Professor Sally Kift appointed as Chair of the Boards for seven Australasian Navitas colleges

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Sally Kift as Chair of the Boards for seven Navitas colleges in the University Partnerships Australasia (UPA) division: Deakin College, Curtin College, La Trobe College Australia, SIBT, SAIBT, Eynesbury College and Griffith College.

Professor Kift boasts an impressive career in higher education. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law (FAAL) and President of the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (ALTF).

Professor Kift has also held several university leadership positions, including as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at James Cook University and Visiting Professorial Fellow at the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE), Curtin University (now the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES). She is also a national Teaching Award winner, a national Program Award winner and a National Senior Teaching Fellow on the First Year Experience. In 2010, she was appointed an Australian Discipline Scholar in Law.

Recognising her expertise and valuable contribution to the higher education sector, in 2017, she received an Australian University Career Achievement Award for her contribution to Australian higher education. In 2018 she was appointed by the Federal Education Minister as a member of the Australian Qualifications Framework Review Panel.

Navitas UPA CEO Malcolm Baigent said Navitas colleges and university partners have benefitted greatly from her involvement as an Independent Director on the Boards since 2023.

“Sally is a consummate leader and brings a wealth of experience to our Boards. Having her at the helm as Chair of the Boards is a real privilege,” Malcolm said.

“The Boards play a critical role as peak governing body for each of our Institutes of Higher Education in UPA. They ensure the highest levels of academic quality and compliance and are responsible for maintaining an institutional environment that upholds academic freedom, treats staff and students equitably, fosters wellbeing of staff and students and ensures students are actively engaged in decision making.”