The Board of The Faculties is a direct successor of the Board of the School of General Studies and was established by amendments to the Australian National University Act in 1979, which came into operation in 1980. These amendments established the position of Chairman of the Board (the Board having previously been officially chaired by the Vice-Chancellor but in practice by a Deputy Chairman) and renamed the School of General Studies as The Faculties comprising the Faculty of Arts, Asian Studies, Economics, Law, and Science. The Board was responsible for advising Council on all academic matters relating to The Faculties. From July 2001 to June 2004 this advice was to be transmitted through the Academic Board. It was disestablished with effect from 1 July 2004 by means of the Higher Education Support (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2003.