PURPOSE
This policy outlines the terms of reference for Global Leadership Institute (GLI) Academic Board and its subcommittees.
SCOPE
Whole Institute
POLICY
Academic Board is the principal academic governing body of GLI. Academic Board may delegate any of its powers or functions to subcommittees or advisory boards. The Chairs of each subcommittee are appointed by Academic Board on an annual basis.
Quorum
A quorum shall constitute 50% of members.
Attendance
Members are expected to attend (on campus or on Zoom) most of the scheduled meetings.
Guest Attendance
Guest staff or external experts may be invited to attend meetings to provide advice upon request. Guests to meetings have no voting rights at meetings.
Frequency of Meetings
Academic Board and its subcommittees meet at least four times per year.
Minutes of Meetings
Minutes are stored in a secure electronic repository. All members receive a digital copy of minutes.
Secretary
The Chair will appoint a secretary.
Member Induction and Training
Academic Board members maintain currency in skills, knowledge, and commitment to the objects of the Institute. The Chair of Academic Board ensures induction and training of new members, as well as professional development and training of members.
Self-Evaluation and External Moderation
Academic Board periodically conducts self-evaluations, highlighting elements of concern and recommendations for improvement. Governing Board also periodically commissions an external moderation of Academic Board to ensure appropriate, effective, and innovative operations.
ACADEMIC BOARD
Membership
External Membership
There will be between three to four persons nominated by Governing Board and chosen from persons who are not members of the staff but who are deemed by the Board (in consultation with the Chair of Academic Board and other key personnel involved in the academic environment) to be persons of standing in the academic, business or professional fields relevant to the courses offered.
Membership will be for three years (renewable). Members shall not make public statements on behalf of the Board unless directed to do so. Members must declare any actual or perceived conflict of interest.
Ex officio members
- President
- Academic Dean
- Program Directors
- Up to two academic staff representatives
- One student representative
Chair of the Academic Board
- The Chair of the Board shall be an external member appointed by the Chair, Governing Board
- The Chair shall serve for a period of three years (renewable)
- The Chair reports to the Governing Board and fosters two-way communications between the Academic Board and the Governing Board and vice versa. The Governing Board also has access to Academic Board agendas, minutes and other papers.
- In between meetings of the Board, the Chair shall have the authority of the Board to take executive action and make decisions on behalf of the Board. Any such action taken or decision made shall be communicated in a special memorandum to Board members and be reported to the Board at the next Board meeting
Terms of reference
The functions of Academic Board are to:
- review and recommend submission for accreditation new and existing courses with particular responsibility for:
- the structure and requirements of each course;
- standards of assessment of each course;
- methods of course delivery;
- awards being consistent with the Australian Qualifications Framework;
- approve the awards to be offered.
- formulate and review policies and procedures on academic matters including but not limited to admission, assessment, credit transfer, enrolment, examination, exclusion, progression and graduation
- maintain oversight of academic and research integrity
- determine the list of graduands and specify the award each graduand is to receive
- approve the regulation applying to the award of any scholarships and prizes
- monitor and ensure progress of the Learning and Teaching Plan and Research and Scholarship Plan;
- approve and monitor benchmarks for academic quality and outcomes;
- initiate regular review for all academic activities;
- establish standing committees to deal with matters referred from Academic Board;
- receive reports from such standing committees;
- consider matters referred from the Governing Board.
SUBCOMMITTEES OF ACADEMIC BOARD
Academic Board is supported in its operation by the following subcommittees:
- Course Advisory Committee
- Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Committee
- Examination Committee
- Research and Scholarship Committee
Course Advisory Committee
Course Advisory Committees (CAC) provides advice to Academic Board about its existing higher education courses and potential new courses. CACs remain operational while the relevant courses are offered by Global Leadership Institute.
CAC is responsible for the following:
- providing advice on the skills, knowledge and attributes sought by employers of Global Leadership Institute graduates from the course;
- updating Academic Board on recent developments, trends and directions in the relevant professions and industries with respect to course development;
- providing advice on potential for development of new related courses and renewal of the existing course;
- assisting with the review process of the course by panel(s) established by Academic Board.
Membership
Members of a CAC will be appointed by Academic Board and will comprise:
- a representative from Academic Board external members;
- up to three external academic and professional representatives in the relevant field of education;
- Academic Dean (ex officio);
- Program Director (ex officio).
Appointment of Chair
The Chair shall be elected by all members of the CAC from the external representatives. The representative from Academic Board is not eligible for election.
Terms of office
- appointed members have terms of office of three years and no member is to serve for more than one consecutive three-year term;
- term limits may be waived by Academic Board in special circumstances on recommendation by CAC;
- casual vacancies shall be filled by Academic Board and shall serve only the remaining period of the member they replace.
Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Committee
Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Committee (LTCC) is the principal advisory standing committee to Academic Board for teaching, learning and curriculum matters. It is responsible to Academic Board with respect to providing strategic advice about the quality of teaching and learning to support and ensure high academic standards are maintained.
LTCC may from time to time establish short-term working parties as required to facilitate and assist it to meet its obligations. LTCC will establish and notify Academic Board of the terms of reference for any such working groups.
The role of LTCC is to:
- ensure that all aspects of course design meet regulated standards;
- ensure that learning and teaching practices are of a high quality;
- ensure regular monitoring and reporting to Academic Board on the implementation and effectiveness of teaching; and learning practices including work integrated learning opportunities;
- provide advice to Academic Board on measures designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning within GLI;
- advise Academic Board on the outcomes of GLI teaching practices including student participation, retention, progression and satisfaction;
- ensure that student assessment is effective and student learning outcomes are achieved;
- provide advice to Academic Board about admission and selection policies and procedures for courses offered by GLI along with related aspects of pathways, credit and articulation;
- provide advice to Academic Board about the establishment, revision, discontinuation and disestablishment of courses;
- respond to requests from Academic Board about course accreditation/reaccreditation compliance matters;
- respond to requests from Academic Board about course reviews including recommendations about relevant appointments to review panels.
Membership
Membership of LTCC shall consist of:
- Academic Dean (ex officio);
- one member of Academic Board (elected by members of Academic Board);
- Program Directors (ex officio);
- three academic staff members (elected by academic staff of GLI);
- one student elected by and from students of GLI.
The Chair of LTCC will be the Academic Dean. The terms of office for non ex officio members will usually be three years (renewable). LTCC may invite other persons as required to provide advice and assistance about specific agenda items being considered or when specialist expertise is required, noting that such persons will have no voting rights at meetings.
Examination Committee
Examination Committee (EC) contributes to academic quality as per the Academic Quality Assurance Policy. The responsibilities of EC are to:
- convene at the end of each academic semester, as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the examination period;
- review academic results and interim grades for all units submitted by the respective Program Directors;
- consider results and interim grades with respect to indicators of academic quality and integrity;
- recommend amendments to interim grades;
- recommend the setting of supplementary assessment in special cases;
- endorse academic results and grades as final;
- transmit notice of endorsement, via the EC Chair, to Academic Board for its final assent to the official release of grades;
- report emergent matters to Academic Board that may impact on quality assurance.
Limitations
EC reports to Academic Board and does not report to any other committee of the Institute. EC does not manage academic appeals and grievances. EC does not determine the type of supplementary assessment, as this is a matter for unit and program management. EC can only recommend the setting of supplementary assessment.
Membership
The following shall constitute EC:
- Academic Board representative as Chair;
- Program Directors;
- Academic staff representatives, one for each year level of a program;
- Administrative assistant to support the functions of the Chair.
Research and Scholarship Committee
Research Committee (RSC) membership includes at least two research active academic staff and at least one external academic expert in a relevant field. The role of RSC is to:
- foster a research and scholarship culture at the Institute;
- build capacity for research and scholarship collaboration and inter-institutional research;
- support research active academic staff to produce high quality published research;
- oversee professional development and foster scholarship activities of academic staff;
- ensure currency of Academic Staff Register;
- measure and report to Academic Board on research and scholarship output;
- other matters as referred by Academic Board concerning research and scholarship related issues.
RSC may appoint ad hoc specialist subcommittees as required.
RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Chair, Academic Board
External Review
Every five years, GLI will commission an independent review of Academic Board by an external expert to provide recommendations for improvement to ensure appropriate, effective, and innovative operations in GLI academic governance. Recommendations arising from the review will be discussed at Academic Board and agreed actions will be implemented.
Scope
Whole Institute
Key Stakeholder
All staff and students
Proceedure
Academic staff members of Academic Board are nominated by the Chair of Academic Board, in consultation with the Academic Dean, and the nominees submitted to Academic Board for approval and appointment.
- External members of Academic Board are appointed as the need arises, such as when a current external member’s term expires. Chair of Academic Board will invite suggestions from the members and approach relevant candidates with the offer to serve on Academic Board.
- The student representative to Academic Board is elected by the students. The student representative must be enrolled in a current GLI course, be able to represent the general needs of students without promoting personal agenda or bias and agree to confidentiality relating to Academic Board discussions and decisions.