Committee of Deans Meeting 7-1993

Meeting No. 7/93 of the Committee of Deans was held on Tuesday, 22 June 1993, in the Council Room, University Offices, at the Caulfield campus, between 2.30 and 4.10 pm.

There were present:

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

Professor I.W. Chubb, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor R.J. Pargetter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Projects)

Professor G.C. Clark, Acting 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 J.W. Freebairn, Acting Dean, Faculty of Economics Commerce and Management

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

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

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

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

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

Apologies were received from Professors P.LeP. Darvall, L.H.T. West, B. Dunstan, and R. Porter

In attendance were:

Mr J.S. White, Deputy General Manager

Professor R.McD. Anderson, Campus Director, Frankston

Mr M.D. Watson, Acting Academic Registrar

Mr G.F. Neat, Executive Director, University Development

Ms C.E. Anderson, Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor

M I N U T E S

47. Minutes

The minutes of Meeting No. 6/93 held on 1 June, copies of which had been circulated, were confirmed and signed.

48. Matters Arising from the Minutes

48.1 Mission Statement

Professor Chubb informed the meeting that the University's new mission statement and objectives, taking account of comments from Deans and incorporating a minor amendment agreed to by the Academic Board, would be circulated widely.

48.2 Development Plan

Following responses received from a number of Deans to the questions posed in the paper tabled at the previous meeting, Professor Chubb said he and Professor Darvall would now get down to following the University's process outlined for the development of the academic plan.

48.3 Review of Language and Learning Assistance Programs

Following comment received on the draft paper tabled at the previous meeting, Professor Chubb said a review of the University's language and learning assistance programs would now proceed in conjunction with Professor West. The aim, he said, would be the development of an integrated, comprehensive language policy for the University as a whole.

49. Report of the Vice-Chancellor

49.1 Frankston Campus

Professor Logan elaborated on the remarks he had made at the meeting of Academic Board on 16 June concerning the future of the Frankston campus. While fully integrated into the University's faculty structure and under the management of Deans, he said there were good reasons for the campus to retain its distinctiveness and regional orientation, much in the same way as was the case for the Gippsland campus. This meant, he said, that Monash should be seen as having three metropolitan campuses at Clayton, Caulfield, and Parkville, and two regional campuses at Frankston and Gippsland since each campus could be different as it responded to particular needs. He foreshadowed the probable establishment of an Advisory Council at Frankston and the possibility of a name change to, say, the Monash University Peninsula Campus at Frankston. Deans were supportive of Professor Logan's views.

49.2 Developments in Malaysia

Professor Logan informed Deans that the decision by the Faculty of Medicine not to proceed with a cooperative medical training program with a Malaysian partner was attracting adverse political fallout at the highest levels of the Malaysian Government. There was a major concern, he said, that this situation could impact seriously on Monash-Malaysian initiatives across the board let alone relations between the two countries.

49.3 Profiles

Professor Chubb reminded Deans that information relating to the coming DEET profile visit was due for submission to Canberra by the end of the month. He said he expected very limited funded growth to be on offer, and what there was to be highly targetted. Monash's strongest case, he said, would be to bid for some growth in higher degree by research load, and to get the new campus at Berwick under way.

49.4 Open Learning

Professor Logan informed Deans that, despite some misinformation in the media and unwarranted criticism from within the higher education sector, the Monash-led Open Learning program was progressing well with good second quarter registration levels, over half of which were in Monash mounted units. He said he was entirely satisfied that the tendering and evaluation processes adopted by the OLAA Board were scrupulously fair.

50. Urgent Matters

50.1 Annual Leave Loadings for Academic Staff

Professor Chubb informed the meeting that, following negotiations with the unions, Monash was left with no option but to pay supposed accumulated recreational leave loadings to academic staff up to the end of 1992, which would amount to some $710,000. He undertook to inform individual Deans of the commitment for each of their faculties.

51. Research Matters

No matters relating to research were raised.

52. Graduate Courses Guide

The meeting endorsed the proposal in the appended paper (D18/93) from Professor Pargetter for publication of a graduate courses guide as a companion to the successful undergraduate courses guide. It was accepted that this publication would aim to supplement and not supplant postgraduate promotional activities already undertaken by individual faculties. Professor Pargetter undertook to bring a draft text of the new publication to a later meeting of the Committee for comment.

53. 1994 Graduation Ceremonies

Following the action agreed to at the previous meeting, Professor MDW Pargetter reported that a most useful meeting had been held with all staff who had an involvement in the mounting of graduation ceremonies. Arising from this and subsequent meetings, he said, would be the submission to a later meeting of the Committee of a series of recommendations aimed at improving the format of graduations and associated activities. In the meantime, Deans endorsed the appended proposed schedule of graduations in 1994 (D19/93), subject to the possibility of a swap of one afternoon ceremony for Business and Economics for an evening ceremony being negotiated with another faculty.

54. Other Business

54.1 Building Program

In response to a question from Professor Bellamy about the timing for JSW the construction of phase 2 of the new Caulfield building, it was agreed that a paper be submitted to the next meeting on the current status of the University's capital development program with priorities, costings, and time-lines.

54.2 Continuing Education

Following a reminder of inaction on an earlier decision of DNA the Committee, it was agreed that it would be timely for a review to be undertaken of the University's ongoing continuing education activities in the wake of the 1989 EURACE report. It was agreed that the review should be conducted by Professors Aspin, Chandler, and Darvall with a view to reporting, if possible, to the next meeting of the Committee.

54.3 Conduct of Examinations

Professor Bellamy gave notice of a report that would be coming to the Committee on the timetabling of examinations with an evaluation of constraints that complicate the exercise.

54.4 Off-Shore Graduations

Professor Logan and Mr Watson gave details of arrangements in hand for graduation ceremonies that would be held in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore on 10, 13, and 16 July respectively.

Next Meeting

It was noted that the next meeting of the Committee was scheduled to be held at the Frankston campus on Tuesday, 13 July, at a time and location to be advised.