Academic Senate Professor Dianne Nicol Chair, Academic Senate Uni - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Academic Senate

Professor Dianne Nicol Chair, Academic Senate

Presentation Format

• Uni Governance
• Academic Senate

What we can do Who we are My role as Chair Challenges for 2014 What you can do What do you want Academic Senate to do for you?

What is the University?

• Members of

Council

• Members of

Academic Staff

• Members of

Professional Staff

• Graduates
• Students

University Governance

• University of

Tasmania Act 1992

• By-laws
• Ordinances
• Rules
• Policies
• Procedures
• Guidelines
• Statements
• Council
• Vice-Chancellor,

Senior Executive and Senior Management Team

• Academic Senate

University Council

• Chancellor
• Vice-Chancellor
• Chair, Academic Senate
• Two appointees of the

Minister (not staff or students, one is past graduate)

• One Academic and one

Professional Staff Member

• One Student
• Up to six others (not staff
• r students)

Roles of Academic Senate

Delegated Decision Making Roles from Council (Academic Senate Rules 1 to 4)

• Approving proposals from Faculties and Institutes relating

to awards

• Determining qualifications for admission
• Making Rules re prizes, scholarships and bursaries
• Making Rules re admission, academic assessment and

progress

• Making Rules re graduate research and supervision

Roles of Academic Senate

Advisory Role to University Council

• Policies relating to academic matters
• Long term academic implications of plans for allocation of

resources

• Processes relating to academic excellence
• Commenting on reports from the VC & Senior Executive
• Advising Council on matters affecting academic wellbeing

Roles of Academic Senate

Collegial Role

• Providing the primary collegial forum for discussion,

debate and recommendations on academic matters

• Maintaining an environment that supports intellectual

freedom and academic integrity

Membership

Chair & Deputy Chair Vice-Chancellor Senior Executive Deans/Heads of Institutes PVC (Research Training) Heads of Schools Directors of National Centres Chairs of Faculty Boards Registrar Prof Indigenous Higher Education TUU President, Postgrad President, Campus President & International Students Officer 1 externally funded Research Fellow 12 elected Academic Staff members + Observers

Committees

• Admissions Policy Committee
• Research College Board*
• Student Experience Committee*
• University Learning & Teaching Committee*
• Standing Academic Committee
• Academic Senate Legislation Committee
• Nominations Committee
• Panels for student complaints and discipline and level D/E

appointments

* and Sub-Committees

My Role as Chair

• Chair meetings of Academic Senate (6 pa) and some

Academic Senate Committees, member of other Academic Senate Committees (assisted by Deputy Chair)

• Member of Council, Finance Committee, Ceremonial and

Honorary Degrees Committee

• Member of Vice-Chancellor’s Executive, SMT, Planning and

Performance Review Committee, Academic Planning Sub- committee, Quality & Standards Committee, Internationalisation Committee, Budget Working Group

• Member of Academic Promotions Committee
• Member of Alumni Committee
• Graduations

What are the big items for 2014?

• Implications of Federal funding and regulatory decisions –

2014 Federal Budget

• Reform of Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency
• Higher Education Standards Framework
• Implementation of Australian Qualifications Framework
• Collegial discussions

– Academic Freedom – Diversity

TEQSA

• Replaced Australian

Universities Quality Agency (AUQA)

• Focused on regulation of

threshold standards

• Established Higher

Education Standards Panel

• TEQSA Amendment Act

currently the subject of a Senate (Commonwealth) inquiry.

• Amendments seek to

reduce regulatory burden

Higher Education Standards Panel

• Created by TEQSA
• Responsible for the

development and monitoring of Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF)

• TEQSA mandates

compliance with the Framework

Higher Education Standards Framework

• Currently in consultation

phase

• Sets standards for

– Student participation & attainment – Learning Environment – Teaching – Research and Research Training – Quality Assurance – Governance – Representation, Information & Information Management

• Mandates Compliance

with AQF

Australian Qualifications Framework

• AQF is a national

framework

• Sets specifications for

regulated qualifications (Senior Secondary Certificates to Doctoral Degrees)

• All Higher Education

Awards at AQF levels 5- 10 (Diploma to Doctoral Degree) must meet AQF specifications by 1 January 2015.

AQF Course Requirements

Universities must demonstrate:

• Learning outcomes for each AQF level and qualification type,

including: purpose; knowledge; skills; application of knowledge and skills, and; volume of learning.

• That AQF specifications for each degree level are being met

and adhered to in the accreditation and development of all qualifications.

Course Accreditation Standards

• Course design is appropriate and meets the Qualification

Standards

• Course resourcing and information is adequate
• Admission criteria are appropriate
• Teaching and learning are of high quality
• Assessment is effective and expected student learning
• utcomes are achieved
• Course monitoring, review, updating and termination are

appropriately managed

Academic Senate – how can you be involved?

• Nominate for

membership

• Raise matters you would

like to see discussed at Academic Senate at Faculty or Institute meetings

• Talk to me or other

Academic Senate members

Listening to you

• When thinking about the

academic life and work

• f the University, what

things come to mind?

• Which of these would

you most like Academic Senate to discuss?

• http://www.utas.edu.au/acade

mic-governance/academic- senate