Council and Council Committee support

Under the leadership of the University Secretary, the Council and Academic Senate Services team helps the University make good decisions. They do this by providing professional governance support and advice to Council, its standing committees and Academic Senate.

We can help you with

• Committee and Council reporting timeframes and deadlines
• Upcoming committee agendas items
• Reporting formats: which template to use when (one page template; standard template; reports to EC or Council)
• Report content and the key elements requiring Council consideration
• How to draft and develop a resolution
• Meeting actions and outcomes reported to the Executive Committee
• General governance advice
• Election information, forms and advice

Who to contact

What does a 'Secretariat' team do?

• We provide governance advice to the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, President Academic Senate, Committee chairs and other senior staff to help them understand and carry out their governing and management roles in a way that complies with our legislative obligations
• We set annual meeting cycles and reporting plans
• We prepare agendas, running sheets, minutes and actions
• We facilitate and provide advisory papers to Council
• We organise, promote and conduct formal member elections and ballots for University bodies like Council, Academic Senate and Faculty Boards
• We induct new Council and Academic Senate members
• We monitor the University’s interests in controlled and associated entities
• We facilitate the University's governing groups to operate and make decisions according to the University of Newcastle Act 1989 , University of Newcastle By-law 2017, and other relevant rules, policies, procedures and statutory obligations
• We help staff and students understand what good governance looks like
• We maintain the University’s internal legislative framework
• We execute documents under the University Seal

Council cycle of support