University Governance

The University was established by the University of Western Australia Act 1911. The Act provides the legislative machinery for administering the University; it establishes the Governing Body (the Senate) which is empowered to ‘have the entire control and management of the affairs of the University’. It gives the Senate powers to act in the interests of the University through the making of statutes, regulations and by-laws and through the management of income and expenditure. It provides powers of delegation for the Governing Body, so that day-to-day management of the University can be delegated to officers employed by the University. Membership of the Governing Body in 2001 is listed in Appendix A of this section.

Other state Acts which deal with aspects of the management of the University are the University Buildings Act 1952, the University Medical School Teaching Hospitals Act 1955 and the QEII Medical Centre Act 1966.

The University is responsible to the State Minister for Education for the proper conduct of its business under the legal framework established by State Legislation. However, the University receives the majority of its funding from the Commonwealth and it is therefore responsible to the Commonwealth Minister of Education for the delivery of its teaching and research programs, and for the provision of adequate infrastructure to support those programs.

In order to fulfil its responsibilities effectively, the Senate appoints the Vice-Chancellor and President as its Chief Executive Officer and works in partnership with him to maximise the University’s capacity and performance and to ensure its fiscal viability. The Senate delegates operational responsibility to the Vice-Chancellor, and monitors, guides and supports the work of the Vice-Chancellor and Executive. It has identified its key activities as the setting of strategic directions, the oversight, audit and review of proper governance processes, and the assessment and monitoring of performance against established targets.

The Senate has four standing committees to advise it on its key activities: the Audit and Review Committee, the Development Committee, the External Strategies Committee and the Strategic Resources Committee.

The Vice-Chancellor and President is appointed for a period normally not exceeding seven years. Professor Deryck Schreuder, the University’s 14th Vice-Chancellor, commenced his duties on 11 February 1998.

The Vice-Chancellor and President appoints an executive group to assist him with his responsibilities for the academic, financial, administrative and other business of the University. In 2001 the Executive comprised:

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost
PROFESSOR ALAN ROBSON—responsible for staffing matters, general policy development and deputising for the Vice-Chancellor and President in his absence

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
PROFESSOR MICHAEL BARBER—responsible for research and relations with industry

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Community and Development)
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MARGARET SEARES—responsible for promoting the University in the community, the University’s outreach functions and fundraising

Executive Director (Finance and Resources)
MR MARTIN GRIFFITH—responsible for all matters relating to the finance and fabric of the University

Executive Director (Academic Services) and Registrar
MR PETER CURTIS—responsible for all matters relating to the academic administration of the University

The University has long valued the collegial contribution that its members can make to academic and other decision making. The existence of committees at all levels of the University’s operations has provided the main mechanism for this contribution. The most visible of these committees are the University’s central academic committees: the Academic Board, the Academic Council and a range of expert standing committees of Council. The Academic Board is established under Statute No. 19 and is the University’s peak academic body. In 2001 its Chair was Professor Dennis Haskell. The Academic Council is its executive committee and deals, under delegated authority, with most of the Academic Board’s responsibilities as defined in Statute No. 19. Among other responsibilities, it has a significant role in determining academic policies which apply across all faculties. The Council’s standing committees, while acting executively on many matters under delegated authority, also provide it with expert policy advice on the full range of academic activities within the University (for example, teaching and learning, research, admissions).