Committee of Deans Meeting 12/97
Meeting 12/97 of the Committee of Deans was held at 2.15 pm on Tuesday,
30 September 1997 in the Sir George Lush Room, Ground Floor, University
Offices Building 3a, Clayton Campus.
Tony Calder
Secretary
97/0025
MINUTES
1. Attendance and apologies
Apologies were received from Professor D A Robinson, Vice-Chancellor and
President and Professor J E Maloney.
Professor R Fox attended for Professor C R Williams, Professor I Nicholls
attended for Professor R W Davies , Professor Russell attended for Professor
Rickard and Mr Karen Bensley attended for Professor Redmond.
Members of the Corporate Planning Group and Mr Peter Marshall were in
attendance.
During the meeting, members congratulated Professor Allen Russell on
the announcement and his acceptance of The B H Neumann Award for
Excellence in Mathematics Enrichment.
2. Minutes
The minutes of meeting 11/97 were confirmed.
3. Matters arising from the minutes not dealt with elsewhere in the
agenda
4. Vice-Chancellor's business
4.1 Vice Chancellor
4.1.2 Tenure Ratios
Mr Peter Marshall introduced the item by providing a brief history of the
Non-continuing / Tenure Ratio Case currently before the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC).
Following a detailed presentation, Mr Marshall concluded the presentation
by noting the following:
- the Full Bench of the AIRC is likely to hand down its decision in
November or December;
- given proceedings to date, the costs incurred in employing fixed term,
part-time and casual employees may increase; and
- there may be a need to make greater provision for Long Service Leave
and redundancy liabilities.
Deans requiring more detail on the matter should contact Mr Peter
Marshall.
4.1.3 Faculty Plans - Progress Reports
Faculty plans received and discussed at the meeting included:
- Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (D54/97)
- Faculty of Science (D56/97)
- Faculty of Engineering (D57/97)
- The meeting was informed that the faculty plan for the Monash
University College of Art & Design (D55/97) was still under review.
Professor Darvall invited Deans to provide an overview of their planning
document.
Faculty of Computing and Information Technology
Items of significance included in Professor Rosenberg's outline included:
- Council had recently approved the faculty restructure;
- the faculty currently services four campuses but plans to service the
fifth shortly;
- it was noted that FCIT is the largest information technology faculty
in Australia but it does not have the largest research output of
equivalent faculties;
- articulation between courses will be improved;
- coursework Graduate Programs - the faculty is looking to improve its
market share;
- links with Industry - the faculty is looking to build upon its current
level of industry interaction with a specific focus on increasing the
links and role of alumni;
- community links - development of a residential summer school;
- international - the faculty is looking to build links with Africa and
Indonesia and to develop staff and student exchange programs; and
- the information technology infrastructure within the faculty will be
improved.
Faculty of Science
Items of significance included in Professor Nicholls outline included:
- the plan highlights an increased emphasis on being proactive and
basing development on what is best for science rather than what is best
for the faculty;
- an increased focus on cross faculty initiatives;
- development of a new Bachelor of Science;
- an increased focus on industry based research with Industry Advisory
Panels to be set up; and
- the faculty is looking to increase its market share of international
students undertaking postgraduate programs.
Faculty of Engineering
Items of significance included in Professor Brisk's outline included:
- the faculty is looking to address the falling number of Engineering
students (an Australia wide trend), to increase income derived from
research activities and to broaden the public perception of the role of
engineering in the community;
- course changes - continued restructuring of the faculty will result in
a single Monash Engineering degree offered in a range of existing and new
discipline areas. Associated with the common degree will be a common first
year, a greater engineering focus in first year and a relaxation of
pre-requisites in order to increase access to able school leavers and
hopefully attract more female students;
- new engineering subjects will be developed utilising computer-assisted
teaching technologies.
- graduate level - Coursework Masters numbers are declining but a
modular approach to course delivery may resolve some of the problems;
- research - the faculty is aiming to improve on its current good
results and is looking to benchmark its performance against superior
performing local and international equivalents;
- the faculty will establish an Industry Advisory Panel to complement
Departmental Panels; and
- the Marketing Plan / Marketing Structure will be further refined.
4.2 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development)
4.2.1 Enterprise Bargaining
4.2.2 Docklands
Professor Darvall advised the Committee that there was at this stage
little to add to the paper brought to the attention of Deans at the last
meeeting and that he would ensure members were informed of developments as
they occur.
4.3 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Public Affairs)
4.4 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning)
4.4.1 Reorientating Annual Decanal Presentations to Council
Following further discussion of this matter, the following suggestions
were made:
- decanal presentations to Council should be decoupled from the annual
reporting process;
- that presentations to Council be focused on significant issues
pertinent to the current situation of each faculty;
- presentations should be forward looking and not solely focused on
historical events;
- Deans may wish to utilise the option of providing a discussion starter
of a few paragraphs to set the context for Council members;
- Decanal presentations should be placed in a more appropriate position
on the Council Agenda, which might be under Vice-Chancellor's Business.
4.4.2 Affirmative Action Plan
Document D58/97 was attached to the Agenda.
Noting that the processes and mechanisms adopted at faculty level are
important to the success of the Affirmative Action Plan, the following
recommendations were considered at the meeting:
a brief statement from each Faculty and chief administrative area
describing action planned for the next 3 years to implement Affirmative
Action;
This proposal was endorsed by the Committee.
targets for each Faculty and chief administrative area for the
proportion of female academic staff at level D and above and female general
staff at level 10 and above, related to the individual staff profile
This proposal was not endorsed by the Committee. To assist with the
resolution of this matter, the following actions were recommended by the
Committee:
(i) The issue of targets needs to be better defined and the Workforce
Planning Branch should be requested to provide assistance in this matter.
(ii) Once a suitable statement on targets was achieved, Mr Peter Marshall
would consult with Deans on the matter.
(iii) Mr Marshall and Dr James are to look at University wide targets as
opposed to faculty/department based targets. It was noted during discussion
that many smaller entities would have difficulty achieving set targets and
that targets set more broadly are more appropriate.
4.4.3 Language and Learning Services Unit
A document was attached. (D59/97)
Deans commented that the Language and Learning Services Unit was
supplying a valued service and that increased access to its services may be
required if the number of international students increases as planned.
Further, it was noted that the Unit functioned well as a central entity
in that it provided services that faculties would find more expensive to
provide if decentralised.
4.4.4 Strategic Innovations Fund
A document was attached. (D60/97)
During discussion of this matter the following items were raised:
- the document (D60/97) is to be used for this round of applications but
will be reviewed prior to future calls for funding;
- it is anticipated that next year's round will commence earlier in the
year;
- funding may be requested for Multimedia Developments but it must be
for activities that are above and beyond those currently undertaken within
the faculty;
- project sponsors may be able to dilute their 50% contribution via
partnerships with areas like the Library, CHED etc.
- 1 - 4 years is the expected time limit for projects.
4.4.5 Monash/Melbourne Cooperation in Courseware Development
A document was attached. (D61/97)
Professor Lindsay informed members that he had had one further meeting
with Professor Morrison. Professor Lindsay requested that written
expressions of interest reach his office by 14 October.
4.5 General Manager
4.5.1 1998 Budget Process
A document was attached (D65/97)
Mr Wade advised the Committee that the budget process for 1998 would be
similar to previous years. Further, Mr Wade advised the Committee the
Vice-Chancellor's Group would undertake the role of the Central Budgets
Committee and that meetings to discuss budget submissions with Mr Levine
would occur between 17 and 21 October.
4.5.2 Management Development Scheme
A document was attached. (D62/97)
Mr Wade introduced the Scheme by noting the importance of rewarding
better performing staff by enabling them to broaden their experience within
Monash.
Following discussion of limiting the Management Development Scheme to
general staff at HEW level 8 and above, Deans endorsed the plan for
implementation.
5. Matters raised by Deans
5.1 Proposal for a Chair of Mathematical Statistics in the Department
of Mathematics and Statistics
A document was attached. (D63/97)
Following discussion, the proposal for a Chair of Mathematical Statistics
was given in-principle approval. The following additional
information/alterations were suggested as a way of enhancing the proposal:
- delete mention of the Key Centre for Statistical Sciences as the
Centre is no longer funded by an ARC grant;
- include in the submission statistical information that would support
the proposal. Those mentioned included EAS, current and projected EFTSU,
budget and any other matters that may enhance the proposal (eg. future
utilisation of statistics staff in cross faculty teaching, highlight the
potential growth areas for the discipline of statistics);
- Selection Criteria - it was suggested that point 2 under the heading
"Highly Desirable' be included as an 'Essential' element for selection;
and
- as an aid to the Selection Panel and applicants, it was suggested that
the Selection Criteria be expanded to include other essential and
desirable criteria relating to the position.
It was requested that the addition information/alterations be provided to
the Vice-Chancellors Group prior to the proposal being submitted to Academic
Board.
5.2 Proposal to fill a Chair in Pharmaceutical Biology
A document was attached (D64/97)
The Committee endorsed the proposal to fill a Chair in Pharmaceutical
Biology for submission to Academic Board and Council.
6. Other business
7. Items for information
8. Next meeting
The next scheduled Committee of Deans meeting will be held on 21 October
1997 at 2.15pm in the Sir George Lush Room.
Distribution
(Hard copy):
Vice-Chancellor
Deputy Vice-Chancellors
Deans
General Manager
Executive Assistant to Vice-Chancellor
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