• Section 1 - Establishment
• Section 2 - Functions and Responsibilities
• Section 3 - Membership
• Section 4 - Chair
• Section 5 - Secretary
• Section 6 - Terms of Office
• Section 7 - Quorum
• Section 8 - Meetings
• Section 9 - Agenda
• Section 10 - Minutes
• Section 11 - Reporting
• Section 12 - Conflict of Interest
• Section 13 - Non-compliance

Section 1 - Establishment

(1) The Academic Programs Committee (APC) is established under the Academic Board Terms of Reference.

Section 2 - Functions and Responsibilities

(2) The Academic Programs Committee will:

1. Provide input to Academic Board on the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Quality Management System (VETQMS) for the accreditation, review, re-accreditation and discontinuation of VET products;
2. Approve changes to VET products according to the delegations as prescribed by Academic Board;
3. Provide input to Academic Board on course development, accreditation, amendment, review, re-accreditation and discontinuation of higher education coursework offerings (courses and units);
4. Recommend to Academic Board the approval, suspension and discontinuation of Higher Education courses;
5. Approve major changes to Higher Education coursework units and report these to Academic Board;
6. Liaise with the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Committee (LTAC) as required on amendments to course rules;
7. Provide input on course design (both HE and VET courses) that promotes the achievement of best practice interaction between VET and Higher Education activities, innovative course design, and effective learning outcomes and quality learning and teaching;
8. Manage and monitor a review schedule for the comprehensive review of Higher Education courses, at least every seven years;
9. Initiate course reviews on an exception basis if required; and
10. Receive review reports for Higher Education courses and ensure recommendations are actioned and completed.

(3) Governing document development and monitoring:

1. Provide advice and recommendations to Academic Board on policy and procedure relating to course development, approval, amendment and review, consulting with the LTAC as required (For the absence of doubt, the LTAC recommends all policy changes related to matters other than course and unit development, approval, amendment and review to the Academic Board, after appropriate consultation with APC).

(4) Operations:

1. Develop an annual reporting schedule;
2. Establish working parties, receive their reports, and determine and/or recommend actions within the functions of the APC in response to such reports;
3. Provide minutes and reports from APC meetings to Academic Board and the broader University;
4. Review its own performance against its Terms of Reference at least annually; and
5. Consider and report on any matter referred by Academic Board or the Vice-Chancellor.

Section 3 - Membership

(5) Membership of the APC will comprise:

1. Chair: Deputy Chair of Academic Board, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching;
2. Deputy Chairs: Director of Student Operations and Director VET;
3. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor First Nations Leadership;
4. Director, Learning Futures;
5. Associate Deans, (Learning Futures);
6. Associate Deans, (VET);
7. Associate Director, Academic Administration;
8. One (1) Academic from each College (elected);
9. One (1) coursework student elected by and from the coursework student cohort;
10. One (1) VET student elected by and from VET student cohort;
11. Two (2) Research Academics (co-opted/elected);
12. l. One (1) Early Career Researcher (co-opted/elected); and
13. One (1) HDR candidate (co-opted/elected).

(6) The Chair may invite additional non-voting attendees but may not co-opt additional members.

Section 4 - Chair

(7) The Deputy Chair of Academic Board will be Chair of the APC.

Section 5 - Secretary

(8) Administrative support will be provided by the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Learning and Teaching.

Section 6 - Terms of Office

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

(10) Elected staff members will serve for a period of two (2) years from the date of their election and are eligible for re-election.

(11) Elected student members will serve for a period of one (1) year from the date of their election.

(12) An elected member of the Committee vacates their office if the member is absent, without apology, from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Committee.

(13) An elected member may resign from their position on the Committee by notifying the Chair in writing.

Section 7 - Quorum

(14) A quorum constitutes 50% plus one (1) of the voting members of the Committee.

Section 8 - Meetings

(15) The APC will meet at least four (4) times per year, and the Chair may call additional meetings if necessary.

(16) Matters requiring a resolution or recommendation by the Committee are to be determined by simple majority. In the event of a tied vote the Chair will have a casting vote.

Section 9 - Agenda

(17) There will be a written agenda distributed prior to each meeting.

Section 10 - Minutes

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

(19) Any resolutions or recommendations of the APC will be noted in the minutes to the Academic Board.

Section 11 - Reporting

(20) The APC will provide a timely report from each meeting to the next meeting of the Academic Board.

Section 12 - Conflict of Interest

(21) Where a member has an actual, potential 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 - Non-compliance

(22) Non-compliance with Governance Documents is considered a breach of the Staff Code of Conduct or the Student Code of Conduct, 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.

(23) 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 Governance Framework, Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and Whistleblower reporting (Improper Conduct) Procedures.