Governance Overview

JMC Pty. Limited (ACN 003 572 012) is registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission as an Australian Proprietary Company, operating under a standard Corporations Law constitution, as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Dr J Martin Cass established the operation in 1982 and subsequently incorporated JMC PTY. LIMITED in 1989. JMC Academy is the trading name for the Company and operates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The Charter establishes the foundation of JMC Academy’s (JMC) higher education services by providing a clear governance framework for the corporate and academic activities of JMC, ensuring it meets relevant external standards and legislation, including:

• Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021, as established by sub-section 58(1) of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act 2011),
• Higher Education Support Act 2003
• Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000,
• Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Regulations 2001,
• National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code), ELICOS National Standard
• Standards for VET Regulators, and
• VET Quality Framework.

All JMC Academy staff are responsible for ensuring the efficient performance and high-quality provision of the higher education delivered by JMC Academy. The governance of this provision is the responsibility of the JMC Board, formally appointed committees, sub-committees and working parties.

JMC Academy’s governance structure includes the following:

• JMC Board, and its sub committees
  • Risk and Audit Committee,
  • Academic Board,
    • Academic Board Executive Committee,
    • Learning and Teaching Committee,
    • Curriculum Design and Delivery Committees
    • Course Advisory Committees,
    • Scholarship Committee,
  • Working Parties

JMC Board

The JMC Board has oversight of JMC Academy’s funding, strategic direction and management.

The functions of the JMC Board are to:

• Establish and monitor the pursuit of the vision, purpose and strategic objectives of JMC Academy, by developing, maintaining, promoting and monitoring the implementation of JMC Academy’s Strategic Plan,
• Establish and maintain an institutional environment in which freedom of speech is upheld and protected, students and staff are treated equitably, the wellbeing of students and staff is fostered, informed decision making by students is supported and students have opportunities to participate in the deliberative and decision-making processes of JMC Academy,
• Oversee and review the management and performance of JMC Academy,
• Develop, maintain, promote and monitor the implementation of JMC’s Risk Management Framework, to ensure adequate risk management measures are in place in all areas including financial reporting, internal control systems, risk management, business continuity, fraud prevention and the internal and external audit functions, and that risks to higher education operations have been identified and material risks are being managed and mitigated effectively,
• Ensure the JMC Board and JMC Academy at large meet their legal and compliance obligations, including the requirement to maintain a true record of the business of the governing body and JMC Academy, as set out in the Company Constitution, the Corporations Act, Higher Education Standards Framework and Standards for VET Regulators.
• Establish and periodically review the quality assurance framework and arrangements to guide the JMC Academy’s educational and business functions within a culture of continuous improvement and receive regular reports on the implementation of quality assurance mechanisms,
• Define roles and develop, implement and regularly review a register of delegations as is necessary for effective governance, policy development and management and monitoring the implementation of those delegations, including:
  • Establishing and delegating appropriate authority to the Academic Board as the academic governing body, appointing its members and maintaining oversight and receiving reports of its activities and performance,
  • Establishing and delegating appropriate authority to the CEO as the role responsible for the efficient conduct of JMC’s day to day business and maintaining oversight and receiving reports of the CEO’s activities and performance,
  • Establishing and delegating appropriate authority to the Risk & Audit Committee as the body responsible for oversight of the risk profile and risk management of JMC Academy within the context of the JMC Board’s determined risk appetite,
  • Establishing and convening Working Parties as the Council may consider necessary for the conduct of its business, approving their terms of reference, receiving reports and overseeing their work, and disestablishing these parties if it deems that they are no longer required.
• Exercise financial oversight of operations to ensure JMC Academy has sufficient funds to maintain financial viability and sustainability for its ongoing operations and meet all legislative and regulatory requirements,
• Approve major submissions made by JMC Academy to external regulators, including for example (but not limited to):
  
  • Applying for re-registration as a higher education provider,
  • Applying for accreditation/re-accreditation of higher education courses,
  • Applying for re-registration as a CRICOS provider, and/or
  • Statutory reporting to the Department of Education and the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency,
• Monitor the occurrence and nature of formal complaints, allegations of misconduct, breaches of academic integrity and critical incidents and ensure action is taken to address underlying causes,
• Undertake (at least once in any registration period longer than four (4) years or otherwise in the year preceding expiry of registration) independent reviews of the effectiveness of the governing body and academic governance processes and ensure that the findings of such reviews are considered and that agreed actions are implemented,
• Oversee JMC Academy’s policy framework, noting delegations of policy making responsibility in some cases,
• Support participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.