2006 review made adjustments to align with restructure

2008 review aims to align senate structure with

quality and standards aim

Schools

Quality assurance

Quality improvement

Scholarship

Collegial

Benchmark QA role

School ASQC

• Currently disconnected from structure• Greater responsibility and autonomy• Membership related to function to achieve

greatest quality impact• Similar profile to other universities• Is Senate Committee not management in exile

?

• Gender balance policy• Target staff with capacity for roles• Elected Chair versus Appointed Chair• Elected members• Chair workload• Casual appointment• Whole of staff discussion – where to?

College

• School representation

• Size

• Critical QA focus

• Key quality improvement focus

• Only minor change

Peak

• Most committees minor change• Benchmarks well with other uni’s• Courses: proposal benchmarks better with

other uni’s – prevents split course control• Appeals: one committee responsible to

specialist policy

Senate• More elected staff• More ex-officio• For size of uni proposal benchmarks OK• HoS (9) or all?• Chair SASQC on or stay with direct election to Senate?

(usual benchmark for eligibility is professoriate only) (if direct election 1 per school? Or X per college?)

• Associate Deans off (?back on)• Elected Chair (some uni’s have VC/DVC)

Relative Sizes of NSW and ACT Universities

128

9792

60 59

43 4239 38 36

3328

21

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Sydne

yUTS

Wollo

ngong

UNE

UNSWUW

SSCU

Mac

quarie

ANU

Newca

stle

Canber

raACU

CSU

Sydney

UTS

Wollongong

UNE

UNSW

UWS

SCU

Macquarie

ANU

Newcastle

Canberra

ACU

CSU

Academic Governance Arrangements Review 2008

UWS Academic Senate

Process to date:• 2007 August initial review report to senate --> • 2007 November invitation for input and consultation --> • 2008 February recommendation to delete College Boards --> • 2008 May delete CBoS carried by Senate ---> • Senate resolution to review School Boards and effects of CBoS

deletion on academic governance arrangements• Requested to Board of Trustees to extend terms to permit further

review regarding impact of College Board deletion and arrangements if School Boards deleted --->

• Extension permitted to October 2008• No further extension

Consultations conducted 2008:

•   - 12 of the 17 heads of school (face to face interviews) (3 email consultations) - PVC TL, R, Q, E. - DVCAE, DVCCS

• - Chair of Management School Board (face to face) - Associate Deans Academic (face to face interviews) - Associate Deans Research (email comments) - Dean of Research Studies (Phone interviews) - Dean of Indigenous Education (face to face) - University Librarian (face to face and email comments) - UWSCollege Executive Principal and CEO (face to face) - Registrar (face to face)- Executive Committee of Senate (two face to face special meetings)

• Student representation workshop:- Participation by Chair of Senate in workshop, phone interviews with consultants, report feedback, liaison with Paul Woloch regarding emerging Senate proposal.

• Full Senate meetings:- two in 2008 have considered academic governance proposals. All meetings have had reports on review issues.

Benchmarking

• Comparison with multi-campus large Australian universities (web search):Monash, ECU, CSU, Griffith, La Trobe, ACU

• AUQA best practice site• Committee of  Chairs NSW/ACT and National

Committee of Chairs Academic Boards and Senates.

Next steps Board of Trustees October deadline

• 22 August to Senate for discussion --> • revisions as required --> • general consultation to academic community through policy DDS --> • Advice of Senate for next step • Recommend to Board of Trustees • October 8 meeting of Board of Trustees • Positions spill • No Senate meeting October: elections• November: training for elected and new ex-officio members• New Senate meets 21 November

Principles

• Senate terms of reference: quality improvement and standards assurance

• Membership appropriate to discharge functions• Schools are the field of action• Delegated responsibility from Board: accountability to Board• Meetings are expensive : keep small and few• Academic governance is learnt• Senate committees mitigate academic risk

Relative Sizes of NSW and ACT Universities

128

9792

60 59

43 4239 38 36

3328

21

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Sydney

UTS

Wollongong

UNE

UNSW

UWS

SCU

Macquarie

ANU

Newcastle

Canberra

ACU

CSU

How we compare: Griffith• Advisory to Council• N=55• DVC is Chair• 10 elected academics• 7 elected students• 38 Remainder PVCs, Deans,

Directors, Registrar, Council appointees, HoS

• Faculty Boards (Chair by Dean; no elected members)

• School Committees (Advisory to Head of School; 4-7 elected members)

• Provision for School Forum

How we compare: Monash• Under review• New targets either N=100 or N=86• Status and authority visible in composition• Elected President/2xVP• There should be significant cohort with

high level responsibilities & accountability for overseeing or implementing Uni directions: VC, DVC, PVC, Deans, Directors

• Retain “an element” of elected membership either 22% or 37% that maintains Professorial Board link

• Introduce alternates• Delete campus reps• 3 students

How we compare: ECU• Advisory to Council• Elected Chair• N=38• 9 elected members• 11 ex-officio: incl VC, DVCs, PVCs,

Deans, Indigenous, Staff Asociation• 15 appointed/nominated: incl HoS,

Faculty Profs• 3 students• Faculty Boards advisory• Boards of Examiners: determine

grades

How we compare: La Trobe

• Delegated functions from Council (same as UWS)

• N=99• Equal male/female• Unspecified in Act

How we compare: CSU• Delegated authority from Council• Elected Chair• N=25• 2 Profs elected by Profs• 4 elected academic staff (1 each

faculty)• 2 students• 17 ex-officio • Faculty Board: chaired by Dean

QA• School Board: Chaired by HoS

QA

How we compare: ACU• Advisory to Council• Approve Teaching and Learning Plan• N=30 + • PVC Chair• 12 ex-officio• 4 Deans plus 2 Rectors• 6 Profs (2 from each faculty elected by

Profs)• 3 academic staff (1 from each faculty

elected by non-professorial staff)• 1 student• Co-opted others (unlimited)

determined by Council

Traditions at UWS• Elected Chair of Senate• Balance between elected and ex-officio/appointed• Lean committee structure• Broad participation: not just Profs• College representation not Schools• HoS and E-Deans not on committees• Relatively small senate given size• Usually quorate• Accountable to Board

Challenges UWS• Multi-campus• Comprehensive• Lean committee + program support• Rapid structural change• Excellent research progress• Poor/patchy program/student experience progress• Senate key QI QA academic standards and quality mechanism:

reputation, rigour, consistency and equivalence• Magic bullet? Policies + School involvement

UWS Options• Option 1: more of the same - delete school boards; replace college board chairs on senate with the same

number of directly elected academic staff (?professoriate); replace chairs of college boards in policy roles with associate deans.  Outcome: Only have Assessment Committee at School level.

 • Option 2: add school committee keep senate the same- replace school boards and assessment

committee with School Academic Standards and Quality Committee (SASQC). Chair SASQC by HoS or nominee or elected by SASQC. Retain existing Senate directly elected membership and replace CBoS chairs with additional direct election position from college

•  • Option 3: add school committee; add Heads of School to senate (some or all) - otherwise the same -

replace school boards and assessment committee with SASQC. Chair SASQC by HoS or nominee or elected by SASQC. Retain existing Senate directly elected membership from colleges and replace CBoS chairs with additional direct election positions from each college.

•  • Option 4: Preferred proposal - add school committee, school committee representation on college

committee and on senate, heads of school on senate (?retention of associate deans)

• FOR DISCUSSION