REDACTED: UniSA blocks release of merger details

InDaily filed a freedom of data (FOI) request final month asking for the minutes of the June assembly the place UniSA’s governing council voted to assist the Malinauskas Authorities’s push to create a newly merged college.

In response, UniSA on Monday launched a closely redacted nine-page doc containing minutes of a council assembly held on Monday, June 26 from 6pm to eight.38pm.

Of the 13 agenda gadgets within the minutes, solely three – the assembly opening, acknowledgement of nation and assembly closure – are unredacted.

The next agenda gadgets had been utterly, or almost utterly, blocked out:

• Members’ pursuits and declarations of conflicts.
• Consideration of the feasibility evaluation, enterprise case and monetary plan, federal and state authorities assist, authorized and legislative assist, transition plan and draft heads of settlement.
• Supporting documentation.
• Proposed Memorandum of Understanding.
• Results of the council vote – create a brand new college.

One agenda merchandise has its title redacted so it’s unclear what was mentioned. A full copy of the doc launched could be discovered under.

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One of many arguments made by the college’s FOI officer as to why the minutes shouldn’t be launched in full was that disclosure would “probably trigger confusion and pointless concern concerning points mentioned in the middle of the proposed merger”.

All members of the UniSA council had been current for the June 26 assembly, the minutes state, and a vote to “create a brand new college” was held utilizing the confidential digital voting system, Huge Pulse.

Voting opened when the assembly adjourned at 8.38pm on Monday and was open till 4pm on Thursday, June 29.

The assembly was reconvened at 4.30pm on Thursday to announce the outcomes of the vote. UniSA then knowledgeable employees at 8.02pm on Saturday, July 1 that the merger with Adelaide could be progressing.

The outcomes of the council vote, and the 18 paragraphs detailing what the council voted on, have been absolutely redacted by UniSA of their FOI launch.

In its willpower, UniSA cited FOI exemptions making use of to paperwork affecting enterprise affairs, paperwork topic to authorized skilled privilege, inner working paperwork and paperwork containing confidential materials.

It additionally cited exemptions to paperwork affecting monetary and property pursuits and regarding operations of businesses.

The results of UniSA council vote to create a brand new college. All 18 paragraphs of the movement had been redacted by UniSA.

Alan Brideson, chief of employees to UniSA vice-chancellor David Lloyd, argued the minutes include info of “industrial worth” that, if launched, would “prejudice the pursuits of the College and the worth of that info”.

He additionally stated the minutes include “suggestions and/or opinions” concerning the proposed merger which helped UniSA come to its resolution that, if launched, “could inhibit the College’s means to acquire opinions or suggestions sooner or later”.

“General, the disclosure of the abovementioned info would diminish the worth of the knowledge, would have an opposed impact on the College’s means to conduct enterprise and prejudice the College’s industrial pursuits by permitting rivals (corresponding to different universities and training suppliers) to turn into conscious of the College’s proprietary and commercially delicate info,” Brideson wrote.

Brideson, who’s an accredited FOI officer, additional argued that redacting nearly all of the council minutes happy the general public curiosity take a look at as a result of releasing the knowledge would “on steadiness, be opposite to the general public curiosity”.

He stated releasing the minutes in full may disclose issues “imparted in confidential circumstances the place there was an affordable expectation that these issues would stay confidential” and will “inhibit frankness and candour in future communications and decision-making”.

“(Releasing the doc would) disclose the strategic considering and planning of the College, the discharge of which might severely compromise the College’s negotiating place and industrial pursuits sooner or later,” Brideson wrote.

“(It might additionally) prejudice the flexibility of the College to compete successfully in a extremely aggressive market; and probably trigger confusion and pointless concern concerning points mentioned in the middle of the proposed merger, significantly when these points are nonetheless the topic of consideration and dialogue or when they’re seen out of context.”

InDaily is making use of for an inner overview of the choice.

Federal funding assist mentioned for uni merger

One of many few revelations contained throughout the launched minutes is that there have been talks between the federal authorities and the schools over Commonwealth funding assist for the brand new Adelaide College.

Presently, the one exterior monetary assist publicly disclosed is a $444.5m state authorities assist package deal made up of perpetual funds, land acquisitions and worldwide pupil measures.

Beneath a bit titled “Federal Authorities Assist”, the minutes state that the UniSA council “reviewed the overview paper on the communications with the Commonwealth Authorities concerning funding and assist for the brand new college”.

Vice-chancellor Lloyd took questions on the matter. The remainder of the part is redacted.

The part of the June 26 assembly the place UniSA’s council mentioned federal authorities funding assist for the merger.

Premier Peter Malinauskas additionally wrote a “letter of intent” to the 2 universities on June 14, 2023 – two weeks earlier than the merger was agreed – to stipulate the “suite of assist measures” the state authorities would offer for the brand new college.

Particulars concerning the letter are redacted within the minutes. The Premier’s Workplace has additionally declined to launch that letter in a separate FOI request lodged by InDaily.

Consulting agency involvement revealed

InDaily can reveal that world consulting agency Accenture was concerned within the improvement of UniSA’s feasibility evaluation for the merger, after the agency’s Melbourne-based managing director, Ben Gilbertson, was listed as an attendee on the June 26 governing council assembly.

Following questions from InDaily concerning the FOI doc, a UniSA spokesperson stated: “To enhance our inner capabilities UniSA engaged Accenture to help in endeavor the feasibility research on the potential creation of the brand new College.

“Accenture representatives have attended some UniSA Council conferences linked with info they’ve assisted in making ready.”

Accenture has an current partnership with UniSA by an “Innovation Academy” the place college students can take a bachelor of digital enterprise diploma co-designed by Accenture and UniSA.

InDaily requested UniSA whether or not it contemplated if this current partnership may increase a battle of curiosity. In response, a spokesperson stated: “UniSA has rigorous procurement processes that think about dangers and any potential, precise or perceived conflicts of curiosity.

“The College has labored with various consultants and exterior companions in growing its trade focussed applications and all the time considers potential conflicts of pursuits.”

Requested whether or not another consulting corporations had been concerned in growing the feasibility evaluation, the spokesperson stated: “UniSA has engaged a spread of skilled and specialist advisors to help in endeavor the feasibility research on the potential creation of the brand new College.”

UniSA and the College of Adelaide have beforehand refused to disclose what consultants had been utilized in growing the enterprise case and feasibility assessments for its agreed merger.

Gilbertson is the one consulting agency director listed as “in attendance” for the assembly.

Accenture declined to touch upon Monday when requested whether or not they had been concerned in growing the enterprise case or feasibility evaluation for the merger, referring questions again to the college.

After UniSA confirmed Accenture’s involvement, an Accenture spokesperson responded to questions on whether or not a battle of curiosity was thought of.

“At Accenture we take conflicts of curiosity very critically and cling to strict procurement and new enterprise processes that are designed to determine and handle potential conflicts of pursuits,” the spokesperson stated.

“We additionally adjust to any procurement necessities of our present and potential shoppers, together with the disclosure of any precise or perceived conflicts.”

Whereas Accenture helped develop the feasibility evaluation, Jane Sales space, UniSA’s chief individuals and tradition officer, is listed because the mission lead for the feasibility evaluation.

The assembly attendance register contained throughout the minutes of the council assembly.

UniSA vice-chancellor Lloyd and College of Adelaide vice-chancellor Peter Høj are as a result of seem earlier than the parliamentary inquiry into the college merger this afternoon.

Premier Malinauskas instructed ABC Radio Adelaide earlier this yr that the committee inquiry will obtain “every thing it’s entitled to” concerning info and paperwork concerning the merger.

“We don’t have a full-blown public inquiry to a complete vary of issues which are topic to industrial in confidence,” he stated on July 7.

“However every thing, together with as a lot info inside feasibility research, enterprise instances – all of that will probably be furnished to the parliamentary inquiry topic to the industrial in confidence elements, which I’ve requested the schools to maintain to an absolute minimal.”

Supported by the Authorities of South Australia