Academic Board Digest

A summary of the Academic Board meeting 01/2025 held on 19 February 2025 is detailed below.

Chair of Academic Board’s Update

Academic Board:

• Noted the membership update.
• Noted the Academic Board Annual Report for 2024.
• Endorsed the articulation of risks in Academic Risk Register 2025.
• Noted the assignment of Responsible Executives to develop the register for approval at the next meeting of Academic Board.
• Approved the nominees for award of University Medals and University Honours Medals for 2024.
• Noted the recipients of the Executive Dean’s Awards for Academic Excellence for 2024.
• Approved the minimum Medal Score for 2025 as a weighted mark of 85.000.
• Noted the Chair of Academic Board Approvals.

Vice-Chancellor and President’s (VCP) Update

The VCP reported on:

• Issues emerging in the United States Higher Education Sector.
• The announcement by the federal government of the review into University Governance and provided an overview of the areas of focus.
• The upcoming Universities Australia Solutions Summit 2025 and highlighted the key topics.
• ACU’s response to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry into antisemitism at Australian universities and encouraged members to familiarise themselves with the recommendations.

Academic Board noted:

• The Report of the Vice-Chancellor and President.

Provost’s Update

The Provost reported on:

• Head count and EFTSL targets including domestic, international, commencing and continuing and acknowledged the work that had occurred to convert offers to enrolments.
• The increasing numbers of Academic staff were teaching resulting in less reliance on casual staff teaching.
• The Academic Promotions Report.

Chris Riley, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Global & Education Pathways reported on:

• Global Engagement's key achievements for 2024.
• ACU had received the 2024 Enquiry Experience Tracker Award making the university the number one institution in Australia and New Zealand in student enquiry experience and number three globally.
• Student mobility at the Rome campus.

Academic Board discussed and noted:

• The Report of the Provost.
• The 2024 Academic Promotion report.

Vice-President (VP) Update

Academic Board noted the Report of the VP.

Policy Review, Approval and Monitoring

Academic Board:

• Noted the Support for Students Policy update.
• Approved the amendments to the Student and Public Complaints Policy and Student and Public Complaints Procedure with effect from 1 March 2025.
• Approved the amendments to the Student Conduct Policy.

Reporting Committees

1. Courses and Academic Quality Committee (CAQC)

Academic Board:

• Noted the report of the Chair of the Courses and Academic Quality Committee, dated 4 February 2025.
• Approved the new course proposal for the:
  • Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability
  • Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability / Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability / Bachelor of Global Studies
  • Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability
  • Bachelor of Laws (Honour) / Bachelor of Social and Environmental Sustainability
    inclusive of the major change to the Bachelor of Arts: addition of a Sustainability Major and an Environmental Humanities Minor, as detailed in CMAS proposal PR000893 effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Approved the proposed major course amendment, consisting of the discontinuation of student intakes as follows:
  • Bachelor of Education (Secondary) / Bachelor of Arts (Humanities): to discontinue intakes on the Canberra campus, and to suspend mid-year admission and discontinue international student intakes on the Brisbane campus;
  • Bachelor of Education (Secondary) / Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics): to discontinue intakes on the North Sydney and Brisbane campuses;
  • Bachelor of Education (Secondary and Special Education): to discontinue mid-year intakes on the Blacktown campus;
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR001009 effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Approved the major course change to discontinue mid-year intakes for:
  • the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) / Bachelor of Arts (Humanities), on the Brisbane Campus;
  • the Bachelor of Arts (Western Civilisation) / Master of Teaching (Secondary), on North Sydney Campus,
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR001029 effective from Semester 1 2026.
• Approved the major course change to discontinue international student intakes for the following degrees:
  • Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary), on the Canberra and North Sydney Campuses
  • Bachelor of Education (Primary), on the Ballarat, Brisbane and North Sydney Campuses
  • Bachelor of Education (Primary and Secondary), on the Brisbane, Ballarat, Canberra and Blacktown Campuses
  • Bachelor of Education (Secondary and Special Education), on the Brisbane and Canberra Campuses
  • Bachelor of Education (Secondary) / Bachelor of Arts (Humanities), on the Brisbane Campus
  • Master of Teaching (Secondary), on the Brisbane Campus
  • Bachelor of Art s/ Master of Teaching (Secondary), on the Brisbane Campus
  • Master of Teaching (Secondary) / Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, on the Brisbane Campus,
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR001052 effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Approved the major course change to discontinue international student intakes on the Brisbane Campus for the following degrees:
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Human Rights
  • Diploma in Liberal Arts
  • Certificate in Liberal Arts
  • Bachelor of Theology / Bachelor of Global Studies
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR001051 effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Approved the major course change to discontinue student intakes on the Blacktown Campus for:
  • the Bachelor of Arts
  • the Bachelor of Youth Work
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR001050 effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Noted the recommendations of the Stage 1 Course Review of the:
  • Graduate Certificate in Exercise Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries
  • Graduate Certificate in High Performance Sport
  • Graduate Diploma in High Performance Sport
  • Master of High Performance Sport
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR000944.
• Approved the new course proposal for the following degrees:
  • Bachelor of Business
  • Bachelor of Business /Bachelor of Laws
  • Bachelor of Business/ Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Information Technology/ Bachelor of Business
  • Bachelor of Nutrition Science/ Bachelor of Business
  • Bachelor of Nursing/ Bachelor of Business
  • Bachelor of Biomedical Science/ Bachelor of Business
  • Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Global Studies;
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR000949 effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Noted the recommendations of the Stage 1 Course Review of the:
  • Bachelor of Business Administration
  • Bachelor of Business Administration (Away From Base program)
    as detailed in CMAS proposal PR000950.
• Approved the major course change to add nine new Generic Unit Outlines to the Core Curriculum program, as detailed in CMAS proposal PR001069, effective for Semester 1 2026.
• Noted the 2025 Faculty Proposal Submission schedules from all four faculties.
• Noted the 2025 Faculty of Law and Business Stage 1 Course Review schedule.
• Noted the Provost’s Course Suspension Approvals.

2. University Learning and Teaching Committee (ULTC)

Academic Board:

• Noted the AI Action Plan Update from the AI Council through the DVCE Report.
• Noted the ULTC Chair’s Report.
• Noted the Digest of University Learning and Teaching Committee (ULTC) meeting 01/2025, held on 28 January 2025.
• Approved the revised ULTC Terms of Reference.
• Approved proposed amendments to the Assessment Procedures for implementation Semester 1, 2025.
• Discussed and noted the two lane approach to assessment FAQ’s.

3. Faculty Boards

Academic Board noted:

• The minutes of the Faculty of Education and Arts Faculty Board meeting held on 12 September 2024 (unconfirmed).
• The digest and minutes of the Faculty of Health Sciences Faculty Board meeting held on 31 October 2024.
• The Faculty of Law and Business Faculty Board:
  • Minutes of meeting held on 5 September 2024.
  • Digest and Minutes of meeting held on 11 November 2024.
• The Meeting Digest of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy Faculty Board meeting 07/2024 held on 13 November 2024.