Board & Committee

Board and Committee

Oversight of the MPhil, DMin, PhD and ThD falls to the Research Committee. Where relevant, ethics clearance is determined by the Research Ethics Committee. The Research Committee is a committee of the Academic Board and makes recommendations to it. This includes recommendations for award of degrees. The Academic Board in turn makes a recommendation to the Council, which resolves on award or non-award of the degree. The Research Ethics Committee is a committee of the Dean, who notifies significant matters to the Academic Board. The Research Ethics Committee may exchange information with the Research Committee.

The Research Committee has practical responsibility, with regard to the degrees listed above, for such matters as the admission of candidates, the approval of thesis topics, the appointment of supervisors and associate supervisors, the progress of candidates through the program, the provision of research seminars and workshops, the examination of completed theses, the implementation of any recommendations from the examiners, and the recommendation to the Academic Board that a candidate may proceed to graduation. The Academic Board in turn makes a recommendation to the Council concerning the award of the degree.

The management of the programs is the responsibility of the Research Director, who is also a member of the Research Committee, and the Academic Board.  The Research Director provides initial guidance in respect of the desired program, qualifications for admission, the DMin coursework if relevant, the intended research topic and supervision of the research, and remains the key contact for candidates in managing their progress.

Research Committee

The Research Committee oversights the Higher Degree by Research. The Research Committee has practical responsibility for such matters as the admission of candidates, the approval of thesis topics, the appointment of supervisors and associate supervisors, the progress of candidates through the program, the provision of research seminars and workshops, the examination of completed theses, the implementation of any recommendations from the examiners, and the recommendation to the Academic Board that a candidate may proceed to graduation.

Membership

Membership of the Research Committee as on December 2020

• Chair: Prof Alanna Nobbs
• Prof Darren Cronshaw
• Assoc Prof Doru Costache
• Assoc Prof Matthew Del Nevo
• Prof James Harrison
• Dr Xavier Lakshmanan
• Dr Sehyun Kim
• Dr Robert Andrews
• Dr Dean Smith

View the Research Committee Meeting Calendar here.

Research Ethics Committee

Research Ethics Committee gives ethics clearance to all research involving human subjects. All thesis proposals involving the gathering of personal information from people by surveys, interviews or case studies will be dealt with according to the procedures and policies of the Research Ethics Committee. The Committee follows the principles and guidelines set in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. The Research Ethics Committee makes recommendations to the Academic Board in consultation with the Research Committee.

Membership of the Research Ethics Committee as of October 2021

• Chair: Mr David Blair MA Sydney FRSA
• Dr Patricia Bolster DHCE Duquesne MTh SCD Med ACU
• Mr Philip Bradford BA(Hons) UNSW MA Sydney BTh Moore MA(Th) Sydney
• Ms Kylie Day BA(Hons) LLB(Hons) Sydney LLM(Hons) Cambridge
• Mr Peter McLean BEng MBS Sydney Cert III Security Risk Analysis
• Dr Dean Smith BA UQ GradDipTh MTh(Hons) BCT PhD UQ
• Mrs Jenni Gainer BA Macquarie MA SCD

Learn more about research ethics at the Graduate Research School

Academic Board

Responsibilities

The Academic Board of the Sydney College of Divinity, through its Research Committee:

• determines the eligibility of the candidate to undertake research at master’s or doctoral level;
• determines that the research project is appropriate for the degree;
• ensures that proper supervision can be provided and maintained throughout the research period;
• appoints supervisors expert in the areas of research and willing to undertake the obligations of supervision;
• establishes and monitors mechanisms whereby conflict between the supervisor and the student may be resolved;
• establishes procedures for all stages of the examination process;
• establishes procedures whereby staff inexperienced in supervision are assisted with supervision;
• establishes minimum reporting procedures;
• establishes examination criteria for theses;
• and, through its Research Ethics Committee:
  determines ethics clearance for research involving human subjects.