The vice-chancellors of the Australian National University and the University of Canberra will be watching the University Co-operative Bookshops on their campuses to ensure they provide the service to staff and students required by their leases.
The ANU’s Professor Laurie Nichol, who was also speaking for UC’s Professor Don Aitkin, said they were concerned about last week’s sacking of three top executives of the co-op.
The co-op has 570,000 members throughout Australia and supplies books at nearly every tertiary institution and some schools. Over the past two years younger directors, with mainly accounting backgrounds, have been elected, ousting older directors with long academic, publishing and business backgrounds. A special directors’ meeting last week sacked the three executives, including the managing director, Jack McLoone, saying their services were no longer required.
Professor Nichol said that the university could not comment on the affairs of a private company. However, the co-op had been given a lease on premises within the universities on condition that it provide a service beyond what would be provided by a commercial bookstore. The universities expected the co-op to be aware of university reading and text lists for the various subjects and to ensure there were adequate stocks.
If the level of service were affected, the universities would have to review the bookstore leases. Under their Acts of Parliament, the universities could not lease land to any commercial undertaking; it had to be for services to students and staff.
The pricing of the books was not the university’s business, though Professor Nichol hoped personally that they would get the best deal from suppliers, but the supply of books was an issue for the universities and they would be watching it and reminding the co-op of its lease obligations.
“”This is a particularly sensitive time of the year, with students starting courses and wanting books,” Professor Nichol said.
The chairman of the co-op board, James Emerson, has cited legal reasons for not making further comment on the sackings. He has said it will be business as normal and there should be no fear of staff cuts.
The sole remaining academic director, Maurice Dunlevy, of the University of Canberra, has praised the integrity and managerial talent of Mr McLoone and the other two executives, Colin Bain (finance manager) and Guy Rodriguez (general manager schools division).
Co-op sources say moves are being made to call a special general meeting to overturn the sackings. It would require 200 members and three directors to call it. They say the 570,000 members have a right to know why the executives were sacked.
The co-op was set up 34 years ago to ensure supplies of academic books to students and staff at reasonable prices. Last year it turned over $60 million with a profit of $1 million.