La Trobe Vice-Chancellor to conclude leadership tenure

By Jay Bryce

Feb 27, 2023

Saying goodbye: John Dewar will be departing as La Trobe Vice-Chancellor after holding the position for more than a decade. Photo by Julie Mercer

La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor John Dewar will leave his role at the conclusion of his contract in January 2024.

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Chancellor John Brumby made the announcement to staff on Monday, February 27, saying he and Mr Dewar had come to a mutual agreement about the latter’s departure.

Mr Brumby said Mr Dewar had done an outstanding job leading La Trobe since January 2012 and that he would leave a lasting legacy.

“In a testament to John’s leadership and his standing in the higher education sector, he is one of the longest-serving current vice-chancellors at an Australian university,” Mr Brumby said.

“John has overseen more than a decade of significant progress and achievement at La Trobe, which has allowed us to expand the positive benefits of our work to the students we teach, the communities we serve, the industries with which we partner, and through the world-class research we produce.”

Mr Dewar lead La Trobe as vice-chancellor through the COVID-19 pandemic, and was in charge as La Trobe Shepparton increased access to higher education locally, began a major redevelopment on the Shepparton campus and became a significant component of the Shepparton Education Plan.

“It’s an honour to be part of an organisation that has such a strong tradition of combining excellence, accessibility, innovation and impact in ways that directly benefit our communities while helping to address the challenges facing our region and the world,” Mr Dewar said.

La Trobe University Council said it would commence an international recruitment process to appoint the university’s next vice-chancellor.