Academic Board is the principal academic advisory body to the UTS Council.
Academic Board plays a key role in the UTS community. It provides a forum for the discussion and debate of the university’s academic direction, and ensures that the university’s academic direction aligns with its strategic direction.
The board promotes academic leadership at UTS by overseeing the quality of teaching, learning, research, scholarship and community service. It refers policy recommendations to Council and discusses academic matters referred to it by Council.
Contact
Elbreg Zwaan
Principal Governance Officer
telephone 02 9514 9811
email AcademicBoard@uts.edu.au or Elbreg.Zwaan@uts.edu.au
Academic Board details
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2026 meeting dates and submission dates
Reports intended for Academic Board meetings will not be accepted after 10am on final submission dates.
Meeting date Final submission date Notice, agenda and papers Wednesday 25 March Wednesday 4 March Notice of meeting (PDF)
Wednesday 20 May Wednesday 29 April Notice of meeting (PDF)
Wednesday 24 June Wednesday 10 June Notice of meeting (PDF)
Wednesday 22 July Wednesday 1 July Notice of meeting (PDF)
Wednesday 9 September Wednesday 19 August Wednesday 21 October (forum) - Wednesday 11 November Wednesday 21 October Time: 9am to 11am (except for 24 June which will be from 2pm to 4pm)
Venue: HR training rooms 1 and 2, level 22, building 1, City campus (CB01.22.10 and CB01.22.18) or via Zoom.Visit Past Academic Board meetings for agendas, papers, minutes and newsletters from previous years.
Attend as an observer
UTS staff and students are welcome to attend an Academic Board meeting as an observer. Registration is essential as seats are limited. Contact the Executive Officer to express your interest in attending a meeting. Observers will not have speaking or voting rights.
2026 Chair’s briefing of student members of Academic Board
Monday 23 March
Monday 18 May
Monday 22 June
Monday 20 July
Monday 7 September
Monday 9 NovemberTime: 12pm to 1pm
Venue: GSU conference room, level 26, Building 1, City campus (CB01.26.24) or via Zoom.Quorum
The quorum at any meeting of Academic Board, shall be in accordance with the Standing Orders for Academic Board.
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Academic Board’s composition is constituted under Rule G3, Division 1. In accordance with Rule G3-2(1), student members are elected for one year and all staff members are elected for two years. In order to promote continuity on Academic Board, elected staff member terms are staggered.
Chair, Deputy Chair and Vice-Chancellor
Position Member Term Chair Professor Lynn Sinclair 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Deputy Chair Vacant Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Parfitt ex officio Ex officio members
The ex officio members of the Academic Board are to be the person(s) holding the following positions (Rule G3-1(2)).
Position Member Term Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Kylie Readman ex officio Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement and Partnerships) Dr Alana Piper ex officio Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Leo Mian Liu (acting) ex officio Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Kate McGrath ex officio Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) Associate Professor Jacqui McManus (acting) ex officio Pro Vice-Chancellor (Higher Degree by Research) Professor Penny Martens ex officio Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) Professor Robynne Quiggin AO ex officio Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students) Jacqui Wise ex officio Dean, UTS Business School Professor Sara Denize ex officio Dean, Faculty of Design and Society Professor James Bennett ex officio Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology Professor Peta Wyeth ex officio Dean, Faculty of Health Professor Zee Upton ex officio Dean, Faculty of Law Professor Isabella Alexander (acting) ex officio Dean, Faculty of Science Professor James Wallman ex officio Head, TD School Professor Martin Tomitsch ex officio Director, Teaching Learning and Curriculum Sebastian Krook (acting) ex officio Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures Professor Stuart White ex officio Director, Research Office Dr Tania Bezzobs ex officio University Librarian Michael Gonzalez ex officio Chair, Courses Accreditation Committee Professor Karen Whelan 2 April 2026 to 31 December 2026 Deputy Chair, Courses Accreditation Committee Dr Kath Attree 5 February 2026 to 31 December 2026 Deputy Chair, Research Committee Melita Grant 2 March 2026 to 31 December 2026 Deputy Chair, Teaching and Learning Committee Associate Professor Katie Schlenker 4 May 2026 to 31 December 2026 President, UTS Students’ Association Neeve Nagle 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 Elected academic staff members
One member elected by and from the academic staff of each faculty (Rule G3-1(3)(a)).
Position Member Term Business Associate Professor Helen Spiropoulos 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 Design and Society Professor Michael Fabinyi 16 July 2026 to 31 December 2027 Engineering and Information Technology Distinguished Professor Biswajeet Pradhan 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Health Distinguished Professor Aaron Coutts 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Law Dr Elyse Methven 21 July 2026 to 31 December 2026 Science Professor Anthony Dooley 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 TD School Dr Beate Mueller 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 Eight members elected by and from the professoriate and associate professoriate (levels D and E), with no more than two from any one faculty or unit (Rule G3-1(3)(b)).
Position Member Term Business Associate Professor Jochen Schweitzer
Professor Paul Burke (on PEP)
1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026
1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027
Business Associate Professor Vinay Patel 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Design and Society Professor Anna Clark 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 Engineering and Information Technology Professor Behzad Fatahi 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 Engineering and Information Technology Associate Professor Joshua Lee 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Science
Law
Professor James Brown
Professor Isabella Alexander
1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026
1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027
Law Professor Michael Thomson 16 July 2026 to 31 December 2026 Science Associate Professor Valery Combes 23 April 2026 to 31 December 2026 Four members elected by and from the academic staff (levels A, B, C), with no more than two from any one faculty or unit (Rule G3-1(3)(c)).
Position Member Term Arts and Social Sciences Dr Bettina Frankham 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Business Dr Mario Fiorini 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 Law
Business
Dr Roberto Buonamano
Dr Kaye Chan (on PEP)
19 July 2026 to 31 December 2026
1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027
Design, Architecture and Building Dr Leila Naeni 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Two members elected by and from the deputy deans or associate deans, or heads of schools (or equivalent) (Rule G3-1(3)(d)).
Position Member Term Design and Society Professor Jua Cilliers 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027 Health Professor Kathleen Baird 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026 Elected student members
One student elected by and from each faculty (Rule G3-1(3)(e)), and an alternate from each faculty appointed as per Rule G3-1(4). (Note: The provision for alternates would be exercised as required after the elections, and does not affect the total number of eight in the category.)
Position Member Term Business Melissa Dib 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 Design and Society Josh Singh 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 Engineering and Information Technology Obaid Moolimani 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 Health Robert Nersisyan 11 February 2026 to 31 December 2026 Law Amelia Grace Wilson-Williams 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 Science Divvya Balasubramanian 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 TD School Francesca Harrison 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 Elected postgraduate research student member
One postgraduate research student elected by and from the postgraduate research students of the university (Rule G3-1(3)(f)), and an alternate appointed as per Rule G3-1(4). (Note: The provision for alternates would be exercised as required after the elections, and does not affect the total number in the category.)
Position Member Term Postgraduate research student Tianxin Fang 11 June 2026 to 31 December 2026 Elected Indigenous student member
One Indigenous undergraduate or postgraduate student, elected by and from the UTS Indigenous student body (Rule G3-1(4)).
Position Member Term Indigenous student member Caitlyn Seeto 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 -
The Academic Board Charter (PDF) outlines the board's roles, responsibilities, composition and the manner in which it discharges its responsibilities for UTS.
Responsibilities
Without limiting the effect of the above purpose (Rule G3-11), Academic Board to:
Advisory and reporting functions
a. report to, or advise Council or the Vice-Chancellor on, any aspect of:
i. the goals, strategies, objectives, outcomes, principles, directions, priorities, policies, practices, profile and risk management for academic matters of the university
ii. the quality, standards and benchmarks appropriate to all aspects of the academic work of the university (including teaching, learning, scholarship, research training and research), which are underpinned by the Academic Standards Framework (PDF) approved by Academic Board
b. confirm to Council that delegations of academic authority are implemented based on the University Secretary’s review of the delegations
Approval and monitoring functions
c. approve those students who are considered eligible to graduate, having satisfactorily completed approved course requirements
d. determine the accreditation of proposed or existing award courses on their academic merit, and the removal of the accreditation of award courses
e. develop, monitor and review academic policies and their effectiveness
f. determine the standards and benchmarks for governing all aspects of academic administration, including, but not limited to, the admission of students and the examination and assessment of students’ work
g. determine the structures and functions of faculty boards, and any subsequent amendments to these, noting that a faculty board’s authority to act on specific matters will continue to require Council’s delegated authority
h. undertake initiatives to oversee academic and research integrity and its breaches thereof, including identification, management, mitigation and monitoring of its potential risks
Collaboration and communication functions
i. undertake initiatives to critically evaluate and institute measures to promote the communication of, and innovation in, academic matters and the coordination of academic work and activities across the whole University
j. work in conjunction with the Vice-Chancellor, senior UTS staff and University committees on any matters related to Academic Board and its functions, powers and responsibilities, to ensure that the academic goals of the University are achieved.
Performance
The board will review its performance annually against the charter.
The board will review the charter annually.
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From time to time, Academic Board makes approved documents available to clarify significant academic matters with university-wide impact.
Academic Standards Framework
The Academic Standards Framework (PDF 264kb) is a high-level framework providing a holistic approach to quality management of UTS's academic activities. The framework documents and guides the standards for UTS's academic activities and alignment to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021. The framework is reviewed annually as per the Procedures for review of the Academic Standards Framework (PDF 127kb).
Statement of Assurance — Conferral of Awards
The Statement of Assurance — Conferral of Awards (PDF 133kb) is part of the university’s quality management process for the conferral of awards. It outlines the governance framework (including standards of quality and processes) in place to ensure that UTS meets the requirements of the HESF 2021. It sets out UTS's approach to quality assurance for conferral of awards with relevant links to the governance framework.
Statement of Principles for Setting the Learning Calendar
The Statement of Principles for Setting the Learning Calendar (PDF 229kb) outlines the principles for setting the academic year calendar and associated academic year dates.
UTS Risk Taxonomy
The UTS Risk Taxonomy (available at UTS risk management framework (SharePoint)) presents UTS-wide academic risks as they relate to the terms of reference of Academic Board and its committees, and their risk ratings and mitigations.
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Visit Academic Board forums for information on the past forums.
Academic Board guide (PDF 96kb) provides a brief overview of Academic Board (and its committees), including role, functions and responsibilities of the board, its committees and its members.
Academic Board manual (PDF 846kb) (SharePoint) provides detailed information about board procedures and background.