A/3.3 Principal and senior officers

[Print-friendly version]

3.3.1 Vice-Chancellor
3.3.2 Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Heads of Division
3.3.3 Registrar
3.3.4 Executive Director, Finance and Resource Planning
3.3.5 Department/independent section manager
3.3.6 Executive dean of faculty
3.3.7 Head of academic school
3.3.8 Head of discipline
3.3.9 Faculty research centre director
3.3.10 Institute director
Modification History

Council is assisted in its management and operation of the University by a Vice-Chancellor and other senior officers, as described in the following sections. Further information on the appointment and responsibilities of these officers is contained in the QUT Act and the Schedule of Authorities and Delegations (Appendix 3) .

Top

3.3.1 Vice-Chancellor

The Vice-Chancellor is the chief executive officer of QUT, responsible to Council to promote the interests and further the development of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor is responsible for providing leadership to the University and for the academic, administrative, financial and other business of QUT, and the welfare and discipline of staff and students.

The Vice-Chancellor is a member of every board or committee within the University.

The Vice-Chancellor may exercise such powers as are delegated by Council.

In addition to the broad responsibilities outlined above the Vice-Chancellor is responsible to Council for:

• representing the University in appropriate external forums including government, the higher education sector, and business and the professions
• coordinating planning within the University and preparing the University's strategic plan
• providing leadership to executive deans of faculty and heads of division in planning and review processes
• providing leadership to staff reporting directly to him or her.

Top

3.3.2 Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Heads of Division

Deputy vice-chancellors and heads of division are responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for:

• overseeing the development and implementation of strategic plans in the areas for which they are responsible
• working collaboratively with executive deans of faculty and other senior officers of the University to develop and implement policies in the areas for which they are responsible
• providing leadership to staff in areas of responsibility
• meeting regularly with directly reporting managers
• overall administration of the areas of responsibility including distribution of material resources among organisational units, optimisation of efficiency in pursuit of the University's goals, arbitration of matters which cross boundaries, and monitoring financial control exercised by directly reporting managers
• liaising with other deputy vice-chancellors, heads of division and executive deans of faculty to ensure unity of purpose and optimisation of the University's resources
• managing offices and functions as delegated by the Vice-Chancellor
• chairing and ensuring the effective operation of committees as delegated by Council or the Vice-Chancellor
• representing the University in appropriate external forums, including business, government, the higher education sector, the public sector and the professions
• undertaking such other responsibilities as may be assigned or delegated by the Vice-Chancellor.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) acts for the Vice-Chancellor in that officer's absence and also represents the University in negotiations with academic staff unions.

Top

3.3.3 Registrar

The Registrar is the Head of the Division of Administrative Services and as such assumes the duties and responsibilities of a head of division.

The Registrar is also the chief public officer of the University, responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the administration of the University and as such has the following additional responsibilities:

• provides support for the Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor, Council and its committees
• manages the University's correspondence and records
• coordinates the provision of legal advice and the preparation of legal documents
• initiates action regarding administrative matters requiring a determination by Council
• coordinates and oversees the conduct of industrial relations negotiations in respect of professional staff
• initiates reviews of the administrative organisation of the University
• carries out such other tasks as may be assigned by the Vice-Chancellor or Council.

The Registrar is secretary to QUT Council. The Registrar or his or her nominee is secretary to Council's committees.

This officer is required to serve on any QUT committees considered appropriate to the office.

Top

3.3.4 Executive Director, Finance and Resource Planning

The Executive Director, Finance and Resource Planning is Head of the Division of Finance and Resource Planning and as such assumes the duties and responsibilities of a head of division.

The Executive Director, Finance and Resource Planning is also the Chief Financial Officer of the University, responsible to the Vice-Chancellor for the finances of the University and as such has the following additional responsibilities:

• accountable for corporate planning and resourcing policies and operations of the University, through the operations of the Division of Finance and Resource Planning, to ensure the financial viability of the University and that it meets its planned aims and objectives
• develops and maintains methodologies for a performance-based approach to planning and resourcing which responds to the future directions of the University and improves the University's capacity to achieve its teaching, research and service goals
• oversees the development and implementation of strategic plans through sponsorship of the corporate planning function, with responsibility for the Finance and Infrastructure Plan
• responsible for the collection and reporting of statutory data collections to the Commonwealth, including student, staff, research and finance.

Top

3.3.5 Department/independent section manager

A department/independent section manager is responsible to the head of division for the operation and management of the department/independent section. This includes responsibility for:

• ensuring the department/independent section is adequately servicing the needs of the division and the University in pursuance of QUT's goals
• advising the head of division as appropriate on all matters associated with the operation of the department/independent section
• administration of budgets
• administrative matters concerned with the employment of staff in the department/independent section.

Top

3.3.6 Executive dean of faculty

An executive dean of faculty is responsible to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) for the coordination and integration of the activities of schools and centres of the faculty and for promoting a sense of unity, cooperation and common purpose within the faculty. Executive deans of faculty are directly involved in planning activities of the University and are responsible for determining allocation of resources between schools of the faculty in consultation with the heads of school. Executive deans may undertake an appropriate teaching and research role.

An executive dean of faculty

• assists the Vice-Chancellor and the Deputy Vice-Chancellors in the development of internal policy on academic and administrative matters
• implements and administers University policy within the faculty, including policy with respect to equitable access to education and employment, and health and safety
• provides leadership to heads of schools, directors of centres and to faculty staff
• works with colleagues to continually improve the faculty
• implements University policy on probation and staff development planning
• prepares annually in consultation with heads, directors and staff, the strategic plan including the budget for the faculty
• meets with the Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at least twice yearly to discuss the faculty's strategic plan and review the faculty's performance against the plan
• ensures that schools within the faculty are adequately servicing the educational needs of the community within their respective vocational areas and in accordance with University policies on teaching, research and service
• chairs the faculty academic board
• provides overall administration of the faculty including distribution of material resources among schools, optimisation of teaching effort, arbitration on matters that cross school boundaries, and monitoring financial control exercised by schools
• plans capital facilities to ensure that usage is optimised and unnecessary duplication is avoided
• promotes fundraising within the faculty's relevant community
• liaises and cooperates with other executive deans of faculty and the heads of non-academic areas to ensure unity of purpose and standards and optimisation of the University's resources
• liaises and cooperates with other executive deans of faculty to ensure that the curriculum for tuition of a service nature accords with the aims and objectives of particular courses and that the teaching effort is satisfactory for that purpose
• ensures that within the faculty's professional areas effective liaison is being maintained with business, industry, the professions and the community.

Top

3.3.7 Head of academic school

A head of school is responsible to the executive dean of faculty for leadership of the school in terms of the vision and goals of the University.

The head of school assumes a primary role in the University's dealings with external organisations representing the professional or occupational areas in which the school makes a major contribution to courses. Heads of school may undertake an appropriate teaching and research role.

A head of school

• provides leadership for and promotes excellence in the University's teaching and research areas administered by the school
• facilitates intra-school working relationships
• arbitrates on all intra-school matters in relevant disciplines
• implements and administers University policy within the school, including policy with respect to equitable access to education and employment and health and safety
• implements University policy on probation and staff development planning
• prepares annually in consultation with staff the strategic plan including the budget for the school
• works with colleagues to continually improve the school
• encourages all staff to develop and refine teaching skills
• fosters the professional and general development of staff
• promotes a research ethos and consulting activities relevant to the University's vision and goals
• liaises with directors of centres and course coordinators
• advises the executive dean of faculty as appropriate on all academic matters which are the responsibility of the school
• administers budgets within the school
• promotes fundraising within the school's relevant community
• encourages and promotes a strong external community input into the school and its programs.

Within the Creative Industries Faculty, the following positions equate to head of school

• Director of Academic Programs
• Director of Research

Top

3.3.8 Head of discipline

Within the Creative Industries Faculty, a head of discipline represents a discipline within faculty committees and is responsible to one of the directors of the faculty. Heads of discipline are responsible for:

• developing academic initiatives, including entrepreneurial and research and applications activities, appropriate to the discipline, in consultation with the Director of Academic Programs and Director of Research
• organising workloads of staff within the discipline
• supervising staff within the discipline and undertaking Performance Planning and Review with individual staff
• proposing staff appointments and casual staffing, in consultation with the Director of Academic Programs and Director of Research
• compliance with legislation, eg workplace health and safety
• discipline budgets, with support from appropriate resources staff in the faculty.

Top

3.3.9 Faculty research centre director

A faculty research centre director is responsible to the executive dean of faculty for the coordination of research and doctoral programs in areas relevant to the faculty research centre. The director leads the centre in the conduct of research relevant to social, cultural and economic needs and intellectual advancement, and administers the centre's activities and finances. The director prepares annual strategic planning, budgeting and reporting documents to enable the centre to realise the research goals of the centre, faculty and University.

A faculty research centre director

• prepares annual strategic plans, budgets and reports of centre activities and outcomes according to the reporting processes of the faculty and the University
• develops and manages systems to monitor and evaluate the ongoing progression of the centre's activities and projects relative to budgets and milestones
• establishes appropriate centre research infrastructure, data management and quality assurance mechanisms to support and report outcomes against research performance measures
• administers centre staffing, finances and activities
• establishes strategic linkages with industry, professional organisations, other research bodies and QUT research centres
• promotes an image of the centre as an innovative and relevant research body to industry, government, the discipline area and the wider community
• promotes multi-disciplinary research across QUT research centres
• identifies sources of funding, including the preparation of proposals to increase the external funding base of the centre
• promotes the commercialisation of research outcomes from centre activities
• coordinates research and higher degree research programs relevant to the centre
• leads in the conduct of research, attraction of research grants and promotion of intellectual advancement
• fosters an inclusive research culture for postgraduate and early career researchers
• promotes postgraduate research student load and completions that are competitive at a national and international level according to research performance benchmarks
• liaises with heads of school regarding the involvement of research active staff in faculty research centre projects
• assists heads of school, as required, in the performance planning and review (PPR) of relevant research active staff
• contributes to senior management decision-making processes as a member of relevant committees.

Top

3.3.10 Institute director

An institute director is responsible to the Vice-Chancellor through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Commercialisation) for the achievement of the institute's objectives, and for leadership and management of the institute.

An institute director:

• provides intellectual, strategic and administrative leadership for the institute, and through that role to the University
• has overall responsibility as Chief Executive Officer for the management of the institute, and provides regular reports to the governance board
• is accountable for achievement of agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• coordinates the research programs and outputs of the institute
• coordinates and progresses the commercial activities of the institute in partnership with the Division of Research and Commercialisation
• coordinates the interaction between core parties and groups of researchers
• promotes the institute within the University and to the wider community, locally, nationally and internationally.

Top

Modification History

Top