Academic Board

The Academic Board of the Australian National University was formally re-established by Council in February 2012 under the ANU Academic Board Statute.

Academic Board is tasked with ensuring the University maintains the highest standards in teaching, scholarship and research. The Board reviews academic policy recommendations and approves degrees and other awards. Moreover, it provides a forum to facilitate information flow and debate within the University and between the senior executive officers of the University and the wider academic community.

The following committees advise the Academic Board on matters within their remit.

Responsibilities

The functions of Academic Board are defined by the Academic Board Charter 2022, and include:

  • accrediting and reaccrediting academic programs and changes to existing academic programs;
  • ensuring the maintenance of the highest standards in teaching, scholarship and research within the University;
  • approving degrees and other awards;
  • from time to time, deciding the degrees and other awards that the University may confer, other than honorary degrees;
  • discussing, developing and approving policy in relation to academic matters;
  • maintaining an effective overview of the academic activities of the University, and advising on them and assisting in their coordination;
  • advising on the academic aspects and content of the University's strategic plan;
  • developing and promoting principles pertaining to academic freedom within the ANU and of its staff, students and official visitors;
  • advising the Vice-Chancellor and Council on the safeguarding and implementation of ANU academic freedom policy in general terms and in particular cases, as they arise.
  • providing a forum to facilitate information flow and debate within the University and between the senior executive officers of the University and  the wider academic community;
  • reporting to the Council on the exercise of its functions, at the times and in the manner, required by Council;
  • undertaking any other functions given to it by the Academic Board Charter 2021 or that the Vice-Chancellor from time to time directs.

Membership

Membership of the Academic Board is detailed in the Australian National University Academic Board Charter 2022. A list of members, including their term of appointment is detailed below.

Representatives

Each College elects a number of academic staff to represent their collective. Professional staff are represented by two members of the general staff elected from among their number.

Staff of the University are encouraged to liaise with their representatives if they wish to raise issues to Academic Board, or learn more about items under consideration by the Board.

Attendance at meetings

Meetings of the Academic Board are open to members of the University Council, academic and professional staff of University, and to undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University. A maximum of 10 persons will be admitted as observers to any single meeting on a first come first served basis. Anybody wishing to attend as an Observer must notify the Secretary to the Board in advance of the meeting.

If there is a confidential item on the agenda, Observers will be asked to leave the room, and may return once that discussion is concluded. Observers do not have speaking rights during meetings, unless invited to speak by the Chair. 

Agenda items

Items for the Academic Board agenda should reach the Secretary by the specified agenda deadline, normally two weeks before the scheduled meeting.

All submissions should be in electronic format. Templates for agenda items can may be obtained through the Secretary.

University staff can access Academic Board meeting agendas and minutes through a SharePoint Site. To request access, please contact the Secretary. 

Hot topics

Academic Board has a unique capacity to examine issues from the perspective of research, education, and access and equity, as well as bringing cross-College viewpoints to bear. A 2012 Academic Board Working Party recommended that 'to ensure Academic Board plays (a)significant and active role, it needs to discuss, on a regular basis, major issues - which may be difficult or controversial in nature - bearing upon the University's academic mission, and the values and ethos by which that mission is pursued.'

To facilitate such discussions, each meeting the Board discusses a hot topic. These topics are additional to the Board's program accreditation role and its oversight of academic standards and quality, and associated policy development.

Hot topics can be suggested by any Board Member. Their success relies on finding a champion of the issue, who is willing to prepare a short paper and to lead collegiate discussion.

Past hot topics have included:

  • Strengthening Student Engagement
  • Academic Freedom
  • Academic promotions policy and procedures
  • National discussion on University funding
  • Ensuring quality supervision of HDR students
  • Indigenous engagement

Newsletter

The latest Academic Board Newsletter can be accessed here

Member

CategoryMemberTerm expiry
Chair Professor Anthony Connolly 14 Feb 2026
Deputy Chair Vacant 01 May 2024
Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve BellEx-officio
Provost Vacant Ex-officio
Deputy Vice-Chancellors Professor Lachlan BlackhallEx-officio
Professor Grady Venville Ex-officio
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International Strategy) Ex-officio
Pro Vice-Chancellors Associate Professor Geoff HinchcliffeEx-officio
Professor Ann EvansEx-officio
Professor Ute RoessnerEx-officio
Professor Royston Gustavson Ex-officio
Registrar Mr Scott Pearsall Ex-officio
Dean, ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences Professor Bronwyn Parry Ex-officio
Dean, ANU College of Asia & the Pacific Professor Helen Sullivan Ex-officio
Dean, ANU College of Business & Economics Professor Steven Roberts Ex-officio
Dean, ANU College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics (Alternate) Professor Stephen Eggins Ex-officio
Dean ANU College of Health & Medicine Professor Russell Gruen Ex-officio
Dean, ANU College of Law (Alternate) Professor James Stellios Ex-officio
Dean, ANU College of Science (alternate) Professor Merryn McKinnon Ex-officio
Dean of Students Dr Peter Hendriks Ex-officio
University Librarian Ms Roxanne Missingham Ex-officio
Elected members of College Executive Committees Professor Anthony Connolly 01 May 2024
Professor Antony Hosking 01 May 2024
Professor Penny Brothers 01 May 2024
Elected members of professional staff Ms Nicole King 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences Associate Professor Alison Behie 01 May 2024
Dr Gemma King 01 May 2024
Dr Yujie Zhu 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific Professor Stephan Fruehling 01 May 2024
Associate Professor Christian Downie 01 May 2024
Dr Hoa Nguyen 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Business & Economics Associate Professor Pierre van der Eng 01 May 2024
Associate Professor Kailing Shen 01 May 2024
Associate Professor Marvin Wee 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Engineering, Computing & Cybernetics Dr Charles Gretton 01 May 2024
Professor Jochen Trumpf 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Health & Medicine Dr Anselm Enders 01 May 2024
Dr Andrew Mathieson 01 May 2024
Vacant 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Law Associate Professor Josh Neoh 01 May 2024
Associate Professor Wayne Morgan 01 May 2024
Academic staff elected from the ANU College of Science Professor Ben Corry 01 May 2024
Dr John Debs 01 May 2024
Dr Griffith Ware 01 May 2024
One postgraduate student appointed by the Vice-Chancellor after consulting with the President of the Australian National University Students' Association. Ms Yalan Chen 21 Aug 2024
One undergraduate student appointed by the Vice-Chancellor after consulting with the President of the Australian National University Students' Association Inc Ms Charlotte Carnes 01 Dec 2024
Indigenous person nominated by the Vice-Chancellor in consultation with the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre Associate Professor Asmi Wood 01 May 2024
Chair appointments Professor Anne Martin01 May 2024
Associate Professor Kirsten Ainley 01 May 2024
Vice-President First Nations Portfolio Professor Peter Yu Ex-officio

Meetings

2024
Date & LocationDeadlines
Tuesday 12 Mar, 9.30 am
by Zoom videoconferencing
Agenda Deadline
27 Feb
CGRO.Secretariat@anu.edu.au
Thursday 09 May, 9.30 am
by Zoom videoconferencing
Agenda Deadline
23 Apr
CGRO.Secretariat@anu.edu.au
Tuesday 25 Jun, 9.30 am
by Zoom videoconferencing
Agenda Deadline
11 Jun
CGRO.Secretariat@anu.edu.au
Tuesday 20 Aug, 9.30 am
by Zoom videoconferencing
Agenda Deadline
06 Aug
CGRO.Secretariat@anu.edu.au
Tuesday 08 Oct, 9.30 am
by Zoom videoconferencing
Agenda Deadline
24 Sep
CGRO.Secretariat@anu.edu.au
Tuesday 26 Nov, 9.30 am
RC Mills Room, Chancelry 10
Agenda Deadline
12 Nov
CGRO.Secretariat@anu.edu.au