University Council

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University Council

The University Council is the governing body which controls and manages the operation, affairs, concerns and property of the University, in accordance with the ECU Act and the Corporate Governance Statement.

Corporate Governance Statement

Council endorsed a statement on corporate governance in December 2002. The statement was amended by Council in December 2004, in June 2007, in March 2012 and in March 2015.

The Corporate Governance Statement assists current and future members of Council and executive management and senior staff in carrying out their respective roles. Furthermore, it informs staff and student members of the broader ECU community about governance processes, and for the external community, including stakeholders such as governments.

Council Code of Conduct

Our Council Code of Conduct assists individual Council members to discharge their duties and responsibilities in a manner which will contribute to the greater good of ECU.

The aim of the Code is to:

ensure members of Council are aware of the legal duties, liabilities and protections arising from their membership;
promote good practice among Council members by describing the general responsibilities they have to ECU, the Council, fellow members and to the staff and students; and
describe the University’s obligations to Council members, which will assist them to carry out their duties and responsibilities to the best of their abilities.

Matters to be reserved to Council

Clarity as to which matters require Council approval is an important foundation for good governance and helps define decision-making boundaries. In 2006 Council approved a schedule of items that it would not delegate. The document Matters to be Reserved to Council outlines these items.

The Matters to be Reserved to Council is amended by Council from time to time. The University also has an appropriate system of delegations in place to ensure the effective discharge of other responsibilities.

Council Standing Orders

Under the powers conferred on it by the ECU Act 1984, the University statutes and any other enabling powers, the Council resolved on 16 October 2004 to make Standing Orders to regulate the conduct of meetings of the Council and Committees.

These Standing Orders result in:

better decision-making by the Council and Committees;
the orderly and efficient conduct of meetings dealing with the University's business; and
greater understanding of the rules governing the conduct of meetings.

Contacts

For more information about Council and its processes contact University Governance or the Executive Officer to Council:

Executive Officer to Council
Ms Kathryn Clarke
University Governance
Strategic and Governance Services Centre
Email: universitygovernance@ecu.edu.au
Telephone: (61 8) 6304 2109

Strategic and Governance Services