Council Regulations
Part 1 – Preliminary
1. Title
2. Authorising Provision
3. Commencement
4. Definitions
Part 2 – Council Responsibilities and Membership
5. Role and Responsibilities of Council
6. Membership
Part 3 - Appointment of Chancellor and Deputy Chancellors
7. Appointment of a Chancellor
8. Appointment of Deputy Chancellor
Part 4 - Election of Staff and Student Members
9. Election of Staff and Student Members
Part 5 - Council Procedures
10. Council Meetings and Procedure
11. Council Committees
Part 6 - Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellors
12. Vice-Chancellor
13. Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Vice-Presidents
14. Absence of the Vice-Chancellor
Part 7 - Academic Board
15. Academic Board
Part 8 - Faculties and Institutes
16. Faculties
17. Institutes
Part 9 - Matters Reserved for Council Decision, Delegations and the University Seal
18. Matters Reserved for Council Decision
19. Matters Governed by Part 6 of the Act
20. Delegations
21. Use of the University Seal
Part 10 - Awards
22. Conferral of Awards
23. Conferral of Honorary Degrees
the Deakin Honorary Doctorate in recognition of an eminent individual who has made an inspiring or significant and sustained contribution to the community aligned to the University's objectives; or24. Revocation of Awards
under regulation 22.1(a) (or its predecessor), if it is satisfied that the award was improperly obtained by a person as a result of error, fraud or misconduct; andSchedule 1 Committees Established by Council
Schedule 2 Faculties Established by Council
Schedule 3 Institutes Established by Council
Schedule 4 Financial Decisions, Contractual Commitments and Part 6 Activities
View Current
This is the current version of this document. To view historic versions or versions that have not yet come into effect, click on the Historic or Future version links in the navigation bar.
These regulations may be cited as the Council regulations.
These regulations are made by Council pursuant to Part 5 of the Act.
These regulations come into operation on the day they are published on the University website.
The definitions in the Act and the University Statute apply to these regulations, unless the context requires otherwise.
5.1 Council is responsible for the governance of the University. It sets the University’s strategic direction, approves the financial plan, oversees the management of risk and ensures that appropriate plans are in place to achieve the University’s goals.
5.2 Council is committed to the highest standards of governance, integrity and ethical conduct and to making the best possible decisions for the sustained success of the University.
In accordance with section 11 of the Act, the membership of Council, shall be:
7.1 Where practicable, not less than six months before the position of Chancellor is scheduled to fall vacant or as soon as practicable after notice of a vacancy is received, Council shall approve a process for the appointment of a Chancellor.
7.2 A nominee for Chancellor may be an existing Council member if appointed under sections 11(1)(b) or 11(1)(c) of the Act, or any other person who is not a member of staff or an enrolled student.
7.3 A Chancellor shall be eligible for re-appointment provided that the cumulative terms of office do not exceed 10 years.
7.4 All members of Council shall be entitled to vote on the appointment of a Chancellor.
7.5 The Chancellor shall hold the position of Chair of Council.
8.1 Members of Council appointed under sections 11(1)(b) and 11(1)(c) of the Act are eligible to nominate for a position of Deputy Chancellor.
8.2 All members of Council shall be entitled to vote on the appointment of a Deputy Chancellor.
9.1 Elections required under regulation 6(d) shall be conducted in accordance with these regulations and University policies and procedures.
9.2 Staff are
9.3 Students are eligible to nominate for election under regulation 6(d)(ii) and to vote in the election if they are enrolled in a course leading to a University award and meet the eligibility criteria published by the Returning Officer.
9.4 Subject to the approval of the Chancellor, the elected student member of Council may intermit their studies without creating a casual vacancy and is designated as an enrolled Student during that period of intermission.
10.1 An ordinary meeting of Council shall be held at least six times in each calendar year on dates to be determined by Council and on such other days as may be necessary.
10.2 Council members shall be given at least seven days' notice of a meeting, including the time, place and agenda of the meeting.
10.3 An extraordinary meeting of Council:
10.4 Subject to these regulations, Council may regulate its own meeting procedures.
11.1 Council may establish (or dis-establish) committees that are required from time to time with defined terms of reference.
11.2 Committees established by Council are set out in Schedule 1.
11.3 Committees of Council shall report on each of their meetings to the next meeting of Council.
12.1 A Vice-Chancellor has the functions, powers and duties conferred or imposed:
12.2 In conferring powers on the Vice-Chancellor in accordance with section 26(6) of the Act, Council shall stipulate any limits applying to those powers which may include limits and conditions applying to:
12.3 Subject to any specific requirements imposed by Council, the Vice-Chancellor shall ensure that:
12.4 The Vice-Chancellor shall report to Council:
12.5 A Vice-Chancellor may resign from office by notice in writing to Council delivered to the Chancellor.
13.1 Council, on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor, may appoint one or more persons to the offices each of Deputy Vice-Chancellor or Vice-President.
13.2 A Deputy Vice-Chancellor or a Vice-President has the functions, powers and duties conferred or imposed:
13.3 The Vice-Chancellor will determine the duties and manage the performance of a Deputy Vice-Chancellor or a Vice-President, including termination of the contract of employment.
13.4 A Deputy Vice-Chancellor or a Vice-President may resign office by notice in writing to Council delivered to the Vice-Chancellor.
14.1 In the absence of the Vice-Chancellor, an acting Vice-Chancellor may be appointed:
14.2 An acting Vice-Chancellor shall exercise all the powers, carry out all the functions and be subject to the duties and responsibilities of the office of the Vice-Chancellor.
15.1 In addition to the powers and duties conferred by the Act and University Statute and any resolution of Council, Academic Board is responsible for the oversight of academic quality and standards across the University, and shall:
15.2 The membership of Academic Board shall be set out in the Academic Board regulations. Academic Board shall establish terms of reference and operating procedures to enable it to meet its objects and functions.
15.3 The Chair of Academic Board shall be appointed or elected by Academic Board from the professors of the University in accordance with the Deakin University Academic Board Regulations.
15.4 The Chair of Academic Board is the president of Academic Board for the purposes of section 11(2)(c) of the Act and an official member of Council pursuant to section 11(1)(a) of the Act.
15.5 After each meeting of Academic Board (or other defined interval) the Chair of Academic Board shall report to Council on:
16.1 Council may establish (or dis-establish) Faculties to undertake activities that facilitate or are conducive to the objects of the University. On the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor, Council shall appoint a Principal Officer of each Faculty, who shall be responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the good management of the Faculty.
16.2 Faculties specified by Council under section 21 of the Act are set out in Schedule 2.
16.3 The Principal Officer of each Faculty shall establish and maintain a Faculty Board as required by the Vice-Chancellor Regulations.
17.1 Council may establish (or dis-establish) Institutes to undertake activities that facilitate or are conducive to the objects of the University.
17.2 Institutes specified by Council under section 21 of the Act are set out in Schedule 3.
17.3 The Vice-Chancellor shall:
17.4 The Principal Officer is responsible for the administration of the Institute and for reporting on the lnstitute's performance as required by and at least annually to:
the Academic Board.
17.5 If the Vice-Chancellor considers that an Institute is not fulfilling its objects or ceases to be aligned with the strategic direction of the University, the Vice-Chancellor may recommend to Council that the Institute be dis-established.
In accordance with its governance responsibilities, Council shall approve a list of matters reserved for Council decision, which will be published on the University's website.
In accordance with Part 6 of the Act, and subject to the guidelines and the requirements set out in Schedule 4, Council may approve an arrangement, or an amendment to an arrangement for the University to:
20.1 Delegations of authority directly made by Council shall be listed in the Register of Council Delegations published on the University website.
20.2 Council shall receive an annual report on actions taken under delegation of authority from Council.
20.3 In addition to delegations made by Council and subject to the Act, the University Statute and this regulation, Council, the Vice-Chancellor, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a Vice-President and Academic Board may delegate powers and functions in writing, including to:
20.4 A delegation in accordance with regulation 20.1 or 20.3 does not detract from the rights or responsibilities of the delegator, who may continue to exercise such delegated power or powers, but shall constitute sufficient authority for that person or body to exercise the delegated powers.
20.5 Council, the Vice-Chancellor, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, a Vice-President and other University staff (as designated) have the powers and functions to make contractual commitments and financial decisions necessary for the operation and good order of the University in accordance with Schedule 4.
21.1 The University shall have and apply a University seal in accordance with the University's policies and procedures.
21.2 The University may execute any document (including a deed) without affixing the University seal if the document is signed in accordance with Schedule 4.
22.1 Council may confer or grant an award:
22.2 A student will be ineligible for conferral of an award under regulation 22.1 if:
22.3 If a student fails to apply to graduate in accordance with University policies and procedures, the University may require that person to graduate in absentia at an appropriate conferring ceremony.
23.1 The Vice-Chancellor, acting on the advice of the designated committee of Council, may recommend to Council that it confer on a person or admit a person to an honorary degree. An honorary degree is not an academic award of the University but is awarded to honour an individual's achievements aligned to the University's objects and values.
23.2 Council may confer on that person:
23.3 Honorary degrees shall be conferred in accordance with relevant University policies and procedures.
23.4 No fee shall be payable for the admission to any degree conferred under regulation 23.
24.1 Irrespective of the date the award was granted or conferred (whether or not before the commencement of this regulation), Council may revoke an award conferred or granted by it:
24.2 Any application for the revocation of an academic award shall be directed to the Vice-Chancellor, who shall make a recommendation to Council.
24.3 A decision of Council to revoke an award is final, and not subject to University appeal.
1. Audit and Risk Committee
2. Chancellor’s Advisory Committee
3. Finance and Business Affairs Committee
4. Honorary Degrees Committee
5. Investment Committee
6. Legislation Committee
7. Remuneration Committee
1. Faculty of Arts and Education
2. Faculty of Business and Law
3. Faculty of Health
4. Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment
1. Institute for Frontier Materials
2. Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation
3. Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition
4. National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation Institute
5. Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation
6. Institute for Health Transformation
7. Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute
8. Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation
Authority to make decisions, including financial commitments, are to be made in accordance with the Delegations policy approved by Council and any associated procedures.
Contractual commitments are to be made in accordance with the Contracts policy approved by Council and any associated procedures.
Part 6 Activities (Property, Finances and Commercial Activities) are to be undertaken in accordance with the Act, the Ministerial guidelines and University policies and procedures dealing with University commercial activities.