University of Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater.
University of Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater.
University of Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater has abruptly resigned just six months into a new term.
The university said today that Freshwater had tendered her resignation but would remain in the role until early 2026.
Chancellor Cecilia Tarrant said the extended notice period would allow the university to finda new vice-chancellor.
Her resignation is unexpected, coming not long after she was reappointed for another five-year term late last year. It follows a difficult period for the vice chancellor in which two of her major reform proposals were dropped after widespread backlash.
Freshwater was the university’s first female vice-chancellor when she was appointed in March 2020 and steered the university through the Covid-19 pandemic.
She was the third highest-paid public service and Crown entity CEO in New Zealand in 2023/24, with a salary of $766,000.
Today’s announcement comes just a week after the Herald revealed that a controversial merger between the law and business faculties had been canned after staunch opposition. Freshwater was one of those championing the proposal.
She faced a similar backlash among academics last year when the senate - the university’s peak body - voted to pause a makeover of the university’s curriculum amid concerns around widespread course cuts.
Last week, the university was ordered by an Employment Court judge to pay high profile scientist Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles $205,000 in court costs.
Freshwater also made headlines in 2020 after the Herald discovered the university had bought a $5 million Parnell mansion for her to live in ahead of her arrival in New Zealand.
Dawn Freshwater has resigned of vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland.
The university defended the purchase at first, saying the home, which boasts manicured gardens and a lap pool, would be rented by Freshwater and also used for university-related events and hosting.
The university eventually sold the house in 2021, with the Auditor-General releasing a report saying there had not been an acceptable business case justifying the purchase.
The university has been approached for comment about Freshwater standing down.
In an “all hands” email sent to university staff about midday, Tarrant announced Freshwater’s resignation after nearly six years in the job.
“Professor Freshwater has the full support of Council to continue resolutely leading the University through its ambitious strategy and maintain the momentum we have gained together until the agreed handover in the first half of 2026,“ Tarrant wrote.
“We are grateful that she has given us an extended notice period. This will allow the University to commence a full international search for a new Vice Chancellor, while maintaining our momentum.”
Tarrant said Freshwater had successfully guided the university through a swift transition to online teaching during the pandemic, enabling domestic students and offshore international students to continue their studies.
Under Freshwater’s leadership, the university had much to be proud of, Tarrant said.
“Including its global positioning as a top 100 University (QS 65 and of course the top 20 positioning in the impact rankings) in an increasingly competitive environment, our ongoing solid financials despite the uncertainty we now face nationally and globally; our increased domestic and international student numbers, and, in particular, the significant growth in postgraduate students as per the 2030 University Strategy.”
The University of Auckland was New Zealand’s top ranked higher education institution in the 2024 Times Higher Education’s rankings.
But it fell out of the top 150 for the first time since 2020 and was ranked jointly 152nd after dropping two places from 2023.
Isaac Davison is a senior reporter who covers Auckland issues. He joined the Herald in 2008 and has previously covered the environment, politics, social issues, and healthcare.
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