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Academic Governance Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) The purpose of this policy is to delineate the roles and responsibilities with respect to the academic governance of the University.

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Section 2 - Definitions

(2) For the purpose of this policy:

  1. By-law - means the University of Western Sydney By-law 2005.
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Section 3 - Policy Statement

Part A - Academic Senate

Functions of the Academic Senate

(3) The Academic Senate is the peak academic body in the University, and as a forum for academic debate, policy development and decision-making, is responsible to the Board of Trustees (Board) for:

  1. monitoring academic standards, values and quality assurance;
  2. advising on the development of and performance against academic plans;
  3. monitoring academic collaborations and partnerships;
  4. promote and monitor academic quality, standards and values of the University's academic activities, advise on the University's academic plans and advise the Board and Vice-Chancellor as appropriate;
  5. decide academic policy and approve related procedures;
  6. accredit and approve courses, programs and units;
  7. promote the quality and development of research in the University.

(4) Subject to the By-law and to any decision of the Board, the Academic Senate will decide the University's policies and procedures on:

  1. monitoring and reviewing the key parameters and performance indicators of the academic planning and academic quality improvement processes;
  2. courses and units;
  3. University academic scholarships and prizes;
  4. University academic awards, including minimum standards and credit points for units;
  5. admission, enrolment, assessment and examination of students;
  6. student progress;
  7. student academic discipline;
  8. course and program structures, titles and component names.

(5) Subject to the By-law and to any decision of the Board, the Academic Senate will advise the Board and the Vice-Chancellor on:

  1. the formulation and regular review of the University's academic plans and related academic development and evaluation strategies;
  2. reports on the University's academic activities, including those to outside agencies;
  3. issues relating to and affecting international academic collaboration and partnerships;
  4. establishment and disestablishment of academic entities;
  5. the University's academic profile;
  6. development, maintenance and enhancement of high standards in learning and teaching, research, and community and industry outreach;
  7. principles and guidelines for the conduct and enhancement of academic activities;
  8. improvement of the student learning environment and opportunities, including postgraduate supervision;
  9. development and review of standards for the appointment and promotion of academic staff;
  10. academic priorities and policies for consideration in University planning for academic activities;
  11. development of quality and standards in the links and affiliations with other academic institutions or other organisations; and
  12. development of codes of academic conduct for students and staff of the University.

(6) The Academic Senate must oversee and coordinate advice from its standing committees by:

  1. receiving, considering and responding to regular reports from the standing committees on their objectives and activities, and the implementation of academic policy and Academic Senate's decisions;
  2. referring to standing committees matters for their consideration and report;
  3. prescribing, where practicable, procedures for the standing committees' deliberations and reports; and
  4. facilitating, where appropriate, consultations among the standing committees.

Delegation for Approval to the Conferral of Academic Awards

(7) The Board of Trustees may approve the conferring of the academic awards for higher doctorate degrees of Doctor of Letters and Doctor of Science.

(8) Subject to any directions from the Board the following delegations are made with respect to approving the conferral of other academic awards of the University:

  1. The Academic Senate may approve the conferring of any academic award of the University;
  2. The Chair Academic Senate may, in exceptional circumstances, and where it is not practicable for the Academic Senate to do so, approve the conferring of any academic award of the University;
  3. The Research Studies Committee may approve the conferring of degrees for higher degree research programs; and
  4. The College Education Assessment and Progression Committee and the College Executive Committees may approve the conferring of degrees, diplomas and certificates for undergraduate, honours, and postgraduate coursework programs.

(9) These delegations cannot be further delegated. Any exercise of the delegations under sub-clauses (8b) and (8c) must be reported to the next appropriate meeting of the Academic Senate.

Membership of the Academic Senate

(10) The Academic Senate consists of:

  1. official members;
  2. elected members; and
  3. appointed members.

(11) The Official Members of the Academic Senate are:

  1. the Vice-Chancellor;
  2. the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Enterprise and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Corporate Strategy and Services;
  3. the Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching; Pro Vice-Chancellor Research; and Pro Vice-Chancellor Quality;
  4. the chairs of the Academic Senate's Education Committee; Courses Approvals and Articulations Committee; Research Committee; and Research Studies Committee;
  5. the Executive Dean Arts; Executive Dean Business and Executive Dean Health and Science;
  6. the Associate Deans Academic and Associate Deans Research of the Colleges;
  7. the Chairs of College Boards of Studies;
  8. the Academic Registrar;
  9. the University Librarian;
  10. the Dean of Indigenous Education;
  11. the President of the Undergraduate Students' Association, or his or her nominee; and
  12. the President of the Postgraduate Students' Association, or his or her nominee.

(12) The Elected Members of the Academic Senate are:

  1. one person (the Chair Academic Senate ) elected by the members of the Academic Senate from the members of the academic staff of the University;
  2. one person (the Deputy Chair Academic Senate ) elected by the members of the Academic Senate from the members of the academic staff of the University;
  3. four academic staff members for each College within the University, elected by and from the academic staff of each College. Each group of four must include at least one male, at least one female, and at least one Lecturer level A-C and at least one lecturer level D-E;
  4. one undergraduate student, elected by and from the undergraduate students of the University; and
  5. one postgraduate student, elected by and from the postgraduate students of the University.

(13) The appointed members of the Academic Senate are three staff or student members appointed by the Vice-Chancellor in consultation with the Chair Academic Senate for the purposes of achieving gender balance and an informed perspective on matters under consideration.

Terms of Office

(14) An elected member of the Academic Senate, other than the Chair Academic Senate and the Deputy Chair Academic Senate, holds office for 2 years, and is eligible to renominate for one further term.

(15) The Chair Academic Senate and the Deputy Chair Academic Senate, hold office for 2 years, and are eligible to renominate for one further term. If the Board of Trustees passes a resolution, the Chair Academic Senate or the Deputy Chair Academic Senate may stand for re-election for the position for a third consecutive term of office. If so re-elected, the person is not eligible to stand for the position for a fourth consecutive term of office.

(16) If, however, at the time of his or her election to the Academic Senate, an elected student member is in the final year of his or her course of study, that elected student member holds office for 1 year, and is not eligible to renominate for that category of membership for a further term.

(17) An appointed member of the Academic Senate holds office for the term (not exceeding 2 years) specified in the member's instrument of appointment.

Removal from Office of Chairs and Deputy Chairs

(18) The Academic Senate may remove a chair or deputy chair of Senate or any committee of the Academic Senate from office where the Chair Academic Senate or Deputy Chair Academic Senate has committed a serious breach of the terms of reference of the committee in question. The procedure for removal to be adopted by the Academic Senate must be consistent with the removal from office procedures for the Board of Trustees for its members under section 32G of the University of Western Sydney Act 1997.

Senate and College Committees

(19) The roles functions, terms of reference and membership categories of the Standing Committees of Academic Senate and the Academic Committees of the Colleges are as detailed in the Attachment to this Policy. The Academic Senate may amend the roles functions, terms of reference and membership categories of these committees from time to time, but cannot delegate this authority.

Part B - Academic Dress

Academic Dress

(20) Rules made by the Board govern the form of academic dress to be worn:

  1. by the Chancellor, a Deputy Chancellor and the other members of the Board;
  2. by the Vice-Chancellor, and other officers of the University; and
  3. by the graduates and students of the University.

(21) Those other rules also govern the occasions on which academic dress is to be worn.

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Section 4 - Procedures

Part C - Elections for Academic Senate

Qualifications for Candidates and Voters

(22) The qualifications for election and voting for the elected members of the Academic Senate are the same as those set out in the By-law governing elections for the Board.

Procedure for Electing Staff Members

(23) The procedure for electing the academic staff members of the Academic Senate is the same as that set out in Part 5 of the By-law governing elections for the Board.

Procedure for Electing Student Members

(24) The relevant student organisation must conduct the elections for the one undergraduate student member, and the one postgraduate student member, of the Academic Senate.

(25) The Board may make rules governing the procedure for conducting these elections.

Part D - Academic Senate Meeting Procedures

Meetings of the Academic Senate

(26) The Academic Senate must meet at least 4 times each year.

(27) The Chair Academic Senate (Chair AS) presides at meetings of the Academic Senate. If the Chair AS is absent from a meeting, the Deputy Chair Academic Senate (DCAS) presides.

(28) If the Chair AS and DCAS are both absent from a meeting, the members of the Academic Senate present must elect a Chair for that meeting.

(29) At any meeting of the Academic Senate, a quorum is one-half (or if one-half is not a whole number, the whole number next higher than one-half) of the total number of its members then in office.

(30) The Academic Senate may make Standing Orders consistent with this Part.

Absence of Members

(31) Members of the Academic Senate may not nominate other people to represent them in their absence, unless that absence is the result of academic study leave, sudden illness or misadventure and then with the agreement of the Chair Academic Senate. Absent officio members may be represented by the acting incumbent of the position.

(32) The person representing the member in those limited circumstances may attend meetings of the Academic Senate with the approval of the Chair Academic Senate, and at those meetings has all the rights and functions of the absent substantive member.

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(33) Nil.