University Council Elections Information

Election Process

The University Council election process is governed by the requirements of the Southern Cross University By-law 2005.

Elections for academic staff, non-academic staff (professional), and student positions on the University Council are conducted by Governance Services every two years. The University Council Secretary is the Returning Officer.

The election process is set out in Section 6 of the Council Membership Rule.

The University has appointed an external online voting and election service provider (BigPulse) to conduct the nomination process and subsequent election. As part of this process, an email will be sent to eligible University staff and students inviting them to nominate as a candidate.

FAQs - Council Staff Member Elections
FAQs - Council Student Member Elections

University Council

The Council is the University's governing authority and is responsible for overseeing the University's affairs. The role of a Council member is similar to that of a company director.

Further information about the University Council and how the University is governed can be found here:  University Council.

Council members possess a range of expertise in higher education, governance, legal or regulatory, financial management, investment, property, risk management, strategic planning, and enterprise transformation.

All Council member roles are voluntary and are not remunerated. However, the University meets reasonable costs associated with Council duties.

Term of Office

The term of office for elected staff and student members of Council is two years, commencing on 10 September 2024 and concluding on 9 September 2026.

Commitment

The time commitment for a Council member is estimated at a minimum of 40 hours per calendar year. There will be an additional time commitment should a Council member also be appointed to a subcommittee of Council.

Council meetings are conducted not less than five times each year, and meetings may be scheduled at any of the University's campus locations or via videoconference. A Council meeting usually runs for up to three hours. Meeting papers are circulated one week prior to meetings.

Council Member Obligations

Members of Council have specific legal obligations to the University when performing their functions. These duties are similar to the duties of a company director under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). A combined list of duties from the Southern Cross University Act and general law is follows:

(a)  Duty to carry out functions of a Council member bona fide (in good faith) in the best interests of the University as a whole and for a proper purpose;

(b)  Duty to act honestly and exercise a reasonable degree of care and diligence in carrying out their functions;

(c)  Duty not to act for an improper purpose;

(d)  Duty not to make improper use of the position on Council to gain, directly or indirectly, an advantage for the Council member or another person or to cause detriment to the University;

(e)  Duty not to make improper use of information acquired because of the Council position to gain, directly or indirectly, an advantage for the Council member or another person or to cause detriment to the University;

(f)   Duty to retain discretion, which means not taking on an obligation to another party that will mean having to exercise duties and functions as a Council member in a particular way;

(g)  Duty to avoid conflicts of interest; and

(h)  Duty to declare a conflict of interest as soon as possible when a matter arises at a meeting of Council or that is to be considered by Council for which the Council member has a real or apparent conflict.

Council members are "officers" of the University and should also know their obligations under the University's Code of Conduct.

Council members are subject to standard probity checks.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

Elected members do not "represent" the constituencies from which they are drawn in the way that a Member of Parliament represents their constituents. Instead, they are expected to bring a student or staff perspective to the Council. All members of Council, whether appointed or elected, are required by law to act at all times as trustees of the University and in the interests of the University as a whole rather than any particular group.

Council Members may, at times, face potential conflicts of interest. Independent Council Members (i.e. those who are not enrolled as a student of the University or employed by the University) are explicitly recruited to bring independence to a Council (this is why they are required to be in a majority). Internal Council Members (i.e. members of staff and students) are not in such a position and the resulting potential conflicts of interest may need careful management. Such conflicts might include:

  • Being a member of staff (or to sharpen the potential conflict further, a senior manager) of a work unit whose resources are being considered by the governing body;
  • Being a student member when sensitive issues concerning the student union are being discussed;
  • Being a member of a committee whose recommendations are being considered by the Council;
  • Being the representative of a trade union or external body, which has a particular view about an issue being considered by the Council.

Such potential conflicts of interest can be multiple. For example, work unit manager, trade union representative, academic committee member, and elected Council Member could all be the same person.

Council members must declare a conflict of interest as soon as possible when a matter arises at a meeting of Council, or that is to be considered by Council for which the Council member has a real or apparent conflict.

Confidentiality of Proceedings

Staff and Student Council members are required to adhere to Council confidentiality obligations. As such, they must not report Council matters to staff or students, and no Council member may divulge Council information beyond the content of the Council Report issued to all Southern Cross University staff.

Eligibility for Nomination

To be eligible for nomination, a candidate must be listed on the relevant University staff or student roll at the close of the nomination period. Please refer to the Council Membership Rule for information about the staff or the student roll.

The nomination period commences at 9:00 am, Thursday, 11 July 2024 and concludes at 4:00 pm, Thursday, 25 July 2024.

Nominations must be supported by two people listed on the same staff or student roll as the candidate. For example:

  • Two current students must support candidates who nominate for the elected student position.
  • Two current academic staff members must support candidates who nominate for the elected academic staff position.
  • Two current non-academic (professional) staff members must support candidates who nominate for the elected non-academic staff position.

A candidate cannot support their own nomination.

Candidate Statement

Candidates may provide a supporting statement of not more than 150 words outlining why they are nominating and what they can bring to the role. The statement must not include any offensive, defamatory or inappropriate content that would breach the University Code of Conduct.

It may include, for example, the following particulars:

  • full name;
  • work unit (for staff) or course of study (for students);
  • qualifications and experience; and
  • positions or offices held at any time with public bodies, clubs and institutions (including University clubs and societies) with dates of tenure.

Providing a photo to support your nomination is not compulsory, although most nominees include them.

If your candidate statement (or photo) contains any inappropriate content or your statement is longer than 150 words, the Returning Officer reserves the right to request that it be edited.

Election

If more than one nomination for a position is received, an election will be conducted in accordance with the Council Membership Rule.

The election will open for voting at 9.00 am, Monday, 5 August 2024, and close at 4.00 pm, Monday, 19 August 2024. 

An email will be sent to eligible University staff and students inviting them to vote for their preferred candidate.

Voting is not compulsory.

Mark Dixon
University Council Secretary (Returning Officer)