti-corruption watchdog has launched an investigation into alleged corrupt conduct at the University of Wollongong, attending its campus and issuing a summons to its former interim vice chancellor.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has been probing allegations for months against current and former senior officials at the university.
A letter from the ICAC seen by the Herald confirms it is “currently investigating” allegations of corrupt conduct at the university. The document, which sets out details of a complaint made by a university whistleblower, refers to the watchdog’s “ongoing investigatory work” relating to the university.
While the letter was sent in 2025, the Herald can reveal that last month the ICAC successfully applied to the NSW Supreme Court to issue a summons to appear before an examination into the university’s former interim vice chancellor and the former chairman of Universities Australia, John Dewar.
The summons was necessary because Dewar lives in Victoria. The Herald does not suggest Dewar is accused of any wrongdoing in the ICAC’s investigation, only that he is being called as a witness.
However, confirmation that the watchdog is investigating one of NSW’s largest universities outside Sydney comes at a time of extreme turmoil for the tertiary sector. It follows evidence heard at a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the university sector of allegations of conflicts of interest in its use of consultants.
In December, the committee heard evidence that a long-serving university employee, Lisa Simmons, had been granted whistleblower protection after she flagged suspected corrupt conduct with the ICAC. Those allegations, which included alleged conflicts of interest at senior levels, were made alongside a claim that “accountability structures” had been “purposefully weakened” and internal criticism silenced.
The inquiry also heard allegations from a university staffer, Dr Adam Lucas, that the university had been indulging in “creative accounting”, which he said was then used to “justify” cuts to jobs and courses.
“Consultants provide a playbook, executives implement the playbook; it’s a fait accompli,” he said.
Last month, the Herald reported the inquiry’s interim report had found the running of the state’s universities was “not fit for purpose”, saying institutions continue to avoid transparency while using taxpayer funds for complex commercial deals.
The report singled out UoW for criticism, finding that a major university restructure developed with “significant input from consultants” in 2025 had resulted in “adverse impacts on staff”, including increased workloads and reduced job security.
“Evidence from the hearing raised questions about whether appropriate safeguards, probity processes and internal oversight were in place to ensure that consultant involvement did not unduly influence strategic decisions, senior appointments, or the direction of the restructure,” the committee wrote.
It recommended the university “should be compelled to detail its commercial activities, including those overseas”.
It also called for universities to provide full disclosure of consultant spending, and freedom of information laws should be overhauled to ensure transparency.
