Leadership & strategy
We are committed to creating and sustaining a University that allows the brightest researchers and most promising students to achieve their full potential. This starts with an environment that allows every staff member to achieve what they need to achieve while contributing to our overall purpose and goals.
We want every staff member to understand our strategy and goals and to be able to have input into the discussions and decisions that we make about our purpose and mission.
Charter and governance
The University is a complex and diverse organisation with responsibilities to a broad range of stakeholders. So it is important that our decision-making processes are as collegial and transparent as possible.
The University operates under the University of Sydney Act (1989) (as amended), an act of the New South Wales Parliament. The act sets out the purpose and role of the University and the conditions under which it is managed. Our principal functions, as defined in the act, include:
- the provision of facilities for education and research of university standard
- the encouragement of the dissemination, advancement, development and application of knowledge informed by free enquiry
- the provision of courses of study or instruction across a range of fields, and the carrying out of research, to meet the needs of the community
- the participation in public discourse
- the conferring of degrees, including those of bachelor, master and doctor,
and the awarding of diplomas, certificates and other awards - the provision of teaching and learning that engage with advanced knowledge
and enquiry.
The three main elements of the University's governance structure to support these functions are the Senate, the Academic Board and the Senior Executive Group (SEG).
These groups comprise internal and (in the case of Senate) external representatives of the different University communities, eg staff, students, alumni. This means each of the University's communities can have their opinions represented and have input into discussions and decisions.
Senate
The Senate is the University’s governing body. The 22 members of Senate represent the interests of the University and the community.
For more information, visit the Senate website.
| You and the Senate | |
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Voting |
Elections for academic and non-academic staff members of the Senate are held every two years. You are able to nominate and vote for candidates in your staff category if you are full or part time (but not casual) staff. The next elections will be held in 2011, the term of office commencing on 1 June. |
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Serving |
You can stand for election to Senate by being nominated and elected by staff in your staff category. All full-time and part-time (but not casual) staff are eligible to stand as candidates. |
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Attending |
Staff, and other members of the community, are welcome to attend and observe the open session of Senate (which follows the confidential session), provided there are seats available. |
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Reading |
Senate agendas and minute summaries for the open session of Senate are posted on the Senate website. There is also a "What's New" section on the website which provides an overview of the open session as well as other Senate news. |
Academic Board
As the University’s most senior academic advisory body, the Academic Board is responsible for ensuring we consistently deliver the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and research while maintaining our academic freedom.
For more information, please visit the Academic Board website.
| You and the Academic Board |
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Voting |
Elections are held every two years to appoint the chair and faculty representatives and every year to appoint student representatives. The last chair/faculty representative elections were held in Semester 2, 2009. |
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Serving |
If you are an academic staff member you can be nominated and stand for election for a position on the Academic Board in your faculty or college. |
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Attending |
Staff can attend Academic Board meetings as observers on request to the Executive Officer to the Academic Board. All staff are welcome to the Open Academic Board Forums which are held once a semester. |
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Submitting |
If you have an issue or policy matter you'd like considered by the Academic Board, please submit it to the Executive Officer for consideration by the Chair of the Academic Board. The chair will decide whether the issue should be referred to one of the Board's Standing Committees for discussion. |
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Reading |
The agendas, associated papers, minutes and action summaries from each meeting are available for you to review on the Academic Board's website. |
Senior Executive Group (SEG)
The Senior Executive Group (SEG) draws the University’s strategic and academic planning together and ensures that all faculties and portfolios have input into the University’s decision-making processes.
A number of committees and divisional boards underpin SEG's decision-making.
The committees focus on key University-wide themes, such as education and research training, finance and infrastructure, and curriculum and course planning.
The divisional boards are charged with detailed strategic planning, portfolio analysis, and educational and research reform for groups of cognate faculties. Their focus is not on University-wide strategies, but on the particularities of diverse educational and research communities.
The divisions are arranged as follows:
- The Division of Architecture and Creative Arts, which groups the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning with the Sydney College of the Arts and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
- The Division of Business, which includes the University of Sydney Business School
- The Division of Engineering and Information Technologies, which includes the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies
- The Division of Health Sciences, which includes the Faculty of Health Sciences
- The Division of Law, Arts, Social Sciences, Education, Social Work, which groups the faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, and Law.
- The Division of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy, which groups the faculties of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery, and Pharmacy
- The Division of Natural Sciences, which groups the faculties of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Science, and Veterinary Science
For more information please visit the Senior Executive Group website.
| You and the SEG | |
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| Representation |
While attendance as SEG and SEG committee meetings is restricted to members, you can seek to have a matter considered by the SEG by approaching the dean of your faculty directly, or by identifying the appropriate SEG committee and asking your faculty's representative on the committee to raise the matter on your behalf, or on behalf of the faculty. |