Reporting to RMIT Council, the Academic Board is the governing body responsible for oversight of RMIT's academic affairs.
Role of the Academic Board
The Academic Board is responsible for governance of all aspects of the University's academic mission inclusive of learning and teaching, scholarship, research and research training. The Board fulfils its responsibilities by monitoring and providing oversight of academic quality, standards and outcomes, academic and research integrity, innovation and risk, and academic freedom.
The functions of the Board are established pursuant to the RMIT Statute No. 1 (Amendment No. 2) and the Academic Board Regulations.
Key functions of the Board include:
- Approving the requirements for all Higher Education, Vocational Education and Higher Degree by Research awards conferred by the University;
- Developing, reviewing and approving academic and research policies;
- providing advice and reporting to Council on academic matters.
Academic Board Membership
The Board is chaired by Professor Ehsan Gharaie.
The Deputy Chair is Professor Elisa Hill.
The composition of Academic Board is outlined in the Academic Board Regulations.
The Board’s membership and is designed to represent the interests and voice of the academic community and students and includes:
- Ex-officio members: appointed on the basis of their substantive position
- Elected staff: academic, teaching and professional (2-year term)
- Elected students: higher degree by research, postgraduate, undergraduate higher education and vocational education (1-year term)
The Board’s current membership, forward planner, meeting papers and minutes, and Handbook are available on the Academic Board and Standing Committee Hub (RMIT staff login required).
Standing Committees of Academic Board
The Academic Board has established three standing committees that provide advice and support to the Board. These Committees work under the guidance of the Academic Board to consider matters set out in their respective Terms of Reference.
As a central component of the University's academic governance framework, the Committees provide independent, academically informed advice enabling the Board to act on the basis of rigorous scrutiny and review at the standing committee level.
The Programs Committee has been established to provide recommendations to the Board on course and program proposals, and oversight, monitoring and advice on the academic governance aspects of related policies, procedures and quality assurance arrangements.
The Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Board on:
- Policies, procedures related to program and course design
- The accreditation, re- accreditation or discontinuation of Higher Education awards.
- The University’s strategy for the program and course design
- Admissions standards and English Language entrance requirements
- The governance of shorter form credentials and non-formal learning
- The external environment including policy, strategy, trends and innovations
- Ongoing compliance with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements
The Committee is Chaired by Professor Penelope June Weller.
- The Committee’s current Terms of Reference, membership, forward planner, meeting papers and minutes are available on the Academic Board and Standing Committee Hub.
The Education Committee has been established to provide advice to the Board on academic quality and excellence in all aspects of teaching and learning.
The Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Board on:
- Policies, procedures and quality assurance
- Internal and external academic quality standards
- Student progression, academic conduct and academic integrity
- The University’s Learning and Teaching strategy
- The external environment including policy, strategy, trends and innovations
- Academic risk, including relevant findings and recommendations arising from internal and external audits
- Ongoing compliance with Higher Education legislative and regulatory requirements.
The Committee is Chaired by Professor Gillian Vesty.
- The Committee’s current Terms of Reference, membership, forward planner, meeting papers and minutes are available on the Academic Board and Standing Committee Hub.
The Research Committee has been established to provide advice to Academic Board on quality and excellence across all aspects of research and research training. The Committee is supported by the Graduate Research Sub-committee.
The Committee provides advice and recommendations to the Board on:
- Policies, procedures and quality assurance
- Internal and external academic quality standards
- Research ethics and integrity, and the responsible conduct of research
- The University’s Research strategy
- The external environment including policy, strategy, trends and innovations
- Academic risk, including relevant findings and recommendations arising from internal and external audits
- Ongoing compliance with research and research training legislative and regulatory requirements
The Committee is Chaired by Professor Falk Scholer.
- The Committee’s current Terms of Reference, membership, forward planner, meeting papers and minutes are available on the Academic Board and Standing Committee Hub.
Meeting dates
2025 Academic Board and Committee paper submission schedule
1pm – 4pm
Meeting Number |
Meeting Date |
Agenda & papers to Members |
Papers due to Secretariat |
1/2025 |
17 February 2025 |
10 February 2025 |
3 February 2025 |
2/2025 |
24 March 2025 |
17 March 2025 |
11 March 2025* |
3/2025 |
5 May 2025 |
28 April 2025 |
17 April 2025** |
4/2025 |
16 June 2025 |
10 June 2025*** |
2 June 2025 |
5/2025 |
28 July 2025 |
21 July 2025 |
14 July 2025 |
6/2025 |
8 September 2025 |
1 September 2025 |
25 August 2025 |
7/2025 |
20 October 2025 |
13 October 2025 |
6 October 2025 |
8/2025 |
1 December 2025 |
24 November 2025 |
17 November 2025 |
* Papers due to Secretariat on Tuesday 11 March due to a public holiday on Monday 10 March.
** Papers due to Secretariat on Thursday 17 April due to the Easter public holidays.
*** Papers will not be circulated on Monday 9 June due to a public holiday.
1pm – 3pm
Meeting Number |
Meeting Date |
Agenda & papers to Members |
Papers due to Secretariat |
1/2025 |
3 February 2025 |
28 January 2025* |
20 January 2025 |
2/2025 |
3 March 2025 |
24 February 2025 |
17 February 2025 |
3/2025 |
14 April 2025 |
7 April 2025 |
31 March 2025 |
4/2025 |
26 May 2025 |
19 May 2025 |
12 May 2025 |
5/2025 |
7 July 2025 |
30 June 2025 |
23 June 2025 |
6/2025 |
18 August 2025 |
11 August 2025 |
4 August 2025 |
7/2025 |
29 September 2025 |
22 September 2025 |
15 September 2025 |
8/2025 |
10 November 2025 |
3 November 2025 |
27 October 2025 |
* Papers will not be circulated on Monday 27 January due to a public holiday.
1pm – 3pm
Meeting Number |
Meeting Date |
Agenda & papers to Members |
Papers due to Secretariat |
1/2025 |
26 February 2025 |
19 February 2025 |
12 February 2025 |
2/2025 |
9 April 2025 |
2 April 2025 |
26 March 2025 |
3/2025 |
21 May 2025 |
14 May 2025 |
7 May 2025 |
4/2025 |
13 August 2025 |
6 August 2025 |
30 July 2025 |
5/2025 |
24 September 2025 |
17 September 2025 |
10 September 2025 |
6/2025 |
5 November 2025 |
29 October 2025 |
22 October 2025 |
1pm – 2:30pm
Meeting Number |
Meeting Date |
Agenda & papers to Members |
Papers due to Secretariat |
1/2025 |
4 March 2025 |
25 February 2025 |
18 February 2025 |
2/2025 |
15 April 2025 |
8 April 2025 |
1 April 2025 |
3/2025 |
3 June 2025 |
27 May 2025 |
20 May 2025 |
4/2025 |
19 August 2025 |
12 August 2025 |
5 August 2025 |
5/2025 |
30 September 2025 |
23 September 2025 |
16 September 2025 |
6/2025 |
18 November 2025 |
11 November 2025 |
5 November 2025* |
* Papers due to Secretariat on Wednesday 5 November due to a public holiday on Tuesday 4 November.
Further information
Executive support for the Academic Board is provided by the University Secretariat. Any questions concerning the Academic Board or the information on this site should be directed to ab.secretariat@rmit.edu.au.
