Academic Board

In June 1975, the Academic Board replaced the Professorial Board. All resolutions of the Professorial Board in force on 17 June 1975 became resolutions of the Academic Board on 18 June and all matters before the Professorial Board on that date became matters of the Academic Board.

The powers of the Board were to be exercised subject to the By-laws and any resolutions of Senate. Powers and duties of the Academic Board were described in the By-laws Chapter VIII, Sections 3 and 4. It had power to provide academic advice to both Senate and the Vice-Chancellor on all academic matters, including academic priorities and policies of the University, policies concerning the conditions of appointment and employment of academic staff, the maintenance of academic standards and any academic matters it considered to be of strategic importance. Specifically, the Academic Board had delegated authority to approve new courses and approve changes to existing courses; determine policy regarding programs of study and assessment; determine requirements to be satisfied by candidates for awards of degrees, diplomas and certificates; and to determine the terms and conditions of awards, scholarships and prizes.

The new Academic Board included substantial representation from non-professorial staff and students. It began with a membership of 215 which rose, by 1980, to 249. The first chairman was JM Ward.

The Academic Board gave departments recognised status, prescribed functions and required them to hold regular meetings and to consult with students.

SUMMARY by Lis Bergmann, Secretary to Senate 20 April 2012: The Academic Board was reviewed in July 1989 and again in 1995, with a Report of the Committee of Review, dated July 1995, submitted to Senate in October 1995. The report proposed that the board of nearly 400 members be replaced by a two-tiered structure: an Academic Forum of about the same number and an Academic Board of 61 members. Instead of 12 committees the Board would be supported by 6 committees: Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Teaching and Learning, Research, Library and Information Technology, and Academic Staffing (see AB minutes 13/11/1996, p.18 ff). The 12 committees had been: Standing Committee, Policy Advisory Committee, Admissions Committee, Awards Committee, Awards for Excellence in Teaching Committee, Committee for Graduate Studies, Committee for Undergraduate Studies, Equal Opportunity in Education Committee, Library Committee, Postgraduate Awards Selection Committee, Research Committee, and the University Language Board. [for committee structure see Annual Report 1993, p.2]

Senate adopted the report on 3 October 1995 and established an implementation team to oversee the transition to the new Board so that it could begin to operate as early as possible. This required an enactment of amendments to Chapter 8 (Academic Governance) of the Bylaws to reconstitute to the Academic Board and provide for the Senate to make rules regarding the Board, and to establish an Academic Forum and provide for the Senate to make rules regarding the Forum.The ‘University of Sydney Amendment (Academic Governance) By-law (No.2) 1996' amended Chapter 8 of the By-laws, with effect from 1 August 1996.

On 5 August 1996, the Senate approved the two sets of rules made pursuant to section 37(1) of the University of Sydney Act 1989 – then named Academic Governance Rules - Academic Board, and Academic Governance Rules - Academic Forum. The new Rules were published in accordance with the new Chapter 8 of the University's By-laws, and came into effect on 8 August 1996.

The 1998 Calendar referred to them as Rules of the Senate: Academic Board and Academic Forum. 

The 2000 Calendar named them ‘Rules relating to the Academic Board, 1996', and ‘Rules relating to the Academic Forum, 1996'.

The final meeting of the old Academic Board was held on 21October 1996, with the first meeting of the new Academic Forum being held on 28 October 1996 and the first meeting of the new Board being held on 13 November 1996.

The Function of the Board was to advise the Senate and the Vice-Chancellor on all matters relating to and affecting the University's teaching and research activities and its educational programs. It was to:

(a) advise the Senate and the Vice-Chancellor on all matters relating to and affecting the University's teaching and research activities and its educational programs, including general advice on the academic prioritiesand policies of the University;

(b) encourage the maintenance and development of high standards of teaching, scholarship and research;

(c) co-ordinate and maintain an overview of the academic activities of faculties and similar organisational units;

(d) participate in a formal and regular program of review of academic activities of faculties and similar organisational units;

(e) advise on the academic aspects of the formulation and review of the University's strategic plan;

(f) advise the Senate on faculty plans;

(g) advise the Senate and the Vice-Chancellor with respect to policies concerning the academic aspects of the conditions of appointment and employment of academic staff;

(h) consider and report on any matter referred to the Academic Board by the Senate or the Vice-Chancellor;

(i) refer matters to faculties for consideration and report, and refer matters to departments and schools for consideration and report through the faculty under whose supervision they are placed;

(j) consider and take action on reports from faculties;

(k) advise the Senate on any academic submission made to the Senate by a faculty or similar organisational unit; and

(l) exercise other functions delegated by the Senate to the Academic Board.

There was a review of Academic Board and Academic Forum in 2001; the review report was tabled at the November 2001 meeting of the Academic Board.

Academic Board 15 May 2002, 5.2 General report: 5.2.1 Review of the Academic Board and the Academic Forum separate enclosure. Final drafting of the proposed revision to the By-law relating to the Academic Board and the Academic Forum, and the drafting of the Rules relating to the Academic Board was undertaken during April and considered at the May meeting of Senate. Senate adopted the proposed By-law and Rules, which are enclosed for members' information. Consideration is being given to consequential legislative changes, which will include an amendment to the University of Sydney (Amendment Act) Rule to remove references to the Academic Forum. Review of the proposed terms of reference of the Academic Board Standing Committees and associated policies were also undertaken to ensure these were consistent with the final outcomes of the Review and any amendments were to be referred to the Board in due course.

At its meeting on 16 October 2002 (item 5.2.1) the Academic Board noted that, as part of the implementation of the Review of the Academic Board and the Academic Forum, the terms of reference of Board Standing Committees and their sub-committees were being reviewed. Resolution 266/02: That the Academic Board:(1) note the report of the Chair of the Academic Board relating to committee terms of reference and constitutions, and

(2) adopt the committee terms of reference and constitutions for the following committees and sub-committees:
• Undergraduate Studies Committee
• Admissions Sub-Committee
• Graduate Studies Committee
• Postgraduate Coursework Studies Committee
• PhD Award Sub-Committee
• Postgraduate Awards Sub-Committee
• Appeals Committee of the Graduate Studies Committee
• Research Committee
• Academic Staffing Committee and (3) amend the Resolutions of the Academic Board: Student appeals against academic decisions to provide for the Dean of Graduate Studies to be a member of the Appeals Committee of the Graduate Studies Committee, as set out in the report.

The new structure and functions came into force on 1 January 2004. See Senate 5 April 2004, Item 8B.2.1 Report of the Chair of the Academic Board.

The Standing Committees in 2004 were the Academic Staffing Committee, Graduate Studies Committee, Teaching and Learning Committee, Undergraduate Studies Committee and the Research Committee. The Library Committee became a Sub-Committee of the Teaching and Learning Committee.

Many Standing Committees already had established sub-committees.2006 saw a restructure of the Academic Board Committees; the Board's structure was flattened with its main work being carried out by five standing committees. The Postgraduate Coursework Sub-Committee was incorporated into the revised Graduate Studies Committee, which was now be responsible for course approvals, policies and other issues associated with postgraduate coursework, and the Research Training Sub-Committee was incorporated into the combined Research and Research Training Committee, which now combined research and research training responsibilities. [Senate 4 December 2006, Item 11, resolution 402/06]

In 2009 the Academic Board reviewed its structure, partly in response to changes within senior management that created a complementary committee structure under the Senior Executive Group (SEG). As a result the Academic Board reduced the number of its Standing Committees from five to three. Under the new structure the Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies Committees remained, while the Academic Staffing Committee now reported to SEG. The Learning and Teaching Committee was replaced by the Academic Standards and Policy Committee and the Research and Research Training Committee was abolished with research training matters being referred to the Graduate Studies Committee. (2009 Annual Report, p.57)

The AB rules were amended on 1 June 2015 and were defined in the University of Sydney (Academic Governance) Rule 2003 (as amended). The AB again was reviewed in late 2016. It adopted the Report on the review at its meeting in March 2017. The existing AB rule was replaced by the University of Sydney (Academic Board) Rule 2017 adopted by Senate on 23 August 2017 effective 1 September 2017 (amended by Senate 27 June 2017 and effective 23 July 2018).

The Review included a review of the Board's committee structure (item 5.1.3 Overall committee structure); at the time it had four committees: the Academic Standards & Policy Committee, the Admissions Committee, the Graduate Studies Committee and the Undergraduate Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee had two subcommittees, the HDR Scholarships Subcommittee and the HDR Examinations Subcommittee. (AB Papers  for meeting 28 Nov 2017, item 4.2). The revised committee structure was as follows: Academic Quality Committee, overseeing the Higher Degree by Research Examinations Sub-Committee (HDRESC); Academic Standards and Policy Committee, overseeing the Admissions Sub-Committee; Graduate Studies Committee, overseeing the Higher Degree by Research Scholarships Sub-Committee (HDRSSC) and the Undergraduate Studies Committee.

Under the new rule the Academic Board had principal responsibility for:

(a) assuring the highest standards in teaching, scholarship and research and ,in so doing, safeguarding the academic freedom of the University;

(b) overseeing and monitoring the development of academic activities of the University;

(c) communicating with the academic community, particularly through academic organisational units such as faculties, University schools, boards of studies and centres; and

(d) providing a forum for debate and information flow within the University in relation to academic matters.

It was to determine standards and, after consultation with the University Executive, determined policy in relation to:

(a) admission requirements;

(b) programs of study, including requirements for the award of any qualification;

(c) progression requirements;

(d) examinations and assessment;

(e) student recognition awards, including scholarships, subsidies or prizes; and

(f) such other matters as Senate may delegate to it.

The Board considered and, if appropriate, approved new academic award courses and amendments to existing courses, provided that the approved new or amended course:

(a) was tabled and considered at the next appropriate Senate meeting; and

(b) did not commence until after it had been endorsed by Senate.

It was to provide advice to Senate, the Vice-Chancellor and the University Executive about academic matters, including but not limited to:(a) teaching, research and educational programs;

(b) academic priorities;

(c) academic aspects of current and proposed University strategic plans;

(d) academic aspects of policies and procedures, including but not limited to those relating to the appointment, promotion and conditions of employment of academic staff;

(e) establishing and maintaining academic standards; and

(f) any academic matter it considered to be of strategic importance.

Jointly with the University Executive, the Academic Board was to initiate and oversee a formal program of reviews of the academic activities of the University and its academic organisational units. It could receive, and direct provision of, reports from faculties and other organisational units in relation to academic matters.