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Category: Legal Alerts
Notifications of new or amended legislation and regulations that affect the University’s legal compliance obligations. Areas of the University that may be affected by a change in legislation will also be notified via email.
What you should know when undertaking activities outside the University
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.
New laws address academic freedom and freedom of speech in higher education
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 […]
Freedom of Information: Public access to University records
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 […]
Updated contract templates for Foreign Arrangements
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 […]
Foreign engagement activities – collaborating within the national interest
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 […]
Sending the wrong message: human error and the risk to privacy
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 […]
Keep your records intact while working from home
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 […]
Beating the cheating services – new law to help preserve academic integrity in Higher Ed
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. […]
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Everything you need to know to be a good Public Officer
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*.
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Where should you draw the line? New guidance on the appropriate use of corporate credit cards
Corporate credit cards are a convenient and efficient way for University personnel to manage work‑related expenses, including for travel, entertainment or those other small value purchases that are needed to get the job done. An efficient process intended for essential purchases While it’s an easy and operationally effective way to manage business expenses, it’s not […]