RMIT Council is established by the RMIT Act 2010 Vic (Act) and under section 8:
- is the governing body of the University
- has the general direction and superintendence of the University
- may exercise all the powers, functions and duties of the University.
In essence Council carries out a range of functions around external accountability (reporting, ensuring statutory compliance, reviewing audit reports) and longer term strategic thinking (reviewing and initiating strategic analysis, formulating strategy, setting corporate direction), and internal oversight (reviewing key executive performance, reviewing business results, monitoring budgetary control and corrective action) and corporate policy (approving budgets, determining compensation, overseeing corporate culture).
Council’s primary responsibilities as defined in the Act include:
- appointing and monitoring the performance of the Vice-Chancellor as chief executive officer of the University
- approving the appointment of members of the senior executive of the University
- approving the mission and strategic direction of the University and its annual budget and business plan
- overseeing and reviewing the management of the University and its performance
- establishing policy and procedural principles for the operation of the University consistent with legal requirements and community expectations
- approving and monitoring systems of control and accountability of the University, including those required to maintain a general overview of any controlled entity
- overseeing and monitoring the assessment and management of risk across the University, including University commercial activities
- overseeing and monitoring the academic activities of the University
- approving any significant University Commercial activities.
View the RMIT Act 2010 (PDF 756.9kb 69p).
View the Council Governance Charter (PDF 36kb 5p).