Academic organisation

Faculties and colleges

Members of the academic staff belong to departments or schools which are under the supervision of a faculty or a college board (such as the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies or the Board of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music).

A faculty or college is required to encourage teaching, scholarship and research in the departments and schools in the faculty or college and to cooperate with the other faculties and colleges. Among the specific responsibilities of a faculty or college are those:

1. to admit to and determine candidature for the degrees, graduate diplomas and graduate certificates in that faculty or college
2. to appoint supervisors and examiners of candidates for higher degrees in that faculty or college.

The faculty or college typically consists of the following: all the full-time members of the academic staff of academic units assigned to that faculty or college, often the fractional members of the teaching staff, representatives from other departments associated with the teaching of the faculty or college concerned, representatives such as deans from other faculties and colleges, members of the research staff, distinguished persons from outside the university being members of the relevant profession, and elected undergraduate and postgraduate students. It must meet at least once in each semester.

Faculty and college boards normally appoint a board of postgraduate studies which exercises, in respect of each candidate for a postgraduate degree, graduate diploma or graduate certificate, the powers and functions of the faculty or college and can have such other powers and functions as the faculty or college may determine.

This board of postgraduate studies may have another name such as postgraduate studies committee or postgraduate matters committee. While it may include student membership, their participation in matters relating to individual students is restricted.

Within each faculty or college there is an appointed dean and appointed or elected pro-dean and/or associate deans. The dean is the chief executive officer of the faculty or college. One of the associate deans or another senior academic in a faculty or college is usually charged with responsibility for postgraduate matters and chairs the board of postgraduate studies.

Sometimes the postgraduate responsibilities of the faculty or college are spread among an associate dean and one or more sub-deans. In most cases the faculty, or board of postgraduate studies, will formally delegate responsibility for taking decisions on particular aspects of candidature to one or more of these faculty or college officers. They are a useful source of advice when a view from outside your department is needed.

Schools and academic units

An academic unit comprises all those appointed to teach and carry out research in a particular area which has been delineated as an academic unit. As faculties and colleges have different structures, an academic unit may also be locally referred to as a department, school or discipline.

Technically speaking, a school is the same as a department, but is most commonly used when a number of previously autonomous departments have been brought together to form a new, larger unit. For clarity, we will refer to academic units as 'department/school' throughout this handbook. An academic unit also includes a range of general staff such as professional and technical staff and administrative staff.

The head of an academic unit is appointed by the Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, after a consultation process carried out by the dean, normally from among the professors and associate professors in that unit. The primary responsibility of a head of department/school is to foster the academic and research purposes of the department/school by effective leadership and management.

He or she is likely to be called upon by one or other areas of the administration to make recommendations concerning aspects of any student’s candidature. This will be done after consultation with appropriate people such as a supervisor or the professor responsible for promoting advanced study and research in a particular field.

Within each department/school there is a department/school board, including at least one student member, which meets at least once in each semester and which can make representations on any matter pertaining to the department/school.

Departments/schools, depending on their size, are also likely to have a number of internal committees dealing with aspects of the work of the department/school. These may include a postgraduate committee. In many departments/schools a senior member of the academic staff, other than the head of department/school, may have the role of postgraduate coordinator or some similar title.

For the postgraduate student, whether coursework or research, the department/school is the most significant academic organisational unit within the University. A feature of the University of Sydney is its diversity. Take the time to find out how your department/school works. It will be different to others even within the same faculty.