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.

• Academic Quality Assurance Committee
• Learning and Teaching Committee
• University Research Committee
• Steering Committee

Responsibilities

The functions of Academic Board are defined by the Academic Board Charter, 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 2025. 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.