AGY-2939 | University of Western Sydney (1989-2015) / Western Sydney University (2015- )

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The University of Western Sydney (UWS) began operation on 1 January 1989, under the terms of the University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (No. 90, 1988). (1) The Act created a federated network university, based on two existing Colleges of Advanced Education - Hawkesbury Agricultural College and Nepean College of Advanced Education. (2)

Following incorporation into the University, the foundation network members were known as the 'University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury' (UWS Hawkesbury) and the 'University of Western Sydney, Nepean (UWS Nepean).

The functions of the University were: the provision of education facilities at university standard, having particular regard for the needs and aspirations of residents of the western districts of Sydney; the dissemination and increase of knowledge, the undertaking and promotion of research and scholarship and contribution to the intellectual life of Western Sydney; the development of consultancy and entrepreneurial activities, including research and development initiatives, which will contribute to the development of Western Sydney; the conferring of diplomas and the degrees of Bachelor, Master and Doctor and the issuing of such certificates as the by-laws may prescribe; and other functions as are conferred or imposed on it by or under this or any other Act. (3)

The University establishment included a Board of Governors, Convocation, academic staff (and other members of staff prescribed by the by-laws), graduates and students.

The Board of Governors was the governing authority of the University and included elected parliamentary, student, and staff representatives, ex officio academic members and other members appointed by the Minister. The functions of the Board included: co-ordinating the use, and monitoring of, the University's resources; distribution of income among network members; development of broad policies relating to academic planning and the nature and standards of academic awards and generally defining the educational profile of the University; defining the areas and responsibilities of Members of the University network with respect to teaching, research and consultancy; provision of courses which will enable students to transfer to other universities with a high level of credit for work already completed; establishment of administrative and teaching facilities at Werrington; liaising with government and to represent the University. (4)

The Board of Governors appointed the Vice-Chancellor who was the chief executive officer of the University. Initially the principals of the Hawkesbury and Nepean Colleges held the position of chief executive officers for their respective institutions, but subsequent holders of the position would be appointed by the Board of Governors. (5)

The University Act was amended by the University of Western Sydney (Amendment) Act, 1989 to allow the Macarthur Institute of Higher Education to become the third University member on 1 November 1989. (6) The new campus was known as the 'University of Western Sydney, Macarthur' (UWS Macarthur).

The new Act also amended Section 7 of the University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 by expanding reference to the University's functions to encompass south-western, as well as western Sydney. (7) The Constitution of the Board of Governors was amended to allow for the election of an additional academic staff member and an elected non-academic staff member. The Board's general powers and power to delegate its functions were also extended.

Also from 1 November 1989, Part 2 of Schedule 3 of the Act commenced. Under the Schedule, Nepean and Hawkesbury Colleges were dissolved and all real and personal property were divested from the Colleges to the University. (8)

In 1995 a review of the structure of UWS was undertaken. The Committee to Review the Structure of the University of Western Sydney was chaired by the Hon Andrew Rogers, the Chancellor of Southern Cross University and a former New South Wales Supreme Court Judge. The Report recommended a new federated University system comprising four-co-operative and interrelated elements: Office of the Vice-Chancellor, UWS Hawkesbury, UWS Macarthur, UWS Nepean. (9) By 1995, the University was a federated network consisting of three University members, each with two campuses, covering the whole of Greater Western Sydney. (10) Hawkesbury consisted of campuses at Richmond and Blacktown, Macarthur had campuses at Campbelltown and Bankstown, and Nepean consisted of campus precincts at Penrith and Parramatta.

This federated system ensured the University was represented at a national and international level as a single institution with common objectives and values, while giving each of its members the autonomy needed to react quickly and flexibly to the demands and needs of its local communities. The principal advantage of the federated network structure was the opportunity to build on the individual strengths of each member university, and through the University as a whole to define and achieve objectives that the individual members might have found unattainable. Member Councils were established and each member was largely autonomous and responsible for: the development and conduct of courses; the admission of students; the initiation and supervision of research programs; staffing; the development of consultancy and entrepreneurial activities; and the development and maintenance of campus facilities and properties. (11)

The University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 was repealed by the University of Western Sydney Act, 1997 (Act No. 116, 1997). (12) The University established by the new Act was a continuation of the University of Western Sydney established under the 1988 Act. The principal changes under the 1997 Act were the replacement of the Board of Governors with a Board of Trustees, the Chancellor need not be a member of the Board, and provision for the establishment of Councils by University Members (formerly known as members of the University network). These Councils were responsible for the internal governance of the University Members. The Chair of each Council was an official member of the Board of Trustees and a Deputy Chancellor. The position of chief executive officer at each of the University Members was replaced by a principal executive officer. (13)

The University consisted of the Board of Trustees, the Councils of the University Members, the staff of the University, and the graduates and students. From 1 January 1998, the Board of Trustees consisted of parliamentary members, the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the Chair of each Council, the Chair of the Academic Senate, members appointed by the Minister, and elected members. (14)

Following consultation across the University, the Vice Chancellor put proposals before the UWS Board of Trustees at the end of 1999 for a major restructure of the University. The federated structure of the University was replaced from 1 January 2001 by a unitary structure under the University of Western Sydney Amendment Act 2000. (15) The Act amended the University of Western Sydney Act 1997 by abolishing the University Members and their Councils. (16) Those in the positions of Council Chairs and principal executive officers ceased to hold the positions once the Act was enabled. The Act also reduced the number of Deputy Chancellors from three to two, and increased the number of Board members of the University who could be appointed by the Board from one to two.

The former University Members - Hawkesbury, Nepean, and Macarthur - were now campuses of a single unitary University. In 2002, the single multi-campus University of Western Sydney had six campuses: Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Parramatta, and Penrith. (17)

The university announced that from 30 August 2015 its name was changing to Western Sydney University. (18) The name of the university was changed in its legislation on 8 July 2016 when its act was also renamed as the Western Sydney University Act 1997. (19)

On the 8 August 2018, Board of Trustees of the Western Sydney University passed a governing body resolution to displace the replaceable provisions of the Western Sydney University Act 1997 and adopt instead the standard governing body provisions as set out in the Universities Governing Bodies Act 2011. (20)

In 2022, the University had thirteen campuses, thirteen schools divided into three divisions: Health and Medicine; Science, Technology and Mathematics; and Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. (21)

Endnotes
1. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (No. 90, 1988) was assented to 15 December 1988.
2. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (No. 90, 1988), Part 2, Section 6 provided for the establishment of other network members.
3. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988, (No. 90, 1988), Section 7.
4. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988, (No. 90, 1988), Clause 10.
5. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988, (No. 90, 1988), Part 3, Clause 16.
6. Assented to 30 August 1989, NSW Government Gazette, 1989, vol 4, Part 1, p8052.
7. University of Western Sydney (Amendment) Act, 1989 (Act No. 128, 1989), Schedule 1.
8. NSW Government Gazette, 27 October 1989, p.8853.
9. University of Western Sydney Tabularium control system. At UWS it was organization no. 5.
10. Annual Report of the University of Western Sydney for 1995, p7.
11. University of Western Sydney Tabularium control system. At UWS it was organization no. 5.
12. University of Western Sydney Act, 1997 (Act No. 116, 1997), Part 5, Clause 42. Assented to on 9 December 1997, NSW Government Gazette, 12 December 1997, No. 146, p9924.
13. University of Western Sydney Act, 1997 (Act No. 116, 1997), Part 3 Governance of the University, 1997 Act.
14. loc. cit.
15. University of Western Sydney Amendment Act 2000 (Act No. 101, 2000) was assented to on 13 December 2000, NSW Government Gazette, No. 164, p13458.
16. University of Western Sydney Amendment Act 2000 (Act No. 101, 2000), Schedule 1.
17. University of Western Sydney Tabularium control system. At UWS it was organization no. 5.
18. 'University of Western Sydney changes name to put Western Sydney first', Western Sydney University website https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/story_archive/2015/university_of_western_sydney_changes_name_to_put_western_sydney_first (accessed 8 December 2021).
19. Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2016 (Act No.27, 2016), Schedule 1.32 amending long title, sections 1, 3 and 6 of the University of Western Sydney Act, 1997 (Act No. 116, 1997), commencement s.2 (1) on 8 July 2016.
20. Universities Governing Bodies (Western Sydney University) Order 2019 (No. 62, 2019), Sch.2.
21. Western Sydney University, Annual Report 2021, p.17.