• Section 1 - Establishment
• Section 2 - Functions and Responsibilities
• Section 3 - Membership
• Members’ attendance
• Section 4 - Chair
• Section 5 - Secretary
• Section 6 - Terms of Office
• Section 7 - Quorum
• Section 8 - Meetings
• Member conduct
• Section 9 - Agenda
• Section 10 - Minutes
• Section 11 - Reporting
• Section 12 - Conflicts of Interest
• Section 13 - Compliance

Section 1 - Establishment

(1) The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is a Commonwealth Government legislated fee charged to students, to support and enrich the student experience by providing a range of non-academic services and amenities.

(2) Student Services and Amenities Fee funds are administered in accordance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003, the Higher Education Support (Administration) Guidelines 2022, and the Higher Education Support (Student Services, Amenities, Representation and Advocacy) Guidelines 2022.

(3) The Student Services and Amenities Fees Advisory Committee is established under Part 3 Section 19 of the Charles Darwin University Act 2003.

Section 2 - Functions and Responsibilities

(4) The function of the Committee is to consider proposals for the use of Student Services and Amenities Fees funding and make recommendations to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic is responsible for the management of Student Services and Amenities Fee monies.

(5) The Committee is made up of enrolled CDU students and staff and ensures the use of funds is compliant with Commonwealth legislation and rules, is in alignment with CDU priorities, and provides a vehicle for consultation with student representatives.

Section 3 - Membership

(6) The Committee is comprised of:

1. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic (Chair);
2. Director Student Engagement (Deputy Chair);
3. Associate Director Customer Experience;
4. Chief Marketing and Communications Officer;
5. Director Library Services;
6. Associate Director Student Support;
7. Deputy Director Asset Management, Planning and Project (Property and Facilities);
8. Associate Director Transition and Retention;
9. Manager Campus and Community Activation;
10. Student Experience Officer (Secretary);
11. Manager First Nations Student Support;
12. President CDU Student Council; and
13. Up to four student representatives to be nominated from the Student Group Executive Leadership Group.

(7) Invited observers (optional attendance)

1. Associate Director Financial Performance.

(8) Executive Committee

1. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic (Chair);
2. Director Student Engagement;
3. Student Experience Officer; and
4. Elected student representative.

(9) Staff members may nominate a delegate to attend meetings when they are unavailable. This will normally be a person that would act in their capacity.

(10) Decisions made by the Executive Committee will be reported to the Committee.

Members’ attendance

(11) Attendance by members will be monitored by the secretary. If a member has three consecutive unexplained absences from Committee meetings, the Chair will discuss with the Vice-President Governance and University Secretary their future participation as a member of the Committee.

Section 4 - Chair

(12) The Chair of the Committee will be the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic. In the absence of the Chair, the Deputy Chair will chair the meeting.

(13) If the Chair and Deputy Chair are both unavailable, the members present will elect a chair for that meeting.

Section 5 - Secretary

(14) The Student Experience Officer will provide administrative support to the Committee.

Section 6 - Terms of Office

(15) Staff members will hold office for the term of their appointment in their substantive role.

(16) Student representatives can be appointed to fill vacancies at any time during the year and serve throughout the duration of their enrolment to a maximum of two (2) years. Student representatives who fail to attend two (2) consecutive meetings may have their membership terminated.

Section 7 - Quorum

(17) At a meeting of the Committee, quorum is constituted as 50% plus one members of the Committee.

Section 8 - Meetings

(18) The Committee will meet twice a year to review Student Services and Amenities Fee projects proposals and provide their recommendations to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and review the progress of Student Services and Amenities Fee-funded activities. Urgent proposals can be considered out of outside this timeframe by the Executive Committee, at the discretion of the Chair.

Member conduct

(19) Professional conduct of members is expected at all times. The Chair may call members to order as required. 

(20) As required, members must treat items of discussion with confidentiality.

Section 9 - Agenda

(21) The agenda with supporting documentation shall be distributed, to all members, at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. meeting.

Section 10 - Minutes

(22) Meeting minutes will be taken and distributed within two weeks of the meeting.

Section 11 - Reporting

(23) This Committee will provide an annual allocation report to the Senior Executive Team Business Committee and the CDU Student Council.

Section 12 - Conflicts of Interest

(24) Where a member has a real or perceived conflict of interest regarding an agenda item, they must declare this to the Chair at the commencement of discussion of the item, and be prepared to excuse themselves from the discussion, or the room, if required, as per the terms of the Conflicts of Interest Policy.

Section 13 - Compliance

(25) Non-compliance with Governance Documents is considered a breach of the Code of Conduct – Staff or the Code of Conduct – Students, as applicable, and is treated seriously by the University. Reports of concerns about non-compliance will be managed in accordance with the applicable disciplinary procedures outlined in the Charles Darwin University and Union Enterprise Agreement 2022 and the Code of Conduct – Students.

(26) Complaints may be raised in accordance with the Complaints and Grievance Policy and Procedure - Employees and Complaints Policy - Students.

(27) All staff members have an individual responsibility to raise any suspicion, allegation or report of fraud or corruption in accordance with the Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower Reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedure.