The Australian, 23 September 1992


GALE'S MILD BREEZE OF CHANGE 
[extracts relevant to letter of 30 Sept]

By Stephen Matchett

    Fay Gale says she is "a conservative who has been
billed as a radical."  She is a bit of both.

    Now in her third year as vice-chancellor of the
University of Western Australia, her administrative style
remains cautions.  She has not radically changed the
direction of the university and has a steady approach when
talking about student numbers and discipline mix.  

[ . . .]

    Fay Gale may walk softly, but she appears very
conscious of the substantial stick she carries as
vice-chancellor.  She describes her campus style as
consultative and denies her administration has been too
isolated from campus life.  "I have achieved a lot but I
have tried to do it in a not too conspicuous way," she
says.

    This is not always a style which can quickly defuse
difficult situations.  A long controversy in the
archaeology department has been both an internal and public
relations problem for the university.  The squabble based
around management problems and personal relationships,
split the department headed by Professor Sandra Bowdler and
generated internal reports and a closed-session debate in
the university Senate. 

    Despite six months of controversy, which has found its
way into the press, Professor Gale believes she handled the
archaeology fight effective: "I have been strong and moved
quickly."

    She rejects claims of sexual harassment in the
department saying no formal accusations have been made. 
"there has been lots of talk but not formal complaints and
I have dealt with ever issue that I can have validated,"
she says.

[. . . ]