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| Approving Authority: |
Approved by Council |
| Approving Authority: Procedures |
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| Establishment Date: |
28 October 1999 |
| Date Last Amendment: |
January 2011 |
| Nature of Amendment: |
Consequential amendments arising from a restructure of Central Administration/VC's office and the creation of new senior executive positions replacing the EDA and Registrar |
| Date Last Reviewed: |
June 2007 |
| Responsible Officer: |
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) |
1. Preamble
1.1 Centres may be established to provide a focus for specialised
activities, services, expertise or other University function for
the benefit of the University and will:
• provide facilities for university activities; or
• provide a focus for specific teaching and/or research activities;
or
• carry out such other functions as approved under this policy.
1.2 All centres will be accountable to the University for their
operation and performance.
1.3 The use of the name ‘Centre’ or ‘Institute’
in relation to University activities is not permitted without approval
in accordance with this policy.
1.4 In this policy, where the term ‘centres’ is used,
it includes ‘institutes’.
2. Scope
2.1 This policy provides for the establishment of new centres and
for the operation and monitoring of existing centres, including
those centres established and operated jointly with other institutions.
3. Establishment of Centres
3.1 Centres established to provide facilities for University activities
or to carry out functions other than those covered in clause 3.2,
will be approved by the Vice-Chancellor or Council, as appropriate,
in accordance with policies relevant to the centre’s purpose.
3.2 Centres providing a focus for specific teaching and/or research
activities will be established with the approval of Academic Senate
on the advice of the relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
3.3 Proposals for the establishment of centres for teaching and/or
research activities will be made, through the relevant Executive
Dean(s), to the relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
3.4 Research centres will normally be associated with an Area of
Research Focus (also known as Area of Strategic Research Investment
(ASRI)).
3.5 Proposals for the establishment of centres for teaching and/or
research will include:
• the title of the centre;
• the purpose of the centre;
• the relationship with the Area of Research Focus, where
relevant;
• the aims and objectives of the centre, including;
• the benefits to the University arising from designation
as a centre;
• a rationale for designation as a centre where the centre
is associated with an Area of Research Focus;
• the nature of its teaching and/or research activities; and
• the proposed management structure and membership.
4. Reports
4.1 Centres established to provide facilities for University activities
or to carry out functions other than teaching and/or research will
report, in accordance with the relevant policies, as determined
in each case.
4.2 Centres established to focus on specific teaching or research
activities will report as follows:
4.2.1 Teaching centres will report on their activities annually
through the relevant Faculty to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic).
4.2.2 Research centres will submit a report on their activities
through the relevant Faculty to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).
Where the research centre is associated with an Area of Research
Focus, the report will form a component of the annual review of
the Area of Research Focus.
4.3 Reports made in accordance with clause 4.2 will include:
• a statement of activities for the previous calendar year
and their outcomes;
• a statement of how the centre’s aims and objectives
are being met, including the benefits to the University;
• the publications and reports emanating from its activities;
and
• a statement of income and expenditure for the previous calendar
year.
4.4 The relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor will report to Academic
Senate on centre annual reports made in accordance with clause 4.2
and recommend to Academic Senate that the centre continue, with
or without conditions, or be wound up. If Academic Senate accepts
a recommendation to wind up a centre, the centre will be wound up
in accordance with clause 7 of this policy.
4.5 The reporting requirements contained in clause 4.2 do not remove
from centres the responsibility to report in accordance with any
other relevant policy.
4.6 A review of a teaching or research focused centre may be initiated
at any time by the Vice-Chancellor, relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor,
Faculty Executive Dean, centre management or Area of Research Focus
leader (where relevant) if it is considered that the aims and objectives
of the centre are not being met.
5. Accountability
5.1 The director of a centre will be responsible to the relevant
Executive Dean(s), or delegate, for the operation of the centre.
5.2 University staff who are active in a centre continue to be responsible
to their respective Dean of School and Executive Dean(s), unless
otherwise negotiated.
5.3 Staff members of centres will be responsible to the centre management
for the conduct of their duties within the centre.
6. Naming of Centres
6.1 If a centre is wholly or substantially within Flinders University,
the name ‘Flinders University’ or ‘Flinders’
will normally be included in the title.
6.2 The use of ‘South Australian’, ‘National’,
‘Australian’ or ‘International’ in the title
may be approved where it can be demonstrated that the centre is
a state, national or international leader in the area of activity.
7. Winding Up of Centres
7.1 Where Academic Senate determines that a centre established to
focus on teaching and/or research activities should be wound up,
there will be a period of notice usually of six months.
7.2 During this time the affairs of the centre will be completed
and the procedures for disposal or transfer of assets put into place.
This will be overseen by the relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Executive
Dean and the Vice-President (Strategic Finance and Resources) and,
in the case of cross-institutional centres, by appropriate officers
of the partner institutions.
7.3 The staffing implications will be reviewed in consultation with
the relevant Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Executive Dean and the Director,
Human Resources, and, in the case of cross-institutional centres,
by appropriate officers of the partner institutions.
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