AGY-3550 | Interim Higher Degrees Committee (1990-1991) / Higher Degrees Committee (1991-1996) [Charles Sturt University]

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The inaugural meeting of the Interim Higher Degrees Committee of Charles Sturt University (CSU), later to be the Higher Degrees Committee, was convened on 13 March 1990. (1) The establishment of the Committee was approved in principal by the Board of Governors resolution BG 89/23. (2) The Interim Higher Degrees Committee was the principal advisory body of the Interim Academic Senate (later the Academic Senate) on all academic policies within the University relating to higher degree courses. (3) The change in name from Interim Higher Degrees Committee to Higher Degrees Committee in May 1991 did not denote a change in function for the Committee. Rather, it was a reflection of the change in function for the Committee’s superior agency, the Academic Senate. That is, whilst the Interim Academic Senate was operating the Interim Higher Degrees Committee was also in place. Therefore, once the substantive Academic Senate had been convened, the word ‘Interim’ was dropped from the title of the Higher Degrees Committee. The membership of the CSU Higher Degrees Committee included:
- the Vice-Chancellor, as the Presiding Officer of the Academic Senate;
- the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic;
- the Deputy Presiding Officer of the Academic Senate;
- the Presiding Member of the Research Management Committee;
- three persons nominated by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of New South Wales;
- the Presiding Members of the Faculty Boards of the University; and
- three nominees of the Academic Senate. (4)
The terms of reference approved for the Higher Degrees Committee were:
- to be the principal advisory body to the Academic Senate on all academic policies within the University relating to higher degree courses;
- to make recommendations to the Academic Senate on all higher degree course proposals emanating from the Faculties;
- to make recommendations to the Academic Senate on all matters of policy pertaining to higher degrees;
- to consider for approval, after advice from the appropriate Faculty Boards, the applications for registration as a candidate for a higher degree after recommendations by the relevant School Board. Applicants may be required to undertake such specified work and/or sit for such exams as the Higher Degrees Committee may determine;
- to consider for approval, thesis topics after recommendation by the relevant School Board;
- to review annually the progress of each higher degree candidate and as a result of such review, make a determination of progression, or specify additional work or examinations, or the extension or termination of candidature;
- to appoint external and/or internal supervisors and examiners after recommendations by the relevant Faculty Board;
- to receive examiners reports and the accompanying recommendations of the relevant Faculty Board and make recommendations to the Academic Senate for the awarding or otherwise of the higher degree; and
- to submit the minutes of its proceedings to the Academic Senate. (5)
The final meeting of the CSU Higher Degrees Committee was held on 3 April 1996. (6) After this date the Higher Degrees Committee was replaced by the CSU Board of Graduate Studies. Endnotes:
(1) Minutes of the inaugural meeting of the CSU Interim Higher Degrees Committee, Meeting 1/90, 13 March 1990, p.1.
(2) Agenda papers for the meeting of the CSU Board of Governors, Meeting 3/89, 4 October 1989.
(3) CSU Undergraduate Handbook 1992, p.9.
(4) Agenda papers for the meeting of the CSU Board of Governors, Meeting 1/91, 6 March 1991, p. 214.
(5) Ibid., p. 214-215.
(6) Minutes of the meeting of the CSU Higher Degrees Committee, Meeting 3/96, 3 April 1996, p.1.