AGY-3890 | University of New England

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The University of New England (UNE) was established by the University of New England Act, 1953 (Act No. 34, 1953). The Act commenced on 1 February 1954 (1)

The University, which consisted of a Council, and Convocation, graduate and undergraduate members, was a body corporate with a common seal. (2) The purpose of the University was to provide university education for 'persons who elect to avail themselves of those facilities and are eligible to do so', and to award degrees and diplomas. (3) The initial faculties were Arts, Science, Animal Husbandry and Agricultural Economics. (4)

The first Council of the UNE comprised the serving members of the Advisory Council of the New England University College and two ex-officio members - the Director-General of Education of New South Wales and the Principal of Armidale Teachers' College. This Council held office until the constitution of the permanent Council of the University on 1 November 1954. (5)

The second and subsequent Councils consisted of 24 appointed or elected members. In addition to the six councillors appointed by the Governor, the Council included representatives of the teaching staff, the Convocation and the undergraduates. The Vice Chancellor, the Director-General of Education and the Principal of Armidale Teachers' College were ex-officio members. (6) The Governor's appointments were announced in the NSW Government Gazette of 29 October 1954, to take effect from 1 November 1954. (7) The Chancellor was elected at the first meeting of the Council (8) and was the President of the Council and the Standing Committee. (9) A deputy Chancellor was elected annually (10) and presided over meetings of the Council in the absence of the Chancellor. (11)

The role of the Council was the appointment of staff, 'the entire control and management of the affairs of the University' and to 'act ... in all matters concerning the University in such manner as it appears to it best calculated to promote the interests of the University'. (12) The Council was responsible for all real and personal property of the University although there were some restrictions on its power to alienate or authorise the long-term lease of real estate. (13) A major activity of the Council was the making of by-laws in all areas of its responsibility. (14) The Vice Chancellor was the Chief Executive Officer of the University. The first Vice-Chancellor was the serving Warden of New England University College who continued in the office for five years. Subsequent Vice-Chancellors were elected by the Council, although not necessarily from its membership. (15)

Early in its history the University gained the right to expand its role by providing teaching in the faculty of Arts (and potentially other faculties) at Newcastle in conjunction with the New South Wales University of Technology (later re-named the University of New South Wales). (16) This role ceased with the establishment of the University of Newcastle. Students at Teachers' College, school teachers and other public servants were permitted to enrol free of charge in degree courses either by attendance at the University or through its External Studies service. (17)

The University began taking external students for degree and diploma courses in March 1955. (18) This was to become a major emphasis of the University, and eventually led to the enrolment of students throughout Australia and in over 50 other countries. A faculty of Education was established at the University in 1967. (19)

In December 1976 the Council received advice that the Universities Commission and the Commission on Advanced Education had drawn attention to the need to rationalise tertiary education institutions in Armidale. (20)

On 17 July 1989 the Armidale College of Advanced Education (formerly the Armidale Teachers' College) and Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education merged with the University under the Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act 1989. (21) The University of New England - Northern Rivers was established through this merger. (22)

The Orange Agricultural College became a college of UNE on 1 January 1990. (23)

A school of Law was established in 1992 and the name of the Faculty of Economic Studies was changed to the faculty of Economics, Business and Law to reflect this addition. (24) Teaching in law commenced in 1993. The four faculties of the university were then Arts; Sciences; Economics Business and Law; and Education, Nursing and Professional Studies.

With the passage of the University of New England Act, 1993 the University returned to a single campus institution. The Northern Rivers campus became part of the Southern Cross University, and the Orange Campus amalgamated with the University of Sydney. The University was governed by a Council of up to 19 members. The Act was proclaimed to commence on 1 January 1994. (25)

In 2006, the UNE academic organisation consisted of seven research centres, four faculties including: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Economics, Business and Law; Education, Health and Professional Studies; and The Sciences. (26)

In 2010, the UNE Council consisted of nine sub-committees. UNE held two faculties: The Professions and Arts and Sciences. (27)

27 November 2015 the Council of UNE passed a governing body resolution to meet new standard governing body provisions as set out in the Universities Governing Bodies Act 2011. (28)

In 2021, UNE academic organisation consisted of nine schools, ten research centres and institutes, six residential colleges and one independent college and held three faculties: Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education; Medicine and Health; Science, Agriculture, Business and Law. (29)

Endnote
1. NSW Government Gazette 22 January, 1954 p. 151.
2. University of New England Act, 1953, s. 4-5.
3. Ibid. s. 6.
4. Ibid. s. 7.
5. NSW Government Gazette 29 October 1954.
6. University of New England Act, 1953. s.10.
7. NSW Government Gazette 29 October 1954.
8. Ibid. s. 16.
9. Ibid. s. 13.
10. Ibid. s. 17.
11. Ibid. s. 13.
12. Ibid. s. 22.
13. Ibid. s. 24.
14. Ibid. s. 25.
15. Ibid. s. 18.
16. Ibid. s. 32.
17. Ibid. s. 33.
18. Report of the University of New England for 1992 p. 7.
19. Report of the University of the Council of the University of New England for 1969, p. 5 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1969-70-71, Vol 3 p. 847.
20. Report of the University of New England for 1976 p. 3. In NSW Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78 vol. 5 p. 1461 21. The University of New England Annual Report, 1998 p. 6.
22. Report of the University of New England for 1992 p. 7.
23. Op. Cit.
24. Op. Cit. p. 23.
25. NSW Government Gazette 17 December 1993 p. 7282.
26. University of New England, Annual Report 2006, p.3.
27. University of New England, Annual Report 2010, p.5.
28. Universities Governing Bodies (University of New England) Order 2016 (No. 445, 2016), NSW Legalisation website, 15 July 2016.
29. University of New England, Annual Report 2021, p.7.