Preamble

The University of Melbourne was created by the Parliament of the fledgling Colony of Victoria as one of several demonstrations of pride, confidence and aspiration for its future.

The preamble to the University Act, 16 Victoria, Act No. 34 declared "...it is expedient to promote sound learning in the Colony of Victoria and with that intent to establish incorporate and endow an University at Melbourne open to all classes and denominations of Her Majesty’s subjects...". The University came into being on 11 April 1853.

The Act set in motion the appointment of a Council to manage its staff, affairs and property and enabled the matriculation of students to study for admission to degrees in Arts, Medicine, Law and Music, and the affiliation of colleges and licensing of other establishments as student residences.

The University was endowed with an annual grant from the Treasury.

The administration of any religious test in connection with the obtaining of any "advantage or privilege" of the University was expressly debarred. The University's degree granting powers were subsequently extended to encompass all disciplines, except divinity.

On 14March 1859 Queen Victoria granted Letters Patent that the University's degrees in the fields of Arts, Medicine, Law and Music "shall be recognised as Academic distinctions and rewards of Merit and be entitled to rank precedence and consideration in Our United Kingdom and in Our Colonies and possessions and throughout the world as fully as if the said degrees had been granted by any University of Our said United Kingdom".

In 1881 The University of Melbourne was the first university in Australia and one of the first in the world to admit women. The first woman to graduate from the University did so in December 1883.

Subsequently the University and its colleges were enriched by the gifts of many civic-minded Victorians, it forged enduring links with the city's growing cultural and professional institutions. The first anatomy lessons in the southern hemisphere were one of many significant contributions it made to education in the broader region.

In the post Second World War period, it became a much larger institution drawing not only more broadly from across the Victorian population but from across Australia and with a significant proportion of international students.

It mentored the undergraduate school of the Australian National University.

The University granted the first Australian Doctorates of Philosophy in 1948.

Graduates and former students of the University have contributed to inquiry, knowledge, understanding and achievement in many fields and have thereby enriched Victoria, Australia and the world.

The University of Melbourne is a public-spirited institution with a mission that encompasses learning and teaching, research and knowledge transfer, all of which exist for public benefit.

To enable The University of Melbourne to continue and expand its mission, it is expedient to re-enact the law relating to The University of Melbourne in a more modern form.

The Parliament of Victoria therefore enacts:

1Purposes

The main purposes of this Act are—

(a)

to re-enact with amendments the law relating to The University of Melbourne by rationalising obsolete and disparate legislation; and

(b)

to provide for a new Act reflecting best practice and a consistent approach to governance and reporting for universities in Victoria.

2Commencement

(1)

Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed.

(2)

If a provision of this Act does not come into operation before 1 January 2011, it comes into operation on that day.

3Definitions

In this Act—

affiliated college means—

(a)

Trinity College, Ormond College, Queen's College, Newman College, University College, St Hilda's College, Whitley College, Janet Clarke Hall or St Mary's College; and

(b)

in the case of any other residential college affiliated to or connected with the University under the university statutes, that college;

S. 3 def. of appointed member repealed by No. 73/2012 s. 52(1).

* * * * *

Chancellor means the person appointed to the office of Chancellor of the University under section 24;

college means—

(a)

an affiliated college; or

(b)

a college established in accordance with the university statutes;

Council means the Council established under section 8;

Council appointed member means a member of the Council appointed under section 13;

S. 3 def. of elected member repealed by No. 73/2012 s. 52(1), new def. of elected member inserted by No. 69/2015 s. 107.

elected member means a member of the Council referred to in section 11(4A);

S. 3 def. of government appointed member inserted by No. 73/2012 s. 52(2).

government appointed member means a member of the Council appointed under section 12(1) or (2);

graduate means a person upon whom has been conferred or granted, or who has been admitted without examination to, any degree or other award under any Act relating to the University for the time being in force and whether before or after the passing of this Act;

guidelines means the guidelines approved by the Minister under section 55 and includes any interim guidelines made under section 55(2);

limited company, in Division 5 of Part 6, means a limited company within the meaning of the Corporations Act;

official member means a member of the Council referred to in section 11(2);

staff means any person employed by the University;

student means—

(a)

a person enrolled at the University in a course leading to a degree or other award; or

(b)

a person who is designated as a student or is of a class of persons designated as students by the Council;

University means The University of Melbourne referred to in section 4;

university commercial activity means any commercial activity engaged in by, or on behalf of, the University and—

(a)

includes any activity declared under section 52 to be a university commercial activity;

(b)

does not include any commercial activity declared under section 52 not to be a university commercial activity;

university regulations means the regulations of the University made under Part 5;

university statutes means the statutes of the University made under Part 5;

Vice-Chancellor means the person appointed to the office of Vice-Chancellor and President under section 26 and includes—

(a)

an interim Vice-Chancellor appointed under section 26(3); or

(b)

an acting Vice-Chancellor;

Visitor means the Visitor under section 22 and includes an acting Visitor.

4The University of Melbourne

(1)

The University of Melbourne is declared to have been established on 11 April 1853 at Melbourne.

(2)

The University established in accordance with subsection (1) and as constituted under the Melbourne University Act 1958 as in force immediately before its repeal—

(a)

continues in existence under this Act; and

(b)

is a body politic and corporate by the name "The University of Melbourne".

(3)

The University consists of—

(a)

the Council; and

(b)

the staff, other than staff of any class that is designated from time to time by the Council not to be staff for the purposes of this section; and

(c)

the graduates; and

(d)

the students; and

(e)

members of the staff or classes of staff of the affiliated colleges or other bodies, that are designated from time to time by the Council; and

(f)

the emeritus professors of the University.

5Objects of the University

The objects of the University include—

(a)

to provide and maintain a teaching and learning environment of excellent quality offering higher education at an international standard;

(b)

to provide vocational education and training, further education and other forms of education determined by the University to support and complement the provision of higher education by the University;

(c)

to undertake scholarship, pure and applied research, invention, innovation, education and consultancy of international standing and to apply those matters to the advancement of knowledge and to the benefit of the well-being of the Victorian, Australian and international communities;

(d)

to equip graduates of the University to excel in their chosen careers and to contribute to the life of the community;

(e)

to serve the Victorian, Australian and international communities and the public interest by—

(i)

enriching cultural and community life;

(ii)

elevating public awareness of educational, scientific and artistic developments;

(iii)

promoting critical and free enquiry, informed intellectual discourse and public debate within the University and in the wider society;

(f)

to use its expertise and resources to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia in its teaching, learning, research and advancement of knowledge activities and thereby contribute to—

(i)

realising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aspirations; and

(ii)

the safeguarding of the ancient and rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage;

(g)

to provide programs and services in a way that reflects principles of equity and social justice;

(h)

to confer degrees and grant other awards;

(i)

to utilise or exploit its expertise and resources, whether commercially or otherwise.

6General powers and functions of University

(1)

The University—

(a)

is a body politic and corporate with perpetual succession; and

(b)

may sue and be sued in its corporate name; and

(c)

subject to this Act, may acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property.

(2)

The University may do and suffer all acts and things that a body corporate may by law do and suffer.

(3)

Without limiting subsection (1) or (2), the University—

(a)

may enter into contracts;

(b)

may fix fees and charges;

(c)

may employ persons in academic, teaching or other positions in the University on any terms and conditions that it determines and may terminate the employment of any member of staff employed by it;

(d)

subject to any guidelines, may be a member of a company, association, trust or partnership;

(e)

subject to any guidelines, may form or participate in the formation of a company, association, trust or partnership;

(f)

subject to any guidelines, may enter into a joint venture or joint undertaking with any other person or persons;

(g)

has any other powers and functions conferred on it by or under—

(i)

this Act or any other Act; or

(ii)

any university statute or university regulation;

(h)

may do anything else necessary or convenient to be done for or in connection with its objects, powers and functions.

(4)

The University may exercise its powers and functions—

(a)

within and outside Victoria; and

(b)

outside Australia.

7Common seal

(1)

The University has a common seal.

(2)

The common seal of the University must be kept and used as directed by the Council or in any manner authorised by the university statutes or university regulations.

(3)

All courts, tribunals and other persons acting judicially—

(a)

must take judicial notice of the common seal of the University on a document; and

(b)

until the contrary is proved, must presume that it was duly affixed.

8The Council

(1)

There is established a Council.

(2)

The Council—

(a)

is the governing body of the University;

(b)

has the general direction and superintendence of the University;

(c)

subject to this Act, the university statutes and university regulations, may exercise all the powers, functions and duties of the University.

(3)

The primary responsibilities of the Council include—

(a)

appointing and monitoring the performance of the Vice-Chancellor as chief executive officer of the University;

(b)

approving the mission and strategic direction of the University and its annual budget and business plan;

(c)

overseeing and reviewing the management of the University and its performance;

(d)

establishing policy and procedural principles for the operation of the University consistent with legal requirements and community expectations;

(e)

approving and monitoring systems of control and accountability of the University, including those required to maintain a general overview of any entity over which the University has control within the meaning of section 3 of the Audit Act 1994;

(f)

overseeing and monitoring the assessment and management of risk across the University, including university commercial activities;

(g)

overseeing and monitoring the academic activities of the University;

(h)

approving any significant university commercial activities.

9Powers and functions of the Council

(1)

The Council has the following functions and powers—

(a)

to appoint the Chancellor, any Deputy Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor;

(b)

to establish policies relating to the governance of the University;

(c)

to oversee and review the management of the University and its performance;

(d)

to oversee the management and control of the property and business affairs of the University;

(e)

to oversee the management and control of the University's finances;

(f)

any other powers and functions conferred on it by or under—

(i)

this Act or any other Act; or

(ii)

any university statute or university regulation;

(g)

the power to do anything else necessary or convenient to be done for or in connection with its powers and functions.

(2)

Without limiting subsection (1), the Council—

(a)

may determine what persons or classes of persons constitute the academic staff of the University for the purposes of this Act;

(b)

may designate a diploma or certificate to be awarded to students as—

(i)

a postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate; or

(ii)

a graduate diploma or graduate certificate; or

(iii)

an undergraduate diploma or undergraduate certificate;

(c)

may designate persons or classes of persons as students;

(d)

may designate as members of the University persons or classes of persons who are members of the staffs of residential colleges affiliated to or connected with the University under section 21;

(e)

has, and is deemed always to have had, power to establish and conduct the repertory company known as The Melbourne Theatre Company.

10Power to confer degrees and grant other awards

(1)

Subject to the university statutes and university regulations, the Council has power, and is deemed always to have had power, to confer any degree or grant any other award in any discipline, except divinity.

(2)

The university statutes or university regulations may provide—

(a)

for the conferral, without examination, of any degree or the granting, without examination, of any other award referred to in subsection (1) on or to any person who has graduated from a university; and

(b)

for the conferral honoris causa of any degree or granting honoris causa of any other award referred to in subsection (1) on or to any person, whether or not he or she has graduated from a university.

(3)

If the university statutes so provide, the Council may revoke any degree conferred or other award granted by the University, whenever conferred or granted.

(4)

The power of the Council under subsection (3) is to be exercised in the circumstances and manner prescribed in the university statutes.

S. 11 substituted by No. 73/2012 s. 53.

11Council membership

S. 11(1) substituted by No. 69/2015 s. 108(1).

(1)

The Council consists of the fixed number of members being—

(a)

the official members; and

(b)

a fixed number of at least 4 government appointed members; and

(c)

a minimum of one or any other greater fixed number of Council appointed members; and

(d)

the elected members.

(2)

The official members of the Council are—

(a)

the Chancellor;

(b)

the Vice-Chancellor;

(c)

the president (however designated) of the academic board or its equivalent.

(3)

The government appointed members are—

(a)

a minimum of one or any other greater fixed number of persons appointed by the Governor in Council under section 12(1); and

(b)

a minimum of one or any other greater fixed number of persons appointed by the Minister under section 12(2).

(4)

The Council appointed members are the persons appointed by the Council under section 13.

S. 11(4A) inserted by No. 69/2015 s. 108(2).

(4A)

The elected members are—

(a)

one or more persons elected by and from the staff of the University in accordance with the university statutes and any university regulations; and

(b)

one or more persons elected by and from the students of the University in accordance with the university statutes and any university regulations.

(5)

The number of government appointed members must be equal to or greater than the number of Council appointed members.

S. 11(5A) inserted by No. 69/2015 s. 108(3).

(5A)

Of the members referred to in subsection (1)(b) and (c)—

(a)

at least 2 must be persons with financial expertise with relevant qualifications or experience in financial management; and

(b)

one must be a person with commercial expertise at a senior level.

(6)

In this section a reference to a fixed number of members is a reference to the number of members fixed by Order in Council under section 63.

Note to s. 11 amended by No. 69/2015 s. 108(4).

Note

Section 11A provides for the composition of the Council until an Order in Council is made under section 63.

S. 11A inserted by No. 69/2015 s. 109.

University of Melbourne Act 2009

About this Act

Bill & explanatory material

This Act’s bill