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Terms of Reference

  • To advise the Senate – as necessary – on policy and procedures relating to postgraduate study and higher degrees – including master's degrees, doctorates and higher doctorates – including matters relevant to admission and enrolment, assessment or examination of students, matters pertaining to academic standards, and other matters deemed relevant by the Board or Senate.
  • To advise the Senate on changes to postgraduate programmes, including new programmes, amendments to programme names, amendments to programme structures or regulations, and the deletion of programmes.
  • To advise the Senate on changes to postgraduate papers and micro-credentials, including new papers and micro-credentials, significant amendments to the content of papers or micro-credentials, amendments to titles, amendments to prescriptions, amendments to prerequisites and other paper or micro-credential rules, amendments to teaching delivery mode or teaching period, the re-statement of suspended papers, and the deletion of papers or micro-credentials.
  • To receive notification when the Board of one the academic Divisions approves new content for a postgraduate special topic paper, and to provide feedback as appropriate correcting administrative issues, via a nominated group of administrators.
  • To receive reports from the University's representative on the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) on the work of CUAP, and to receive reports as needed from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), CUAP representative, or other members of the Board as appropriate on the work of Universities New Zealand Te Pōkai Tara (UNZ).
  • To monitor recently introduced postgraduate programmes that are still in the conditional stage of CUAP approval through receiving and providing feedback on Annual Programme Reports and on Graduating Year Review reports, which must be submitted to CUAP before approval of the programme may be confirmed.
  • To monitor the external moderation of postgraduate study by receiving and providing feedback on external moderation reports.
  • To provide oversight to the Graduate Research Committee (GRC) and to delegate the Board's powers and responsibilities to GRC as appropriate.
  • To advise the Senate on matters pertaining to graduate research, particularly such matters as progressed to the Board by GRC.
  • To advise the Senate on any postgraduate academic programmes or qualifications offered by the University of Otago English Language Centre, as referred by the Board of Undergraduate Studies.
  • To refer relevant matters to the Committee for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT) as they arise and to receive reports from CALT in turn as needed.
  • To consider and report on any matter concerning postgraduate studies referred to it by the Senate or the Vice-Chancellor.
  • To consider strategic matters relating to the work of the Board, as outlined in the preceding terms.
  • To establish working groups, or to commission relevant areas or staff members, to undertake tasks or projects relating to the work of the Board, as outlined in the preceding terms.

Membership

Composition of the Board Member Expiry date (if applicable)
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) (Convener) Professor Helen Nicholson Ex-officio
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Richard Blaikie Ex-officio
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) of the Division of Commerce Professor Lisa McNeill Ex-officio (appointed by the PVC)
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) of the Division of Health Sciences Professor Chrys Jaye Ex-officio (appointed by the PVC)
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) of the Division of Humanities Associate Professor Wayne Stephenson Ex-officio (appointed by the PVC)
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) of the Division of Sciences Dr Chrstian Ohneiser Ex-officio (appointed by the PVC)
Director, International Jason Cushen Ex-officio
Head of Department (or nominee) of the Higher Education Development Centre Professor Tony Harland Ex-officio
Director, Distance Learning Dr Sarah Stein Ex-officio
Director, Quality Advancement Unit Margaret Morgan Ex-officio
Two members appointed by Senate Professor Gisela Sole December 2024
To be advised
University representative on the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) Professor Tim Cooper Ex-officio
Dean, Graduate Research School Professor David Baxter Ex-officio
Elected postgraduate representative on the OUSA Executive, or a current postgraduate student nominated by the OUSA Ravneel Chand December 2022
Māori postgraduate student representative Lini Roberts
In attendance
University Librarian Mike Wall
Specialists, Academic Committees and Services Matt Angel (Secretary) academic.committees@otago.ac.nz
Rebecca Connaughton
Carol Forbes
Dr Tosh Stewart
Mark Wilesmith

The Board has the power to co-opt as required.

Meetings for 2023

Meeting dates, Thursdays at 2:00pm Deadline for submission
2 February 23 January
2 March 20 February
6 April 27 March
4 May 24 April
8 June 29 May
6 July 26 June
3 August 24 July
7 September 28 August
5 October 25 September
2 November 24 October (due to Labour Day)

Proposal templates, resources and deadlines

Download templates for new proposals and access resources and annual proposal deadlines

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