Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Greg Craven AO, GCSG will retire in January 2021 after 13 years leading Australian Catholic University (ACU), Chancellor The Hon John Fahey AC, GCSG has announced.
Professor Craven was appointed as Vice-Chancellor in April 2008 and has overseen the transformation of ACU into a leading Australian institution and Catholic university, that encourages and empowers its students to make a real impact in the lives of others.
A constitutional lawyer, academic, and advisor in higher education policy and Catholic education, Professor Craven has carved out a position as a leader in Australia and internationally. Under his guidance the university has established a growing reputation for research excellence and embedded a culture of performance and service excellence, continuing a legacy of Catholic intellectual tradition, faith and reason.
Mr Fahey said ACU had enjoyed a unique story of growth, development and excellence under his leadership, which included putting ACU in the top 10 Catholic universities globally.
“Professor Craven is always ready to go into battle for what he believes in, he has been a strong and respected voice for the tertiary education sector and for the Catholic Church in Australia.
“I am personally proud of Professor Craven’s achievements and of the success he has brought to ACU.
“We will miss his boundless energy, passion for promoting research and learning, sound judgement and innovative policy initiatives.
“Professor Craven has been at the vanguard of tertiary education leadership in Australia,” Mr Fahey said.
Professor Craven said his time at the university had been rewarding.
“I have been Vice-Chancellor of ACU for 13 years. No-one deserves a Vice-Chancellor longer than that,” he quipped.
“It has been really humbling seeing what happens when a university genuinely sees its role as doing good for others. God knows, it’s not fashionable.
During his tenure, ACU has doubled its student numbers, expanded the courses offered to students, developed a stronger and more targeted focus on research, constructed new buildings and infrastructure to support students and staff, and added campuses in Adelaide, Rome and Blacktown.
“I think ACU proves there is a place for Catholic universities in Australia. You can be Catholic, charitable and quality all at the same time. In fact, that’s the deal.
“Our Rome campus has been an astonishing success and helped give us a world profile. A lot of Australian universities could have a campus in Rome. Only ACU can have a Roman campus.
“The notion of a ‘Catholic university’ is a composite noun. The Catholic intellectual tradition is one of the oldest and most sophisticated in the world.”
ACU has hired executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles to recruit our next vice-chancellor and president.
