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Committee of Deans Meeting 2-1997Meeting 2/97 of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on Thursday, 27 February 1997 in the Sir George Lush Room, Ground Floor, University Offices Building 3a, Clayton Campus. Janice H Newham AGENDA1. Attendance and apologies Professor R J Pargetter, Special Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Admission Matters, has been invited to attend the meeting for item 4.1.1. Members of the Vice-Chancellor's Corporate Planning Group - Mr D Phillips, Mr P Summers, Ms D Lampard, Mr I Dobson and Ms C Mingins - will attend for item 4.1.2. Apologies have been received from Professors M Quartly and C R Williams. Associate Professor N White and Professor M Neave will attend in their place. 2. Minutes The minutes of meeting 1/97 have been circulated. For confirmation and signature. 3. Matters arising from the minutes not dealt with elsewhere in the agenda 3.1 International student fees Under item 4.3.1 at the previous meeting a request was received from the Faculty of Business and Economics for approval to set its international course fees taking account of likely CPI increases over the course duration and then to maintain that fee for the course duration. Consideration of the request was deferred until this meeting. The General Manager will advise the Committee on the resolution of this matter. 4. Vice-Chancellor's business 4.1 Vice-Chancellor 4.1.1 Admission matters Deans will have received a memorandum dated 13 February 1997 from Professor R J Pargetter, Special Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on Admission Matters, relating to the selection of full fee-paying undergraduate students from 1998. Professor Pargetter will speak to this item. For discussion. Professor Pargetter will also inform Deans about a VCE review. 4.1.2 Corporate planning update Deans will have received correspondence from the Vice-Chancellor dated 13 February 1997 in relation to this item. The Vice-Chancellor will speak to this item. 4.1.3 Open Days 1997 The Vice-Chancellor will speak to this item. 4.1.4 Higher Education Review Committee - Submission Guidelines A media release which was dated 18 February 1997, enclosing Submission Guidelines, from the Chair of the Committee, Mr Roderick West, is attached. (D8/97 p5-12) The document can be accessed from the Review Committee's web site at: http://www.deetya.gov.au/divisions/hed/hereview The Vice-Chancellor will introduce discussion. 4.2 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) 4.2.1 IT Policy At meeting 1/97 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (R&D) Professor Darvall invited Deans to consider the draft document tabled at the meeting and provide comments or suggestions to his Associate, Mr I Dobson before this meeting. A revised draft dated 20 February 1997, is attached. (D9/97 p 13-16) For consideration. 4.3 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Public Affairs) 4.3.1 Off-shore graduation ceremonies 1997 A schedule of off-shore graduation ceremonies dated 12 February 1997 prepared by the Academic Registrar is attached for information. (D10/97 p17-18) The Committee should note that to achieve bulk discounts the Academic Registrar's office will make all travel and accommodation bookings, as per the schedule. The Vice-Chancellor will speak to this item. 4.4 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning) 4.5 General Manager 5. Matters raised by Deans 5.1 Part-time graduate students' amenities fee A memorandum from Professor C R Williams, Dean of Law, dated 12 February 1997 regarding the amenities fee paid by graduate students of the Faculty of Law, is attached. (D11/97 p19-20) For consideration. 6. Other business 6.1 Review of the Council of Monash University A report on the outcomes of the Council Retreat held in December last year prepared by Deputy Chancellors Ramler and Knights and Professor M L Brisk dated 18 February 1997, has been placed on the Internet for information and response by members of the Monash community. The web location is: http://www.monash.edu.au/unisec/notice.htm The document was approved by Council at its meeting 1/97 held on 17 February 1997. The relevant extract from the minutes of Council is attached for information. (D12/97 p21-22) Professor M L Brisk will introduce discussion on this item. 6.2 Deans' representative on the Monash University Club Committee A memorandum from the Club President, Mr J McGrath, dated 29 January 1997, seeking the appointment of a replacement for the late Professor C Bellamy on the Committee, is attached. (D13/97 p23). For consideration and nomination of a representative. 7. Next meeting The next Committee of Deans meeting will be held on Thursday, 20 March 1997 at 2.15 pm in the Sir George Lush Room. Distribution (Hard copy): Vice-Chancellor Committee of Deans 2/97 HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING AND POLICY MEDIA RELEASE HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW COMMITTEE RELEASES SUBMISSION GUIDELINES The Federal Government's Higher Education Review Committee, today released the guidelines it will encourage individuals and organisations to use when making written submissions to the Review Committee. "Given the complexity of the issues facing higher education in Australia, it is critical that those preparing submissions have some early indication of how the Committee has interpreted the Terms of Reference provided by the Government", said Committee Chair Mr Roderick West. "While the Terms of Reference are admirably broad and provide the Review Committee with considerable flexibility, the Committee believes that it cannot afford to be anything other than 100 per cent focused on the core, system level issues in conducting the review", he added. The Submission Guidelines identify five key themes from the Terms of Reference:
"While the Committee believes that these themes will provide a useful indication to those preparing initial, written submissions of what the Committee is looking for at this stage, we do not see them as mutually exclusive. We also accept that they may change as a result of the consultative process. "I should also stress that while it was tempting to identify separately issues such as globalisation and education technology because of their obvious importance, the Committee believes that these factors are ultimately so pervasive in their likely impact on Australian higher education, they must become a part of all the Committee's deliberations", said Mr West. "The next decade will be one of profound change in the environment in which higher education operates. Against this background we need to ask some fundamental questions about the role of higher education and be prepared to be creative in our consideration of solutions. "As a community we need to form a view on what we want from higher education over the next two decades. Part of the answer to this lies in seeking answers to further questions such as: what is the community prepared to put into higher education and how, and to what extent should government be involved in regulating it?", Mr West said. The Submission Guidelines reiterate the Review Committee's intention to publish submissions to the Review Committee on its web site. "The Committee wants to conduct a review that is open, consultative and characterised by a rational debate of the issues. "By making all submissions open to public scrutiny, the Committee believes there will be an incentive for high quality submissions to be prepared and therefore, a more focussed debate of the key issues confronting Australia's higher education system", said Mr West. The Review Committee has extended the closing date for the delivery of submissions to April 24. Copies of the 'Submission Guidelines' may be obtained from the Committee's web site at http://www.deetya.gov.au/divisions/hed/hereview/ Further background information: Higher Education Financing and Policy Secretariat (0417 215 674; 06 240 7344) Guidelines for Submissions GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF SUBMISSIONS TO THE REVIEW OF HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING AND POLICY Background These guidelines are intended to assist individuals and organisations wishing to make written submissions to the Review Committee. The membership of the Committee is as follows:
A copy of the Terms of Reference governing the conduct of the review is appended to this document. Key dates for stakeholder and community consultations are:
In addition, the Review Committee intends to release a discussion paper later in the year. This will present a further opportunity for interested individuals and organisations to present views and for the Review Committee to undertake consultations with stakeholders. Guidelines Individuals and organisations making submissions to the review are free to prepare their submissions as they see fit and should be aware that submissions will be published on the Review Committee's Web site at http://www.deetya.gov.au/divisions/hed/hereview/. The following guidelines are provided with a view to maximising the value of submissions. It is suggested that submissions:
Eight hard copies of each submission and one disk copy (in Word for Windows or Word 6 for Macintosh) should be provided to the review committee by close of business on 24 April 1997. The mailing address for the lodgement of submissions is: The Secretariat Courier deliveries should be addressed to: The Secretariat Major themes and issues The Committee has identified the following key themes from its Terms of Reference. While not exhaustive in coverage, or mutually exclusive, they are seen at this stage as providing a useful focus for submissions. Theme one: the role of higher education in Australia's society and economy
Theme two: factors affecting the demand for and provision of higher education over the next 10 to 20 years
Theme three: regulatory and administrative framework for higher education
Theme four: financing higher education teaching and research training
Theme five: funding of higher education research
THE REVIEW TERMS OF REFERENCE BACKGROUND The last decade has been a period of sustained and far-reaching change for Australia's higher education sector. Increases in access and participation have completed its transformation from an elite to a mass higher education system. At the same time, there has been pressure both to restrain expenditure and to address the issues arising from the rapid expansion of the system, such as the need for quality assurance processes. Associated with this transformation have been other changes, including the removal of the binary divide in higher education, increased use of targeted research funding, and the increased use of advanced communications technology by institutions. The next two decades are likely to bring additional change to the sector. Higher education will increasingly become an international enterprise, where services are delivered to a global market place and international links are vital to the creation and advancement of knowledge. Developments in communications technology will reinforce these trends. These developments also will continue to change the delivery of higher education and the management of information, with profound effects on the nature of teaching and learning and the provision of teaching and research infrastructure. At the same time, higher education will become an increasingly vital component of the economic and social fabric of advanced industrial societies. A diverse, high quality higher education sector will be one of Australia's most important comparative competitive advantages as manufacturing processes and capital become more mobile. It is timely, therefore, to examine the fundamental processes that are shaping the future of higher education in Australia, and to consider the policy frameworks and financing arrangements that are necessary to ensure that universities meet Australia's economic and social needs in the long term, and are able to respond to the challenges and opportunities posed by their increasingly competitive environment. TERMS OF REFERENCE The committee will undertake a broad ranging review of the state of Australia's higher education sector, the effectiveness of the sector in meeting Australia's social, economic, scientific and cultural needs, and the developments which are likely to shape the provision of higher education in the next two decades. The review committee will develop a comprehensive policy framework for higher education that will allow universities to respond creatively and flexibly to change, and will ensure that the sector meets the needs of students, industry and society in general as these are likely to develop over the next two decades. Within this framework, the review committee will identify options for the financing of higher education teaching and research, and for providing Commonwealth funding to higher education institutions for these purposes. SCOPE OF THE REVIEW The Government does not wish to limit the scope of the review committee's work in any way, though it expects that the review committee will examine long term developments in the following areas, and the implications of these developments for higher education teaching and research:
THE REVIEW COMMITTEE'S REPORT In developing its recommendations, the Government expects that the review committee will pay particular attention to the need to ensure that:
TIMELINE The review committee will provide a final report to the Minister by December 1997. Senator The Hon Amanda Vanstone Any comments or queries regarding this page should be sent to wwweditor@deetya.gov.au This page was last updated on 17 February 1997 Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia Committee of Deans 2/97 DRAFTDRAFTDRAFTDRAFTDRAFTDRAFTDRAFTDRAFTDRA Version two 1 Introduction The publication of the Information Technology Policy follows the Review of Telecommunications and Computing Infrastructure, which came out of the recognition of the increasing importance of I/T for the delivery and management of its teaching programs and research output and for many of its support functions. The University has already accepted the responsibility of ensuring that its graduates are equipped with an understanding of technology and computer related skills. (See Education Policy Ref.....) It is equally important that the University maintain an advanced computing capability in order to sustain its competitive edge in its scientific and research effort. One of the Review Committee's roles was "to comment on the adequacy and effectiveness of the [physical] infrastructure for telecommunications and computing". The absence of a corporate IT strategy and the fact that there was no related funding process were seen as major deficiencies. 2 Information Technology Policy 2.1 Monash Values The University's attitude towards technology and information were laid down in Directions for the Future:
Monash's continued commitment to excellence and world's best practice in teaching, research and management require it to have an information technology infrastructure to match, and a set of practices on obsolescence consistent with excellence. 2.2 I/T's Significance Information technology has a direct connection to the University's mission for excellence in teach and learning, research and community service, as well as with those services and functions which are indirectly linked to attaining its mission, such as libraries, teaching services and administration. Information technology will increasingly be seen as a critical part of university infrastructure, and as a consequence of its importance, will command its own budget. There will be no agreement as to the appropriate level of the information technology budget except that it is too little to meet the ideal. It will be the responsibility of the Director of Information Technology Services to manage the budget for information technology, and the distribution of available funds between I/T infrastructure and I/T services will be critical. The University's IT policy must be ensured by a process which permits regular University-wide scrutiny and comment, and a formal review should occur at least every two years. Regular review is critical to ensure that changes in the internal and external environment are met, and to enable the university to meet its business objectives. 3 Strategy for Policy Implementation 3.1 Responsibility for Information Technology at Monash
3.2 UNiversity Information Technology Advisory Committee (UNITAC) 3.2.1 Membership UNITAC is not intended to directly represent faculties or other units of the University. Rather it is intended to be composed of knowledgeable people willing to contribute significant insights and to actively participate in high-level policy formulation. The Committee will comprise 8 to 10 members with a wide understanding of the business of the university, and of information technology issues. It will include at least the following:
3.2.2 Functions
3.2.3 Mission The Mission of the ITSDiv is to provide quality I/T services for all activities within its purview, and to provide support, leadership and innovation to assist all members of the University in the achievement of their objectives. ITSDiv will address its Mission via:
3.2.4 Goals & Objectives of the Information Technology Services Division The focus of the Information Technology Services Division will be to
3.2.5 Coverage ITSDiv will cover activities previously undertaken by:
Therefore, the ITSDiv will encompass the following activities: [### need a paragraph about each of these, and list may be incomplete] [######this list was NOT intended to be either complete or even the correct one. What we do need is a list which appropriately describes the activities!!!]
3.2.6 Funding The funding of the information technology infrastructure will be centralised, and conducted through the ITDiv. The actual level of funding will become a line item in the University's annual budget, and the information technology component will be built into the formula for the devolution of funds to faculties. 3.2.7 The Faculties and Administrative Divisions Faculties and administrative divisions will continue to have responsibility for information technology services used in relation to their activities, including their resourcing. These activities, including information technology development will be done according to the University's information technology procedures and guidelines. In order to fund Faculties/Divisions and the ITDiv appropriately, it will be necessary to establish which area should provide the activity, and to ensure costs and devolved budgets are appropriately calculated. Committee of Deans 2/97 MONASH UNIVERSITY Off-Shore Graduation Ceremonies 1997 Preliminary Schedule as at 24 February 1997 * Monday 18 August Council 5/97 Tuesday 19 August Wednesday 20 August Thursday 21 August Participants fly Melbourne-Hong Kong (day flight) Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Hotel Friday 22 August Staff assisting set up for Hong Kong ceremonies Saturday 23 August Hong Kong graduation ceremonies Grand Hyatt Hotel VIP Reception 9:15 am Ceremony 1 10:00 am Reception 11:15 am Graduates (est) 200 VIP Reception 1:45 pm Ceremony 2 2:30 pm Reception 3:45 pm Graduates (est) 200 Sunday 24 August Hong Kong graduation ceremonies Grand Hyatt Hotel VIP Reception 12:15 pm Ceremony 3 1:00 pm Reception 2:15 pm Graduates (est) 200 Monday 25 August Staff assisting finalise pack-up Participants fly Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore (afternoon flight) Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel Tuesday 26 August Staff assisting set up for Kuala Lumpur ceremony * Alumni activities yet to be slotted in to available times, dates, locations. Wednesday 27 August Kuala Lumpur graduation ceremony Shangri-La Hotel VIP Reception 1:15 pm Ceremony 2:00 pm Reception 3:15 pm Graduates (est) 250 Thursday 28 August Staff assisting finalise pack-up Participants fly to Singapore (afternoon flight) Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel Friday 29 August Staff assisting set up for Singapore ceremony Saturday 30 August Singapore graduation ceremony Shangri-La Hotel VIP Reception 1:15 pm Ceremony 2:00 pm Reception 3:15 pm Graduates (est) 250 Sunday 31 August Staff assisting finalise pack up Participants fly Singapore to Melbourne (overnight flight) 96/0876 Olwen Cornelius 24 February 1997 Academic Registrar (:df) c:\work\word\osg-97.doc Committee of Deans TO: The Committee of Deans FROM Professor C R Williams, Dean of Law DATE: 12th February 1997 Re: PartTime Graduate Students & Amenities Fee An issue as to the amenities fee paid by graduate students of the Faculty of Law in my view requires consideration. I understand similar concerns may have arisen in relation to other faculties. I attempted to seek a resolution of the issue last year (see attached memo dated 16 October 1996). No solution emerged from that memo, and I think it appropriate for the matter to be now considered by the Committee of Deans. The LL.M. program of the Law Faculty is directed primarily at practitioners, most of our students working in the central metropolitan area. Almost all subjects in the program are taken in the evening at city locations, and most students rarely, and in some cases never, attend any of the Monash campuses. The situation of these students as far as the amenities fee is concerned is as follows. If they take one subject over summer, and one in each of semesters one and two they are classified as fulltime for purposes of the amenities fee, and are required to pay $349 per year. They are able to apply for a subsequent repayment of 15% because they are taught off campus. If they take two subjects only during the course of a year the figure is $220 (again less 15%). To compel students who make no use of University amenities to pay amenities fees at this level is in my view unfair. This charge is deeply resented by students and potential students. To continue to impose such a fee is likely to act as a significant deterrent to students in a situation where we should be making every effort to bring new students into our programs. C R Williams cc: Professor M A Neave TO: Mr Joe Curtis, Union Director FROM Professor C R Williams, Dean of Law DATE: 16th October, 1996 Re: Amenities Fees I am writing to raise the question of amenities fees for LL.M. students and for students auditing LL.M. subjects. The majority of the Master of Laws by coursework candidates never attend this or any other Monash campus. Their subjects are taught in the city and a lot of their research is done through computer access. Even when they do attend Clayton campus to use the libraries it would be at weekends. At the present time these students pay 85% of the standard amenities fee. The Law Faculty is now introducing audit only subjects. This means the student goes to all the lectures but does not take part in any assessment. As these particular students may wish to access the library they need an ID card. To receive an ID card they are required to enrol. In my view students attending courses on an audit only basis should not be required to pay any amenities fee. Such students are unlikely to ever wish to take advantage of any of the services which flow from the amenities fee. In the case of LL.M. students I would suggest that such students should be required to pay an amenities fee of not more than 15% of the standard fee. While such students may on occasion attend campus and take some advantage of the amenities, such visits are likely to be extremely infrequent. I have been advised that our data system currently does not allow for different ranges or nonpayment of fees. While I appreciate that this may pose a problem I do not think that such difficulty should be allowed to act to the disadvantage of potential or existing students. As the market place for postgraduate students is not getting any bigger, the competition is getting even greater and the cost to the student ever increasing, we should be looking at ways to encourage them to attend Monash and not other institutions. A contribution from LL.M. students of 15% of the standard amenities fee would be cost effective from the point of view of the University, since it represents a sum greater than the likely level of use of University amenities. In the long run it is preferable to retain numbers rather than have what is perceived as an unjust pricing structure drive potential students elsewhere. This matter is of considerable importance to the future of our programme, and can I hope be expeditiously and satisfactorily resolved. C R Williams cc: Mrs Kaye Wilson Committee of Deans 2/97 MONASH UNIVERSITY COUNCIL Extract from the unconfirmed minutes of Meeting 1/97 held on 17 February 1997: 7. Review of the Council of Monash University: Report on Outcomes of a Council Retreat This confidential item was considered at Agenda Item 4.3, before observers were admitted to the meeting. Council received and considered in detail the document titled Review of the Council of Monash University: Report on Outcomes of a Council Retreat which had been presented by the Working Party formed at the Council Retreat to follow-up and make recommendations on outstanding issues. Minor amendments to the document were agreed by Council; however, one issue relating to membership of a reconstituted Council was not resolved. That issue was whether the Chair of Academic Board should be a member of Council ex officio or should attend Council as an invited member to advise Council on academic matters. During discussion, Council agreed that membership of the proposed Corporate Planning Committee of Council would include three Council members, and that one of those members would be a senior academic staff member of Council, to be agreed between decanal and professorial members and nominated to the Chancellor. Other members of Council were invited to express to the Chancellor their interest in membership of the Committee, the Chancellor to propose appointments for approval by Council at Meeting 2/97. Council members were invited to submit to the Secretary to Council nominations for membership of the proposed Membership Committee of Council, the Chancellor to propose appointments for approval by Council at Meeting 3/97. Council noted that the Vice-Chancellor would bring to Meeting 2/97 a modified proposal on arrangements that may be made to facilitate the formation of single Monash student association and the establishment of appropriate communication channels between Council and students. Council agreed to endorse the document in principle, for distribution to and comment by the Monash community. It was agreed that, in a memo covering the promulgated document, comment on the issue of the status of the Chair of Academic Board would be sought. RESOLUTION CL1/97/11 That Council endorse in principle the document titled Review of the Council of Monash University: Report on Outcomes of a Council Retreat, as amended, and in so doing: (i) approve proposals presented by a Council Working Party comprising Dr G A Knights (Deputy Chancellor), Mr P H Ramler (Deputy Chancellor) and Professor M L Brisk (Decanal member of Council) which relate to issues not resolved at the Council Retreat held on 5 December 1996; with the exception at this stage of the Working Party's proposal concerning membership on Council of the Chair of the Academic Board; (ii) approve proposals presented by that Working Party to implement during 1997 the agreed outcomes of the Council Retreat, and thereby establish the following Council Working Parties, with membership and terms of reference as amended by Council:
(iii) establish a Corporate Planning Committee of Council, with membership and terms of reference as amended by Council; (iv) approve the distribution of the amended Report to the Academic Board and to the University community, for comment in writing to the Secretary to Council by 5 March 1997 and consideration by Council at Meeting 2/97, for finalisation of its position on the Review. (v) remove the confidential status of the amended Report. For your information/action. Olwen Cornelius Distribution: Vice-Chancellor Files: 96/1197, 96/0953
Committee of Deans 2/97 DATE: January 29, 1997 TO: Professor David Robinson (Vice-Chancellor) FROM: Jim McGrath (Club President) RE: Deans' Representative on the Club Committee Briefly This position is vacant. The last incumbent was Professor Cliff Bellamy. Would you care to arrange with the Committee of Deans the appointment of a replacement? Background 1. In about 1991 the University contributed an initial $250,000 towards extensions and renovations of the Club building. A condition of the grant was that the University's interests be protected by the creation of ex-officio positions on the Club Committee for representatives of each of
2. The Vice-Chancellor's current representative (subject to your approval) is Professor Rob Willis, who has (like Professor Bellamy) given lots of good advice and support. 3. The Deans' representatives before Professor Bellamy were (in turn) Professors Leo West, Robert Pargetter and David Aspin. 4. Ex-officio members of the Committee need only to attend a lunchtime meeting once a month. Jim McGrath Distribution (Hard copy): Vice-Chancellor |