School Governance

The School was established from the former Schools of Language and Media, Liberal Arts, and Social Sciences, and part of the School of Humanities. On this page you will find details on the School Governance structure and office bearers in terms of the School Executive, School Committees, Program Convenors, Discipline Convenors, and Ourimbah Coordinators.

• School Executive Committee
• Ex Officio 
• School Workload Committee
• School Board
• Research and Research Training (RRT) Committee
• Teaching and Learning (TL) Committee
• Student Academic Conduct Officer (SACO)
• School Assessment Committee (SAC)
• School Undergraduate Student Forum
• RHD Student Forum
• Professors in the School
• Program Convenors in the School
• Discipline Convenors
• Ourimbah Coordinators & Representatives
• Academic Disability Advisor 
• Complaints Officers
• School First Aid Officer
• School Fire Warden
• Research Ethics Advisor (REA)
• Deputy Dean of Students
• Members of Academic Senate & Faculty Board 
• Faculty OH&S Committee: School Representatives

School Executive

• Head of School (Acting): Dr Josephine May 
• Deputy Head of School - Research Development: Dr Bill Palmer 
• Deputy Head of School - Research Training: Dr Marguerite Johnson
• Deputy Head of School - Teaching & Learning: Dr Josephine May
• Executive Officer: Owen Jackson

Indigenous Collaboration Convenor

• Dr Brooke Collins-Gearing  

School Workload Committee

• Chair: DHOS - Research Training
• Membership: DHOS - Research Development, DHOS - T&L, School Executive Officer

School Board

• All ongoing academic staff of the School
• School Executive Officer
• A member elected by and from the General staff of the School
• Two undergraduate students elected from the Student Forum
• Two postgraduate students elected from the Postgraduate Forum

Research and Research Training (RRT) Committee

• Chair: DHOS - Research Development
• Members: DHOS - Research Training, Professors & Research Centre/Insititute Directors in the School, RHD candidate elected from the Postgraduate Student Forum, Executive Officer
• General staff support: Denise Churchill

Teaching and Learning (TL) Committee

• Chair: DHOS - Teaching & Learning
• Membership: Discipline Convenors, Program Convenors in the School, Student Forum Convenor, Postgraduate Forum Convenor
• General staff support: Juanita Walford

Student Academic Conduct Officer (SACO)

• Dr James Bennett

School Assessment Committee (SAC)

• Chair: DHOS - Teaching & Learning
• Deputy Heads of School
• Discipline Convenors
• School Executive Officer
• General Staff responsible for SAC administration
• All academic staff have rights of audience and debate

School Undergraduate Student Forum

• Chair: Dr Marie-Laure Vuaille-Barcan
• Membership: Student Representatives of Disciplines in the School
• Faculty Board Student Representatives of the School
• General staff support: Juanita Walford

RHD Student Forum

• Chair: Dr Steven Threadgold
• Membership: Student Representatives (PhD & MPhil)
• General Staff Support: Juanita Walford

Professors in the School

• Professors:
  • Prof Lisa Adkins
  • Prof Hilary Carey
  • Prof Hugh Craig
  • Prof Mitchell Dean
  • Prof Alison Ferguson
  • Prof Dennis Foley
  • Prof John Germov
  • Prof Mel Gray
  • Prof John McDowell
  • Prof Harold Tarrant
  • Prof Stephen Webb
• Associate Professors:
  • A/Prof Maryanne Dever 
  • A/Prof Philip Dwyer
  • A/Prof Grahame Feletti
  • A/Prof Victoria Haskins
  • A/Prof Marj Kibby
  • A/Prof Roger Markwick  
  • A/Prof Pam Nilan
  • A/Prof Debbie Plath  
  • A/Prof Wayne Reynolds

Program Convenors in the School

• BA + Hons: Dr Alistair Rolls 
• BA + Hons Ourimbah (Assistant Program Convenor): Dr Nancy Cushing
• BSocSci + Hons: Dr Ann Taylor
• BSocWrk: Dr Kylie Agllias
• BSpPath: Dr Sally Hewat (Acting - Prof Alison Ferguson S1. 2012)
• Dip Languages: Dr Marie-Laure Vuaille-Barcan (Alistair Rolls Acting S1 2012)
• DipTheol/BTheo: Em. Prof. Terry Lovat (2012); Prof John McDowell (2013)
• BTheo Honours, MTheo & RHD: Em. Prof. Terry Lovat (2012); Prof John McDowell (2013)
• MAppLing: Dr Jean Harkins
• MSocSci: Dr Barry Morris
• MSocChgDev: Dr Terry Leahy

Discipline Convenors

• Ancient History & Classical Languages: Dr Elizabeth Baynham 
• Community Welfare: Dr Alex Beveridge 
• English & Writing: Dr Jesper Guldall  
• Film, Media & Cultural Studies: A/Prof Marj Kibby 
• Languages & Language Studies (French, German, Japanese): Dr Shigeru Sato
• History: Dr Michael Ondaatje 
• Linguistics: Dr Mark Harvey 
• Philosophy & Religion: Dr Joseph Mintoff 
• Social Work: Ms Kylie Agllias 
• Sociology & Anthropology: Dr Barry Morris 
• Speech Pathology: Prof Alison Ferguson 
• Theology: Prof Terry Lovat  

Ourimbah Coordinators & Representatives

• Ourimbah Honours Coordinator: Dr Nancy Cushing
• Ourimbah Seminar Coordinator: Dr James Bennett
• Ourimbah representative on Faculty RRT Committees: Dr James Bennett
• RHD Academic Liaison: DHOS - Research Training
• General staff support: Karen McLeod

Academic Disability Advisor

• Dr Alistair Rolls

Complaints Officers

• Deputy Heads of School - see above

School First Aid Officer

• Contact Security: 15729 

School Fire Warden

• Owen Jackson & Dr Alistair Rolls

Research Ethics Advisor (REA)

• Dr Jean Harkins

Deputy Dean of Students (Ourimbah)

• Dr Nancy Cushing

Academic Senate & Faculty Members

• Prof John Germov  (Senate & Faculty Board)
• Dr Marguerite Johnson (Faculty Board)
• Dr Camilla Russell (Faculty Board)
• Dr Hamish Ford (Faculty Board)
• Dr Caroline Webb  (Faculty Board)
• Prof Lisa Adkins (Faculty Board)

Faculty OH&S Committee: School Representatives

• Owen Jackson