Role of the Academic Board

The quality of Higher Education providers is overseen and regulated by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), applying standards set by the Minister for Education, primarily under the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 (HESF) or such other guidelines enacted from time to time.  It is recognised by TEQSA that a degree of separation between corporate governance and academic governance is a long-standing practice and facilitates effective oversight of academic issues.  Consistent with this practice, the Governing Board of Eastern College Australia (the Board) wishes to delegate academic oversight to the Academic Board under the following terms of reference.

Pursuant to this delegation, the Academic Board, as a sub-committee of the Board, shall be the peak academic body of Eastern College Australia for consideration of academic issues including policy development and decision-making to assure the quality of teaching, learning, research and research training.

Responsibilities of the Academic Board

The Academic Board has the following responsibilities:

1. To ensure that the curriculum of the College is infused with the Christian ethos and worldview that lies at the heart of the College’s purpose and Constitution.
2. To ensure the quality of teaching, learning, research and research training effectively, including by:

• a. developing, monitoring and reviewing academic policies and their effectiveness

• b. confirming that delegations of academic authority are implemented

• c. critically scrutinising, approving and, if authority to self-accredit is held, accrediting or advising on approving and accrediting, courses of study and their associated qualifications

• d. maintaining oversight of academic and research integrity, including monitoring of potential risks

• e. monitoring and initiating action to improve performance against institutional benchmarks for academic quality and outcomes

• f. critically evaluating the quality and effectiveness of educational innovations or proposals for innovations

• g. evaluating the effectiveness of institutional monitoring, review and improvement of academic activities, and

• h. monitoring and reporting to the corporate governing body on the quality of teaching, learning, research and research training.

3. To oversee such other aspects of academic governance as shall be required by TEQSA or equivalent body from time to time.
4. To regularly report to the Board no less than quarterly with respect to its activities.
5. To monitor student completions, including approving the names of students who have met all requirements of any award offered by the College, and recommend to the Governing Board as eligible for conferral.
6. Comply with any other request from the Board in relation to academic governance.

Powers of the Academic Board

The Academic Board shall have the following powers:

1. Oversee and monitor all aspects of teaching, learning, research and research training.
2. Initiate actions to ensure compliance by the College with such aspects of the HESF that relate to academic governance.
3. Advise and make recommendations to the Board in relation to any and all aspects of academic governance and membership of the Academic Board.
4. Draft, approve, review and revise academic policies.
5. Monitor and review the design, content and conduct of courses.
6. Take action and make recommendations to facilitate the achievement or maintenance of the academic governance aspects of the College Strategic Plan.
7. Establish sub-committees to assist in the responsibilities of the Academic Board, including a sub-committee to oversee, advise and report to the Academic Board upon learning, teaching and research and a sub-committee to oversee, advise and report to the Academic Board in relation to academic standards and risk.

Membership of the Academic Board

The Academic Board shall have a minimum of six members, which shall include:

1. Chair
2. Executive Principal of the College (ex officio)
3. Dean of Studies (ex officio)
4. Faculty Representative
5. Student Representative
6. External Academic

The Academic Board shall co-opt its members. In appointing members to the Academic Board, effort should be made to ensure a balance of internal and external members.  A Vice Chair shall be selected by the Academic Board in the first meeting each calendar year and shall act as Chair should the Chair be absent.  No member shall serve for more than five years without their position being reviewed.  A quorum shall be four members or fifty percent, whichever is the greater.

Chair

The Chair of Academic Board is to be external to the College and shall be appointed by the Board.  The Chair shall be appointed for a period of three years but may be reappointed by the Board.  There is no limit to the number of terms that the Chair may serve.  It is an expectation that the Chair will be available to attend the meetings of the Board.

Meetings of the Academic Board

The Academic Board shall meet at least quarterly and shall endeavour to meet in coordination with the meetings of the Board.

Minutes of the meeting shall be taken and circulated in a timely fashion.

On or before the first meeting each calendar year, the Dean of Studies will prepare a Schedule of Business that the Academic Board will endeavour to address over the year.  The schedule of Business shall be made available to the Board to enable coordination of activities.

The Academic Board shall report regularly to the Board including any specific report or reports required by the Board from time to time.

Review and Assessment of Academic Board

An external review of the Academic Board’s practice and processes shall be conducted every five years or if rendered appropriate due to alterations in the regulatory framework governing Higher Education Providers.