Call for nominations - student

Nominations now closed, elections will proceed shortly.

Nominations will soon be invited for the following student member roles on the University's Academic Board:

  • 1 x undergraduate student
  • 1 x postgraduate coursework student
  • 1 x postgraduate Higher Degree Research (HDR) student

Please consider this opportunity to get involved with academic governance at UNE.

Completed nominations must be received by 5 pm AEDT, Tuesday 07 November 2023.

About Academic Board

The Academic Board is the University's peak academic governance body, responsible under Section 21 of the University of New England By-law 2005 for reporting to Council and advising '… the Council and the Vice-Chancellor on all developments and initiatives relating to and affecting the University's teaching and research activities and its educational programs.'

The membership of the Academic Board includes the University's senior management, elected academic staff from each Faculty, professional staff and four student members (2 undergraduate students, 1 postgraduate (coursework) student and 1 postgraduate (HDR) student).

The role of the student members on Academic Board is to provide the student perspective in debate and discussion of academic governance, quality assurance, policy, strategy and integrity issues, which the Board deals with. Being a member of Academic Board is a formal position and it is expected that you will make time to prepare for, attend and participate in meetings. You will have the opportunity to report to the Board (within the Board’s Term of Reference) on matters related to the student experience at UNE based on what may be communicated to you by your peers and/or your own experiences. It is preferable this is in writing; you will then have an opportunity at the meeting to speak to this item. To support student members participating in and presenting at meetings, you will be paired with an academic mentor from the Board. The Chair is also available to assist and support you in the writing and presentation of your report.

Interested students are advised to consider whether their study arrangements allow time to participate in the Board, which meets on a Monday morning (usually 9 am - 12 noon), six times per year. Zoom details are available to online student members to enable them to participate in meetings remotely. The last meeting for 2023 will be held on 04 December.

Please note that the elected student will also be asked to participate in the Student Academic Representative Group (SARG) which meets for an hour approximately 6 times per year. All current students are invited to provide feedback on academic governance issues to the student members of the Academic Board via the SARG myLearn page. As a member, your name is displayed on the Academic Board webpage and the SARG myLearn page.

The term of office of the newly elected member is for approximately 2 years, commencing immediately, and concluding 31 May 2025.

Active participation in the Academic Board is an eligible activity of the New England Award.

Eligibility

Following external legal requirements, the Standing Orders – Academic Board and Committees, and the Academic Board Terms of Reference, to be eligible for election as a student member, students need to:

  1. be a current undergraduate, postgraduate coursework or postgraduate Higher Degree Research (HDR) students who was/is enrolled in the previous, current or a future teaching/research period, or has been granted a formal Intermission by the University; and
  2. be willing to make a declaration that they are a fit and proper person under the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) Act 2011 (Cth) and Educational Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 (Cth).

Please note that students enrolled on a Non-Award basis, and students who are also UNE employees with a work load of 50% or more, are ineligible to apply.

How to nominate

Nominations are now open and will need to be submitted by 5 pm AEDT, Tuesday 07 November 2023, and consist of:

  1. Nomination Form completed by the nominee, detailing:
    • the name, student number and email address of the Nominee;
    • the UNE course in which the nominee is currently enrolled;
    • the name, student number and email address of the student proposing the nominee;
    • the name, student number and email address of the student seconding the nomination; and
    • a short candidate statement explaining to the student body why the nominee wishes to be considered for election to Academic Board.

    The Nomination Form was distributed to eligible students via email on 24 October 2023.

    Please discuss your nomination with all parties (i.e. proposer, seconder) before submission.

  2. Supporting Emails
  • The nomination must be supported by 2 students who are also eligible to nominate for the position (i.e. they will have also received the email calling for nominations).
  • The students proposing and seconding the nomination need to independently verify their support of the Nominee by emailing academicboard@une.edu.au (e.g. "I support the nomination of NAME for the student member position on Academic Board").

Nominations will only be accepted once the Nomination Form and 2 supporting emails have been submitted.

Should an election be required, it is anticipated that this will be conducted from Monday, 13 November 2023 to Monday, 27 November 2023.

Further information

For further information on Academic Board, please visit the webpage, or contact the Chair of Academic Board, Associate Professor Jennifer McDonell (+612 6773 2517 or chairacbd@une.edu.au) or Deputy Returning Officer Academic Board Elections, Ms Jenny Croaker (+612 6773 4359 or academicboard@une.edu.au).

Some ways you might be able to connect with fellow students to support your nomination include:
- by contacting your supervisor/s;
- by contacting the English Language Centre (ELC) if you are an International student;
- by connecting with other students, including current Academic Board student members, via the Student Academic Representative Group (SARG) pages in myLearn. Please be aware that you will need to self-enrol to access the myLearn site by entering student login and password details; and
- you might also consider connecting with other students via the UNE Student Consultative Committee.