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Committee of Deans Meeting 15-1994

Meeting No 15/94 of the Committee of Deans was held on Wednesday 23 November 1994, in the Faculty Room, Faculty of Medicine, Clayton campus, between 10.00 am and 2.00 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 P LeP Darvall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development)

Professor L H T West, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International Programs and Development)

Professor J Harris for Pro Vice-Chancellor (Gippsland Campus)

Professor P C Chandler, Pro Vice-Chancellor

Professor M Quartly, Dean, Faculty of Arts

Professor J A Rickard, Pro Vice-Chancellor & Dean, Faculty of Business & Economics

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

Professor R T White, Dean, Faculty of Education

Professor W H Melbourne, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor C R Williams, Dean, Faculty of Law

Professor R Porter, Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Professor P Stewart for Dean and Director, Victorian College of Pharmacy

Professor J W Warren, Dean, Faculty of Science

In attendance were:

Mr P B Wade, General Manager

Ms O Cornelius, Academic Registrar

Ms C E Anderson, Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor

Mr P Summers, Policy Adviser

Ms V Kelly, Assistant to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Observers:

Ms S Joy, SWAS

Ms H Smith, SWAS

M I N U T E S

131. Monash: Toward 2000

The Vice-Chancellor advised the Committee of the need for the University to develop a statement which defined the University's current position and which outlined future directions. He suggested that such a statement may best be developed in two forms: one for internal use and one (substantially the same) for public dissemination. In presenting the matter to the Committee, the Vice-Chancellor referred to a paper circulated separately (D162/94) which identified issues to be considered in the development of a statement, and a tabled paper in which a possible structure for the statement was suggested (D163/94).

The Vice-Chancellor suggested the statement should present a reasoned argument and identify those factors which distinguish the University from other universities and those which could be distinctive in the future. He sought the endorsement of the Committee to proceed in the matter as outlined, and invited discussion of the issues presented. During discussion, a wide range of issues was raised for consideration in the development of a statement, including:

× the need to identify those disciplines with which the University wishes to be engaged in the future;

× the need to subject all aspects o

f the University's activities to scrutiny;

× the need to define the University's core business (teaching and research) and those activities which add value to the core or which are appropriate activities in their own right;

× recognition of major changes that are occurring/will occur in education, including impact of information technology, overseas students and the need for the University to position itself to make the most advantage of such change;

× the advisability of presenting a series of seminars from experts in relevant fields, to advise Deans on possibilities for the future;

× the impact of external change on the University, eg. the future of health care services;

× recognition of the national context within which the University operates, and the need for a strategy to achieve research funding from Australian companies;

× the need to review methods of teaching, support services for students and semesterisation in recognition of the learning skills and experiences which students bring with them to the University from secondary education;

× the need for relevant data to be available, and the need for its in-depth analysis, to support decisions that may be taken about the future.

Following the discussion, the Vice-Chancellor advised that a procedure was to be developed to further the planning process. The procedure would be referred to the Committee in due course, and Deans were invited to give further consideration to relevant issues.

132. Minutes

The minutes of Meeting No 14/94 held on 2 November 1994, copies of which had been circulated, were confirmed and signed.

133. Matters arising from the Minutes not listed elsewhere in the Agenda

133.1 August Student Census

The Committee received a tabled paper (D149/94) which presented a detailed analysis of the University's student load by funds source as at the March and August DEET census dates, and noted that the University was required by DEET to remit a discounted HECS charge for all fee paying postgraduate students as the August DEET target for these students had not been met.

133.2 Montech as Broker for Monash Courses

The Committee gave consideration to an earlier proposal for Montech to act as a broker for the University in offering Monash courses to local students on a fee paying basis. The students concerned would be those who had met entry standards for courses but who had not been offered a place because of quota restrictions.

It was recognised that the legality of charging tuition fees to local students needed to be explored; if legality was established, then the scheme could be an option for those faculties who wished to participate; all fee income generated would revert to the faculties who participated.

During discussion, the Deans of Engineering, Medicine and Law advised that their faculties did not wish to be involved in the proposed scheme; the Dean of Arts expressed cautious interest, and the Dean of Business and Economics expressed strong interest. The responsibility of participating faculties to select and admit students in the normal way was confirmed, as was their responsibility to provide support services, including counselling.

133.3 Distribution of Library Acquisitions Budget

The Committee noted the advice of the University Librarian on this matter, as detailed in the document circulated with the agenda (D150/94)

. 133.4 Divisional Administrative Reports

The Committee received a tabled paper (D164/94) which presented a proposed schedule for receipt by Deans in 1995 of divisional administrative reports.

Noting that the schedule was to be modified to include reference to reports from the University Library, Computer Centre and Academic Services, the Committee endorsed the proposal and agreed that heads of divisions be invited to be present at meetings where their reports were to be received.

133.5 Tenure Ratios

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor advised that the matter was still under discussion with the Unions (D147/94); the University was aiming to negotiate a position where Lecturer Level A positions were tagged and considered as positions, not tied to individual incumbents. In relation to the Enterprise Bargaining (EB) process, the Committee noted that the University had served a log of claims on the Unions; the log was to be circulated to Deans and progress in the EB process would continue to be reported to the Committee.

133.6 Review of Staff Selection and Associated Policies and Procedures

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor orally presented proposed amendments to the document circulated with the agenda (D151/94). The amendments provided for:

× inclusion of procedures for the appointment of Professor/Directors (Faculty of Medicine);

× confirmation that positions of Associate Deans were normally filled internally;

× confirmation that the University would not use contracts for probation purposes.

The Committee having noted that proposed composition of selection committees provided a deal of flexibility, and did not necessarily preclude current practice, the following further amendments were agreed:

× selection committees for Associate Deans shall be chaired by the relevant Dean, who may co-opt additional members;

× with regard to other selection committees, the presiding member may co-opt additional members;

× the selection committee for appointment of a General Manager shall include a Dean;

× the number of Council members serving on a selection committee for appointment to a Personal Chair shall be one; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) shall be a member of such selection committees;

× with regard to the selection process for the appointment of a Dean, the outgoing Dean may be consulted by the selection committee about the nature of the position; the outgoing Dean may not be a member of such a selection committee.

It was agreed that the document be presented to the Academic Board that afternoon, and that the Board be advised of proposed amendments.

133.7 Acting Appointments

This matter had been discussed at the previous meeting (Minutes, 124.1); at that meeting, the Committee had agreed that heads of departments who were not professors were not in future to be appointed as acting professors.

Recognising that a transition phase would have to be worked through before the above policy could be fully implemented, it was agreed that, generally, staff were to be advised that there were to be no continuing acting appointments at professor or associate professor levels. However, if an expectation had been given to a staff member that the title `Acting Associate Professor' or `Acting Professor' would continue with a reappointment to a position in an acting capacity, then use of the title would continue during that reappointment.

134. Report of the Vice-Chancellor

134.1 Vocational Education and Training

The Vice-Chancellor presented to the meeting the previously circulated stage 1 report on Vocational Education and Training (VET) (D152/94).

General support to proceed with the initiative was expressed by the Committee; members noted that strong academic control on courses offered was to be maintained by the University.

134.2 University Budget 1995

The Committee received a tabled paper on the 1995 Operating Budget (D165/94).

During discussion, the Vice-Chancellor agreed that the issue of the allocation of research funds to Peninsula campus (vis-a-vis allocations at Gippsland campus) required further consideration.

The Committee noted that detailed budget documentation, including a spread sheet detailing components of calculations, was to be referred to faculties in the first week of December; the General Manager advised that he would forward to Deans information concerning the distribution of the research quantum.

135. Urgent Matters

135.1 Purchase of Rare Book

The General Manager advised that the University Librarian had the opportunity to buy an original edition of Newton's Principa Mathematica for $150,000.

The Committee endorsed the purchase of the book, to be funded on the following basis:

× each faculty to contribute $5,000;

× Library to contribute $50,000;

× University to contribute the remainder.

135.2 Report on Language and Learning Activities

Noting that a petition had been received by the Dean of Arts which expressed opposition to a recommendation of the review concerning the classification of staff of a proposed Language and Learning Services Unit, and that the Faculty of Education had not had time to respond to the report prior to its referral to the Academic Board, the Committee agreed that the report should be referred to the Board that day, on the understanding that it would be withdrawn if the Board expressed concern about it.

136. Research Matters