La Trobe University > Academic Board > Elections

Elections

Academic Board 

Academic Board is the primary body for academic governance and decision-making at the University.

The Board is established under legislation and provides advice to the Vice-Chancellor and University Council on issues that affect academic excellence. It provides a forum for information and debate within the University and is responsible for policy on matters such as admissions, assessment, teaching, student conduct, research and academic appointments and promotion.

Membership

Academic Board membership includes the ex officio members - membership is tied to specific roles. Ex officio members include the senior executive, Deans, heads of regional campuses and the Presidents of the student organisations.

Membership of the Board also includes elected academic and professional staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and one graduate research candidate.

The Academic Board Regulations 2019 set out the requirements for election of staff and student members of Academic Board.

Student Positions

There are 6 elected student members of  Academic Board – these positions are voluntary (unpaid).

The term of office for current student and graduate research candidate members will end on 31 December 2025.

Undergraduate Students

The composition of the Academic Board allows for three (3) positions for undergraduate students, elected by and from enrolled students who are not postgraduate students, at least one from a regional campus and at least one from a metropolitan campus.

At the close of the nomination period at 5.00pm on Tuesday 15 October 2024, nine (9) nominations were received.

There was one nomination from a regional undergraduate student.  In accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, where the number of nominations is less than (or equal to) the number of vacancies, the candidate nominated is declared to be elected.

Accordingly, the following student has been declared elected as the regional undergraduate student member for a one-year term commencing 1 January 2025 and concluding on 31 December 2025:

  • Myra Muhammad

In accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, an electronic ballot to fill the remaining two (2) undergraduate student member positions was conducted.

At the close of the ballot on 22 November 2024 the following students were declared elected for terms of office from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025:

  • Tayisa Millar-Shannon
  • Aaryan Sehgal

Postgraduate Students

The composition of the Academic Board allows for two (2) positions for postgraduate students, elected by and from enrolled postgraduate students, one must be from a metropolitan campus and the other from a regional campus.

At the close of the nomination period at 5.00pm on Tuesday 15 October 2024, three (3) nominations were received.

As there were no nominations received from a student from a regional campus, a further call for nominations was made to regional students on 22 October 2024. At the time set down for the close of nominations of 5.00pm on Wednesday 6 November 2024, two (2) nomination were received from students from a regional campus.

In accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, an electronic ballot was conducted to elect two (2) postgraduate students (one student from a metropolitan campus and one student from a regional campus).

At the close of the ballot on 22 November 2024 the following students were declared elected for terms of office from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025:

  • Muntashir Bin Solaiman
  • Francesca Collins

Graduate Research Candidate

The composition of Academic Board provides for one (1) graduate research candidate position elected by the graduate research candidates of the University.

Calls for nominations for the position were made on 1 October 2024, 22 October 2024 and 17 February 2024.  At the times set down for the close of nominations no nominations were received.

A further call for nominations was made to eligible graduate research candidates on Monday 17 March 2025.  At the close of the call for nomination at 5.00pm on Monday 31 March 2025, five (5) nominations were received.  Accordingly, an election will be held from Tuesday 8 April 2025, All eligible graduate research candidates will receive an email with a personal voting link on 8 April 2025.  

At the close of the election period at 5.00pm on Tuesday 15 April 2025. the following candidate was declared elected:

  • Isabella Currie

Nominations

You must read the eligibility and nomination criteria for students before submitting a nomination.

Before nominating you are also encouraged to complete the following

Staff Positions

There are 60 elected staff members of Academic Board

  • 20 Level E academic staff
  • 15 Level A/B academic staff
  • 15 Level C/D academic staff
  • 5 Level HEO1-8 professional staff
  • 5 level HEO9 or above professional staff

The term of office for current elected members is two years, ending on 31 December 2025.

The outcomes of the elections conducted from October 2023 to June 2024 are below.

Call for nominations for membership of the Academic Board from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 was made to all eligible staff on Wednesday 27 September 2023.  Subsequent calls were made where the number of nominations was less than the number of vacancies.

At the close of the nomination period at 5.00pm on Thursday 12 October:

  • 5 nominations were received from Level E Academic Staff.
  • 16 nominations were received from Level A/B Academic Staff
  • 15 nominations were received from Level C/D Academic Staff
  • 9 nominations were received from HEO1-8 Professional Staff
  • 9 nominations were received from HEO9+ Professional Staff

In accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, where the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, the candidates nominated are declared to be elected.  Accordingly, the following staff have been declared elected for a two year term commencing on 1 January 2024:

Level E Academic Staff

  • George Liu
  • Adam Mechler
  • Luke Prendergast
  • Yvonne Wells
  • Lawrie Zion

A further Call for Nominations for fifteen (15) Level E Academic Staff was made on Monday 30 October 2023. As the number of nominations received at the close of the nomination period on Monday 13 November 2023 was less than the number of vacancies the following staff have been declared elected in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019.

Level E Academic Staff

  • Christine Bigby
  • Graham Brown
  • Teresa Iacono
  • Marcel Jackson
  • Jodi Oakman
  • Suzanne O'Keefe
  • James Walker
  • Coral Warr

A further call for the remaining seven (7) positions for Level E Academic Staff was made on 21 November 2023.  As the number of nominations at the close of the nomination period on Tuesday 5 December 2023 was less than the number of vacancies the following staff have been declared elected in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019.

Level E Academic Staff

  • Nick Bond
  • Richard Gray
  • Marc Kvansakul
  • Robyn Murphy

A further call for nominations for the remaining three (3) positions for Level E Academic Staff was made on 14 February 2024.  As the number of nominations at the close of the nomination period on  Wednesday 28  February 2024 was less than the number of vacancies the following staff member has been delcared elected in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019.

  • Debbie Kirk

A further call for nominations for the remaining two (2)  positions for Level E Academic Staff was made on Tuesday 5 March 2024. At the close of the nomination period no nominations were received.

A further call for nominations for the remaining two positions for Level E Academic Staff was made on Wednesday 16 June 2024.  As the number of nominations at the close of the nomination period on Wednesday 26 June 2024 was equal to the number of vacancies the following staff members have been declared elected in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019.

  • Professor Bircan Erbas
  • Professor Stephen Teo

Level C/D Academic Staff

  • Katherine (Kate) Ashman
  • Buly Cardak
  • Carina Chan
  • Elly Djouma
  • Colleen Holt
  • Mumtaz Hussain
  • Brooke Huuskes
  • Mofi Islam
  • Ross O'Shea
  • Shahin Sharifi
  • Keir Strickland
  • Arthur Stukas
  • Laura Whitburn
  • Lakshmi Wijeyewickrema
  • Nadia Zatsepin

In accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, an electronic ballot was conducted to elect:

  • Fifteen (15) Level A/B Academic Staff
  • Five (5) HEO1-8 Professional Staff
  • Five (5) HEO9+ Professional Staff

The ballot opened at 9.00am on Monday 23 October 2023 and closed at 5.00pm on Monday 30 October 2023.   All eligible Academic and Professional Staff received an email with a personal link to the ballot on 23 October 2023.

The following staff have been declared elected:

Fifteen (15) Level A/B Academic Staff

  • Emily Bieber
  • Elizabeth Black
  • Yingting Cao
  • Martin Clark
  • Fiona Durand
  • Adamm Ferrier
  • Matthew King
  • Lauren Lawson
  • Fung Lay
  • Matthew Mitchell
  • Huong Nguyen
  • Mohammad Sadegh Taskhiri
  • Binh Tran
  • Matt Wade
  • Victoria Weale

Five (5) HEO1-8 Professional Staff

Two candidates received an equal number of votes for the fifth membership position.  Accordingly, six (6) candidates have been declared elected for the 2024-2025 membership period.

  • Marcella Bulic
  • Inge Clinnick
  • Clare O’Donoghue
  • Joshua Parris
  • Charlotte Usher
  • Maddison Wells

Five (5) HEO9+ Professional Staff

  • Weiyu Jiang
  • Jasleen Kaur
  • Maree Norden
  • April Vocale
  • Andrea Young

You must read the eligibility and nomination criteria for staff before submitting a nomination.

Before nominating you are also encouraged to complete the following

Chair and Deputy Chair

The Chair and Deputy Chair of Academic Board are elected biennially for two-year terms commencing on 28 February.  The terms of office for the current Chair and Deputy Chair conclude on 28 February 2024.  The outcomes of the election process undertaken in October 2023 to fill those positions are below.

Vacancy - Deputy Chair

Due to the resignation of the Deputy Chair a vacancy will exist for the position of Deputy Chair, Academic Board.  The term of office is for the remainder of the previous Deputy Chair's term - to  28 February 2026.

A call for nominations to fill this position was made on Wednesday 2 April 2025 and closed at 5.00pm on Wednesday 16 April 2025.

At the close of the nomination period, one (1) nomination was received.

In accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, as the number of nominations was equal to the number of vacancies, Professor Axel Schulz was declared elected.  Professor Schulz will commence in the role on 20 June 2025 and the term of office will conclude on 28 February 2026 (the remainder of the previous member's term).

You must read the eligibility and nomination criteria for Chair/Deputy Chair before submitting a nomination.

Before nominating you are also encouraged to complete the following

2023 Election Outcomes

A call for nominations was made to members of the professoriate on 27 September 2023.

At the close of the nomination period at 5.00pm on Thursday 12 October:

  • 2 nominations were received for the position of Chair
  • 1 nomination was received for the position of Deputy Chair.

Chair

An electronic ballot was conducted, in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Board Regulations 2019, to elect the Chair of Academic Board.  The ballot opened at 9.00am on Monday 23 October 2023 and closed at 5.00pm on Monday 30 October 2023.   All eligible Academic Board members received an email with a personal link to the ballot on 23 October 2023.

At the close of the ballot, Professor Carol McKinstry was declared elected to the position of Chair of Academic Board.

You must read the eligibility and nomination criteria for Chair/Deputy Chair before submitting a nomination.

Before nominating you are also encouraged to complete the following

For further information email the Academic Board elections team.