Administrative Heads Group Meeting 1-1997
Meeting 1/97 (inaugural meeting) of the Administrative Heads Group was
held at 8.30 am on Wednesday, 29 January 1997 in the Council Room,
University Offices, Building 3a, Clayton Campus.
Janice H Newham, Secretary
Membership:
A list of the members is provided at the end of these minutes.
Vice-Chancellor Professor D A Robinson chaired the meeting.
Apologies were received from:
Professor John E Maloney
Mr Peter B Wade
Dr Terry Stokes
Mr Michael Watson
Present by invitation:
Mr D Phillips
Mr P Summers
Ms D Lampard
Mr I Dobson
Mr C T Vernon (for item 4)
M I N U T E S
1. Welcome and introductory remarks
The Vice-Chancellor welcomed all members and introduced Deputy
Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Planning) Designate Professor A W Lindsay. He
also introduced Mr D Phillips who had been appointed as the
Vice-Chancellor's Special Adviser (Corporate Planning & Review) to head a
small group which was to assist in the development of a corporate plan for
the University.
An agenda for the meeting and a paper setting out the terms of reference
and constitution of the Group had been circulated prior to the meeting.
Members were handed copies of a memorandum dated 28 January 1997 from the
Vice-Chancellor pertaining to item 3 on the agenda.
Introducing the planning task ahead Professor Robinson stressed the
importance of infrastructure as a key to the quality of a university's
academic program. He said he expected those present - who were responsible
for the provision of an effective infrastructure - to make significant input
into both the process of preparation for 1998 and planning in the longer
term. He made reference to information he had published in the first edition
of Etcetera for 1997 which set out a context for the corporate
planning exercise.
Items 2 and 3 were taken together.
2. Preparation for 1998
3. Corporate Planning
The Vice-Chancellor introduced the members of the small corporate
planning group reporting to Mr Phillips - Mr P Summers, Ms D Lampard and Mr
I Dobson - and invited Mr Phillips to brief the Group on the proposed
process and timetable for the development of a rolling five-year corporate
plan, culminating in the submission of a draft to Council at meeting 4/97 on
7 July.
The meeting also received advice as follows:
- From Mr Phillips, details of information requested from each dean by
14 March 1997, relating to the capacity and desirability of charging
undergraduate fees and of enrolling HECS-liable students above target
load. The Secretary was asked to circulate the relevant memorandum which
had been sent to deans on 22 January 1997.
- From Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Development) Professor P LeP
Darvall, an update on progress with the development of an Information
Technology (IT) Policy and the implementation of other recommendations of
the Review of Telecommunications and Computing Infrastructure (1996). The
Secretary was asked to circulate to members the first draft of the IT
policy, tabled on the previous day at a meeting of the Committee of Deans.
- Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Planning) Designate, Professor A W
Lindsay, spoke about factors influencing the learning environment Monash
would be aiming to create, such as the "customer" orientation of students,
their demand for flexibility in delivery of courses, the adequacy of
feedback on student performance, and the role of IT in providing solutions
rather than driving the academic planning process. To address these and
related issues Professor Robinson foreshadowed the establishment of a
small group reporting to Professor Lindsay, which would include Professors
J Anderson and J Harris. In response to a query about a DE student levy to
cover library costs, Professor Lindsay indicated he would be looking at an
array of strategies to meet the challenges of access costs for high
standards of service.
The Group noted the information presented and endorsed the principles
underpinning the planning process.
Action: JHN
4. 1997 Selection
The Group heard from Mr C T Vernon on progress thus far with 1997
enrolments and quality of applicants. Mr A Pollock spoke about the
international student enrolments and Mr P Cunliffe briefed the meeting on
the Monash University Foundation Year (MUFY) figures.
5. Review of Higher Education
The Vice-Chancellor and Mr Phillips commented briefly on the review
committee and terms of reference which had been announced by the Minister
for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs on 14 January 1997.
6. Progress of Monash University Council Review
In reference to the review of Council established in May 1996, Professor
Robinson informed the Group that the preliminary report drafted for
consideration by Council would also form part of the input to the State
Government review of the structure and function of university councils.
Reminded of the likely establishment of a Corporate Planning Committee of
Council, the Vice-Chancellor indicated that the draft corporate plan would
go to Council via this Committee (see item 3 of these minutes).
Action: DP
7. Enterprise Bargaining
Professor Darvall advised the Group on the process of establishing
enterprise bargaining units under the new Work Relations Act. He focused
particularly on the need to negotiate with all staff, and on the possibility
of forming faculty based bargaining units which might differ in outcomes.
The Group noted the Vice-Chancellor's view of enterprise bargaining as
closely related to the corporate planning process and therefore as
contributing directly and favourably to a shared understanding of desired
workplace activity and relationships.
8. Responsibilities of Vice-Chancellor's Group
Referring to a memorandum he had circulated to heads of departments and
divisions on 7 January 1997 the Vice-Chancellor outlined the allocation of
responsibilities among his Executive Group until the arrival of Professors
Maloney and Lindsay. He also mentioned his commitment to performance
appraisal for the four members of that Group.
Professor Robinson also spoke about the inportance of the appointment,
mid 1996, of the four campus directors. He said he saw their role as
two-fold: to keep a watching brief on the consequences of faculty decisions
for the campus, and to suggest new programs, probably outside the realm of
any one current department, school or faculty, which would attract national
and international as well as local students. The Vice-Chancellor emphasised
the co-operation between deans and campus directors in taking the long term
view and developing programs to benefit each campus and the University.
9. MEETING DATES FOR 1997
Administrative heads noted the following meeting dates set for the
remainder of 1997, including a change of the date of meeting 2/97 from 10
April to 3 April.
2/97 Thursday 10 Thursday 3
April 8.30 am Council Room
3/97 Thursday 31 July 8.30 am Council Room
4/97 Thursday 13 November 8.30 am Council Room
The meeting closed at 9.40 am.
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Membership
Vice-Chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development)
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Public Affairs) Designate
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning) Designate
General Manager
Deputy General Manager
Campus Director, Gippsland
Campus Director, Berwick
Campus Director, Caulfield
Campus Director, Peninsula
Director, Student Services
Director, Financial Services
Director, Facilities and Services
Director, Personnel Services
Director, Research Services
Director, University Development
University Librarian
Academic Registrar
University Solicitor
Director, Computer Centre
Director, Halls of Residence
Director, Performing and Creative Arts
Director, Distance Education Centre
Manager, Budget and Statistical Services
Manager, Internal Audit
Director, Business Development
Director, University Union
Director, Sports & Recreation Association
General Manager, Monash International Pty Ltd
Director, Centre for Higher Education Development
President, Managers' Association
Faculty Registrars
Additional Circulation
Special Adviser - Corporate Planning and Review
Executive Assistant to Vice-Chancellor
Secretary
Manager, University Secretariat |
