Meeting 5/99 of the Deans Discussion Group was held between 4.00 pm and 8.50pm on Tuesday, 7 September 1999 in the Monash City Office, Level 11, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Professor D A Robinson, Vice-Chancellor and President, Presiding

Professor P LeP Darvall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development)

Professor J E Maloney, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International and Public Affairs)

Professor H Le Grand, Dean, Faculty of Arts

Professor J A Rickard, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics

Professor M Brisk, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor J Rosenberg, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology

Professor S Parker, Dean, Faculty of Law

Professor N Saunders, Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Professor C B Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy

Professor R W Davies, Dean, Faculty of Science

Mr P Siggins, Manager, University Secretariat

In opening the meeting the Vice-Chancellor welcomed Associate Professor Laurie Angus, Faculty of Education

Members noted that Professor Alan Lindsay, Mr Peter Wade and Professor John Redmond and Professor Richard White would not be present.

In attendance were Professor Merran Evans, Mr Peter Marshall, Mr Tony Pollock and Mr Robert Lawrence.

The notes of Deans Discussion Group meeting 4/99 held 27^th July were received.

Mr Peter Marshall was invited to speak to the paper, Consultation on Proposed Remuneration Framework – Deputy Deans, Associate Deans, Heads of Schools, Deputy Heads of Department. Mr Marshall also tabled a paper, Current Appointment Policy, Procedure and Term for Administrative Academic Appointments. Mr Marshall noted that all Deans had responded and provided comments on the proposed remuneration framework. Advice on Deputy Heads of Departments and Deputy Heads of Schools had now been incorporated into the paper. Mr Marshall advised that the paper only dealt with remuneration arrangements and did not seek to influence other resource allocation decisions of deans which were the prerogative of deans.

In discussion Mr Marshall noted that there was general endorsement of the approach taken to address the issues outlined in the paper. The Discussion Group endorsed the recommendation to amend the legislation and staffing policies in line with the proposed remuneration framework.

The Vice-Chancellor briefing the Discussion Group on recent developments noting that articles had appeared in the press. A joint press release has been issued. The Vice-Chancellor emphasised that progress was substantial and amicable, but that there was some way yet to go.

Mr Tony Pollock and Mr Robert Lawrence were in attendance.

A copy of the document, Project Proposal for the Development of a Campus in Johannesburg (Resources and Finance Committee) was tabled.

At the Vice-Chancellor’s invitation Mr Pollock spoke to the document. Mr Pollock advised that the document reflected the history of previous discussions about this matter. The project proposal before the Group was properly grounded in Leading the Way - Monash 2020. Further, the proposal was presented as a business plan in which it was envisaged that the campus would be of high quality, in line with the University's academic mission, self sustaining and have capacity to generate its own resources and shape the environment in which it would operate. Mr Pollock highlighted aspects of the project proposal specifically drawing members attention to Section 3, which dealt with the strategic case for the establishment of a Monash campus in South Africa, Section 5 - the academic case for the establishment of the campus, Section 12 - the risk and reward analysis and Section 11 - the financial plan. Mr Pollock emphasised that this proposal was solely a Monash venture in contrast to the earlier joint venture proposal.

The Vice-Chancellor then commented on the document and clarified the appendices to it. Discussion ensued in which Mr Pollock explained the financing of the proposal drawing particular attention to the information set out in Section 11 and Appendix 9. Topics covered in discussion included:

• the setting of fee levels,

• the registration process for the campus,

• the potential for and desirability of involving King's College in the project,

• estimates of student numbers,

• demand for Science courses in Southern Africa,

• whether the University could offer under the legislation, parts of courses (for example, the first two years of an undergraduate degree course with its final year being completed in Australia),

• MUFY/Monash College style initiatives in this context,

• the positioning of the campus in the Southern African Higher Education environment,

• opportunities for contributing to the community - the need for assistance in ambulance training, public health issues and epidemiological studies and the availability of subsidies to assist this kind of work,

• quantification of the level of support services to students,

• staffing and salaries,

• security provision,

• distance education in the context of preferred models of teaching in Southern Africa,

• unmet demand for higher education in Southern Africa.

Following broad discussion Mr Robert Lawrence provided a presentation on marketing the campus. Materials included new badges, icons, logos, stationary and advertising for the campus.

In summing up the Vice-Chancellor commented that the campus project represented a unique initiative which was informed by Monash experience in establishing the Malaysia campus and other offshore ventures. The Vice-Chancellor noted that the briefing provided by Mr Pollock had been extremely thorough and that the meeting was now acquainted with the full range of information including the strategic advantages of proceeding with the venture and the risk assessment. The Vice-Chancellor thanked Mr Pollock and his staff for their work on the project.

The Discussion Group endorsed with acclamation the proposed venture for proceeding to the next stage of the approval process.

Professor Merran Evans was in attendance for this item. The Vice-Chancellor introduced discussion and emphasized that from 2000 onward budgets in the university must be more dynamic in support of the agreed future development of Monash. The Vice-Chancellor provided an overview of the paper highlighting the issues of:

• the University's financial position and the need for increased self reliance in light of shrinking government funding,

• introducing incentives to generate additional income,

• funding the key components of academic activity by providing incentives for innovative research and flexible teaching and learning as well as additional support to designated areas of the University less able to swiftly generate additional income,

• relative teaching cost weightings by adjustment to course level cost weights for the year 2000.

In discussion, the Vice-Chancellor and Professor Evans clarified issues in relation to improvement targets in research and research training, especially in relation to the concept of 105% performance on the base of the previous year. It was noted that individual scenarios would apply for each faculty and it was expected that there would be improvement on individual faculty profiles.

In discussion there was comment on the need to review and upgrade course fees and for faculty balances to be utilized in working toward the goals of 2020.

In further discussion issues related to quality measures and recognition of publications were dealt with.

In summing up the Vice-Chancellor noted that the paper would be further developed by Professor Evans and brought to the next meeting of the Committee of Deans. The Vice-Chancellor also noted that the agenda for the next meeting would include a paper on space utilization prepared by Mr Trembath.

Members also noted that a special meeting of the Committee of Deans would be held on 12 October to consider the University's budget.

7. Next Meeting

The next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, 28^th September 1999 in the Sir George Lush Room.

The special Committee of Deans meeting to discuss the Budget will be held at 2.15pm on Tuesday, 12 October 1999 in the Sir George Lush Room.

The next meeting of the Deans Discussion Group will be held at 4.00 pm on Tuesday, 26^th October 1999 in the City Office.