• Section 1 -  Establishment
• Background
• Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Membership
• Variation to Membership
• Faculty of Arts and Education
• Secretary
• Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities
• Section 5 - Meetings
• Quorum
• Meetings
• Agendas and minutes
• Conflicts of interest
• Variations

Section 1 -  Establishment

(1) The Faculty Assessment Committees were approved by the Academic Senate, in adopting the Academic Regulations on 24 September 1991 (AS 91/140).

(2) Following recommendations from the Review of Academic Governance in July 2018, in September 2019 Academic Senate approved significant amendments to the membership and terms of reference of the Faculty Assessment Committee, disestablishing it as a governance subcommittee of Academic Senate and approving it as a management committee of faculties and a subcommittee of Faculty Board, effective 1 January 2020 (AS 19/101).

Background

(3) Charles Sturt University (the University) has a responsibility to ensure good governance and management practices surrounding assessment, including review of grades, any changes to grades and marks, and compliance with the assessment policies and requirements approved by the Academic Senate. 

Purpose

(4) The Faculty Assessment Committee is responsible for grade approval for the faculty and for escalating assessment governance issues to the Faculty Board. 

Section 2 - Glossary

(5) For the purpose of this document, the following terms have the definition below unless the context states otherwise:

1. Chair - means the person appointed to chair a committee
2. Committee – means the Faculty Assessment Committee

Section 3 - Membership

(6) The membership of the committee is set out below:

1. Deputy Dean of the faculty (Chair)
2. Executive Dean of the faculty
3. A minimum of two chairs of School or Centre Assessment Committees of the faculty to be nominated by the chair
4. Associate Dean, Academic of the faculty
5. Relevant Sub Dean(s) of the faculty
6. At the discretion of the Deputy Dean, representation from partner institutions

(7) The following shall have right of audience and debate at Faculty Assessment Committee meetings:

1. Manager, Faculty Subject Administration of the faculty
2. heads of school, centre directors or chairs of School Assessment Committees of the faculty who do not occupy any other membership position

Variation to Membership

Faculty of Arts and Education

(8) The membership of the Faculty of Arts and Education Faculty Assessment Committee has been varied to include:

1. the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Student Success (or nominee)

Secretary

(9) The secretary to the Faculty Assessment Committee shall be appointed by the Director Governance. 

Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities

(10) The Faculty Assessment Committee will:

1. approve grades, including late grades and changes of grades, as recommended by the School Assessment Committees, and ratify the decisions of the Deputy Dean in relation to the review of grades,
2. receive grade moderation reports from School Assessment Committees, and
3. make recommendations to the Faculty Board and faculty executive on the practice of assessment within the faculty and assessment governance issues, including the faculty’s operations in compliance with the assessment policy and procedures and other requirements of Academic Senate, and with relevant external regulations and/or standards (such as the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021).

Section 5 - Meetings

Quorum

(11) A quorum shall be as detailed in the Boards and Committees Policy - Conduct of Meetings of Academic Committees, which is the majority of members unless otherwise determined by the full Committee.

Meetings

(12) Meetings will be published by the Office of Governance and Corporate Administration in an annual schedule. 

Agendas and minutes

(13) Agendas are circulated to the committee members one week prior to the committee meeting. 

(14) Minutes of the committee meeting are circulated to committee members following the meeting. Minutes of the meeting are reported to the next meeting of the Faculty Board.

Conflicts of interest

(15) Where a member has a perceived or material conflict of interest, they must declare this to the Chair and at the committee meeting prior to discussion of the item of business. 

Variations

(16) Variations to the terms of reference and/or membership of the Faculty Assessment Committee must be approved by the Academic Quality and Standards Committee.