Meeting 6/99 of the Deans Discussion Group was held between 4.00 pm and 8.55pm on Tuesday, 26 October 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 A Lindsay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning)

Mr Peter Wade, General Manager

Professor J Redmond, Dean, Faculty of Art and Design

Professor H Le Grand, Dean, Faculty of Arts

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

Professor R White, Dean, Faculty of Education

Professor M Brisk, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor S Parker, Dean, Faculty of Law

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 Mr John Trembath to his first meeting as Acting General Manager from 1 November. The Vice-Chancellor informed the meeting that Mr Trembath would be Acting General Manager until the New Year when Mr Peter Marshall would take up the appointment until the arrival of the new General Manager.

Apologies were received from Professor John Rosenberg and Professor Nick Saunders.

The notes of Deans Discussion Group meeting 5/99 held 7^th September were received.

Professor Robinson advised that discussions were proceeding regarding targeted supported funding for the Faculty of Science. The outcome of discussions would be incorporated into the 2001 budget and any interim arrangements accommodated in the Year 2000 budget. To facilitate discussions within the Faculty of Science and with other Deans involved, Mr Neil Bradley had been appointed and he would be based in the General Manager's office.

Professor Rickard tabled a paper, Department of Accounting and Finance - Appointment of a Professor and Head of Department. Professor Rickard spoke to the paper and outlined the background to the proposal to advertise and fill this established position.

The proposal to advertise and fill the position was endorsed.

The Vice-Chancellor provided an oral report on his recent round of discussions whilst in South Africa. Discussion included those held with the Minister, Professor Asmal, with officers within the Ministry, with the vice-chancellors of six universities and with other authorities including officers of local government instrumentalities. Discussion in the meeting was wide ranging and included the need to establish companies in preparation for registration, quality issues, the program for construction and other issues. In all, the Vice-Chancellor indicated that his week in South Africa had been positive, with a good balance of discussions which put the Monash case firmly before the approving authorities.

6. Resource Matters

The Vice-Chancellor introduced discussion noting that the meeting had before it a paper on space utilization prepared by Mr Trembath and that over dinner there would be a broad discussion of matters that the new General Manager might be expected to address over the next few years.

The Vice-Chancellor invited the General Manager to introduce this topic.

Mr Wade noted that in the context of the Budget for 2000 there was a need to be efficient and effective in relation to both salary and non-salary expenditure. Space utilization was one of the non-salary elements requiring close attention. He observed that at this stage in its development the University probably has acquired enough aggregate space to serve its purposes but that the quality of that space was an issue; space was sometimes available at unsuitable locations or at the wrong times or was under utilized. In considering space issues the capital tied up in buildings was one issue, while the cost of maintenance also had to be considered. Lecture Theatre usage could be more effectively organised and/or decreased through better timetabling and the use of flexible learning strategies.

Mr Trembath spoke to the paper and noted two categories of space that had been dealt with - teaching space and space dedicated to Faculties. With regard to teaching space, Mr Trembath advised that this was being used to about 40% of its capacity. An electronic timetabling package, Syllabus Plus, had been purchased, and it was anticipated that trials would commence shortly.

With regard to Faculty/Department managed space there was a need to upgrade existing space rather than to commence further building. Mr Trembath indicated that charging for space would not be the preferred strategy as this had potential to be a major accounting exercise that would not necessarily yield improved usage. The better strategy was to improve the quality of available space.

During discussion, points covered included:

• space utilization should be regarded as demand driver rather than supply driven, (The needs of the student groups including mature-age and part-time students should be recognised when timetabling classes.),

• a central timetabling system should be established so that people could be assured of obtaining a venue,

• double-degree timetabling may be problematic,

• refurbishment of space should be planned with a view to maximum flexibility of usage,

• general non-teaching space was a valuable commodity and its allocation was in the gift of central management,

• unless space usage is costed then uncertainty prevails; there was a need to be able to cost for all decisions. With regard to courses, costings should be developed by the course developers and submitted to the relevant Dean for approval. This process would be framed by a quality evaluation process. This point, raised by Professor Lindsay, was strongly endorsed by the meeting.

The Vice-Chancellor introduced this item noting the invaluable work of Mr Wade as General Manager, his imminent departure and the work to be carried on by the new General Manager. Members were invited to identify topics for the new General Manager to address.

The Vice-Chancellor invited Mr Wade to speak to the item. In his opening remarks, Mr Wade suggested that there would be a major benefit in recasting the budget in a revised format; the current format was not appropriate to the University's present circumstances. Mr Wade noted that the Year 2000 budget required the University to face the issues associated with the current round of enterprise bargaining, to put a sensible figure on the enterprise bargain outcome and deal with its implications. Among these implications was a need to work on and improve the University's income and to support the recently developed incentive scheme. The cost efficiencies of the organisation would need to be addressed.

Mr Wade noted that when he took up the position of General Manager he had been instructed to build the financial strength of the Monash balance sheet. It was now timely to plan strategically to use the power of that balance sheet to invest in operations that would yield future benefits. Mr Wade emphasized the need to invest for the future and in this regard faculty balances should be used not just for precautionary situations (for example, retirements) but for future investments, such as flexible learning initiatives or courses that would appeal to industry. There was a need to refocus thinking about the budget; the question of the distribution of funds between the Centre and the Faculties was largely irrelevant in Mr Wade's view. The real issues was the return on funds invested rather than the distribution of funds in a particular year. As a corollary of this, there was a need for flexible arrangements in sharing resources across faculties and to support promising initiative proposed by the faculties. In closing his remarks Mr Wade highlighted the fact that for a young university Monash had placed itself well with regard to cash flow and had not locked up its resources in trust funds.

In the discussion that followed Mr Wade noted that Deans had ultimately put Monash as a whole ahead of their individual interests. He suggested that the new General Manager should be advised that if an activity can best be carried out at faculty level, rather than centrally, then the faculties should be empowered to carry it out.

The discussion of the activities at faculty level led to broad discussion of the organisational structure most appropriate for the future direction of the University. Professor Parker noted that increasingly there was pressure for Monash to assume a corporate form but that the university was a public body under statute. The meeting noted that this was a major issue for consideration by the Vice-Chancellor, and under the Vice-Chancellor's guidance, the new General Manager as a member of the Vice-Chancellor's Group.

Further discussion ensued in which consideration was given to Faculty Foundations (there was broad support for faculty Foundations subject to them being actively used and to proper protocols), potential for developing intellectual property as a source of income, the performance of the Accident Research Centre and Monash IVF as exemplary Monash initiatives and the need for Deans to review and dispense with non-viable or outmoded activities within their faculties.

The Vice-Chancellor concluded the discussion by thanking Mr Wade for his work and for his stimulating contribution to the Deans Discussion Group meetings.

At the meeting Deans also farewelled Professor John Maloney, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and Public Affairs and recorded their thanks for his contribution to the meetings of the Committee of Deans and the Deans Discussion Group.

The meeting closed at 8.55pm.

The next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, 16^th November 1999 in the Sir George Lush Room.

The next meeting of the Deans Discussion Group will be held at 4.00 pm on Tuesday, 7^th December 1999 in the City Office.