Committee of Deans Meeting 14-1991
Meeting No. 14/91 of the Committee of Deans was held on Tuesday, 8
October 1991, in the Clayfield Room, K.H. Boykett Building, at the Caulfield
campus, at 2.15 pm.
There were present:
Professor M.I. Logan, Vice-Chancellor, in the Chair
Professor J.A. Hay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
Professor T. Kennedy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Professor D.N. Aspin, Dean, Faculty of Education
Professor P.C. Chandler, Dean, David Syme Faculty of Business
Professor P.LeP. Darvall, Dean, Faculty of Engineering
Professor J.R. Greig, Associate Dean, Faculty of Computing and
Information Technology
Professor R.J. Pargetter, Dean, Faculty of Arts
Professor R. Porter, Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Professor I.D. Rae, Dean, Faculty of Science
Professor W.A. Sinclair, Dean, Faculty of Economics Commerce and
Management
Professor R.J. Snedden, Faculty of Professional Studies
Professor C.R. Williams, Dean, Faculty of Law
In attendance were:
Mr A.L. Pritchard, Registrar
Mr P.B. Wade, Comptroller
Ms E. Anderson, Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor
Mr J. White, Associate Comptroller
Mr G.F. Neat, Communications Director
Mr I.C. Gregory, Secretary
Apologies were received from:
Professor G.N. Vaughan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Professor C.J. Bellamy, Dean, Faculty of Computing and Information
Technology
M I N U T E S
125. Minutes
The minutes of Meeting No. 13/91, held on 18 September, copies of which
had previously been circulated, were confirmed and signed.
ICG
126. Matters Arising from the Minutes
126.1 Work of the Committee of Deans
Consideration of this matter was deferred on the suggestion of the Vice-
Chancellor.
ICG
127. Report of the Vice-Chancellor
127.1 Development Fund
A paper was tabled (D83/91) containing a shortlist of projects prepared
by the Vice- Chancellor's Research Committee to be funded from the Monash
Development Fund in 1992 and 1993. In speaking to the list, the
Vice-Chancellor said that it was preliminary and individual Deans were
invited to indicate in writing to the Vice-Chancellor if they had any
concerns and preferences, particularly in regard to changes in priorities
made by the Committee to those in the original requests from the Deans. If
Deans wished to reorder the priorities, they should explain in their letter
the reasons why the changes made by the Research Committee should not
proceed. For future allocations, more detailed guidelines would be prepared
and consideration would be given to disaggregating the development fund into
categories. Any surplus remaining in the fund from the 1991 allocation would
be rolled through to 1993 and it needed to be borne in mind that a number of
cooperative research centres were still being considered and the University
may allocate funds for some of the unsuccessful CRC proposals.
Deans
127.2 Review of Two Faculties of Business
The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee that the submissions made in
respect of the Review of the two Faculties of Business by the late Emeritus
Professor Walker had been obtained. The authors of the submissions had given
permission for them to be made available to the Vice- Chancellor. In the
light of this information, the Vice-Chancellor would contact the two Deans
concerned with a suggestion that the two faculties continue as separate
entities. However, it would be proposed that a small committee of the
Academic Board would be established to consider proposals from either
faculty prior to transmission to the Academic Board.
MIL
127.3 Senior Staff Establishment
The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee that consideration was being
given to the appointment of a Deputy Vice-Chancellor following the
resignation of Professor Hay. He anticipated that a recommendation would be
made at the next meeting of Council, although the possible recommendations
of the Waller Committee needed to be taken into account.
MIL
127.4 Monash University College Gippsland
The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee that he had been discussing
the relationship between the College and the rest of the University with
Professor Kennedy and had come to the view that the College should become
more fully integrated into the University. Discussions would begin with
relevant staff with a view to the schools becoming part of the University
faculties.
128. Urgent Matters
128.1 Finn Report
Professor Aspin informed the Committee that a draft response to the Finn
Report was being prepared and that Deans would be asked for their comments.
He anticipated that the response would be available for a meeting of the AEC
to be held on 16 November.
DNA Deans
128.2 VCE Mathematics
The Vice-Chancellor outlined a problem with the new VCE mathematics units
and that the matter was being handled in association with the
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Professor Sinclair drew the
meetings attention to a review which was scheduled to be held in March next
year but noted that university entry requirements for 1993 had already been
specified. The matter needed to be handled with sensitivity in order not to
upset schools and prospective students. The problem appeared to have arisen
as a result of misleading advice being given to schools in respect of
mathematics by VCAB as it had been understood that students doing units 3
and 4 in Year 12 would not have taken units 1 and 2 in Year 11. Those
students who had taken units 1 and 2 in Year 11 had been anticipated to take
extensions in Year 12. The matter had been discussed at a meeting of the
Victorian Vice-Chancellors' Committee and the suggestion had emerged that
students should be encouraged to take the extensions by such means as giving
bonus marks. The alternative of applying a discount to students who had
taken units 3 and 4 in addition to units 1 and 2 was also canvassed.
128.3 Search Committee for Chancellor
The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee of Deans that due to the
illness of the Committee's Chairman, Mr Hancock, he would assume the
chairmanship of the Search Committee which had been established at the last
meeting of Council to consider nominations for a new Chancellor. The
Committee had met once under the chairmanship of Mr Hancock.
128.4 Medical School in Kuala Lumpur
Professor Porter informed the meeting that a document had been received
containing a request for a Monash association with a private medical school
in Kuala Lumpur. The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee that he
considered a paper relating to the establishment of campuses and cooperative
arrangements in Malaysia and Thailand was required.
MIL
129. Budget for 1992
A paper entitled `Monash University Operating Budget Model, Further
Development (No. 2)' had been circulated to Deans prior to the meeting. The
Vice-Chancellor noted that concern had been expressed in regard to weights
being given to teaching in a number of areas, particularly Education and
Psychology, and he proposed that there would be a full review of the costs
of teaching in these areas early next year. A similar review could also be
done for a number of areas relating to the Faculty of Economics Commerce and
Management, such as Accounting.
A detailed outline of the document was given by the Comptroller. The
current documents included tables based on anticipated 1992 figures, a
number of amendments had been incorporated as a result of discussions at the
last Committee of Deans meeting, and some small changes had been made to the
load in various faculties. Some minor changes had been made to teaching
weights, including two changes affecting the Faculty of Economics Commerce
and Management whereby some extension was given to the weight for
Econometrics and Economic Statistics and Economic History had been given the
same weight as History. Allowance had been made for the teaching undertaken
in the Computer Centre. In regard to the 8% academic salary increase, the
Comptroller pointed out that this had not been split in the usual 68.5/31.5
academic/non-academic basis but had been allocated according to where the
expenditure on academic salaries would occur. As a result some 96% would go
to faculties. As approximately half of the salary increase would be paid in
1991 this accounted for the DEET costing index showing only a 3.6% increase
in 1992.
The model contained no deduction from faculty funds for equipment except
for an amount of $500,000 for large items of equipment. Research initiatives
have also been left in faculty funds. In regard to scholarships, two
allocations had been made comprising a total of $2 million compared with
$1.9 million last year. First, the cost of existing scholarships in 1992,
was estimated at $1.5 million and this had been allocated to the faculties
concerned. Second, the allocation for commencing scholarships of $500,000
had been allocated to faculties in accordance with their proportions of the
budget based on a target of 40 new scholarships in 1992. The view was
expressed that 55 new scholarships should be made available in 1992 and it
was noted that this would require provision of a further $200,000.
A sum of just over $4 million was proposed for the Monash Development
Fund based on comments made previously at the Committee.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that not all the funds available in the
development fund had been allocated in 1991 and some of the balance could be
made available for commencing Monash graduate scholarships in 1992.
The Comptroller drew the Committee's attention to the fact that the total
pool of funds proposed for faculties in 1992 was 5.8% higher than in 1991.
It was noted that the figures contained in the tables were for DEET funds
only and did not include income from full-fee paying students.
Work was proceeding on estimates of income and expenditure of additional
sources of income and also for the budgets for other areas of the University
including the Registrar, Comptroller, Library and Computer Centre. The
Comptroller mentioned that for comparative purposes, an analysis had been
undertaken of previous figures for faculties to place them on a comparable
basis to the current analysis. The Committee briefly discussed the provision
for distance education and noted that a provision was made in the budget for
funding progressing students at previous costs which were higher than for on
campus students but the provision for new distance education students had
been made at the same rate as for on campus students.
The Committee discussed the possibility of designating a provision for a
research fund which could be a recommendation from the Research Review
Committee. However, it was noted that a report from this committee might not
be received until 1992 and therefore it could not be provided for in the
budget. The Committee agreed that options should remain open for the $4
million allocated to the development fund.
Professor Williams raised the question of the 2% "safety net" and the
extent to which this provision applied where a faculty was experiencing
growth in student numbers as opposed to a no growth situation. He considered
that the analysis did not take a growth situation into account. The Vice-
Chancellor indicated that he would look into the matter raised.
PBW
130.Research Matters In the absence of Professor Vaughan, there
was no report on research matters.
131.Staffing Matters
131.1 Academic Appointments
The Committee received draft revisions to the Academic Appointment
section of the Staff Handbook from Professor Hay (D80/91). In speaking to
the paper, Professor Hay requested that if Deans had any concerns they
should be directed to him within one week. The changes provide for selection
committees to be based on a similar model to that used for promotions, to
differentiate between tenured positions and fixed term and to clarify a
number of other staffing matters.
JAH Deans
131.2 Adjunct Professors
A paper submitted by Professor Hay was tabled at the meeting relating to
the age of retirement of Adjunct Professors. The Committee agreed to adopt
the proposal outlined in the paper subject to introducing a further
condition to disallow University staff being appointed as Adjunct
Professors.
The Committee briefly discussed the question of titles in the University,
especially that of Professor, and noted that at an earlier meeting, it had
been agreed that Associate Professors should not be entitled to the title of
Professor. The Vice-Chancellor informed the Committee that further
consideration would be given to the question of titles in the University,
taking into account a number of changes that were being adopted by other
universities in Australia.
132. Emergency Evacuation - Building Wardens
The Committee received a paper submitted by Professor Vaughan (D81/91).
The Committee noted that despite repeated requests, a number of wardens
and deputy wardens had not been appointed for a large number of buildings in
the University. The Committee noted the University's responsibilities in
regard to evacuation procedures and agreed that Deans should take immediate
steps to have wardens appointed for the buildings in their areas. Following
these appointments, training sessions should be commenced for the conduct of
emergency evacuation procedures.
Deans
133. Meetings in 1992
The Committee agreed to the following schedule of dates and venues for
meetings of the Committee of Deans in 1992:
Thursday, 20 February - Clayton
Tuesday, 10 March - Clayton
Tuesday, 31 March - Caulfield
Thursday, 23 April - Clayton
Tuesday, 12 May - Frankston
Tuesday, 2 June - Clayton
Tuesday, 23 June - Clayton
Tuesday, 14 July - Caulfield
Tuesday, 4 August - Clayton
Tuesday, 25 August - Clayton
Tuesday, 15 September - Gippsland
Tuesday, 6 October - Clayton
Tuesday, 27 October - Clayton
Tuesday, 17 November - Caulfield
Tuesday, 8 December - Clayton
Tentative Dates for Special Meetings:
9 June - Clayton
16 June - Clayton
30 June - Clayton
24 November - Clayton
Next Meeting
The next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held on
Tuesday, 29 October, commencing at 2.15 pm in the James McNeill Room,
University Offices, Clayton campus.
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