Professor Kathy Douglas

Professor Kathy Douglas leads the College of Business and Law learning, teaching and quality portfolio including governance, student satisfaction, program development and innovation in pedagogy. She is an experienced Executive leader who has focussed on developing transformative educational experiences and impactful research.  With a professional background in law and mediation she has demonstrated an ability to lead in changing times in higher education.  Kathy undertakes research in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) including dispute resolution practice and education. She has been a member of the Australian Dispute Resolution Advisory Council and a past president of the ADR Research Network.

Previously, Kathy was the Dean of the Graduate School of Business and Law at RMIT. She was appointed in September 2018 and led a high performing school focussed on industry engaged learning and research. In 2020 she was awarded the Vice Chancellor's leadership award for Imagination. In 2022 she acted as the Interim Director of Digital 3, an education aggregator that brought together digital research and education initiatives in the College of Business and Law. Kathy has a passion for impactful leadership that benefits students, staff and the communities that RMIT engages with, including industry.

• Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor Learning, Teaching and Quality in the College of Business and Law
• Member, Executive College of Business and Law
• Member, Higher Education Committee, Academic Board
• Member, Programs Committee, Academic Board

• PhD, RMIT University
• Graduate Diploma of Education (Tertiary Teaching stream) University of Melbourne
• BA, LLB, LLM Monash University

Executive Education

• Applied Mentally Healthy Leadership Program, AP Psychology and Consulting Services, Melbourne, July 2021
• EFMD, Online Workshop for Deans, 26-30th October 2020, Brussels Belgium (online)
• Women in Business Education Deans Network, 2020 and 2021
• Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership, Justice and Ethics Symposium, 14-15th November 2019, Melbourne, Australia
• EFMD, Strategic Leadership Programme for Deans, 24-26th October 2018, Brussels Belgium

• Over twenty years of experience as a mediator in community, workplace and court connected mediation (while also working as an academic)
• Short course trainer in mediation
• Lawyer with practice experience in criminal and civil law