• Section 1 - Overview
• Objectives
• Section 2 - Committee Membership
• Membership
• Chair
• In attendance
• Appointment procedure for appointed members
• Appointments
• Automatic vacancy by an appointed member
• Acting ex officio members
• Terms of Office
• Ex Officio Members
• Appointed members
• Section 3 - Functions of the Committee
• Functions
• Approval Functions
• Monitoring Functions
• Advisory Functions
• Communication Functions
• General
• Section 4 - Authorities
• Authority of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor
• Section 5 - Conduct of DEC Business
• Reporting
• Meetings
• Quorum
• Business Papers
• Resolutions
• Use of Technology
• Confirmation of Minutes
• Self-Review
• Secretary to Committee

Section 1 - Overview

(1) The Directorate Education Committee (DEC) is established as a committee of the Education Enterprise Directorate and has been delegated authority to discharge teaching and learning delegations equivalent to a Faculty Education Committee as prescribed by the Academic Delegations Register.

(2) The Executive Principal Education Futures as Directorate head, will have delegations equivalent to those of the Executive Dean of a Faculty with respect to the academic functions outlined in these Terms of Reference.

(3) The Director, Academic Development, will have delegations equivalent to those of the Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning of a Faculty with respect to the academic functions outlined in these Terms of Reference.

(4) These Terms of Reference prescribe the following:

1. the members of the DEC and the members’ method and term of appointment;
2. the functions of the DEC; and
3. other matters in connection with the DEC and its operation.

Objectives

(5) The DEC functions as an academic governance and management advisory body to:

1. oversee teaching and learning matters and approve or make recommendations about the Directorate’s units and courses, teaching and learning activities, student affairs and graduate outcomes in line with academic delegations;
2. monitor, evaluate and improve UNE’s Bespoke Programs; 
3. report through the Chair to the Teaching and Learning Committee of Academic Board, in relation to:
   1. academic governance, quality assurance, educational innovations and management of key risks associated with the Directorate’s coursework teaching and learning, coursework student experience, and graduate outcomes; 
   2. development implementation and review of rules, policies, procedures and guidelines governing the University's coursework teaching and learning and students; and 
   3. UNE’s Bespoke Programs, including program outcomes.
4. report through the Chair to the Curriculum Committee of Academic Board on the development, implementation, review, improvement and integrity of the Directorate’s courses and taught program; and
5. advise the Executive Principal Education Futures and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor on the Directorate’s coursework program and matters associated with the Directorate’s teaching, learning, coursework students and graduates.

Section 2 - Committee Membership

Membership

(6) The members of the DEC are as follows:

1. Chair (voting):
   1. Director, Academic Development
2. Members (voting):
   1. At least three (3) staff members from the Directorate who represent disciplines or discipline clusters related to the teaching programs of the Directorate and are well informed about the courses, teaching and learning and student matters, appointed by the Executive Principal Education Futures or nominee;
   2. At least two (2) academic staff members from Faculties who represent disciplines or discipline clusters cognate to those of the Directorate and are well informed about course quality, T&L and student matters, appointed by the Executive Principal Education Futures (or nominee);
   3. Course Manager, Curriculum and Academic Management (or nominee);
   4. Director, English Language Centre (or nominee);
   5. Director, Digital Education (or nominee);
   6. Up to four student members, to include:
      1. One current student in the Directorate who identifies as being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Oorala Aboriginal Centre, normally through an expression of interest process;
      2. One current student in the Directorate who is from a non-English as first language background, appointed by the Chair after an expression of interest process;
      3. One undergraduate current student, appointed by the Chair normally after an expression of interest process; and
      4. One postgraduate coursework current student, appointed by the Chair after an expression of interest process.
3. Members (non-voting) advice and discussion only:
   1. Executive Principal Education Futures; 
   2. Library Services representative; and
   3. Technology and Digital Services representative.

(7) In order to achieve or maintain gender balance, where the membership does not include at least two women and two men as voting members, the Chair may appoint one to two additional staff members.

Chair

(8) The Director, Academic Development will act as Chair. If the Director, Academic Development is unavailable to act as Chair then the Committee will elect a Chair to act during the period the Director, Academic Development is unavailable.

In attendance

(9) At the discretion of the Chair, the Committee may also invite non-voting individuals as observers to attend individual meetings, provide appropriate expertise as necessary, and contribute to discussion.

Appointment procedure for appointed members

(10) When a vacancy of an appointed members occurs, a new appointment will be made.

(11) Appointed members who are employed on fixed-term contracts are required to have sufficient service remaining to fulfill their period of office. 

Appointments

(12) Appointment of committee membership will be conducted as per these Terms of Reference and may be through consultation or invitation and/or through an expression of interest process.

Automatic vacancy by an appointed member

(13) An appointed position becomes vacant automatically if:

1. the appointed member is absent without prior leave from three consecutive DEC meetings; or
2. the appointed member loses their original qualification for appointment.

Acting ex officio members

(14) An ex officio member of the DEC includes a person who has been appointed on an ‘acting’ basis to the role. Ex officio members retain the voting rights of the person they replace.

Terms of Office

Ex Officio Members

(15) The ex officio members will be the DEC members while they hold their primary office.

Appointed members

(16) The term of office of an appointed member is two years. Appointed members may stand for re-appointment.

Section 3 - Functions of the Committee

Functions

(17) The functions of the DEC are across four domains: Approval, Monitoring, Advisory, and Communication.

Approval Functions

(18) Approval functions of the Committee are prescribed in the Academic Delegations Register:

1. Approval and amendments to the Directorate’s AQF-compliant units, and Minor Course Amendments;
2. Approval and amendments to the Directorate’s non-AQF-compliant taught programs;
3. Approval of new and amended terms and conditions of Directorate academic coursework prizes and scholarships; and
4. Approval of the credit mapping associated with teaching delivery with third-party providers.

Monitoring Functions

(19) In conjunction with Education Quality Directorate, provide monitoring and reporting on the Academic Governance, standards (threshold, admissions, discipline, assessment, qualifications), Benchmarks and Quality Assurance processes associated with the Directorate’s activities, including:

1. Admissions, enrolment, retention, progression, completion and achievement of the Directorate’s coursework student cohorts;
2. Recognition of Prior Learning, assessment, grade distributions, and student appeals.
3. Outcomes of Board of Examiners meetings;
4. The coursework student experience, and University and national surveys of student feedback and performance, and graduate outcomes and employment;
5. Design, development, learning outcomes, quality, integrity, standards (threshold, admissions, discipline, assessment, and qualifications), review, improvement, accreditation and statutory compliance of the Directorate’s coursework programs;
6. The Directorate’s course and unit monitoring and review schedule;
7. Reports developed in response to external course and discipline reviews, and implementation of agreed recommendations arising from course and discipline reviews;
8. UNE’s Bespoke Programs;
9. Statutory compliance of the taught program and management of relevant risks in the University Academic Risk Register; and
10. Observance of the delegated authorities in the University’s Academic Delegations Register associated with the Directorate’s governance and management of its courses, teaching and learning and students.

Advisory Functions

(20) Provision of advice to the Teaching and Learning Committee on:

1. Development and review of rules, policy, procedures and guidelines to govern the University’s coursework teaching, learning and student activities to ensure the Directorate’s compliance with this policy portfolio;
2. Quality Assurance requirements associated with teaching delivery at third-party providers (such as assessments, moderation);
3. Academic Governance around the Directorate’s teaching and learning and student activities, including review and approval of terms and conditions of scholarships and prizes;
4. Teaching quality and curriculum currency, course and unit design and structure, University minimum expectations for teaching and learning, and educational innovations;
5. UNE’s Bespoke Programs;
6. The Directorate’s teaching and learning environment, including information technology and spaces; and
7. Outreach, engagement and marketing activities for the Directorate’s teaching and learning activities.

(21) Provision of advice to the Curriculum Committee of Academic Board on:

1. The Directorate course profile and alignment to the UNE Strategic Plan and UNE Business Plan;
2. New courses, major amendments and the withdrawal of courses;
3. UNE’s Bespoke Programs;
4. Development of articulation arrangements with partnerships including third-party providers; and
5. Academic Governance, Quality Assurance processes, review and accreditation of the Directorate’s units and courses.

(22) Provision of advice about the Terms and conditions of Directorate scholarships and prizes.

(23) Provision of advice to the Executive Principal Education Futures and Deputy Vice-Chancellor on matters related to the promotion, quality and management of teaching, learning and coursework programs, the governance and management of coursework student matters and graduate outcomes within the Directorate and the Directorate’s teaching and learning planning and strategies.

Communication Functions

(24) To serve as a forum for the discussion of ideas, issues and opportunities that concern teaching and learning for the academic staff and coursework students’ experience of teaching and learning and their welfare within the Directorate.

(25) Communication of Directorate teaching and learning matters and decisions to the Teaching and Learning Committee and Curriculum Committee and other Faculties and Directorates of the University as applicable.

General

(26) The DEC may form working groups from time to time to undertake specific projects and tasks related to their functions. Working groups will report to the Committee.

Section 4 - Authorities

Authority of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor

(27) The Directorate Education Committee is established under the authority of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor to perform the approval, advisory, monitoring and communication functions set out in the Terms of Reference above and all matters ancillary to those functions.

Section 5 - Conduct of DEC Business

Reporting

(28) The Chair of the Committee will report to the Teaching and Learning Committee and Curriculum Committee on matters that fall within the Academic Board's functions. A copy of the DEC minutes will be tabled at the next available meeting of the Teaching and Learning Committee and Curriculum Committee.

Meetings

(29) The DEC will meet as required in order to perform its functions.

Quorum

(30) At any meeting of the Committee, one half of the full voting membership plus one constitutes a quorum.

Business Papers

(31) Unless the Chair directs otherwise, DEC business papers will be distributed to members and official attendees at least seven days prior to the meeting. Additional documents may be tabled in a shorter period as is practicable in the circumstances with prior approval by the Chair.

(32) Public disclosure of business papers, minutes and other information received by the DEC should only be made via the Chair or Secretary to the Committee.

Resolutions

(33) The DEC may pass a resolution by “flying minute” provided that the resolution has been approved by a simple majority of committee members at the time the resolution is made.

Use of Technology

(34) For its business papers, meetings and otherwise to conduct its business the DEC and its members may use technology including telephone, video-conferencing, telepresence, email and internet as arranged by the Chair and/or Secretary to the Committee.

Confirmation of Minutes

(35) Draft minutes will normally be circulated to members for comment promptly after each meeting. Next, the minutes (with any necessary changes) will be circulated for adoption by the DEC. The minutes will be finalised and adopted when they have been approved by a majority of the members that were present at the relevant meeting. Alternatively, the minutes may be included in the business papers for the next committee meeting and considered and adopted by the committee at that meeting.

Self-Review

(36) Once every twelve-month period, the Committee shall devote at least one part of one meeting to the review of its policies, practices and procedures over the preceding twelve months.

Secretary to Committee

(37) The Executive Principal Education Futures will provide a Secretary and administrative support to the Committee.

(38) The Secretary is responsible for ensuring all Committee agendas, minutes and reports are recorded in the University’s corporate record keeping system (TRIM) in accordance with the University's Records Management Rule.