What's New in Policies
For information about the People and Culture Policy Review Project, click here.
Student Conduct Rule and Procedure
Following a comprehensive review of its student conduct and complaints framework, the University has implemented a new Student Conduct Rule and a supporting Student Conduct Procedure.
These documents establish a more consistent, student-centric and trauma-informed approach to managing student conduct. The new framework was developed to enhance the student experience and ensure compliance with regulatory expectations, including trauma-informed practices and the National Code for Gender Based Violence.
Effective December 2025 (Rule) and January 2026 (Procedure), these new documents replace the Student Behavioural Misconduct Rule and its associated Investigation and Penalty Guidelines. Previous versions are accessible via the 'Historic Version' tab in the Policy Register.
Student-Led Organisation Procedure
The new Student-Led Organisation Procedure, established in December 2025, outlines the administrative requirements and processes for Student-Led Organisations (SLOs) at UNE. It serves as the operational framework that implements the principles established in the Student-Led Organisation Framework Policy.
Student (Related) Grievance Handling Policy and Procedures
The Student (Related) Grievance Handling Policy and Procedure were amended to include an additional clause that references the National Higher Education Code and directs users to UNE's Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Policy, as per the University's Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Plan. These amendments came into effect in March 2026.
Academic Promotion Procedures and Appeals Procedure
The following amendments to academic promotion procedures came into effect in April 2026:
- Academic Promotion Procedures: the description of the Level E presentation process has been updated.
- Academic Promotion Appeals Procedure: the pathway for re-assessment has been clarified, with further refinements made to ensure procedural fairness and administrative efficiency.
Research Institutes and Centres Policy and Guidelines
The Governing Research Centres and Institutes Policy has been reviewed and renamed the Research Institutes and Centres Policy. The associated Procedures have been updated and renamed concurrently to ensure alignment.
The revised policy establishes the governance framework for both University-level research institutes and Faculty-based research centres. It defines their purpose and principles and regulates their entire lifecycle - from establishment and management through to review and disestablishment.
These documents came into effect in December 2025. Previous versions of both documents are available in the Policy Register via the 'Historic Version' tab.
The Special Envoy for Antisemitism in Australian Universities has initiated a cooperative Report Card Process to assess how universities are responding to antisemitism on campus. This process is designed to identify best practice, highlight deficiencies, and encourage institutional improvement.
The Report Card requires a definition of antisemitism to be adopted, UNE has incorporated this into its Code of Conduct and Student Conduct Rule. This amendment came into effect in February 2026.
A minor amendment was made to the Gifts and Benefits Policy to remove a clause that requires frequent flyer points for travel and accommodation paid for by the University to be returned to the University. This amendment came into effect in February 2026.
The Privacy Management Rule has been revised to addresses a key Internal Audit finding by creating a more integrated and legally sound privacy framework. The previous Rule was disconnected from related policies and contained legal inaccuracies, specifically regarding the GDPR and the Commonwealth Privacy Act.
The updated Rule corrects these legal applications to be appropriate for a NSW public sector organisation, explicitly links to other policies to improve data management controls, and has been rewritten for greater clarity, making it a more effective and practical tool for staff. It came into effect in June 2026.
Committee Terms of Reference
The following Terms of Reference have recently been updated and published:
Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Policy
The Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence) Act 2025 has established national standards and a regulatory framework for higher education providers to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
The National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence (the Code) requires higher education providers to establish comprehensive governance arrangements for preventing and responding to gender-based violence across all organisational levels and operations.
This policy was established in December 2025 and sets out UNE’s commitment to keeping our community safe from gender-based violence in accordance with the Code.
Corporate Website Management Policy
The Corporate Website Management Policy and its associated Procedure have been consolidated into a single, revised Policy, effective December 2025. The update strengthens governance and ensures alignment with the Higher Education Standards Framework (HSEF).
WHS Contractor Management Policy
The WHS Contractor Management Policy was established in December 2025 to outline the commitment, actions and responsibilities UNE undertakes in meeting its legal work health and safety obligations for contractors.
Artificial Intelligence Policy
The Artificial Intelligence Policy was established in February 2026 to provide the principles and governance to ensure UNE embraces AI's potential boldly and ethically, in service of our students and our community.
University Fleet Vehicle Procedure
The University Fleet Vehicle Procedure was established in March 2026 to provide University departments with clear guidance on the booking, use and management of fleet vehicles.
The National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence
In line with the University's Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Plan, several key policy documents were updated in March and April 2026. The amendments introduce a new clause that references the National Higher Education Code and directs users to UNE's Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Policy.
The affected documents include:
- Sexual Harm and Harassment Prevention and Response Policy
- Child Protection Policy and Procedures
- Prevention of Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Policy and Procedure
- Safe and Respectful Behaviours Policy and Procedure
- Reporting Wrongdoing at UNE Policy
- Staff Misconduct Policy
In April 2026, an additional clause was added to the Procurement Policy to provide information on the University's Consultant Engagement Framework.
Provide your ideas and feedback at anytime
Our policies are always undergoing review and improvement. Your input is vital to understanding how successful a policy is at meeting its objectives.
To provide feedback on a UNE policy, select the Feedback Tab at the top of the policy webpage in the Policy Register.
