Academic Board news – Meeting: 6/2022 – 29 November 2022

Academic Board News  

Meeting 6/2022

29 November 2022

Academic Board held its sixth meeting of the year on 29 November 2022. 

Report from the Vice-Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor discussed key items contained in his report with members, including; ANU participation in support of the UN lead 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence; enterprise bargaining negotiations; key political engagements and an update on the higher education accord process; ANU financial update and the continued return of international students.

Research Partnerships Advancing the Transition to a Net Zero World – ANU Public Statement
The draft public facing statement outlining the ANU principles was prepared following the recommendation made at Academic Board 5/2022. Board recommended internal communication specialists be engaged to assist in producing a clearly targeted generic statement, mitigate and manage risks and oversee next steps.

University Management of Foreign Interference – Update
Since its inception in 2020 the Foreign Interference Advisory Committee (FIAC) has convened 18 times, assessed 846 matters and identified 51 matters that required further assessment. It was noted that the accord process will an opportunity for ANU to lead discussions about sensible processes, micro-regulation and over-reach within the higher education sector.

ANU Undergraduate Curriculum Framework
Academic Board 1/2022 approved the development of a framework to embed ANU graduate attributes into the curriculum and support the ANU 2025 strategic plan. The working group lead 80 consultations within the ANU community and observed broad support for graduate attributes to be embedded within the curriculum. The working group delivered a framework that is bold, distinctive and engaging for students. Implementation of the framework will commence in 2025. This will be a large-scale project and as such planning for a phased implementation will commence in 2023. Academic Board approved the ANU Undergraduate Curriculum Framework, excluding the implementation timeline.

Policy
Academic Board approved the following policy documents:

• Student Critical Incident Policy and Procedure
• Transfer of Policy Oversight: Student Health and Wellbeing Support Services
• Academic Programs and Courses Accreditation Policy and Procedure
• Standards for Foundation Programs and English Language Programs
• Forced Offers Made Under the Coursework Awards (15)4 Rule and Procedure
• Case for English Language Equivalency Procedure
• Advanced Minor Design Specifications
• Recording of Teaching Activities Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Class Representatives Policy and Procedure
• Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Standardisation of International Postgraduate Coursework Assessment (Canada)
• Underage Student Management Policy and Procedure
• Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) Admission Requirements 
• Timetabling Procedure Revisions

Other Matters
Academic Board also considered other significant matters, including: the Academic Board Meeting Template; the Academic Risk Monitoring Report, the TEQSA Re-registration Update, the Academic Freedom Expert Advisory Group Annual Report, the transfer of delegation for policies relating to student health and well-being from ‘academic’ to ‘administrative’, the review of the TLDC Charter.