Elections

  1. Macquarie University
  2. About
  3. About the University
  4. Structure and governance
  5. Elections
The University's repository for approved policy documents

Electing members to Macquarie's governance bodies

The Macquarie University Council, Academic Senate, and Faculty Boards are key decision-makers in the operation of the University. Each includes elected members chosen by the University community in accordance with set procedures.

The University Council and Academic Senate of Macquarie University include a number of positions elected by and from the staff and students of the University.  Faculty Boards also include elected staff and student positions, and the main student body — the Student Representative Committee — is formed of a mixture of elected and appointed student positions.

Each body has specific requirements related to its membership. For example, Council includes two positions for academic staff, one for professional staff and one for students. Academic Senate has a much larger number of academic staff and student positions which are targeted to specific groups — such as Faculty or student enrolment type (postgraduate coursework, international, and so on).

When an election is called the notice of election and related nomination form will provide full details on who is eligible to stand for election and who is eligible to vote, and will refer to the relevant legislation or policy.

Elections and results

A notice of election was issued on 27 August 2025 for the following election:

Term of Office 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2027

  • Two (2) Academic Staff Members on University Council

After the close of nominations on Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 3.00 pm, nominations were checked for eligibility. Candidates were provided with information regarding the ballot draw and the option to attend. The ballot draw was conducted by the Deputy Returning Officer on Thursday 18 September 2025, and the candidate names are displayed below in the order they will appear on the ballot.

Professor Henry Cutler

Associate Professor Nicole Matthews

Professor Yvonne Breyer

Professor Bamini Gopinath

Associate Professor Kira Westaway

Professor Babak Abedin

Professor Michelle Arrow

Associate Professor Nikki Balnave

Professor Cath Dean

Declaration of results - Ballot to be conducted

As the number of nominations received is greater than the number of persons to be elected for the position, an online election will be conducted in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Macquarie University By-law 2005.

Voting Arrangements

  1. Voting will be conducted by an anonymous online ballot hosted by a third party poll provider that is accessed using a unique and secure link emailed to all eligible staff
  2. Candidates on the ballot form will be presented in the order in which names are drawn by lot by the Deputy Returning Officer.
  3. Voters are to mark their vote on the voting form by inserting the number “1” opposite the name of the candidate to whom the voter wishes to give their first preference.
  4. If the voter wishes to show their order of preference for any or all of the remaining candidates, the voter may do so by inserting the numbers “2”, “3”, “4” and so on, as the case requires, opposite the names of any of the remaining candidates so as to indicate by numerical sequence the order of their preference for the candidates.  The results are determined in accordance with the procedures set out in the Proportional Representation Manual: Rules for Conducting Elections by the Quota-Preferential Method.

All academic staff of the University eligible to vote in the election will be sent a secure link to vote when the ballot opens at 3.00 pm on Wednesday 8 October 2025.

All votes must be received by the Deputy Returning Officer by 3.00 pm on Wednesday 22 October 2025.

If you have any questions about elections and voting, please contact Governance Services by emailing election@mq.edu.au

For general information on Council, please see the Council website.

Academic Senate elections are held in accordance with the Academic Senate Rules.

For general information on Academic Senate and membership, please see the Academic Senate website.

A notice of election was issued on 27 August 2025 for the following election:

FACULTY OF MEDICINE, HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES FACULTY BOARD

  • One (1) Continuing Academic Staff Member from each of the following Departments / Schools for Representation on the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences Faculty Board
    • Department of Chiropractic;
    • Department of Health Sciences;
    • Department of Linguistics;
    • Macquarie Medical School;
    • School of Psychological Sciences; and
    • Australian Institute of Health Innovation
  • One (1) Continuing Non-Academic Staff Member on the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences Faculty Board

After the close of nominations on Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 3.00 pm, nominations were checked for eligibility. Candidates in electorates with more than one candidate were provided with information regarding the ballot draw and the option to attend. The ballot draw was conducted by the Deputy Returning Officer on Thursday 18 September 2025, and the candidate names are displayed below in the order they will appear on the ballot.

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the Department of Chiropractic

Associate Professor Michael Swain

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the Department of Health Sciences

Dr Kelly Gray

Dr Vidya Lawton

Rebecca Bevan

Professor Nathaniel Marshall

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the Department of Linguistics

Dr Jae-Hyun Kim

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the Macquarie Medical School

Associate Professor Marco Morsch

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the School of Psychological Sciences

Associate Professor Josephine Paparo

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation

Professor Robyn Clay-Wiliams

  • one (1) continuing non-academic staff member from the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences

No nominations were received.

The number of nominations do not exceed the number of positions vacant for the following and the Deputy Returning Officer declared the following persons elected unopposed:

  • Associate Professor Michael Swain as the academic staff member from the Department of Chiropractic
  • Dr Jae-Hyun Kim as the academic staff member from the Department of Linguistics
  • Associate Professor Marco Morsch as the academic staff member from the Macquarie Medical School
  • Associate Professor Josephine Paparo as the academic staff member from the School of Psychological Sciences
  • Professor Robyn Clay-Williams as the academic staff member from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation

The following position without nominations will be filled using an appropriate process to fill these in accordance with the Faculty Board Terms of Reference.

  • one (1) continuing non-academic staff member from the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences

As the number of nominations received exceeds the number of vacant positions, an online election will be conducted in accordance with Section 4 of the Faculty Rules for the following:

  • one (1) continuing academic staff member from the Department of Health Sciences

Voting Arrangements

  1. Voting will be conducted by an anonymous online ballot hosted by a third party poll provider that is accessed using a unique and secure link emailed to all eligible staff
  2. Candidates on the ballot form will be presented in the order in which names are drawn by lot by the Deputy Returning Officer.
  3. Voters are to mark their vote on the voting form by inserting the number “1” opposite the name of the candidate to whom the voter wishes to give their first preference.
  4. If the voter wishes to show their order of preference for any or all of the remaining candidates, the voter may do so by inserting the numbers “2”, “3”, “4” and so on, as the case requires, opposite the names of any of the remaining candidates so as to indicate by numerical sequence the order of their preference for the candidates.  The results are determined in accordance with the procedures set out in the Proportional Representation Manual: Rules for Conducting Elections by the Quota-Preferential Method.

All academic staff of the University eligible to vote in the election will be sent a secure link to vote when the ballot opens at 3.00 pm on Wednesday 8 October 2025.

All votes must be received by the Deputy Returning Officer by 3.00 pm on Wednesday 22 October 2025.

If you have any questions about elections and voting, please contact Governance Services by emailing election@mq.edu.au

For general information on all four Faculty Boards and membership, please see the Faculty Boards website.

A notice of election has been issued on 27 August 2025 for the following election:

Term of Office 15 November 2025 – 14 November 2027

Election for

  • four (4) students enrolled in an undergraduate degree comprising one from each of the four Faculties of the University;
  • one (1) student enrolled in a postgraduate degree (i.e., a degree conducted by coursework that is not a higher research degree);
  • one (1) student enrolled in a graduate research  degree;
  • one (1) enrolled international student (as defined in the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000); and
  • one (1) student enrolled in a program of study to represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

After the close of nominations on Wednesday 10 September 2025 at 3.00 pm, nominations were checked for eligibility. Candidates in electorates with more than one candidate were provided with information regarding the ballot draw and the option to attend. The ballot draw was conducted by the Deputy Returning Officer on Thursday 18 September 2025, and the candidate names are displayed below in the order they will be displayed on the ballot. Student candidates were also provided with an election briefing.

  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Arts on SRC;

Lucia Collisson

Nihara Delungahawatte

Tara Golchin

Finn McGaughey

Marty Davies

Amy Baran

Conor Nimmons

Rizki Deni

Candidate withdrew


  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from Macquarie Business School on SRC;

Kerem Teoman

Isabella Johnston


  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences on SRC;

Elisha James

Jaelene Jabson


  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from Faculty of Science and Engineering on SRC; and

Julius Bommers

Candidate withdrew


  • one (1) student enrolled in a postgraduate degree (i.e., a degree conducted by coursework that is not a higher research degree);

Will Law


  • one (1) student enrolled in a graduate research degree;

Sarah Steele


  • one (1) enrolled international student (as defined in the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000) on SRC.

Aynaz Abdi

Hamza Omer

Sanya Ahuja

Cristian Pividori

Elisha James

Vu Hong Nhung Nguyen


  • one (1) student enrolled in a program of study to represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

No nominations were received.

The number of nominations do not exceed the number of positions vacant for the following and the Deputy Returning Officer declared the following persons elected unopposed:

  • Will Law as the one (1) student enrolled in a postgraduate degree (i.e., a degree conducted by coursework that is not a higher research degree);
  • Sarah Steele as the one (1) student enrolled in a graduate research degree; and
  • Julius Bommers as the one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from Faculty of Science and Engineering

The following position without nominations will be filled using an appropriate process to fill these  in accordance with the SRC Terms of Reference.

  • one (1) student enrolled in a program of study to represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

As the number of nominations received exceeds the number of vacant positions, an online election will be conducted in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Macquarie University By-law 2005, and the SRC Terms of Reference for the following:

  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Arts;
  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from Macquarie Business School;
  • one (1) student enrolled in an undergraduate degree from Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences on SRC; and
  • one (1) enrolled international student (as defined in the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000).

Voting Arrangements

  1. Voting will be conducted by an anonymous online ballot hosted by a third party poll provider that is accessed using a unique and secure link emailed to all eligible staff
  2. Candidates on the ballot form will be presented in the order in which names are drawn by lot by the Deputy Returning Officer.
  3. Voters are to mark their vote on the voting form by inserting the number “1” opposite the name of the candidate to whom the voter wishes to give their first preference.
  4. If the voter wishes to show their order of preference for any or all of the remaining candidates, the voter may do so by inserting the numbers “2”, “3”, “4” and so on, as the case requires, opposite the names of any of the remaining candidates so as to indicate by numerical sequence the order of their preference for the candidates.  The results are determined in accordance with the procedures set out in the Proportional Representation Manual: Rules for Conducting Elections by the Quota-Preferential Method.

All students of the University eligible to vote in the election will be sent a secure link to vote when the ballot opens at 3.00 pm on Wednesday 8 October 2025.

All votes must be received by the Deputy Returning Officer by 3.00 pm on Wednesday 22 October 2025.  

For general information on the SRC, please see the SRC website. If you have questions about the SRC, please contact src@mq.edu.au. SRC elections are held in accordance with the SRC Terms of Reference

If you have any questions about elections and voting, please contact Governance Services by emailing election@mq.edu.au