UNIVERSITY CHANCELLORS COUNCIL
About the UCC
The University Chancellors Council (UCC) comprises Chancellors of all universities within Australia that are established under their own Act of Parliament. The UCC is a means for university Chancellors to discuss key issues and current events surrounding the tertiary education sector in Australia. The Council meets twice each year. Chancellors can be represented by a Deputy Chancellor or a council member of their university’s governing body during UCC meetings and events.
The purpose and function of the Council is to:
Assist Australian universities in the carrying out of their respective and collective functions;
Provide a means of voicing appropriate concerns on behalf of Australian universities on matters of governance;
To liaise with Universities Australia and similar organisations and act as ambassadors in the advancement and promotion of Australian universities;
To provide a forum for communication and discussion concerning Australian universities and related institutions; and
To carry out such activities as are necessary to further the above objects.
The UCC has proposed a number of voluntary codes to assist member universities to standardise the availability and format of information on various issues. These codes have now been approved by the membership and are available on the University Governance in Australia page.
History of the UCC
The University Chancellors Council (UCC) was established in 2004 as the University Chancellors Conference and renamed to the University Chancellors Council in 2007.
The current Convenor of the UCC is Mr John Stanhope AM, Chancellor of Deakin University, who is supported by a committee made up of nine other University Chancellors from around Australia.
Previous convenors of the UCC have included:
Mr Stephen Gerlach AM, former Chancellor Flinders Univesity
Professor Peter Shergold AC, former Chancellor of Western Sydney University
Dr Ian Gould AM, former Chancellor of the University of South Australia
Professor Vicki Sara AO, former Chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney
Emeritus Chancellor Mr John Phillips AO (dec), former Chancellor of Western Sydney University
Dr David Klingberg AO, former Chancellor of the University of South Australia
National Conference on University Governance: shaping the future of higher education
22- 24 October 2024
Conference website and registration
A National Conference on University Governance was established in 2001 and is held every two years. Originally established to provide training and discussion on governance issues for staff and Council / Senate / Board members with governance responsibilities, this training role has now been taken up by the Australian Institute of Company Directors University Governance course. This has allowed the Conference to broaden the topics and issues under discussion within the Higher Education sector. Issues such as freedom of speech, ethics and corruption, the future of work and university productivity were on the agenda at the most recent conference.
The conference allows the UCC members to hear from various experts on contemporary issues in the Higher Education sector that affect governance such as government policies, current issues such as freedom of speech and ethics and the future of universities and is open to all Council / Senate / Board members of member universities as well as senior staff, governance staff and any other interested staff at the universities. The program is designed to be interactive with experts and discussion panels giving an overview and then Q&A sessions and small group discussions to allow time to explore the issue in more depth.
The next conference will be held in Melbourne from 22 - 24 October 2024. Visit the conference website for further information and registration details.
Information about previous conferences and access to some of the speakers’ presentations is available through the Archives.
Australian Institute of Company Directors ‘Governance in the University Sector’ Course
The University Chancellors Council and the Australian Institute of Company Directors have worked together over the last few years to design and run a tailored training course for all Council / Senate / Board members, members of official university committees, senior staff and all staff with governance responsibilities.
The University Governance Course is a comprehensive 3-day course based on the excellent Company Directors course but with a particular focus on issues in the higher education sector. It runs 4 times per year in different capital cities to allow easy access for most university members. This is an important program for ensuring that the governing bodies and the staff of our universities have the skills needed to ensure good governance practices and to meet the existing and future challenges facing our universities.
The courses in 2024 will be held as follows:
Perth: 21 – 23 February
Melbourne: 6 - 8 March
Sydney: 13 – 15 March
Brisbane: 20 - 22 March
For further information on the course, please contact John Semba at AICD: jsemba@aicd.com.au or 08 8236 2800
The Role of the Chancellor
A Chancellor is the formal head of a university, chairing the institution’s governing body, presiding at ceremonial occasions such as graduations and representing and advocating for the university’s interests in the wider community. Deputy Chancellors are also appointed to provide support for the Chancellor role and to fill in if the Chancellor is unavailable. Universities may have one or two Deputy Chancellors.
Further details on the role of the Chancellor is available on the University Governance in Australia page.
University Governance in Australia
Public Universities in Australia are governed by Acts of Parliament through the State Legislature in the State or Territory in which they are established. A Council, Senate or Board is established under this legislation to provide oversight and guidance of the university’s strategic direction and the various legal accountabilities in a similar way to the Board of Directors of a listed company. It is also responsible for appointing the Vice-Chancellor and monitoring his/her performance. The Chancellor’s responsibilities are similar to those of the Chairman of the Board and the Vice-Chancellor’s responsibilities are similar to those of a CEO or Managing Director of a company.
The Council, Senate or Board is made up of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, some senior staff, a number of external members some of whom may be appointed by the Governor or the Government of the day, and staff, student and alumni representatives. The size of the Council varies between 10 and 18 members with the average size being around 14 members.
The earliest University to be established in Australia was the University of Sydney in 1850 and the youngest member of the UCC is the University of the Sunshine Coast established in 1996.