UNSW's Race for Academic Board

Despite being one of the most important bodies at UNSW, very few students seem to know about the Academic Board. This group oversees the policies, programs, and academic standards for the entire university, ensuring that all academic matters meet high standards. Think of it as the “senate” for policies around curriculum, teaching quality, research, and student conduct.

Academic Board is composed of:

• The Vice-Chancellor (Attila Brungs)
• The President of the Academic Board (Scott Kable)
• The Provost (Vlado Perkovic)
• 4 Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Academic Quality, Indigenous, Education & Student Experience, and Research & Enterprise)
• The 6 faculty deans (+ the Rector of UNSW Canberra and the Dean of Lifelong Learning)
• The 5 Pro-Vice-Chancellors (Education, Inclusion, Research, Research Training^[1], and Student Success)
• The Director for AI Strategy Education
• 3 Committee Chairs (Postgraduate Re-Enrolment Appeals Committee, Undergraduate Re-Enrolment Appeals Committee, Program Review Committee)
• 5 ex-officio^[2] students (Chair of the Arc Board, SRC President, PGC President, Indigenous Student Representative, and the UNSW Canberra Undergraduate student who is a Trainee Officer (TO) of Australian Defence Force Academy)
• “Such other persons as Council approves” (Representative of the Early Career Academic Network (ECAN) Executive Committee and a member of the Faculty of Engineering)
• 4 staff from each faculty (2 professorial and 2 non-professorial)
• 2 elected undergraduate students
• 2 elected HDR students
• 2 elected post-graduate students

The decisions made by the Academic Board impact everything from the structure of degree programs to the handling of academic misconduct and integrity policies, making it a crucial body for students and staff alike.

Why should I vote?

Student representatives on the Academic Board act as the bridge between students and the university’s administration. They bring a unique perspective to discussions, offering insights into how policies and changes will directly affect the student body. This is critical because policies that sound good on paper might have unintended consequences for students in practice.

For example, if the university considers implementing stricter attendance policies or altering the grading scheme, student representatives can speak to the potential impacts on students’ workload, mental health, or ability to balance other responsibilities. Policies like Short Extensions and the ban on remotely proctored exams have also come from Academic Board student representatives, and the current representatives have been pushing to eliminate the controversial Fit To Sit rule. Without these student voices, the Academic Board might miss out on perspectives that could lead to more informed, balanced decisions.

The student representatives you vote for are responsible for voicing your concerns and advocating for policies that benefit the student body. This means voting allows you to choose individuals who represent your interests and prioritize the issues you care about.

How do I vote?

Earlier today, you would have gotten 2 emails on your UNSW email:

In each of these emails, you’ll find a link to the poll:

You cannot preference candidates, so select your preferred option in the poll, click submit at the bottom of the page, then click “Confirm vote”. You should get an email after you hit “Confirm vote”.

Note that if you’re enrolled in a double degree, you can only vote for the faculty of your “controlling school”. This is usually the school of the first degree in your program name. For example, Bachelor of Science/Arts would be faculty of Science, while Bachelor of Arts/Science would be the faculty of Arts Design and Architecture.

Who should I vote for?

While individual members of the Noise team might back some candidates, we’ve elected not to support specific Academic Board or Faculty Board candidates as an organisation. We encourage you to look at the candidate statements, as well as their prior experience in governance and student advocacy.

Some notable Academic Board candidates include:

• William Nguyen, the former SRC Paddington International Students Officer, 
• Willow Heller, the current president of the UNSW Neuroscience Society, 
• Annikka Burge, the current SRC Welfare Officer, 
• Taleisha Farahani, the current co-president of the Commerce International Society, 
• Mondira Paul, current president of the Rural Allied Health & Medical Society

[1]: The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Training) is also the Dean of Graduate Research.

[2]: These 5 ex-officio members are either elected or appointed to other bodies (such as the SRC or Arc Board), and sit on the Academic Board “by right of office”. The SRC, PGC, and Arc Board are voted by students at all UNSW campuses in Sydney. The Indigenous Students and ADFA representatives are appointed by the Academic Board.