In their personal capacity, University staff can be involved in a variety of activities outside of the University. Where those activities relate to an area of academic expertise or are connected to employment or status at the University, we all need to carefully draw a line between our personal interests and those of the University. (more…)
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Academic freedom and freedom of speech are a part of laws regulating the higher education sector and academic activities.
In March 2021, the Australian Parliament amended the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth) (the HESA) to specify that one of the specific purposes of the higher education sector is “the promotion and protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom”. (more…)
The Freedom of Information Act 1991 (SA) (FOI Act) gives anyone a right to access documents held by public agencies such as universities.
The object of the FOI Act is to promote openness and public accountability. In this spirit, all documents within the scope of an FOI request must be made available to the person requesting, unless a valid exemption applies.
Anything you write in the course of your work is a University record which is potentially subject to FOI – whether formal or informal and regardless of the platform you are using to communicate. Keep in mind that your communication may be viewed by others and that your level of professionalism reflects on both you and the University. For some tips on keeping communications professional, read this previous blog article For the record: How you say it is just as important.
Under limited circumstances, the FOI Act provides for genuinely sensitive and confidential information in contracts to be exempted from disclosure. A briefing note is available to assist staff to ensure that, where appropriate, confidential information in contracts is recognised and managed in a manner which accords with the FOI Act and the University’s policies.
For more about Freedom of Information and how it is managed at the University, visit the University’s Freedom of Information website.
The Foreign Arrangements Scheme commenced on Tuesday 10 March 2021. The scheme introduces a formal notification requirement that applies to foreign arrangements entered into by all Australian state and territory entities, including public universities. The Scheme is established by the Commonwealth legislation Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020 (the Act). Under the […]
Over recent decades, Australia’s economy and the higher education sector have benefited from an expansion in global engagement opportunities. With increasing connectivity through travel and technology, international student numbers grew and collaborative research projects thrived. More recently, the positive benefits to Australia have been qualified by defence and security agencies which see a down-side to […]
When we think of data breaches, we usually think of delinquent hackers exploiting technical or human flaws in IT systems to hunt down the personal information of others. But in many cases the risk that private information will fall into the hands of the wrong person is much closer to home – and more everyday […]
Are you aware of a notifiable event which has occurred in your area, but you haven’t got around to reporting it? The opportunity still exists to provide your notifiable event report to the Legal & Risk Branch – but it needs to be done before Monday 14 December 2020. A notifiable event may be a […]
Adaptable technologies have given us the flexibility to easily move between working on campus and working from home. This pattern is likely to be the new model of work into the future. To maintain workflows while working remotely, the University provides secure access to online systems and work tools. Self-help guides can assist us to […]
Academic integrity is a core part of university life and reflects fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. All members of the university community must uphold these values in teaching, learning and research. This includes refraining from using academic cheating services which have the effect of undermining honesty and fairness in academic outcomes. […]
Posted in Legal Alerts, News & Announcements
Tagged Academic Integrity, Learning & Teaching, Legislation, TEQSA
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If you are reading this, you probably have an obligation under the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act 2012 to report certain types of activities or conduct to the Office for Public Integrity. This is because the University is a Public Authority and that means anyone that contributes to its operations is a Public Officer*.
Posted in Legal Alerts, News & Announcements
Tagged ICAC, Integrity, Public Officer, Reporting
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