Committee of Deans Meeting 2-1991

Meeting No. 2/91 of the Committee of Deans was held on Tuesday, 12 March 1991, in the James McNeill Room, University Offices, at the Clayton campus, between 2.15 and 4.30 pm.

There were present:

Professor M.I. Logan, Vice-Chancellor, in the Chair

Professor J.A. Hay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Professor G.N. Vaughan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor R.J. Pargetter, Dean, Faculty of Arts

Professor P.C. Chandler, Dean, David Syme Faculty of Business

Professor C.J. Bellamy, Dean, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology

Professor W.A. Sinclair, Dean, Faculty of Economics Commerce and Management

Professor D.N. Aspin, Dean, Faculty of Education

Professor P.LeP. Darvall, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor C.R. Williams, Dean, Faculty of Law

Professor D.A. Lowther, Acting Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Professor R.J. Snedden, Dean, Faculty of Professional Studies

Professor I.D. Rae, Dean, Faculty of Science

An apology was received from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor T. Kennedy

In attendance were:

Mr J.R. Leicester, Acting Registrar

Mr P.B. Wade, Comptroller

Mr J.C. Julian, Acting Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor

Mr G.F. Neat, Director of Communications

Mr I.C. Gregory, Acting Secretary

M I N U T E S

11. Minutes

The minutes of Meeting No. 1/91, held on 19 February 1991, copies of which had been circulated, were confirmed and signed subject to amending item 7, Chair of Law, by the substitution of `may' for `would' in the penultimate line.

12. Matters Arising From the Minutes

12.1 Faculty Budgets

Professor Logan drew the attention of members to his request to Deans for copies of their faculty budgets, it being noted that several had been received and others were in the process of being forwarded.

13. Report of the Vice-Chancellor

13.1 Research Administration

The Vice-Chancellor informed Deans of the structure and procedures proposed to stimulate research in the University. He emphasised the involvement of Deans in the process. He said the Committee of Associate Deans (Research), to be chaired by Professor Vaughan, was not to be a policy-making committee, and it was expected that its members would work in consultation with Deans. A small committee chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, comprising Professor Hay and Professor Vaughan, with two other members (probably from the Medicine/Science area of the University), would have the function of identifying research strengths in the University, particularly costly ones, and would also be concerned with the interaction of people and institutions involved in research outside the University. He referred to work that had taken place in the past in regard to identifying research, including cooperative research centres, special research centres, unsuccessful ARC submissions and NH&MRC submissions. The Research Development Fund would be used to foster research in large areas and, whilst consultations would take place with Deans, it was not proposed to invite bids for funding.

The Vice-Chancellor indicated that Professor Vaughan would have general responsibility for research management in the University. Professor Vaughan told the Deans that he was pleased to be involved with the research procedures and he had in mind a brief paper being submitted to each meeting of the Committee of Deans of developments in the Associate Deans (Research) Committee. Professor Vaughan tabled a document reporting on two meetings of this committee that had already been held.

13.2 Merger Matters

The Vice-Chancellor reported on the current situation in regard to Monash's proposed merger with the Victorian College of Pharmacy. He mentioned the persons to whom he had written and informed Deans of opposition being experienced from the University of Melbourne, a number of affiliated institutions with that university in the health area, and VPSEC.

Professor Logan said he understood RMIT would be withdrawing from the University of Victoria. He reported on the conditions stipulated by Monash in regard to the sponsorship of Swinburne Institute of Technology. In answer to a question concerning the status of Rusden College, the Vice-Chancellor informed Deans that he had indicated that Monash had no interest in its students, staff, or programs but was interested in the land and buildings. He indicated the possibility of Monash transferring some capital funds to Victoria College in the future to assist that College in transferring the staff and students from its Rusden campus. He also reported on the current situation in regard to the affiliation of Deakin University and Victoria College, and said there appeared to be an irrevocable break between Philip Institute of Technology and La Trobe University.

14. Consideration of Urgent Matters

14.1 Heads of Academic Units - Higher Responsibilities Appointments

A document was tabled which set out more clearly the status of Heads of Departments or Schools, and which contained a proposal for staff acting as Heads of Departments to be paid a salary equivalent to Associate Professor and to receive a loading. Associate Professors appointed as Heads of Departments would receive the loading but there would be no additional payment for Professors appointed Heads of Departments as this was considered part of the duties of a person appointed to a Chair. It was noted that these arrangements would apply to appointments of more than twelve months duration.

The meeting discussed the situation in respect of staff holding contracts as Head of Departments or Schools at the previous Chisholm Institute of Technology.

14.2 Monash University Club Representative

Professor Darvall informed the meeting that he had served as a representative of the Committee of Deans on the Committee of the Monash University Club for the last twelve months and would like to be replaced. Deans considered the current financial situation relating to the Club and noted that it was currently operating at a profit. In the absence of a volunteer to replace Professor Darvall, the Vice-Chancellor agreed to consider an appropriate replacement.

MIL

14.3 Devolution of Responsibilites to Faculty Officers

Professor Rae indicated some concern concerning a number of duties being devolved to faculty offices including coordinating the participation of members of the academic staff to attend graduation ceremonies, work relating to the advertising of academic staff vacancies, responsibility for determining whether students had fulfilled degree requirements, and a number of other matters. The Acting Registrar reported that the University now had 150 qualifications compared to approximately 22 prior to the mergers. This posed a problem in determining whether students were qualified to received diplomas or degrees. For the most part, he said, about 90% of cases were clear- cut but 10% or so needed to be referred back to faculties. He suggested that a list of persons who appeared to be qualified to graduate should be referred to faculties with those cases that Student Administration was not certain about being flagged for attention. This procedure was agreed to.

The Acting Registrar also informed the Committee that some faculties had a ballot or roster for staff to attend graduation ceremonies, and the current proposal was an extension of this.

The Vice-Chancellor agreed to take up the concerns raised with the Registrar. Some Deans indicated that they did not object to devolution per se but questioned the relationship between devolution and resources available.

MIL

14.4 Statistics from Caulfield and Frankston

The Comptroller mentioned difficulties that had been experienced in obtaining student enrolment statistics for the Caulfield and Frankston campuses, and reported to the Deans that he had established a small group reporting to the Associate Comptroller to investigate the matter as a matter of urgency. This group, he said, included a representative of the faculties and Student Administration.

14.5 Salary Periods

The Comptroller informed Deans that, following the merger with Chisholm, there had been some problems in respect of different payment dates for staff and also different periods of work included in salary payments. He said that action was in train to bring the two systems into line.

14.6 Liability for Payroll Tax

Further to his report to the previous meeting, that the University seemed likely to become liable for payroll tax on its TESS superannuation contributions, the Comptroller informed Deans that contrary legal advice had since been received that this might not be the case.

14.7 Copyright Arrangements

The Comptroller informed Deans that the AVCC had negotiated a new set of copyright arrangements which were likely to cost the University in the vicinity of $120,000 per annum.

14.8 Academic Salaries

The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee of a complication that had arisen in relation to current negotiations for academic salary rises. There appeared to be a general toughening-up, he said, and the academic salary increases eventually granted could be lower than anticipated or deferred in view of the current deficit facing the Australian Government.

14.9 Examination Facilities

The Comptroller reported to Deans that, at the opening of the new stand at Caulfield Racecourse, the Minister had announced that the facility would be made available to Monash University at no cost for examinations, and he outlined the facilities available which would make the venue one of the best centres for examinations in Melbourne.

14.10 Information for Prospective Students

Professor Bellamy mentioned that a large number of students who had not achieved satisfactory academic progress had financial difficulties. Some full-fee overseas students were working at jobs full-time and a number of Australian students were also engaged in working for periods that did not allow enough time for study. He suggested that consideration be given to providing information about study requirements to prospective students prior to enrolment so that students would be better prepared to complete their courses successfully.

15. Occupational Health and Safety

The paper circulated with the agenda (D6/91) was withdrawn pending the submission of a more detailed paper to a later meeting of the Committee.

16. Academic Promotions

Professor Hay reminded Deans of the previous procedures adopted for academic promotion and an outline of the major changes recommended in the attached paper (D7/91). He drew attention to the removal of quotas on the numbers of promotions, and devolved responsibilities to faculties for promotions up to Associate Professor/Reader, which would be dealt with by a University committee. It was also noted that the paper spelt out clearly that promotions would be contingent upon academic criteria only, and not subject to financial or budgetary considerations.

In answer to a query, Professor Hay informed the Committee that one of the next stages of development would be to clarify the difference in the criteria necessary for promotion to Senior Lecturer compared to Associate Professor/Reader. The Committee noted that promotions from Tutor to Senior Tutor were no longer automatic. It was also noted that the paper did not address matters relating to tenure. The meeting agreed that the membership of the committees should be more clearly specified, and the reference to not fewer than three members being elected for both the Academic Promotions Committee and the Readership/Associate Professorship Promotions Advisory Committee should be specified as `three members'. It was further noted that the document was not concerned with appointments, which would be the subject of a further report from the committee of review. It was agreed that there should be a relationship between the two sets of procedures, and that it was desirable for the document regarding appointments to be prepared as quickly as possible.

Some concern was expressed in regard to the implications for the work of departments as a consequence of promotions, and it was noted that departments might need to make arrangements to rearrange duties following promotions. It was suggested that flexibility should be introduced to assist in overcoming these type of problems.

It was noted that there was a degree of flexibility in the criteria for promotions which might allow differences to occur from one faculty to another. The Committee discussed whether the recommendations from the faculty committees should be made to the Vice-Chancellor through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) or to a University committee, but it was noted that this would not be compatible with the intended procedure of devolving to faculties responsibility for promotions up to Senior Lecturer.

17. Student Regulations Working Party

The Committee received the attached paper (D8/91) from Professor Vaughan relating to a number of matters that had arisen at the Working Party on Student Regulations which he chaired. He informed Deans that the major tasks included in the terms of reference of the working party were nearing finalisation and a report would be forthcoming in the near future. The major matters considered by the Working Party related to student discipline procedures, exclusion for unsatisfactory progress, exclusion appeals, and student grievance procedures. He drew attention to a number of other matters which the student members had raised but which he had indicated were not matters on which it was appropriate for the Working Party to make recommendations on. He noted that many of these concerns had also been expressed in the strategy and structure paper that had been referred to all faculties by the Professorial Board early last year.

GNV

Professor Ray mentioned an approach which had been made to him in regard to filling a number of student vacancies on the Board of the Faculty of Science. It was noted that the strategy and structure paper included a recommendation that student members of faculty boards be nominated by MAS but, at the present time, the student membership of faculty boards was determined by legislation and, in most instances, they were elected members. Deans were also reminded of the report adopted at the last meeting of the Academic Board in regard to student membership of that body, which included provision for elected student members but for the filling of casual vacancies by nomination of the appropriate student organisation.

18. ANZAAS Medal

Deans noted the call for nominations for the 1991 ANZAAS medal in the attached paper (D9/91) and agreed to forward the names of any suggested nominees to Professor Hay.

All Deans

19. Medical Chairs

The attached paper was received from Professor Porter (D10/91) giving notice that his faculty wished to make Chair appointments in Anatomy and Pharmacology. A supplementary paper relating to the Chair in Anatomy was tabled at the meeting, and the recommendation therein that the chair be advertised was endorsed by the Committee. It was noted that a firm proposal regarding the Chair in Pharmacology would be submitted to a later meeting.

MDW

Next Meeting

It was noted that the next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans would be held on the irregular day of Wednesday, 3 April, commencing at 2.15 pm, to accommodate the Easter break.