Academic Board is the principal academic advisory body to the UTS Council.
Academic Board
Academic Board plays a key role in the UTS community. It provides a forum for the discussion and debate of the university’s academic direction, and ensures that the university’s academic direction aligns with its strategic direction.
The board promotes academic leadership at UTS by overseeing the quality of teaching, learning, research, scholarship and community service. It refers policy recommendations to Council and discusses academic matters referred to it by Council.
Contact
Dr Jacqueline Rule
Executive Officer (Governance Support)
telephone 02 9514 1464
email AcademicBoard@uts.edu.au or Jacqueline.Rule@uts.edu.au
Academic Board details
Meetings
2025 meeting dates
Meeting date | Notice, agenda and papers | newsletters |
---|---|---|
Wednesday 26 March | ||
Wednesday 28 May | ||
Wednesday 23 July | ||
Wednesday 24 September | ||
Wednesday 29 October (reserve) | ||
Wednesday 12 November |
Time: 9am to 11am
Venue: HR training rooms 1 and 2, level 22, building 1, City campus (CB01.22.10 and CB01.22.18) or via Zoom.
Visit Past Academic Board meetings for agendas, papers, minutes and newsletters from previous years.
Attend as an observer
UTS staff and students are welcome to attend an Academic Board meeting as an observer. Registration is essential as seats are limited. Contact the Executive Officer to express your interest in attending a meeting. Observers will not have speaking or voting rights.
2025 submission dates
Reports intended for Academic Board meetings will not be accepted after 10am on final submission dates.
Meeting date | Final submission date |
---|---|
26 March | 5 March |
28 May | 7 May |
23 July | 2 July |
24 September | 3 September |
29 October (reserve) | 8 October |
12 November | 22 October |
2025 Chair’s briefing of student members of Academic Board
Monday 24 March
Monday 26 May
Monday 21 July
Monday 22 September
Monday 27 October (reserve)
Monday 10 November
Time: 12pm to 1pm
Venue: GSU conference room, level 26, Building 1, City campus (CB01.26.24) or via Zoom.
Quorum
The quorum at any meeting of Academic Board, shall be in accordance with the Standing Orders for Academic Board.
Membership
Academic Board’s composition is constituted under Rule G3, Division 1. In accordance with Rule G3-2(1), student members are elected for one year and all staff members are elected for two years. In order to promote continuity on Academic Board, elected staff member terms are staggered.
Chair, Deputy Chair and Vice-Chancellor
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Chair | Associate Professor Lynn Sinclair | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Deputy Chair | Professor Sara Denize | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Vice-Chancellor | Andrew Parfitt | ex officio |
Ex officio members
The ex officio members of the Academic Board are to be the person(s) holding the following positions (Rule G3-1(2)).
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Provost | Professor Vicki Chen | ex officio |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) | Professor Kylie Readman | ex officio |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement and Partnerships) | Professor Alana Piper | ex officio |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) | Iain Watt | ex officio |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) | Professor Kate McGrath | ex officio |
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) | Professor Joanne Gray | ex officio |
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) | Professor Robynne Quiggin AO | ex officio |
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students) | Jacqui Wise | ex officio |
Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences | Professor Alan Davison | ex officio |
Dean, UTS Business School | Professor Carl Rhodes | ex officio |
Dean, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building | Professor Mark Evans | ex officio |
Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology | Professor Peta Wyeth | ex officio |
Dean, Faculty of Health | Professor Debra Anderson | ex officio |
Dean, Faculty of Law | Professor Anita Stuhmcke | ex officio |
Dean, Faculty of Science | Professor James Wallman | ex officio |
Dean, Graduate Research School | Professor Chris Turney (acting) | ex officio |
Head of School (equivalent of Dean), TD School | Professor Martin Tomitsch | ex officio |
Director, Teaching Learning and Curriculum | Associate Professor Jan McLean | ex officio |
Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures | Professor Stuart White | ex officio |
Director, Research Office | Tania Bezzobs | ex officio |
University Librarian | Michael Gonzalez | ex officio |
Chair, Courses Accreditation Committee | Professor Willa Huston | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Deputy Chair, Courses Accreditation Committee | Associate Professor Gerhard Van de Venter | 6 February 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Deputy Chair, Research Committee | Professor Shui Yu | 3 March 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Deputy Chair, Teaching and Learning Committee | Professor Tracey Booth | 17 February 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
President, UTS Students’ Association | Mia Campbell | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Elected academic staff members
One member elected by and from the academic staff of each faculty (Rule G3-1(3)(a)).
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Arts and Social Sciences | Associate Professor Philip Birch | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Business | Professor Paul Burke | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Design, Architecture and Building | Associate Professor David Pigram | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Engineering and Information Technology | Distinguished Professor Biswajeet Pradhan | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Health | Distinguished Professor Aaron Coutts | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Law | Dr Catherine Robinson | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Science | Professor Anthony Dooley | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
TD School | Dr Giedre Kligyte | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Eight members elected by and from the professoriate and associate professoriate (levels D and E), with no more than two from any one faculty or unit (Rule G3-1(3)(b)).
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Arts and Social Sciences | Professor James Goodman | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Business | Associate Professor Gerhard Hambusch | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Business | Associate Professor Vinay Patel | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Engineering and Information Technology | Associate Professor Behzad Fatahi | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Engineering and Information Technology | Associate Professor Joshua Lee | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Law | Professor Brian Opeskin | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Science | Professor James Brown | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
TD School | TBA |
Four members elected by and from the academic staff (levels A, B, C), with no more than two from any one faculty or unit (Rule G3-1(3)(c)).
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Arts and Social Sciences | Dr Bettina Frankham | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Design, Architecture and Building | Dr Leila Naeni | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Engineering and Information Technology | Dr Baki Kocaballi | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Health | Dr Maryam Naghsh Nejad | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Two members elected by and from the deputy deans or associate deans, or heads of schools (or equivalent) (Rule G3-1(3)(d)).
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Design, Architecture and Building | Professor Josh Pienarr | 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 |
Health | Professor Kathleen Baird | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 |
Elected student members
One student elected by and from each faculty (Rule G3-1(3)(e)), and an alternate from each faculty appointed as per Rule G3-1(4). (Note: The provision for alternates would be exercised as required after the elections, and does not affect the total number of eight in the category.)
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Arts and Social Sciences | TBA | |
Business | Bhargav Choudhari | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Design, Architecture and Building | TBA | |
Engineering and Information Technology | Januka Surweera | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Health | Micheaal Heng | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Law | Nikolai Shchekochikhin | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Science | Serah Nwoke | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
TD School | Francesca Harrison | 14 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Elected postgraduate research student member
One postgraduate research student elected by and from the postgraduate research students of the university (Rule G3-1(3)(f)), and an alternate appointed as per Rule G3-1(4). (Note: The provision for alternates would be exercised as required after the elections, and does not affect the total number in the category.)
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Postgraduate research student | James Keene | 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025 |
Elected Indigenous student member
One Indigenous undergraduate or postgraduate student, elected by and from the UTS Indigenous student body (Rule G3-1(4)).
Position | Member | Term |
---|---|---|
Indigenous student member | TBA |
Charter
The Academic Board Charter (PDF) outlines the board's roles, responsibilities, composition and the manner in which it discharges its responsibilities for UTS.
Responsibilities
Without limiting the effect of the above purpose (Rule G3-11), Academic Board to:
Advisory and reporting functions
a. report to, or advise Council or the Vice-Chancellor on, any aspect of:
i. the goals, strategies, objectives, outcomes, principles, directions, priorities, policies, practices, profile and risk management for academic matters of the university
ii. the quality, standards and benchmarks appropriate to all aspects of the academic work of the university (including teaching, learning, scholarship, research training and research), which are underpinned by the Academic Standards Framework (PDF) approved by Academic Board
b. confirm to Council that delegations of academic authority are implemented based on the University Secretary’s review of the delegations
Approval and monitoring functions
c. approve those students who are considered eligible to graduate, having satisfactorily completed approved course requirements
d. determine the accreditation of proposed or existing award courses on their academic merit, and the removal of the accreditation of award courses
e. develop, monitor and review academic policies and their effectiveness
f. determine the standards and benchmarks for governing all aspects of academic administration, including, but not limited to, the admission of students and the examination and assessment of students’ work
g. determine the structures and functions of faculty boards, and any subsequent amendments to these, noting that a faculty board’s authority to act on specific matters will continue to require Council’s delegated authority
h. undertake initiatives to oversee academic and research integrity and its breaches thereof, including identification, management, mitigation and monitoring of its potential risks
Collaboration and communication functions
i. undertake initiatives to critically evaluate and institute measures to promote the communication of, and innovation in, academic matters and the coordination of academic work and activities across the whole University
j. work in conjunction with the Vice-Chancellor, senior UTS staff and University committees on any matters related to Academic Board and its functions, powers and responsibilities, to ensure that the academic goals of the University are achieved.
Performance
The board will review its performance annually against the charter.
The board will review the charter annually.
Standing orders
Documents
From time to time, Academic Board makes approved documents available to clarify significant academic matters with university-wide impact.
Academic Standards Framework
The Academic Standards Framework (PDF 83KB) is a high-level framework providing a holistic approach to quality management of UTS's academic activities. The framework documents and guides the standards for UTS's academic activities and alignment to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. The framework is reviewed annually as per the Procedures for review of the Academic Standards Framework (PDF 136KB).
Statement of Assurance — Conferral of Awards
The Statement of Assurance — Conferral of Awards (PDF 133KB) is part of the university’s quality management process for the conferral of awards. It outlines the governance framework (including standards of quality and processes) in place to ensure that UTS meets the requirements of the HESF 2021. It sets out UTS's approach to quality assurance for conferral of awards with relevant links to the governance framework.
Statement of Principles for Setting the Learning Calendar
The Statement of Principles for Setting the Learning Calendar (PDF 229KB) outlines the principles for setting the academic year calendar and associated academic year dates.
Strategic Risk Assessment for Academic Board
The Strategic Risk Assessment for Academic Board (PDF 349KB) (SharePoint) presents UTS-wide academic risks as they relate to the terms of reference of Academic Board and its committees, and their risk ratings and mitigations.
Communications
Visit Academic Board forums for information on the past forums.
Academic Board newsletters are available to members and staff and are published at Corporate governance (SharePoint).
Academic Board guide (PDF 90kb) provides a brief overview of Academic Board (and its committees), including role, functions and responsibilities of the board, its committees and its members.
Academic Board manual (PDF 846kb) (SharePoint) provides detailed information about board procedures and background.