He is believed to be the first council member from outside Otago or Southland.
Polytechnic councils were restructured earlier this year, reducing in size from up to 20 members to eight.
The Otago council decided to advertise nationally for a member with academic expertise and selected Dr Coolbear.
Trained as a teacher and researcher in plant physiology, Dr Coolbear has a long involvement in education.
He is director of Ako Aotearoa, the National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence, and has worked previously at the Manukau Institute of Technology, Massey University and the Ministry of Education.
At its latest meeting, the council settled its fees structure, moving from a daily meeting allowance system to annual honorariums for permanent council members.
Daily meeting fees will still be paid to co-opted temporary members.
The council broadly adopted the fees structure proposed by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce.
Chairwoman Kathy Grant will receive $28,800 - about $3500 more than previous chairman Graham Crombie did under the old structure - while deputy chairwoman Susie Johnstone will receive $18,000.
Council member Rebecca Parata, who chairs the council's Te Komiti Kawanataka, will receive $14,400 and council members Chris Staynes, John Christie, Gillian Bremner and Drs Malcolm Macpherson and Peter Coolbear $10,000 each.
Ken Laraman, who convenes the polytechnic's staff subcommittee, asked the council to consider accepting lower fees, saying the polytechnic was "in a great era of financial restraint" and the opportunities for wage rises for staff were minimal.
Students were also facing rising costs, he said.
Council members said fees were reasonable.
Dr Macpherson said there was more responsibility and more work required of eight council members and it was important to adequately compensate people who were expected to do a professional job.
