• Section 1 - Establishment
• Background
• Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Membership
• Secretary
• Term of Office
• Variation to Membership
• Faculty of Arts and Education
• Section 4 - Functions and Responsibilities
• Section 5 - Meetings
• Quorum
• Meetings
• Agendas and Minutes
• Conflicts of Interest
• Variations

Section 1 - Establishment

(1) The Faculty Courses Committee was established by the Academic Senate on 10 August 2005 (AS 05/82) with terms of reference and membership approved on 7 December 2005 (AS 05/128).

Background

(2) Charles Sturt University (the University) has a responsibility to ensure good governance and management practices around the course accreditation activities of its Faculties, and in the approval and monitoring of its subjects and courses.

Purpose

(3) The purpose of the Faculty Courses Committee is to approve subjects and courses that are consistent with the content of those subjects and courses published in the University Handbook, and to provide oversight of the course accreditation activities of the Faculty and compliance with the requirements of the Academic Senate and Higher Education Standards Framework.

Section 2 - Glossary

(4) For the purpose of this document:

1. Committee – means the Faculty Courses Committee

Section 3 - Membership

(5) The members of the Committee shall be:

1. Associate Dean, Academic of the Faculty (Presiding Officer);
2. Executive Dean;
3. Deputy Dean;
4. Sub Dean (Learning and Teaching);
5. Head of Schools of the Faculty;
6. Course Directors of the Faculty; 
7. one member of academic staff to be nominated by each School Board of the Faculty;
8. one member of academic staff from another Faculty;
9. one member from the Division of Learning and Teaching; and
10. one member from the Indigenous Board of Studies.

(6) Right of Audience and Debate shall be granted to:

1. an alternate academic staff member from each School Board of the Faculty;
2. Manager, Course Administration Team;
3. Manager, Subject Administration Team;
4. Faculty Administration Manager;
5. Faculty Executive Officer;
6. one person from a different Faculty, to be appointed by the Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Committee; and
7. staff from the Division of Learning and Teaching involved in course design as nominated by the Director, Smart Learning.

Secretary

(7) The Secretary to the Committee shall be appointed by the University Secretary or their delegate.

Term of Office

(8) The term of appointment for members of the Faculty Courses Committee shall be two years.  The rules for conduct of meetings will be as detailed in the Boards and Committees Policy - Conduct of Meetings of Academic Committees.

Variation to Membership

Faculty of Arts and Education

(9) The membership of the Faculty of Arts and Education Faculty Courses Committees has been varied to include:

1. Sub-Dean Academic, Faculty of Arts and Education;
2. Executive Director, Student Success, or nominee; and
3. Director, Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation.

Section 4 - Functions and Responsibilities

(10) The Committee shall exercise such authorities with respect to all courses except Master Research Programs and Research Doctoral Programs as required by the Academic Senate, to:

1. act on behalf of the Academic Senate, through the Faculty Board, as the principal academic governance body overseeing the course accreditation activities of the Faculty, where accreditation is both internal and external accreditation;
2. exercise its authorities to monitor and assure that the Faculty’s course and subject profile is in conformity with Academic Senate requirements, external requirements (such as the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 – HES) and Faculty policies and procedures designed to ensure the quality of such courses, including via consideration of HES reports; and
3. ensure that courses and subjects considered by the committee, for recommendation for approval by the Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Committee of the Academic Senate, are consistent with the official, advertised content of these courses and subjects published in the University Handbook, CASIMS and other official publications and systems.

Section 5 - Meetings

(11) A substitute may only attend a meeting for an ex officio member of a committee where they are acting in the position which has ex officio membership of the Committee.  Committees, or officers who have the right to nominate members to a committee, may nominate substitutes. 

(12) Elected members of committees may not nominate a substitute to a meeting when they are unable to attend.

Quorum

(13) A quorum for Faculty Courses Committee is a majority (half plus one) of members.

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

Meetings

(15) The Committee shall meet six times a year.

Agendas and Minutes

(16) Agendas are circulated to the Committee one week prior to the Committee meeting.

(17) 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

(18) 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 to the item of business.

Variations

(19) Variations to the terms of reference and/or membership of Faculty Courses Committees must be approved by the Academic Senate.