Committee of Deans Meeting 10-1995
Meeting No 10/95 of the Committee of Deans was held on Tuesday 25 July
1995, in The Sir George Lush Room, Ground Floor, University Offices 3.1,
Clayton Campus, between 1.45 pm and 4.00 pm.
95/0402
There were present:
Professor M I Logan, Vice-Chancellor, in the Chair
Professor R J Pargetter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Professor P LeP Darvall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
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
and Economics
Professor C J Bellamy, Dean, Faculty of Computing and Information
Technology
Professor R T White, Dean, Faculty of Education
Professor M L Brisk, Dean, Faculty of Engineering
Professor C R Williams, Dean, Faculty of Law
Professor R Porter, Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Professor J W Warren, Dean, Faculty of Science
Professor C B Chapman, Dean and Director, Victorian College of Pharmacy
In attendance were:
Mr P B Wade, General Manager
Ms O Cornelius, Academic Registrar
Ms C E Anderson, Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor
Ms J Dunn, Secretary
During consideration of Item 7.1 on the Agenda, Professor R J Pargetter
took over the Chair for the remainder of the Meeting.
M I N U T E S
1. Minutes
The minutes of Meeting No 9/95 were confirmed and signed.
2. Matters arising from the Minutes not dealt with elsewhere in the
Agenda
2.1 Procedures at Graduation Ceremonies
The Vice-Chancellor referred to Item 3.4 of the Minutes which referred to
a review of graduation procedures. Professor Pargetter, Deputy
Vice-Chancellor, advised the Committee that the review report would be
submitted first to the Executive and then to the following Meeting of the
Committee of Deans.
3. Vice-Chancellor's Report
3.1 Directions for the Future
Copies of Directions for the Future were tabled. The
Vice-Chancellor foreshadowed the publication, later in the year, of a second
volume which would be written by deans and reflect their perspectives and
faculty cultures. He indicated that he would be contacting deans about this
and that there would be further opportunity to discuss format and content.
The Committee noted that Professor Logan would be launching Directions
for the Future at a breakfast on Tuesday 1 August.
3.2 Environmental Matters
The Vice-Chancellor referred to a memorandum he had received from
Professor J W Warren, Dean of Science, dated 13 July 1995, proposing to
clarify the role and terms of reference of the Vice-Chancellor's
Environmental Advisory Committee and recommending that it become a committee
of Council.
Some queries were raised about the current operation of the Committee and
the related statutory responsibilities of the Occupational Health and Safety
Branch. The General Manager offered to follow up these matters by asking Mr
J Trembath, Director of Facilities Services, to consult with Professors
Warren and Porter with a view to finding an alternative solution to the
establishment of a committee of Council.
The possibility of the establishment of an Environmental Institute, which
could have a role in fund raising, enhancing the University's profile in
environmental matters and brokering Monash expertise, was also discussed.
Professor Quartly, Dean of Arts, tabled a draft proposal (D90/95, attached).
Professor Darvall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, agreed to arrange for the
compilation of an inventory of the environmental programs currently carried
out at Monash. Professor Logan indicated that use of the funds set aside for
the establishment of the Institute would be deferred until this review of
current activities had been done and the Institute's proposed role was
clarified.
3.3 Higher Education Management Review
Reading from a letter referred to him by the Chancellor, the
Vice-Chancellor advised the Committee about the focus of this review. Some
discussion ensued about the size and operation of university councils.
Professor Logan indicated that a fairly general initial response would be
made to the review committee. It was agreed that Professors Pargetter and
Darvall would prepare a response for the Vice-Chancellor.
3.4 Melbourne's Hospital Network
The Vice-Chancellor advised the Committee that Professors Porter and
Chandler had been nominated to serve on hospitals boards.
Professor Logan and Professor Porter, Dean of Medicine, indicated that
discussions would continue about the new management arrangements for
hospitals and that the Committee would be kept informed.
4. Urgent Matters
4.1 Fees for International Students
Professor Bellamy, Dean of Computing and Information Technology,
expressed his concern about the convention of fixing international student
fees for the duration of a course. He suggested that consideration be given
to some form of indexing for CPI increases so that the University would not
be locked into a fixed fee structure when staff wages were likely to vary
under Enterprise Bargaining arrangements.
The Vice-Chancellor agreed that the matter should be considered before
the fees were set for 1996.
4.2 Enterprise Bargaining Professor Darvall, Deputy
Vice-Chancellor, reported briefly on a meeting of senior management staff
from Victorian universities, which had taken place on the previous day.
5. Research Matters
5.1 Intellectual Property
Professor Darvall informed the Committee that the Intellectual Property
Committee had been disappointed in the standard of patent applications. He
suggested that Associate Deans (Research) should take more responsibility
for this and he informed the Committee that the process was being reviewed.
5.2 Research, Community Service and the Quality Visit
Professor Darvall gave a brief positive report on research performance
indicators. He also mentioned reviews of centres which were taking place
with a view to closing some of them.
The Committee noted comments made by Professors Logan and Darvall about
arrangements for the visit of the Quality Committee on 11 August 1995.
6. International Matters
6.1 Annual Report on Monash University Foundation Year 1994 - Summary
The Committee received and noted the circulated document D85/95 and
endorsed it for transmission through the Academic Board to Council.
7. Special Items
7.1 Performance Appraisal
As agreed at the previous meeting, Deans reported individually on the
progress with staff performance appraisal in their faculties. Introducing
the item, Professor Darvall commended staff appraisal as an essential,
businesslike practice which was good for staff morale and important for
Enterprise Bargaining.
There was some discussion about the following issues:
the value of a formal registered agreement including staff appraisal;
the appropriateness of withholding increments to reflect unsatisfactory
performance;
the level of acceptance around the University of performance appraisal.
Professor Darvall agreed to consult with the General Manager and to write
to deans and heads of departments and schools advising them formally of the
University's expectations in relation to performance appraisal, affirming
the right of all staff to appraisal annually or whenever an increment was
due.
8. Matters Raised by Deans
8.1 Chair of Librarianship, Archives and Records
Noting advice from the Deans of the Faculties of Computing and
Information Technology and Arts, the Committee endorsed the circulated
proposal (D86/95) to advertise and fill the Chair.
9. Reports of Administrative Divisions / Departments
9.1 Report of the Professional Development Centre
The Report was received and noted (D87/95).
The Committee discussed the role and terms of reference of the PDC in
general terms. In view of the PDC's recent formation from the previous HEARU
and Staff Development units, Professor Darvall advised that its activities
and new structure would be reviewed and a report presented to the Committee
in due course.
10. General Business
10.1 Academic Arrangements with TAFE
Professor Pargetter introduced the circulated document (D88/95).
The Committee noted the information about Academic Arrangements with TAFE
10.2 Review of Legislation Governing Election of Members of Council
and Academic Board
The Committee noted that a review had been conducted by the Academic
Registrar and the University Secretariat, in consultation with the
Solicitor's Office, the Monash Postgraduate Association and Personnel
Services. The review sought to remove various anomalies in the definitions
contained in the legislation governing elections and membership of the
Academic Board and Council (D89/95).
The Committee endorsed the following recommendations contained in the
document for referral to the Academic Board and Council for action:
(i) That Statute 1.1 - Interpretation be altered to include a
separate definition for graduate diploma students as distinct from diploma
and certificate students.
(ii) That Statute 9.1.2 - Election of members of the Council by the
students in the university, be altered so that it reads `2. One of the
three members of the Council to be elected pursuant to this statute shall be
elected from among their number by the graduate and graduate diploma
students of the university and as a qualification for becoming a member of
the Council shall be a graduate or graduate diploma student who is
attending the university solely or principally as a graduate of graduate
diploma student rather than as an employee of the university. (Changes
italicised)
(iii) That Statute 9.2 - Election of members of the Academic Board,
Part 4 - Student members, be altered so that it reads `15. Two
members of the board shall be elected by the graduate and graduate
diploma students of the university and shall each be a graduate or
graduate diploma student who is attending the university solely or
principally as a graduate or graduate diploma student rather than as
an employee of the university. (Changes italicised)
(iv) That Statute 9.1.5 - Election of members of the Council by the
professors be altered so that it provides a clear definition with regard
to professors of the University who are eligible to become members of
Council.
11. Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on
Tuesday 15 August 1995 in The Sir George Lush Room, Ground Floor, University
Offices 3.1, Clayton Campus.
Distribution
Vice-Chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellors
Pro Vice-Chancellors
Deans
General Manager
Director, University Development
Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor
Associate Dean, Business and Economics
Deputy General Manager
Deputy Dean, Business and Economics
General Manager, Monash International
Directors, Administrative Divisions
General Manager, Open Learning
University Librarian
Registrar, Victorian College of Pharmacy
Policy and Legal Counsel
Academic Projects Office
Policy and Planning Officer
Managers, Administrative Branches
Director, Computer Centre
Faculty Registrars
Director, Professional Development Centre
Personnel Branch
Director, Organisational Development
SWAS 1994
SWAS 1995
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