Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM)
On 1 June 1998 the Senate of the University of Sydney and the Council of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) at their respective meetings decided on a merger of the Graduate School of Business of the University of Sydney and the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at the University of New South Wales to form a new joint venture business school. Senate at its meeting on 6 October approved the final version of the Joint Venture Agreement between the two universities [Senate minutes 67/98].
The two universities formed a company to establish and conduct a new AGSM* to commence operations in the first academic term in 1999 [on 1 January 1999, see University of Sydney Calendar 1999, p. 613]. It was agreed that this new joint faculty would be governed by company limited by guarantee. This company, AGSM Limited (ACN 085 006 382) was registered pursuant to the Corporations Law on 3 November 1998. [Senate Minutes 1 February 1999 - 3.6 Membership of the AGSM Board of Directors]. Under the joint venture agreement and the company's constitution, the board of directors of AGSM Ltd was to be made up of the following persons:
- up to 8 persons nominated by UNSW (at least 4 to be drawn from the business community)
- up to 4 persons nominated by the University of Sydneythe Vice-Chancellor of each university (ex-officio)the Dean and Director of AGSM (ex-officio)
- an elected student director
- an elected academic staff director
The name of the new school was The Australian Graduate School of Management (at The University of New South Wales and The University of Sydney). While the new company was a separate legal entity from each of the universities, the new AGSM operated as part of the University community of each university, and as well as conducting executive and development courses, it conducted courses approved by both Universities for the purposes of an award by both universities.
The Foundation Chair of the Board of Directors was Mr David Hoare and the Foundation Dean of the new AGSM and managing Director of the Company was Professor Peter Dodd.
The School operated in a highly competitive environment and in 2003 reported a large deficit resulting. There was a full review of the AGSM with concentration on the ‘student experience’ [AGSM 40 Years, https://www.business.unsw.edu.au/agsm/about/agsm-40-years, 2003; accessed 16/10/2017]. Both universities determined to continue the Joint Venture and started negotiating a new agreement [The University of Sydney Calendar 2005, p.393].
On 11 November 2005 the University of Sydney announced that Senate had decided unanimously to withdraw from its formal association with the AGSM after a six year joint venture with UNSW. The ‘new’ AGSM was disestablished in 2006 and the AGSM reverted to being solely owned by UNSW. Sydney's Vice-Chancellor Gavin Brown said “In making this decision, we are fully aware that the strategic priorities of both universities have evolved over the past six years, which means the obvious fit we identified with a joint venture at the AGSM back in 1999 is no longer quite as relevant… At the same time, there is general agreement that the way in which management education is being delivered around the world has also evolved significantly. [The University of Sydney News, 11 November 2005, http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=769, accessed 16/10/2017]
During the joint venture the AGSM deanship was held by:
1999 – Foundation Dean & Director Professor Peter Dodd;
2000 - Acting Dean & Director Professor Greg Whittred;
1 Jan 2001 - 31 Dec 2002 - Dean & Director Professor Michael Vitale;
1 Jan 2003 - 12 Oct 2003 - Interim Dean & Director Professor Carrick Martin;
13 Oct 2003 - 2006 - Dean & Director Robert McLean
* The AGSM had originally been formed at the University of New South Wales following approval in late 1973 by the Commonwealth Government for the university to start planning for a graduate business school as recommended by the Cyert Report which had been submitted in 1970. The school began its first classes on 7 March 1977 [UNSW Archives - SRF – AGSM].