Information for New Members
Chair and Deputy Chairs of Academic Board
The Executive of the Academic Board consists of a Chair and two Deputy Chairs who are elected by the Board from among the Professors and Associate Professors on the Board. In each case, their term of office is two years with a maximum of three consecutive terms in one office. At all times, both genders are represented on the Board's Executive. Once elected, the Chair and Deputy Chairs are members of the Board for the duration of their terms of office.
What does the Chair do?
The Chair, in his/her role, chairs the Academic Board, the Board's Standing Committee, and may chair the Special Studies Program Committee. He/she attends the Vice-Chancellor's Committee and is an ex-officio member of Council. The Chair is involved with academic staff selection and promotion committees, and a wide range of other committees across the university. The Chair is also a member of the Committee of Chairs of Academic Boards/Senates in NSW and the Territories and attends an annual national meeting of Chairs of Academic Boards and Senates.
What do the Deputy Chairs do?
The two Deputy Chairs each chair an Academic Board Committee and are ex-officio members of the Board's Standing Committee. They assist the Chair when required, frequently through serving on senior academic staff selection and promotion committees, and on a range of other committees across the university.
What do Board members do?
- Attend Academic Board Meetings at 9am on Mondays; dates are pre-set and can be found on the Meeting Dates page of the Academic Board website.
- Serve on the Academic Board Committees in which they have an interest. Meeting dates are preset for most such committees.
- Serve on working parties established for various purposes.
How do I get onto the Academic Board?
- You may nominate for election as a Board representative for your School whenever your School calls for elections. Each School has a two representatives, elected by secret ballot as per the Standing Orders of the Academic Board.
- Professors may nominate for election by the Professoriate when the Secretary to the Board calls for nominations.
- Professors and Associate Professors may nominate for election as faculty representatives when their faculty calls for nominations.
- Elected members of the Board will hold office for a period of three years, with elections for the Board being held alternatively by School at the end of the year, to take effect from the first meeting of the Academic Board in the following year.
- Elections of office-bearers and representatives on Board Committees, apart from School representatives, will be by secret ballot, and will be conducted by the Secretary to the Board. They will be conducted in the manner determined from time to time by resolution of the Board in its Standing Orders.
- Elections for Students are held every two years by the Academic Board Secretariat. If successful, your term will commence at the second meeting of the year, for a two-year term.
What is the role of an elected Representative?
Elected members of the Board are expected to facilitate communication on various academic matters, policies and issues between the Board and their respective School. They also provide a useful counter-balancing voice to ex-officio and senior university executive perspectives on important academic matters.
What are the rules on attendance at meetings?
The Board may, by resolution, declare vacant an elected representative's place on the Board on the ground of her/his having been absent from four consecutive meetings of the Board without leave of the Board or of his/her having lost the qualification for election which she/he possessed at the time of election. Leave of absence is not granted for extended absences. Members absent on Special Studies Programs may retain their membership, and their School or Faculty is expected to provide an alternate member during their absence.
Guide for New and Potential Elected
and Ex-Officio Members of the Academic Board
Important notes
- For academics considering standing for election to Academic Board: the work of the Board demands a high level of commitment from its elected members, both in terms of attendance and participation. You need to be prepared to commit an average of 3 hours per month to the work and meetings of the Board and will be expected to facilitate regular communication about relevant documents, policies and issues between the Board and your electing constituency.
- For most new ex-officio members: the work of the Board demands a high level of commitment as well as leadership from its ex-officio members, in terms of attendance, sharing of information and participation. You should expect to commit an average of 3 hours per month towards the work and meetings of the Board and to facilitate communication about relevant documents, policies and issues between the Board and the group where your role has qualified you for Board membership. However, some ex-officio roles (e.g., DVCs, PVC and Deans) will involve a greater level of commitment, due to simultaneous involvement with Academic Board and one or more of its Committees and periodic requests to present specific reports to the Board.
Role of Elected and Ex-officio Members as Described in the Standing Orders of Academic Board
Elected and ex-officio members of the Academic Board have the following roles and responsibilities:
- attend meetings, fully prepared having read all relevant documents, on a regular basis;
- actively contribute to discussions at meetings;
- serve as a communication conduit to their School, Division or area, regarding actions, policies and new developments of the Board or Committee, as appropriate;
- organise for feedback to be provided on actions, policies and new developments, when requested;
- clearly distinguish between views/contributions/feedback they are providing as an individual and views/contributions/feedback they are providing with the intention to represent their Faculty/Division/area constituency; and
- declare, at the outset of a meeting, any conflict of interest they might have with any matter on the agenda.
All elected and ex-officio members should be fully familiar with the Constitution of the Academic Board and with the Standing Orders of Academic Board. The Constitution formalises the structure and general terms of reference for the Academic Board and forms part of the governance by-laws for the University of New England. The Standing Orders address a range of matters relating to the conduct of meetings and business of the Academic Board.
More specific information about aspects of the work of the Academic Board can be found on the Academic Board website (containing links to important information such as the current membership of the Academic Board, approved operating principles, policies & procedures of Academic Board: minutes and agendas for Academic Board meetings as well as for meetings of Academic Board and documents and reports immediately relevant to the effective functioning of the Board.).
Role of Elected Professorial Members
Academic Board has four elected members of the UNE professoriate, elected by and from the professoriate. A number of Professors are ex-officio members of the Board because of a particular role they occupy (e.g., Head of School, Academic Director, Dean). However, the Board values the experience, leadership, input and independent perspectives that academics at the professorial level can provide, when they are not occupying a formal administrative role. This makes the role of elected member of the professoriate a very valuable asset to the Board.
Elected professorial members would be expected to lead by example in contributing to the work and deliberations of Academic Board, including being willing to serve on or lead specific working parties, review panels or task groups. Considered input to and experience with policy matters and academic decision making is an especially valuable contribution that the elected professorial members can make, unencumbered by the demands and expectations of a specific administrative role. As the Chair of Academic Board has the discretion to nominate members or even the Chair for particular Committees when vacancies occur, the first port of call for such nominations will usually be the one of the elected members of the professoriate.
Your election as a professorial member of the Board signals your willingness and intention to take on such senior leadership roles, voluntarily or when requested.