• Section 1 - Establishment
• Background
• Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Membership
• Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities
• Committee responsibilities
• Member responsibilities
• Section 5 - Meetings
• Quorum
• Meetings
• Agendas and minutes
• Conflicts of interest
• Variations

Section 1 - Establishment

Background

(1) The Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group (RWG) is established by the Vice-Chancellor as a subset of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), including representation from our First Nations staff network and an appointed chair.

Purpose

(2) The RWG will govern the coordination and delivery of the agreed reconciliation action plan (RAP) actions and report regularly to the ELT via the RWG chair.

Section 2 - Glossary

(3) For the purpose of this document:

1. RAP - means reconciliation action plan.
2. Working group or RWG – means the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group.
3. University - means Charles Sturt University established by the Charles Sturt University Act 1989.
4. ELT – means Executive Leadership Team.

Section 3 - Membership

(4) The members of the RWG are:

1. Members of the ELT.
2. A senior leader of the University, appointed as the RWG chair and RAP champion.
3. Two staff members who have been nominated by the Vice-Chancellor for the RWG.

(5) A regular member may appoint another person to attend a meeting or meetings on their behalf, or to act on their behalf for a specified timeframe. A person so appointed will be deemed to be a regular member of the RWG for the specified time and may vote as a regular member.

(6) The working group will be serviced by the Vice-Chancellor's Chief of Staff.

(7) Right of audience and debate shall be granted to:

1. NA

Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities

Committee responsibilities

(8) The principal responsibilities of the working group are to:

1. provide advice on the University’s overall approach to the RAP to the Vice-Chancellor
2. govern the completion of the documented RAP actions
3. report RAP progress to Reconciliation Australia annually
4. report RAP progress internally at least biannually
5. report RAP progress to relevant First Nations stakeholders
6. develop a new RAP when the current plan expires.

Member responsibilities

(9) Nominees appointed by the respective senior executive lead are expected to represent the full portfolio and are responsible to ensure communication and support of the respective portfolio.

Section 5 - Meetings

Quorum

(10) A quorum shall be half of the entire membership plus one.

Meetings

(11) Approximately four meetings will be held annually. These will be from 30 minutes to one hour in duration depending on need.

(12) New initiatives may be considered by the working group at all meetings under the advice of the RWG chair.

(13) Where critical or urgent approvals are required between meetings and they cannot be addressed by the RWG chair, approval may be sought from the RWG chair to have such issues and decisions addressed by the working group via a flying minute.

Agendas and minutes

(14) Agendas and minutes will be prepared by the Vice-Chancellor’s Chief of Staff.

Conflicts of interest

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

Variations

(16) Variations to the terms of reference and/or membership of the working group must be approved by the Vice-Chancellor.