ACADEMIC
GOVERNANCE

Whitehouse Institute of Design, Australia has two principal governance bodies, the Board of Governors, and the Academic Board. The Board of Governors and the Academic Board normally meet three to four times a year, and if required Out of Session in extraordinary circumstances.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Board of Governors is an officially constituted body which is governed by a Charter that outlines its roles, responsibilities, membership, and terms of reference. The Board of Governors has oversight of the operational, managerial, and academic functions of the Institute.

The academic functions are delegated to the Academic Board, which is chaired by an independent, external academic. The Chair of the Academic Board is also a member of the Board of Governors, thereby ensuring that academic matters are reported to the Board of Governors at its meetings.

External Chair

Mr Les Taylor AM

Members

Ms Charlie Brown, External

Ms Anine Leakey, External

Chair of Academic Board, Mr Martin Orrock, External

Founder and Executive Director Ms Leanne Whitehouse, Internal

Executive Director Mr Daniel Clements, Internal

ACADEMIC BOARD

The Academic Board is a collegiate body. Its membership is comprised both of independent, and internal Whitehouse senior executive staff. The Chair(s) of the campus-based Student Representative Councils(s) as well as senior Whitehouse staff may be invited to attend and present to the Academic Board, from time-to-time.

The Academic Board ratifies all policies and procedures dealing with academic matters, approves course curriculum and design, monitors academic scholarship and engagement, and approves any proposed changes to accredited courses.

The Academic Board also reviews student, graduate and staff satisfaction surveys and has the authority to act on a variety of academic matters including academic misconduct and grievances.

The Academic Board (via its Chair) reports to the Board of Governors on matters relating to, and affecting, the quality of educational programs offered by Whitehouse whether in Higher or Vocational Education, including any new or emerging issues that may arise. View the Academic Board Terms of Reference by following the below link.

Appointed Members

Martin Orrick, Chair (Independent)

Sally Gibbs, (Independent)

Akira Isogawa, Fashion Designer

Dr Branko Kulevski, Academic Staff (Internal)

Student Representation

Sydney Representative, Internal

Melbourne Representative, Internal

Ex Officio Members

Founder and Executive Director, Ms Leanne Whitehouse, Internal

Co-Executive Director, Mr Daniel Clements, Internal

ACADEMIC BOARD - TERMS OF REFERENCE

Overview

The Academic Board is an independent and collegiate body composed of academic experts, (internal to Whitehouse and independent of Whitehouse), as well as staff and student representatives, established under the authority of the Board of Governors. It is empowered to report directly to the Board on all matters relating to, and affecting, the quality of educational programs offered by Whitehouse whether in Higher or Vocational Education, including any new or emerging issues that may arise.

The primary role of the Academic Board is to ensure that the way Whitehouse conducts its educational activities, together with the courses it delivers and the outcomes it achieves are of high and comparable standards to equivalent qualifications of other Higher Education or Vocational providers. A complementary role of the Academic Board is to monitor the development and delivery of the Institute’s courses and their outcomes so that graduates:

  • Possess the requisite graduate attributes, knowledge and skills for employment in their respective professional fields;
  • Are prepared for further and lifelong learning; and
  • Can, through their engagement in their practices, contribute to an equitable and civilised society as socially responsible citizens.

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference of the Academic Board relating to quality of teaching and learning are to:

  • Determine the processes for the development of new courses and the revision of existing courses, particularly to ensure currency and relevancy.
  • Approve new course/s developments and authorise changes to existing courses.
  • Set and monitor academic standards in terms of the quality of teaching, level of qualifications, educational pathways, admissions, and assessment processes.
  • Monitor the graduate outcomes and quality of the learning environment experienced by students to ensure that it is appropriate for the level and nature of the awards offered by Whitehouse.
  • Approve assessment results leading to Whitehouse qualifications, consider any unresolved student appeals, and recommend to the Board of Governors the conferring of awards.
  • Establish Standing Committees, with delegated functions, for Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Quality, and to set up any other Committees or Task Groups as deemed necessary to assist it in its deliberations.

The Terms of Reference of the Academic Board relating to academic activities and governance are to:

  • Undertake forward planning in relation to the academic profile and provide advice regarding any staffing implications, including supervision capacity, qualifications, knowledge and expertise.
  • Recommend and approve the introduction of or amendment to academic policies.
  • Regularly review the academic policies and procedures of the Whitehouse Institute, including their deployment in practice.
  • Ensure that there are adequate quality assurance systems in place for each academic program.
  • Approve articulation agreements.
  • Approve academic Memorandums of Understanding with other Institutions.

Major Responsibilities

In fulfilling these Terms of Reference, the Academic Board has the following specific responsibilities to:

  • Review any applications for registration (or re-registration) as it relates to the functions of the Academic Board and accreditation (or reaccreditation) that are to be externally assessed by the relevant approval body (TEQSA, ASQA or equivalent bodies).
  • Review performance indicators including attendance patterns, assessment moderation procedures, examination results, student satisfaction and graduate destination surveys.
  • Encourage the development and maintenance of high standards of teaching and scholarship.
  • Establish mechanisms for the formal and regular review of the academic activities of each campus.
  • Provide advice on the academic aspects of Whitehouse’s Strategic Plan.
  • Monitor policies and practices relating to students enrolled in Whitehouse courses and recommend corrective action as necessary.
  • Receive reports from and review the activities and decisions of all Standing Committees established under its delegated authority.
  • Encourage participation of Whitehouse alumni in ongoing education and related activities of Whitehouse.
  • Approve benchmarking activities to ensure best practice in teaching and learning delivery and student outcomes and graduate capabilities.

Meeting Schedule

The Academic Board will meet not less than three meetings as per the meetings schedule.