Charles Sturt University Board of Governors

The Charles Sturt University Board of Governors was first convened on the 14th November 1990, when it succeeded the Interim Board of Governors as the governing body and policy making authority of Charles Sturt University (CSU) (1). The 1991 CSU Annual Report described the responsibilities of the Board of Governors as “…overseeing the university’s resources and the development of broad policies for academic planning and administrative and teaching facilities.” (2)

The membership of the Board, which had been appointed in October 1990, had the following membership, as stipulated by the Charles Sturt University Act 1989:

• two Parliamentary members (one member of the Legislative Council elected by that Council, and one member of the Legislative Assembly elected by that Assembly);
• the Official members consisting of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, each of the Chief Executive Officers of the network members (that is, the Principals of each of the campuses
• Mitchell, Riverina and Murray) and the deputy presiding member of the Academic Senate; eight appointed members (four persons appointed by the Minister, being persons who have, in the opinion of the Minister, an association with western and south-western New South Wales, and four persons appointed by the Minister, being persons nominated by the Council of the University of New South Wales); and
• four elected members (two members of the academic staff of the University, one member of the non-academic staff of the University, and one person who is a student of the University). (3)

The University By-Laws provided that ordinary meetings of the Board of Governors be held no fewer than five times each calendar year, and that these meetings should be open to members of the University, however where a confidential matter arose, the Board could go into “camera” at any time (4).

The Charles Sturt University Act 1989, detailed the following attributes as functions of the Board of Governors as the governing authority of the University:

• responsibility for the coordination of the University’s resources;
• the distribution of the income of the University amongst the network members;
• the development of broad policies with respect to academic planning, the nature and standards of academic awards, and defining the educational profile of the University;
• the definition of areas and responsibilities for the network members in respect to teaching, research and consultancy;
• the development of administrative and teaching facilities for the University;
• liaison with the government in relation to the overall resource needs of the University;
• and representation of the University as required (5).

The powers of the Board of Governors as stipulated by the Act included:

• to provide courses, and confer degrees, awards, diplomas and certificates as it sees fit;
• appointing and terminating the appointments of academic and other staff of the University;
• to control and manage the affairs and concerns of the University in its best interests;
• to invest and borrow money or funds on the University’s behalf;
• to engage in the commercial development of any interests of the University;
• to establish and maintain branches and colleges of the University within the University itself and elsewhere;
• to make loans and grants to students, and also to impose fees, charges and fines where applicable (6).

As the Interim Board of Governors had not established any Committees of the Board, one of the first initiatives the Board of Governors was required to implement were it’s committees. Thus, by the end of 1990, the Board had established the following committees:

• the Academic Senate (the principal academic body of the University which advised the Board of Governors on all matters relating to teaching, scholarship and research);
• the Standing Committee (an executive body of the Board of Governors which acted on behalf of the latter in those matters requiring immediate action);
• the Finance Committee (to advise the Board of Governors on all matters of a financial nature);
• the Personnel Committee (to make recommendations to the Board of Governors concerning policies in relation to personnel); and
• the Honorary Awards Committee (to consider all nominations for proposed honorary awards). (7)
  In addition to these committees, the Audit Committee (responsible for reviewing both the internal and external auditors) was established in 1994. (8)

The last meeting of the Board of Governors was convened on 11 June 1999, after which it was disbanded and replaced by the Charles Sturt University Council which was established on 1 July 1999. This change in governance was precipitated by Charles Sturt University Amendment Act of 1998. (9)

End Notes:
(1) Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Governors, 14 November 1990, Agenda p.1.
(2) Charles Sturt University Annual Report, 1991, p.5.
(3) Charles Sturt University Act, 1989, p.10.
(4) Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Governors, 14 November 1990, Agenda attachment.
(5) Charles Sturt University Act, 1989, p.13-14.
(6) Ibid., p. 14-15.
(7) Meeting of the Board of Governors (2/90), 19 December 1990, Agenda attachment.
(8) Charles Sturt University Annual Report, 1994, p.7.
(9) Charles Sturt University Annual Report, 1999, p.39.

Agency History compiled by Wayne Doubleday (2004).

Authority Record created 19 August 2020. J Kohlhagen.