The University's governing body is Council and its membership consists of a mixture of elected staff, student, alumnus and external appointees. The Vice-Chancellor, the University's chief academic and administrative officer, is also a member.
Council is chaired by the Chancellor who is a lay member of the Council.
The functions, duties and powers of the Council are prescribed in the Education and Training Act 2020, sections 280, 281 and 283.
The functions of Council include the following:
- To appoint a chief executive in accordance with the State Public Service Act 2020, and to monitor and evaluate the chief executive's performance
- To prepare and submit a proposed plan if the institution is seeking funding under a funding mechanism that provides for funding via plans
- If the institution has a plan,to ensure that the institution is managed in
accordance with that plan and to determine policies to implement that plan - To determine, subject to the Public Service Act 2020, the policies of the institution in relation to the management of its affairs
- To undertake planning relating to the institution’s long-term strategic direction.
From 1 January 2020 the composition of Council is as follows:
- Four persons appointed by the relevant Minister.
- One person, being Māori and able to advise Council on issues relevant to Māori, appointed by Council following a call for expressions of interest from iwi and other Māori individuals or groups.
- The Vice-Chancellor by virtue of his/her holding office as the chief executive officer of the University of Auckland.
- One person being a permanent member of the academic staff of the University of Auckland elected by the permanent members of that staff.
- One person being a permanent member of the professional staff of the University of Auckland elected by the permanent members of that staff.
- One person being an enrolled student of the University elected by the students of the University.
- One person being an alumnus of the University of Auckland appointed by Council following a call for expressions of interest from alumni.
- Two persons able to provide skills specified by Council to be appointed by the University of Auckland Council following a call for expressions of interest.