Academic Board

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Academic Board

NIDA Academic Board

NIDA’s Academic Board is a standing committee of the NIDA Board of Directors and the principal academic authority in NIDA’s governance structure. Its purpose is to provide oversight of NIDA’s educational and scholarly activities including quality assurance, and to monitor the continuing relevance of NIDA’s educational offerings, as understood in relation to current and anticipated developments in the arts sector and entertainment industry and benchmarked against peer educational institutions nationally and internationally. 

Membership of the Academic Board comprises up to sixteen (16) persons including, the Chair, who is appointed by and a member of the Board of Directors and three (3) external members with significant experience of senior academic leadership, practice-led teaching and/or governance in the higher education sector as well as a member from the vocational education sector. It also includes representation from NIDA’s teaching staff, as well as a student member. 

Ex-officio members include the CEO, Director of Learning and Innovation, Deputy Director Learning and Innovation (Vocational Education and Training), Manager, Learning and Innovation, Head of Academic Development and Research, and Chairs of the Examination and Research and Scholarship committees. 

The Academic Board is responsible for a wide range of activities including but not limited to: 

  • Oversight and approval of NIDA’s Quality Assurance framework
  • Oversight and approval of NIDA’s Research and Scholarship plan
  • Oversight and approval of major course changes recommended to the Academic Board by the Education Committee
  • Oversight of final course results presented via the Examination Committee and recommending those students who are eligible to graduate to the Board of Directors
  • Academic policies and procedure

NIDA Academic Board members

  • Professor Anna Reid, Head of School and Dean, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Chair and NIDA Board Member
  • Liz Hughes, ex officio, CEO NIDA
  • Andrew Comrie, ex officio, Director of Learning and Innovation
  • Emeritus Professor Amanda Lawson, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, School of the Arts, English and Media, University of Wollongong
  • Belinda Maudson, Props Teacher Enmore Design Centre, TAFE NSW and Freelance Props Maker
  • Professor Mark Ryan, Academic Lead, Engagement School of Creative Practice Education and Social Justice Faculty, QUT
  • Mark Gaal, ex officio, Deputy Director, Learning & Innovation (VET), NIDA
  • Jack Thomson, ex officio, Manager, Learning and Innovation, NIDA
  • Dr Suzanne Osmond, ex officio, Head of Academic Development and Research and Co-Chair of the Scholarship and Research Committee, NIDA
  • Dr Alexia Derbas, ex officio, Co-Chair of the Scholarship and Research Committee and Head of Equity and Inclusion, NIDA
  • Travis Cardona, Director, First Nations and Outreach, NIDA
  • Corinne Heskett, Course Leader and Head of Costume, NIDA
  • Simon Masterton, Head of Voice, NIDA
  • Danielle Rodriguez, BFA Student Representative and SCON President, NIDA
  • Sev Murphy, MFA Student Representative, NIDA
  • Grace Delos, Diploma Student Representative, NIDA