Academic Board & committees

The ballot for staff categories on the Academic Board closed at 4.00pm AEST, Friday, 17 October 2025. Pursuant to the Elections Regulations 2016, I declare the following staff to be duly elected to the following categories for a term commencing on 1 January 2026 until 31 December 2027:

Two Teaching and Research Staff, who are VU Research Fellows, Conducting Research and/or HDR Supervision or Research only Academic Staff elected by and from each of the Flagship Research Institutes (IHES):

• Dr Mary Woessner
• Dr Hannah Thomas

Two Teaching and Research Staff, who are VU Research Fellows, Conducting Research and/or HDR Supervision or Research only Academic Staff elected by and from each of the Flagship Research Institutes (ISILC):

• Dr Catherine Lou - duly elected following the close of nominations period
• Associate Professor Natalie Kon-yu - duly elected following the close of nominations period

Two members elected by and from staff of the Research and Impact Portfolio:

Lesley Birch - duly elected following the close of nominations period

As the peak academic governance body within the University and accountable to the University in its own right and as a delegate, the Academic Board's functions are to (but not limited to): 

• set institutional governance standards for academic quality and outcomes; monitor the effectiveness of initiatives to meet academic standards and improve the quality of teaching and learning, programs and courses; and the student experience, domestically, internationally and through third party arrangements
• receive reports from delegates and management that assess the University’s capacity to demonstrate it meets the academic-related standards of the Higher Education Standards Framework and the Standards for VET Accredited Courses and report to Council
• approve (or not approve) proposals for the accreditation, reaccreditation and disestablishment of all academic programs of study offered by the University
• consider and provide advice on academic and research integrity, including monitoring of potential and emerging risks and liaising with the Audit and Risk Committee
• review and provide advice on the development and effectiveness of policies and procedures that guide all academic and educational activities, including approval of policies relating to academic quality
• monitor and provide advice to Council and the Vice-Chancellor on policies and procedures that are intended to support participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and ensure sensitivity to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and cultures
• monitor and provide advice to Council and the Vice-Chancellor on the quality of scholarship, research, research training and research-related matters and associated policies and foster the development and maintenance of high standards and support for research and scholarship
• monitor and review the effectiveness of delegations made under policies and procedures relevant to the role and functions of the Academic Board and its standing committees, ensuring delegations are appropriately implemented
• advise Council and/or the Vice-Chancellor on the academic aspects of the University’s strategic plans, priorities and risk management, including evaluating the quality and effectiveness of educational innovations or proposals for innovations
• monitor and report on the annual and strategic reviews of third-party arrangements, course delivery and agreements involving education programs delivery
• evaluate annual self-reviews of Academic Board's standing committees to ensure that their referred responsibilities are effectively discharged
• provide a forum to facilitate communication on issues within the education sector and encourage discussion and dissemination of information within the University regarding good practices in scholarship and research
• monitor occurrence of formal complaints about academic matters and allegations of V1.0-2025 academic and research misconduct, and actions taken to address underlying causes
• advise on matters referred to the Academic Board, within the remit of its delegated authorities, by Council, the Vice-Chancellor or other University officers
• review and report annually to Council on its own performance.

• Will advise and make recommendations to the Academic Board on
  • issues relating to research and research training activities of the University
  • the design, approval and review of amendments to courses of study that involves research training (research degrees) in collaboration with the Courses Committee
  • the reporting of research training and supervision, in relation to (but not limited to):
    • the admissions to candidature, confirmation of candidature, variations in conditions of candidature, the appointment of independent examiners, assessment, examination, student progress and classification of results and annual reports
    • research integrity, research misconduct including allegations of misconduct and monitoring of potential risks and make recommendations to the Academic Board where appropriate on actions to improve performance
    • supervisor registration and standards of supervision.
  • The performance of research institutes and centres
• Will monitor and make recommendations to the Academic Board on the following aspects related to:
  • the implementation and effectiveness of the University’s regulations, policies, procedures and regulations to ensure quality assurance and the quality of research and research training, specifically to ensure appropriate academic governance oversight, academic standards, research and research training standards, promotion of best practice and quality assurance
  • the implementation of strategies and major developments to improve the University’s research and research training performance, partnerships, quality and integrity
  • the University’s research, research impact and research training performance against national and international standards, quality indicators and benchmarks
  • the ethical conduct of research and responsible research practice, specifically on matters relating to biosafety, animal experimentation and human research ethics;
  • the matters arising from the Higher Degrees by Research Annual Course Monitoring.
• To provide oversight of the University’s course and assessment in relation to the following external regulations and standards
  • HESF domain 4.1 Research of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold V1.0-2025 Standards) 2021
  • HESF domain 4.2 Research Training of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
  • HESF domains 5.1 Course Approval and Accreditation, 5.2 Academic and Research Integrity and 5.3 Monitoring, review and Assessment of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
  • HESF domain 6.3 Academic Governance of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
  • Category B1.3 Category of Australian University of the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
• Will respond to any matters referred to it by the Academic Board.

All members on the Academic Board and its Committees will:

• participate constructively in governance activities in a lawful, ethical and justifiable manner
• demonstrate respect, concern and courtesy at meetings
• inform oneself about the Committee’s role and purpose within the University and associated matters affecting the Committees’ business
• participate actively and work cooperatively with other Committee members and University staff for the betterment of the University
• not improperly influence or attempt to influence other Committee members
• where required, respect confidentiality of Committee business
• openly declare any conflicts of interest and, where appropriate, disqualify themselves from discussions and decisions at such time
• share the responsibility for ongoing improvements in the Committees’ operations, culture and good standing
• ensure decisions are consistent with any regulatory and policy requirements. 

All members on the Academic Board and its Committees will also:

• attend all meetings, or where attendance is not possible provide apologies and proxies, verbally or in writing, to the Secretary prior to the meeting
• actively contribute to the agenda and papers
• read the agenda and papers prior to meetings
• actively contribute to meeting discussions by addressing the item/issue under discussion. V1.0-2025
• listen to and value others when they have the floor
• respect the role of the Chair as leader of the meeting and abide by their rulings in relation to meeting procedure
• ensure that records related to confidential items are stored and maintained in a way that protects the confidentiality
• avoid using their position to gain an advantage for themselves or another person.
• always act in the best interests of the University as a whole.

The Academic Board traditionally meets 7 times a year on the first Wednesday in the Month between 9am—12noon.

The Research and Research Training Committee traditionally meets six times a year, on the third Wednesday in the month between 10am—12noon.

• Newly elected members will be invited to attend an in-person induction program designed to help them understand their role and responsibilities on the Board.
• Induction materials will be made available via the Academic Board and Committees SharePoint site for ongoing reference.
• Elected members can participate in a mentor/buddy program, where you can learn alongside an experienced members of the Academic Board or the Research and Research Training Committee.
• Members will be invited to a biannual meeting with the Chair of the Academic Board. These meetings provide a space to reflect on your role, ask questions, and discuss your transition onto the Board.
• Members may be offered the opportunity to attend a course through the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Participation is subject to approval by the Governance and Secretariat unit.

No, these positions have not changed since the 2023 elections.

As stated in the Election Regulations 2016, a person is entitled to be nominated for election as a staff member of the Academic Board if the person:

• is validly or entitled to be validly on the voters’ roll on the date on which nominations close
• is a member of staff of the University who is currently employed at a time fraction of 0.5 full time equivalent and is based at a Victorian Campus.

Candidates must have two VU staff members from the same category nominate them, as outlined in the nomination form. 

Nomination forms, including an online nomination form for Academic Board nominees, will be made available on the VU Governance website upon the opening of the nominations period on Monday, 8 September 2025. 

Incomplete nominations will be deemed invalid. Candidates will receive an email advising that their nominations have been received, and, time permitting, candidates will be advised whether they have completed the Nominations form as required. 

Candidates are encouraged to lodge their nominations as soon as possible to enable sufficient time to resubmit in the event the nomination is invalid.

The nominations open on Monday 8 September 2025 at 9am AEST and close Friday 19 September 2025 at 4.00pm AEST.

Nominations received after the deadline will not be accepted.

An election to each category will be called if the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies for the relevant category.

If an election is required, it will open on Monday 6 October 2025 at 9am AEST and close on Friday 17 October 2025 at 4pm AEST.

Until nominations close, we will not be able to know whether some, if any, staff will be invited to vote. 

All eligible staff will receive an electronic voting ballot with instructions on how to vote if required.

If you believe that you should be on an electoral roll for one of the election categories, and you have not received an email from Big Pulse, please email us at [email protected] .

We can clarify your eligibility on the electoral roll with People and Culture.

Please refer to the Creating a New Digital Signature guide for step-by-step instructions.

You should refer to the Governance webpages or you can email [email protected] .

Relevant legislation and important documents

• VU Act 2010
• Governance, Academic and Student Affairs Statute 2013
• Academic Board Regulations 2021
• Academic Board Terms of Reference
• Research and Research Training Committee Terms of Reference
• Elections Regulations 2016