Voluntary Codes for Member Universities
The University Chancellors Council aims to support our member universities in the delivery of best practice for governance, which is why we’ve worked to develop a set of voluntary codes to support Australian Universities in their governance practices.
These codes outline principles to support universities and their governing bodies to deliver best practice in university governance.
Codes of the University Chancellors Council
Code of Governance Principles and Practice for Australia’s Public Universities
This code was amended in December 2024 to align with best practice for governance in Australia and the Australian Universities Accord. This is the primary code recommended by the UCC for adoption in university reporting. Read more
Code of Executive Remuneration Principles and Practice for Australia’s Public Universities
The Code of Executive Remuneration was initiated in August 2021 and amended in April 2025. This code is reflective of best practice in setting Vice-Chancellor and Senior Executive Remuneration and can be utilised alongside the Code of Governance Principles. Read more
Additional Codes
Additional voluntary codes for public universities can be found below.
All additional codes are scheduled for review in 2025.
Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom
The Model Code for Protection of Freedom of Speech (July 2019) and it’s accompanied Recommended Draft Statement for Annual Reports on Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom.