• Section 1 - Establishment and Purpose
• Section 2 - Accountability
• Section 3 - Responsibilities
• Section 4 - Delegations
• Section 5 - Membership
• Section 6 - Meeting Frequency
• Section 7 - Reporting and Communication
• Section 8 - Procedures
• Section 9 - Secretariat

Section 1 - Establishment and Purpose

(1) QUT Council is established under the Queensland University of Technology Act 1998 (QUT Act) as the University’s governing body.

(2) The purpose of Council is to provide proper, effective and prudent governance and oversight of the University’s functions.

Section 2 - Accountability

(3) QUT Council is accountable to Queensland and Commonwealth Parliaments, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), government funding bodies, external funding bodies, stakeholders, the QUT and wider community for the proper governance of the University.

(4) This charter assists the University by providing an overarching framework related to corporate governance as required in the TEQSA Threshold Standards mandated in the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021 made under section 58(1) of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011.  Specifically, it assists satisfy the provision of Standards within Domain 6 - Governance and Accountability, specifically Standards under 6.1- Corporate Governance and 6.2 - Corporate Monitoring and Accountability.  It is also related to other Standards that support to fulfill the corporate governance responsibilities such as 6.3 - Academic Governance,  Standards under Domain 7 - Representation, Information and Information Management, Domain 5 - Institutional Quality Assurance and Standards 2.3 - Wellbeing and Safety and 2.4 - Student Grievances and Complaints.

Section 3 - Responsibilities

(5) Council ensures the proper governance of the University, and is authorised by the QUT Act in particular to:

1. appoint QUT’s staff;
2. manage and control QUT’s affairs and property; and
3. manage and control QUT’s finances (s9, QUT Act).

(6) Council acts in a way most likely to promote QUT’s interests (s10, QUT Act).

(7) Council actively supports and facilitates the University in achieving the strategies and values detailed in Connections - the QUT Strategy 2023 to 2027.

(8) Council has established four University-level governance committees to assist it in fulfilling its governance duties and responsibilities, which are authorised to make decisions in respect of prescribed policy and procedural matters. These committees are:

1. Governance, Nominations and Remuneration Committee;
2. Risk and Audit Committee;
3. Finance and Planning Committee; and
4. University Academic Board.

Section 4 - Delegations

(9) Council is authorised to delegate its powers to:

1. an appropriately qualified member of Council;
2. an appropriately qualified committee that includes one or more members of Council; or
3. an appropriately qualified member of staff (s11, QUT Act).

(10) Council may not delegate its power to make an election policy or to adopt the University’s annual budget (s11, QUT Act).

(11) Council has reserved a number of its authorities and powers for itself.

(12) Refer to the Register of Authorities and Delegations (QUT staff access only) for a comprehensive list of Council's delegations and reserved authorities.

Awards

(13) Council:

1. confers the title of Doctor of the University to a person who has rendered distinguished service. This award is commonly referred to as an Honorary Doctorate;
2. confers the award of Life Fellow on a person who has made an outstanding contribution to QUT; and
3. may revoke either of these awards.

(14) Council also confers other honorary titles, as detailed in the Distinguished and Honorary Titles Policy. Refer to the Register of Authorities and Delegations (QUT staff access only) and the QUT Council webpage (QUT Council and committees).

Section 5 - Membership

(15) Membership categories of Council are:

1. Official members comprising the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and President and the chair of University Academic Board;
2. three external members appointed by the Governor in Council;
3. five elected members:
   1. two members of the full-time and part-time academic staff;
   2. one member of the full-time and part-time professional staff;
   3. one undergraduate student; and
   4. one postgraduate student.
4. four additional members, at least two of whom must be QUT alumni.

(16) The Chancellor is chair of Council. The deputy chair is the Deputy Chancellor, elected from the serving members of Council as set out in Council Procedure 3 - Election of Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor.

Council Terms of Office

(17) The term of office is specified in the QUT Act (ss18-20) and varies dependent on membership category. Members hold office for:

1. a term of not more than four years, if appointed by the Governor in Council or appointed as an additional member by Council;
2. four years, for elected staff members; and
3. two years, for elected student members.

 Eligibility

(18)  A person is not eligible to be elected or appointed to a membership category if it would result in the person being a member for more than 12 years, whether continuously or not.

(19)  A list of current members of Council is available from the Members of QUT Council webpage.

Section 6 - Meeting Frequency

(20) Council meets at least six times a year.

Section 7 - Reporting and Communication

(21) Council contributes a report on its members and activities for each year to the QUT Annual Report, which is tabled in Queensland Parliament. Annual reports are available from the Annual report webpage.

(22) Summaries of the activities of Council are published on the Reports of QUT Council webpage.

(23) Council deliberations on any issue are confidential to Council members, although non-confidential papers and minutes of Council meetings are available for perusal upon request to the Director, QUT Governance.

Section 8 - Procedures

(24) Procedures for meetings, dealing with business in Council and establishment of committees are included in Council Procedure 1 - Committee Operations. Procedures for the nomination of prospective Council members and election of a Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor are also set out respectively in Council Procedure 6 - Nomination of Prospective Council Members and Council Procedure 3 - Election of Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor.

(25) To support its members in fulfilling their roles, Council also maintains the QUT Council Charter and Code (QUT staff access only).

Section 9 - Secretariat

(26) The Vice-President (Administration) and University Registrar is secretary. The Director, QUT Governance is deputy secretary.