The Sunday Times [Perth].  March 3, 1996

         ACADEMICS WIN PROBE

         The University of WA
         Senate inquiry into its
         four-year-old archaeology
         row was sparked by two
         senior academics.
         
         The inquiry is primarily into
         why Dr David Rindos was not
         given permanent tenure.
         
         Its terms of reference do not
         specifically refer to allegations
         of sexual impropriety by Profes-
         sor Sandra Bowdler.
         
         A letter from Professor
         Charles Oxnard and Associate
         Professor Neville Bruce was sent
         to Chancellor Mr Justice Kenne-
         dy, Pro-Chancellor Dr Alex
         Cohen and four other academic
         senators to coincide with this
         week's senate meeting.
         
         UWA's top executives. Vice-
         Chancellor Professor Fay Gale
         and her deputy, Professor Alan
         Robson, were not sent copies.
         
         One of the academics at the
         centre of the dispute, Dr David
         Rindos, said he hoped the senate
         inquiry would be open and not
         just a whitewash.
         
         He was concerned it would be a
         closed inquiry.
         
         Professor Oxnard was head of
         the division of agriculture and
         science which oversaw the
         archaeology department.
         
         Professor Bruce was the
         convenor of the committee that
         reviewed the archaeology
         department in 1991.
         
         They told the senators they
         were gravely concerned about
         problems that had arisen due to
         the scandal.
         
         This concern is especially
         precipitated because the matter,
         until now handled internally and
         confidentially by the university
         executive. has become public
         through documents tabled in
         Parliament," they wrote.
         
         There is at least prima facie
         evidence in the form of docu-
         ments tabled in Parliament that
         imply:
         
         ù Students' complaints--in both
         interviews and letters -- about
         inequitable personal and
         academic treatment resulting
         from Professor Sandra Bowd-
         ler's activities over many years
         have been ignored
         
         ù The university's image, as
         reflected in letters and other
         communications from interna-
         tional scholars about the non-
         tenure of Dr David Rindos, has
         been seriously damaged.
         
         Professors Oxnard and Bruce
         said several academics had tried
         to help UWA executives whose
         mishandling of the case had
         resulted in the involvement of
         the WA Ombudsman and State
         Parliament, which is set to
         launch a separate inquiry.
         
         'None of this appears to have
         had any effect," they wrote.
         
         "We believe if we, as a univer-
         sity, persist in this course of
         action, then we forfeit our claim
         to be a premier university and a
         community of scholars and we
         may be forced to accept what-
         ever sanctions external bodies
         may wish to place upon us.
         
         "We urge this letter be passed
         to the senate and members of
         the academic board and that
         they study the primary docu-
         ments tabled in Parliament and
         any other evidence they can
         obtain, discuss the matter in
         open hearing, then call for
         appropriate actions."
         
         This week's senate meeting
         appointed four senators to
         examine documents from a 1991
         review of Professor Bowdler's
         department and the reasons
         UWA refused to continue
         employing Dr Rindos.
         
         The committee members are
         Federal Court judge Robert
         Nicholson, WA Water Corpora-
         tion chief Dr Jim Gill, St Hilda's
         principal Ms June Jones, and
         WA businessman Mr Irwin
         Barrett-Lennard.
         
         But in a statement, Professor
         Gale said the inquiry was
         launched because UWA had
         noted current media interest in
         the archaeology scandal and Dr
         Rindos's denial of tenure.
         
         Its terms of reference failed to
         include specific reference to Pro-
         fessor Bowdler who, according to
         documents tabled in Parliament,
         preyed on female students.
         
         'The senate has refrained
         from engaging in public debate
         about these matters as it has
         been made clear by the WA
         Industrial Commission that, as
         far as Dr Rindos is concerned,
         the proper process for him to
         follow -is to take his case to
         UWA's Visitor, the Governor
         Major-General Michael Jeffery.
         
         Dr Rindos has indicated on
         several occasions he would be
         taking this course of action.
         
         He has not done so, however.
         
         In the meantime, the media
         speculation appears to have
         grown to a point at which the
         senate feels it is not in the
         university's best interests to
         remain inactive