NSW: Academic wins case against Wollongong Uni

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2001
NSW: Academic wins case against Wollongong Uni

An academic who was summarily dismissed from his position at a New South Wales university
has won a victory in the federal court.

Dr TED STEELE was sacked from his position as associate professor of microbiology at
the University of Wollongong on February 26 this year.

His dismissal followed comments he made to a newspaper about academic standards after
two incidents where unnamed honours students, in 1997 and 2000, gained marks he believed
were too high.

The National Tertiary Education Union, who brought the case to the Federal Court in
Sydney, argued that the university failed to follow the process required by an enterprise
agreement when they dismissed Dr STEELE.

Justice CATHERINE BRANSON found that the interpretation by the union and Dr Steele
of the agreement was correct.

Dr STEELE is due to make a statement shortly.

In a statement, the vice chancellor of the University of Wollongong, GERARD SUTTON,
says the university believed it was operating within its enterprise agreement.

AAP RTV dmc/jjs/jas

KEYWORD: STEELE (SYDNEY)

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