About the Academic Board
Role of the Academic Board
The Academic Board has the principal responsibility for the supervision and development of all academic activities of the University, including the maintenance of high standards in teaching and research. The Academic Board determines all matters related to courses and subjects, admission and enrolment of students, and assessment and admission to degrees.
The Academic Board is also responsible for formulating and reviewing policies, rules, guidelines and procedures in relation to academic matters and playing an active role in assuring the quality of teaching, scholarship and research in the University. To be confident that the policy structures properly sustain academic quality and assurance and are appropriate to the University's needs, the Board monitors their implementation and effectiveness. Much of this monitoring is effected through Acaemic Board reviews. The review process is formative and collegial and aims to provide constructive feedback on the quality of a faculty's educational provision.
The Academic Board reports to Council and provides Council with appropriate and timely information on academic matters, including academic priorities and policies of the University, the Board's contribution to the academic aspects of the University's strategic plan and the maintenance of acdemic standards and any academic matters it considers to be of strategic importance.
Specifically, the Academic Board has delegated authority to:
- approve new courses and changes to existing courses;
- determine policy regarding programs of study and assessment;
- determine policy regarding admission, selection and enrolment of students;
- determine requirements to be satisfied by candidatesfor awards of degrees, diplomas and certificates;
- exercise the powers and perform the duties of a faculty for all courses not assigned to any faculty; and
- determine the terms and conditions of awards, scholarships and prizes and other forms of recognition governing academic matters.
The Academic Board is also the final appeal body within the Unviersity in all matters relating to students and their grievances against decisions made by Univesrity bodies or individual officers.
Academic Board Officers
The Board officers are the President, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-President. The Officers are elected each year and traditionally hold the office for two years.
President: Professor Ruth Fincher
Vice-President: Professor Rachel Webster
Deputy Vice-President: Professor Nilss Olekalns
Role of the Board Officers
The President of the Academic Board is a member of Council, the Senior Executive and all of the Standing Committees of the Academic Board. The President and Vice-President are members of the Senior Appointments and Promotions Committee. One of the Officers usually chairs the Academic Board Appeals Committee meetings.
The President presides at Board meetings. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President or Deputy Vice-President will preside.
Powers and Responsibilities of the President
The President may act executively on behalf of the Board in msot matters, with the exception of endorsement of nominations for honorary degrees.
Specifically, the President is responsible for:
- waivers of entry requirements;
- waivers of credit rules;
- approval of subject quotas;
- approval of exemption form low enrolment count in subjects with low enrolments;
- approval of late changes to subjects;
- approval of restricted access to completed PhD theses;
- approval of examiners; and
- approval of readmission of students following exclusion due to unsatisfactory progress.
Academic Secretary
Ms Penelope Pepperell
Tel: 8344 7527
Fax: 8344 6897
Committees of the Board
Thie page contains a full list of the committees of the Academic Board.