Committee of Deans Meeting 14/95
Meeting No 14/95 of the Committee of Deans was held from 2.15 pm to
4.15pm on Tuesday 17 October 1995 in The Sir George Lush Room, Ground Floor,
University Offices 3.1, Clayton Campus. An informal lunch was held for
members from 1.00pm.
There were present:
Professor R J Pargetter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Professor P C Chandler, Pro Vice-Chancellor
Professor Barry Dunstan, for Professor J L C Chipman, Deputy
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 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
Apologies were received from:
Professor M I Logan, Vice-Chancellor
Professor P LeP Darvall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Professor L H T West, Pro Vice-Chancellor
In attendance were:
Mr P B Wade, General Manager
Dr S Matchett, Executive Director, Marketing & Communications Office
Ms C E Anderson, Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor
Dr G Risbridger (SWAS Member)
Ms J H Newham, Secretary
Prior to the meeting, members of the Committee discussed informally the
following matters:
Bond University and the viability of a private / public management
arrangement;
The University's new undergraduate information CD Rom, Monash on
CommanD, circulated by the Executive Director, Marketing and
Communications, on 4 October 1995.
With regard to the latter item queries were raised about the course
information contained on the CD Rom and about the instructions for loading.
Dr Matchett agreed to follow up these matters with individual Deans.
M I N U T E S
1. Minutes
The minutes of Meeting No 13/95 have been circulated. For confirmation.
2. Matters arising from the Minutes not dealt with elsewhere in the
Agenda
2.1 Search Committees for Women Chair Applicants
At Meeting No. 8/95, the Committee had discussed a paper on Search
Committees, presented by the Dean of Law. The paper was re-submitted for
consideration, along with advice from the Equal Opportunity Committee
(D111/95).
Professor Williams introduced the discussion, referring to the
documentation which had been circulated. He tabled a suggested re-wording of
the approved statement covering search committees (D128/95).
The Committee considered the value of having a University wide policy on
encouragement of women applicants for professorial positions. After some
discussion and comment from the General Manager, Mr Wade, the Committee
acknowledged the ground already broken in fostering opportunities for women
at Monash, and agreed:
to affirm the current policy of encouragement of women applicants for
professorial positions;
to request Personnel Services to develop an appropriate standard letter
for notifying suitable women about advertised positions and inviting their
application while affirming that the normal selection process was to take
place;
to add explanatory notes to the approved statement about search
committees for women, which would state that
1. the search for women applicants would normally be handled by the dean
of the faculty (rather than by the chair of the selection committee, who was
usually the Vice-Chancellor) and integrated with the main search process;
2. a standard letter was available for deans to use in notifying suitable
women about advertised positions;
3. the dean would provide the chair selection committee with a report on
the search process, with a list of potential applicants, including women,
who were approached.
3. Vice-Chancellor's Report
3.1 Proposal for a Monash Institute of Languages
Professor Quartly, Dean of Arts, spoke to the proposal which had been
distributed with the agenda (D120/95). In response to queries from members
she clarified the expected relationship between the proposed institute and
the language departments in the Faculty of Arts, and the role of the
institute in the implementation of the University's Language Policy. As a
result of discussion about the term "institute", Professor Quartly agreed to
consider naming the proposed body "Board of Languages" or "Board of Language
Studies".
The Committee endorsed the proposal of the Dean of Arts to establish a
board to oversee the University's Language Policy.
3.2 Sub-faculty of Art and Design
Professor Pargetter, Acting Vice-Chancellor, introduced discussion on the
proposal to convert the Sub-faculty to a college of art and design
(D121/95). Members queried the proposed reporting line to the
Vice-Chancellor, the title "Pro- Dean", and the timing of the review and
re-designation of the Sub-faculty. While acknowledging the plans already
approved to review the status of the Sub-faculty and the support of the Dean
of Arts for the proposed changes, the Committee agreed to refer the proposal
back to the Dean for re-working.
3.3 Bond University
This item was dealt with before the formal commencement of the meeting.
Advice from the Acting Vice-Chancellor and the General Manager relating to
the resolution of the bidding process and the success of the University of
Queensland was noted.
3.4 Associate Degrees
Documentation tabled by the Acting Vice-Chancellor was received.
(D126/95).
Members expressed their opposition to the University offering Associate
Degrees, noting that Monash had developed beneficial relationships with the
TAFE sector and that credit could be given towards Monash awards on the
basis of TAFE qualifications.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor undertook to reply to the AVCC along these
lines.
3.5 Items Discussed at Vice-Chancellor's Executive Meetings
A document was tabled (D127/95).
The Committee noted issues discussed at the meeting of the
Vice-Chancellor's Executive held on 4 October 1995.
3.6 Directions for the Future - Volume 2
Deans were reminded that Volume 2 was to be published before Christmas
and noted that the remaining contributions were due by the end of October.
4. Urgent Matters
4.1 Frequent Flier Points and the Travel Contract with QANTAS
The Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology,
Professor Bellamy, raised the matter of advice he had received that frequent
flier points accrued to the individual rather than the University, making it
impossible to require staff to use the points for travel undertaken of
behalf of the University. Members expressed dissatisfaction with the
discounted fare arrangements made between Monash and QANTAS and with the
inadequate information circulated about these. Ms Anderson, Adviser to the
Vice-Chancellor, agreed to obtain clarification of the booking arrangements
and inform Deans.
In relation to the advice that some staff had their subscriptions to
Golden Wing paid by the University, it was noted that such payment was at
the discretion of department heads.
5. Research Matters
There were no research matters raised.
6. International Matters
There were no international matters raised.
7. Special Items
7.1 Governance and Administration
At Meeting No. 12/95, during a discussion of the Higher Education
Management Review, the Dean of Arts had agreed to organise a meeting of
members interested in reviewing the relationships between the Committee,
Council and the Senior Executive of the University. A document prepared by
the Dean was received and confirmed as an accurate record of the meeting
held on 9 October 1995 (D122/95).
Professor Quartly outlined briefly the major points discussed at the
meeting, and indicated that another meeting would be held to decide which
executive committees they regarded as requiring decanal membership. She said
that resolutions would be brought to a future meeting of the Committee of
Deans.
Members confirmed the need, implied in the second dot point in the notes
of the meeting, for the Committee to strengthen itself in view of the
likelihood of an organisational review under the next Vice-Chancellor.
8. Matters Raised by Deans
8.1 Budgetary Matters - Gippsland
The Dean of Education, Professor White, indicated his interest in
discussing the matter of control of the Gippsland budget. As the General
Manager had had to leave the meeting early, the Committee noted that
Professor White would raise this item at the next meeting.
8.2 Enterprise Bargaining and Long Service Leave
Professor White spoke of funding problems resulting from some staff
having accrued excessive long service leave entitlements. He asked if the
management of long service leave could be included in the current enterprise
bargaining arrangements. The Secretary agreed to advise Professor Darvall
and Mr Wade of this suggestion.
9. Reports of Administrative Divisions/Departments
9.1 Report of the University Librarian
The report of the University Librarian was received and noted (D123/95).
9.2 Report of the Computer Centre
The report of the Director of the Computer Centre was received (D124/95).
Professor Bellamy mentioned concerns which he had raised with the Director
about the re-direction of the Centre's resources as outlined in Section 9 of
the report. He said that he saw the primary role of the Centre as supporting
undergraduate teaching and that the responsibility for the equipping of the
computer laboratories should not fall to the faculties.
On Professor Bellamy's suggestion, the Committee agreed to ask the
Computer Centre Committee to finalise the review of information technology
strategy and funding, commenced at the start of 1995.
The Committee noted the Acting Vice-Chancellor's advice about the efforts
of Professor Egan's Multimedia Advisory Board in pulling together the major
issues in electronic communication in the University community.
10. General Business
10.1 Meeting Dates 1996 - Committee of Deans
The list of dates for meetings in 1996 were approved (D125/95).
11. Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on
Tuesday 7 November 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, Marketing & Communications Office
Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor
Associate Dean, Business and Economics
Deputy General Manager
Deputy Dean, Business and Economics G
eneral Manager, Monash International
Directors, Administrative Divisions
General Manager, Open Learning
University Librarian Policy and Legal Counsel
Academic Projects Office
Managers, Administrative Branches
Policy and Planning Officer
Faculty Registrars
Director, Computer Centre Personnel Services
Director, Professional Development Centre
SWAS 1994
SWAS 1995
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