University of Sydney Business School

The Faculty of Economics was established in 1920. On 3 November 1919 Senate adopted a report of the committee it had appointed to consider the Professorial Board's recommendations on the academic structure of the University. This included the creation of six new faculties including Economics. The ten faculties of the University were established under the  which also spelt out their function:    Each Faculty shall, under the Senate— (1) Have the general direction and supervision of the teaching in the subjects pertaining to the Faculty ;

(2) be responsible, with the assistance of such examiners as the Senate may on the report of the Faculty, from time to time appoint, for the conduct of the annual examinations in those subjects ; and

(3) consider and report upon all matters relating to the studies, lectures, examinations and degrees of the Faculty, or referred to it by the Senate.

Chap XVII spelt out the constitution and rules of the Faculty of Economics. The Faculty succeeded the Department of Economics and Commerce. Economics was first taught as part of Commerce I in 1907 in the Department of Economics and Commerce in the Faculty of Arts.  From 1909 until 1912 the Department of Commerce was annexed to the Faculty of Law.

A Chair in Economics was established in 1912 with Robert Irvine the first appointment to the Chair in April 1912 (he was the first Professor of Economics in Australia). By-Laws for the Department of Economics and Commerce (Chap XVIB) came into effect January 1913 setting out a three year curriculum leading to the Degree in Economics (Bachelor in Economics, BEc). With the introduction of the BEc the Department returned to the Faculty of Arts in 1913.The Faculty of Economics held its first faculty meeting on 15 July 1920. Irvine was elected Dean. He held that position until he resigned in 1922 and Richard Mills succeeded him.

At its meeting on 6 September 1999 Senate approved the renaming of the Faculty of Economics as the Faculty of Economics and Business with effect from 1 January 2000. [71/99 (1) Report of Vice-Chancellor and Principal].

The Graduate School of Government was relocated within the faculty of Economics and Business in 2005.

In December 2010 'Senate gave approval in principle for the Faculty of Economics and Business, with the transfer of the Discipline of Economics, the Centre for International Security Studies and the Graduate School of Government from the Faculty to the Faculty of Arts from 1 January 2011, to be renamed the “University of Sydney Business School”.' [Senate Minutes 6 December 2010 Resolution 222/10]. In January 2011 Senate approved the amendments to:

(1) the Constitution of the University of Sydney Business School, and

(2) the Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates in the University of Sydney Business School.

As part of the University's strategic planning 2016-2020, Senate decided in December 2015 to reduce the number of faculties from 16 to six, with three additional schools reporting directly to the Provost, to come into effect 1 January 2017. The University of Sydney Business School retained its status as a Faculty.