Governance

Governance Overview

JMC Pty Limited (ACN 003 572 012) is incorporated as an Australian Proprietary Company under the Corporations Act 2001. Originally established by Dr J Martin Cass in 1982, the organisation was subsequently incorporated in July, 1988. The trading name for the company is the JMC Academy, which operates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The JMC Academy has a Charter that establishes the foundation of its 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 (2015), as established by section 58 of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act 2011)
• The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
• 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 2017 (National Code), and
• ELICOS National Standards.

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 JMC’s formally appointed boards, committees, sub-committees and working parties.
JMC Academy’s governance structure includes the following:

• Governing Council
• Student Appeals Committee
• Senior Management Committee
• Risk Management Committee
• Academic Board
• Academic Board Executive Committee 
• Learning and Teaching Committee
• Curriculum and Delivery Committees
• Course Advisory Committees
• Working Parties

View our Governance Chart

Governing Council

The Governing Council has oversight of JMC Academy’s funding, strategic direction and management. It comprises of a majority of external members who are experienced in governance roles in either the education sector or the public and private business sectors.

Functions of the Governing Council

The functions of the Governing Council are to:

• Establish and monitor the pursuit of the vision, mission and strategic objectives of the 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 intellectual inquiry 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 the JMC Academy;
• Oversee and review the management and performance of the JMC Academy
• Develop, maintain, promote and monitor the implementation of JMC’s Risk Management Framework, to ensure adequate risk management measures are in place and that risks to higher education operations have been identified and material risks are being managed and mitigated effectively;
• Ensure the Governing Council and the JMC Academy at large meets their legal and compliance obligations, including the requirement to maintain a true record of the business of the governing body and the JMC Academy, as set out in the company’s constitution, the Corporations Act, and the Higher Education Standards;
• 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 senior management committee as the body responsible for the efficient conduct of JMC’s day to day business operations and maintaining oversight and receiving reports of its activities and performance.
  • Establishing and delegating appropriate authority to the Risk Management Committee as the body responsible for oversight of the risk profile and risk management of the JMC Academy within the context of the Governing Council’s determined risk appetite.
• 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 Pty Limited 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 or research integrity and critical incidents and ensure action is taken to address underlying causes;
• Award qualifications as recommended by the Academic Board;
• Undertake 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. 

Members of JMC Academy’s Governing Council

	Mr Robert Peile (Chair) – External Member
	Dr John M. Jenkins - Academic Board Representative
	Mr Peter James – External Member
	Mr Rodd Camm - External Member
	Pamela Christie - External Member
	Dr Martin Cass - Managing Director
	Dr George Markakis - Chief Executive Officer