Committee of Deans Meeting 11-1992

Meeting No. 11/92 of the Committee of Deans was held on Tuesday, 25 August 1992, in Council Room at Monash University College Gippsland, between 2.00 and 4.10 pm.

There were present:

Professor R. Porter, Acting Vice-Chancellor, in the Chair

Professor R.J. Pargetter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts

Professor T. Kennedy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor

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

Professor S.A. Crossley, Acting Dean, Faculty of Science

Professor C.B. Chapman, Dean, Victorian College of Pharmacy

In attendance were:

Mr J.R. Leicester, Acting Registrar

Mr P.B. Wade, Comptroller

Mr M.D. Watson, Secretary

M I N U T E S

85. Minutes

The minutes of Meeting No. 10/92 held on 4 August, copies of which had been circulated, were confirmed and signed.

86. Matters Arising From the Minutes

86.1 Parking

In response to a comment from Professor Darvall, the Comptroller PBW acknowledged that the trial period for monitoring the use of the section of the new Engineering carpark reserved for staff returning from off-campus duty had elapsed and agreed to ask the parking review working party to make a firm recommendation for its future use.

87. Acting Vice-Chancellor's Report

87.1 Meeting of Pro-Vice-Chancellors (Research)

Professor Porter reported on a meeting of Pro-Vice-Chancellors (Research) or their equivalent he had attended at the University of New South Wales during the previous week at which a number of important issues were discussed, including the Statement on Science and Technology 1992-93 and the outlook for the PGRA program. The meeting had also been addressed, he said, by The Hon. Ross Free and a number of industry leaders.

87.2 Organisational Structure Review

Professor Porter briefed Deans on the background to and initial proceedings of the review of the organisational structure of the University announced by the Vice-Chancellor at the previous meetings of Council and the Academic Board.

87.3 Meetings with School Principals

Professor Pargetter reported that two of six planned dinners had been successfully hosted by the Vice-Chancellor for school principals. This program was leading, he said, to greater cooperation between Monash and the schools in its broad catachment area. He said there were indications that the demarcation between school and university would be less sharp in future with some schools looking to introduce specialised years 13 and 14 programs for later credit at tertiary level study. No commitments had been made, Professor Pargetter said, but the Vice-Chancellor was encouraging principals to approach deans with their proposals.

87.4 Admissions Committee

Professor Pargetter informed Deans that, at the Vice-Chancellor's request, he had taken over as chairman of the Admissions Committee with a brief to reinvigorate its proceedings and restructure its operation. He foreshadowed a proposal he would be submitting to the Academic Board recommending a three-tier structure comprising: (a) a largely academic group to deal with policy matters; (b) a hands-on group of all selection officers, with an executive to guide its activities; and (c) an external liaison group to concern itself largely with school links. There would be overlap between these groups, he said, to ensure cohesion between policy and practice. Professor Pargetter took note of a request from Professor Bellamy for Deans to be provided with information on `profiles' and advice on how, RJP if at all, they were to be used in the selection process.

87.5 International Baccalaureate

Professor Pargetter informed Deans that the Admissions Committee had the International Baccalaureate under active consideration given its introduction or proposed introduction by a number of influential schools. In the face of what might be considered an over-generous accommodation of the IB by the University of Melbourne, he said Monash's interim position was that IB applicants would be:

(a) regarded as `school leavers'; and

(b) treated equitably alongside VCE applicants.

It would be up to faculties, he said, to determine what constituted equitable treatment, and foreshadowed the provision of information on the IB and guidelines to assist in dealing with questions on parity with the VCE.

87.6 Victorian Tertiary Admissions Committee

Professor Pargetter informed Deans of matters arising at recent meetings of VTAC, including:

. a disturbing statistical outcome for CAT 1 results;

. the likelihood of a move to three CATS in most subjects, with consequent selection implications; and

. a proposal for three levels of mathematics with the highest level attracting a 50% loading, with worrying implications.

He said faculties would be asked to comment on these matters.

Professor Pargetter took note of comments from Professor Bellamy that RJP certain aspects of the subject English as a Second Language needed looking into, and that he and Professor Ewens had informed VTAC of some inherent difficulties they had become aware of in manipulating VCE scores.

87.7 Television Open Learning

Professor Pargetter spoke highly of Monash's chances of being awarded leadership of the national open learning program following talks with DEET officials on 21 August, notwithstanding an eleventh hour spoiling bid by its consortium partners. In this event, he said the University would have to move very fast if it were to deliver programs by next March, and would need to look critically at management structures and quality control. He placed on record his appreciation of the contributions made by Mr John Harris and Professor Leo West in helping respectively to prepare and promote the University's bid.

87.8 Deputy Registrarship (Human Resources Management)

Professor Pargetter reported that Ms Susan Harrison had been appointed to the recently advertised new position of Deputy Registrar (Human Resources Management).

88. Urgent Matters

88.1 Additional 1993 Student Load

In response to a query from Professor Sinclair, Professor Pargetter explained that the decision to favour higher degree enrolment for the additional load granted to the University in 1993 had been taken at a meeting of the Executive and conveyed to the Committee of Deans by the Vice-Chancellor.

88.2 Gippsland Integration Project

In response to a question from Professor Bellamy, Professor Pargetter reported that all agreements that would secure the full integration of Monash University College Gippsland with the rest of the University were now in place and, apart from some lingering disquiet about Nursing and the constitution of the integration committee, little difficulty was expected in securing their endorsement by the College's Advisory Council later in the day. Professor Kennedy informed the meeting that the Nursing concerns were not Gippsland-based. He said there was some worry about the future of the David Syme Faculty of Business, and confirmed that some unresolved matters were still of concern to general staff.

The meeting noted with interest a report from the Comptroller that the University had been successful in attracting Government funding made available at short notice for a new $1.25M Visual Arts building on the Gippsland campus on a matching grant basis.

Professor Darvall said he had become aware of a view that RP the integration process might be helped along by a gesture from the University to support the emerging research effort at the Gippsland campus, specifically by way of the allocation of graduate scholarships. Such matters, it was held, should be drawn to the attention of the PhD and Graduate Scholarships Committee.

88.3 Roll-In

Professor Porter reported that the Government was proceeding on the basis of weighted load in allocating roll-in capital funding, which was to Monash's advantage. Funding under the program would commence in 1994, he said, with Monash being allocated $12.6M - the same as for the University of Melbourne - with $35M held centrally in a discretionary fund. Funding of some $20M for a Berwick campus could emanate from this source if a decision to go ahead were made soon, he said.

In response to a question from Professor Bellamy, the Comptroller said he thought it likely that planning could commence in 1994 for the new tower block at the Caulfield campus.

89. Intellectual Property

The Committee received and noted the attached report of a colloquium on intellectual property held on 24 July, D54/92, submitted by Professor Porter.

90. Domestic Airline Travel Tender

The Committee received and noted the attached paper outlining the terms of a new domestic airline travel agreement negotiated with Ansett Airlines, D55/92, submitted by the Comptroller.

Mr Wade took note of a comment from Professor Chapman that it might be PBW a good idea for Monash to determine a policy on frequent flyer points accumulated by staff travelling on University business, as was being done by other organisations. 91. Security Matters Further to concerns expressed about an earlier draft at Meeting No. BO'M 2/92, Minute 17.1, the Committee received the attached draft Staff Handbook entry on security matters, D56/92, submitted by the Comptroller. Mr Wade said it was important for the policy to reflect the reality of how and when the University operated, and asked Deans to convey any comments they may have in writing to the Central Services Manager, Mr Bill Cunningham.

Matters Pending

The meeting noted the Vice-Chancellor's request that the practice of MDW including in agenda and minutes a list of matters awaiting the Committee's attention be discontinued in favour of periodic reminders by the Secretary to the members concerned.

Next Meetings

JRT

Members were advised that a special meeting of the Committee would be held on Thursday, 10 September, at 8.30 am in the Council Room at the Clayton campus, the main business being a discussion of 1993 commencing load to be used as a basis for framing the University's 1993 operating budget.

It was noted also that the next ordinary meeting of the Committee was scheduled to be held at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, 15 September, in the Council Room at Clayton, at which a presentation would be given by the Director of the Building and Development Branch, Mr John Trembath, on capital developments currently in train.