The Provost
About the role
The Provost is the University's Chief Academic Officer. The role was first introduced at the University of Melbourne in 2007, and was held by Professor Peter McPhee.
The Provost leads and supports the development, delivery and excellence of the University's curriculum, student experience and scholarly information services. The Provost has responsibility for the implementation and coordination of the Melbourne Model, the Melbourne Student Services Model and Melbourne's Scholarly Information Future and also works closely with the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global Engagement) to deliver a unique Melbourne Experience to students.
About the Provost
Professor John Dewar is the current University of Melbourne Provost, a position he took up in September 2009. He was previously Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global Relations) at the University of Melbourne from April to September 2009.
Professor Dewar is an internationally known family law specialist. A graduate of the University of Oxford, he taught at the Universities of Lancaster and Warwick from 1981 to 1988, and worked for the London law firm Allen & Overy from 1988-1990.
He was appointed Fellow and Tutor in Law of Hertford College Oxford in 1990, a position he held until 1995 while acting as consultant to London law firm Farrer & Co.
In 1995, he moved to Griffith University in South East Queensland where he was successively Dean and Head of School of the Griffith Law School (1999-2002), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Law) (2003-5) and most recently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) from 2005 until joining the University of Melbourne in April 2009.
He was a member of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group from 2000-2001, a member of the Family Law Council from 1998-2001 and Chair of the Council from 2001-4. He is a former Vice-President of the International Society of Family Law and was Director of Studies for the World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights from 2002-6. He was the inaugural Chair of the Board of the Queensland College of Teachers from 2006 to 2009.
He is currently a Director of Education Australia Ltd, and is a member of the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) Advisory Council, the Learning Networks Standing Committee of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), and of the International Editorial Board of 21st Century Society, the Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences.
He has published widely on various aspects of family law, access to justice and legal theory. His most recent research has been in the areas of superannuation and divorce, and post-separation contact between parents and children.
Role of the Provost division
The Provost division provides services to students, faculties and graduate schools and the wider University community in the following areas:
- Academic policy and program development and coordination
- Student administration and enrichment services for all cohorts, including research higher degrees
- Management of student services enterprise systems
- Services supporting the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of students and staff
- Student Centre coordination
- Student IT services
- Library services (including Archives and Cultural Collections)
- Skills development & training
- Research support
- Learning and Teaching technology support
- Corporate records management
- Copyright information and compliance
- E-scholarship research.
Supporting the Provost
The Provost is supported by staff in a number of teams under the guidance of the Director, Office of the Provost, Dr Fiona Downie: