Council & Board

Council

The Council is established by the Sydney College of Divinity Ltd to have responsibility for and exercise oversight of the entire SCD operation, including direct control of membership, legal and financial matters, and risk management, and management of the Office of the Dean, the Korean School of Theology, and the Graduate Research School, and, by delegation to the Academic Board, oversight of all academic policy matters and permissions to graduate.

The Council is led by its Chair, who is also the President of the College. The Constitution provides for membership of up to five employees from Member Institutions, one student, and the Chair of Academic Board ex officio, but Council membership is not ‘representative’ and there is always a majority of external members, several of whom meet the TEQSA definition of ‘independent member’.

 

The Council members as of August 2024 are:

  • Neville Cox – President, and Chair of Council
  • Prof. Stephen Smith – SCD Dean and CEO
  • Prof. Gerard Kelly – Deputy Chair of Council, Chair of Academic Board
  • Jack Flanagan
  • Prof. Angelo Karantonis
  • Neil Smith
  • Richard Wheeler
  • Jessica Collins Chi
  • Scott Lim
  • Assoc Prof. Philip Kariatlis
  • Neale Meredith

 

The Committees of the Council are:

  • Academic Board
  • Audit Committee
  • Institutional Membership Committee
  • Standing Committee
  • Strategic Planning Committee

 

 

The Dean

The Dean is appointed by the Council to lead the management of the Sydney College of Divinity both directly and through delegation to the Academic Director, the Research Director, the Academic Registrar, and the Chief Operating Officer, all located together with support staff in the Office of the Dean. The Dean leads the management of the Sydney Korean Theological College by delegation to the Dean of Studies (Sydney Korean Theological College).

The Dean has oversight of four committees and one advisory panel that support the work, variously, of Council and Academic Board.

 

Committees of the Dean:

  • Academic Classification and Promotion Committee
  • Academic Classification and Promotion Appeals Committee
  • Research Ethics Committee
  • Library Committee
  • External Advisory Panel

 

 

Academic Board

The Academic Board is delegated by Council to conduct all academic matters, including curriculum development, learning and teaching systems, research and research training, and student matters.

Academic Board membership as set out in the Constitution is not ‘representative’ but provides for ample participation by academics based in Member Institutions. It comprises the Chair, the Chairs of the Academic Board committees, the four discipline coordinators, the Principal Librarian, the Dean, the three Sydney College of Divinity officers with academic portfolios, one student, and one to three external members.

 

Committees of Academic Board are:

  • Coursework Committee
  • Discipline Coordinators Committee
  • Research Committee
  • Standing Committee
  • Student Support and Administration Committee