Meeting 8/99 of the Committee of Deans was held between 2.15 pm and 4.50 pm on Tuesday, 16 November 1999 in the Sir George Lush Room, ground floor, University Offices Building 3a, Clayton Campus.

Professor D A Robinson, Vice-Chancellor and President

Professor A W Lindsay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning)

Mr J Trembath, Acting General Manager

Professor J K 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 T White, Dean, Faculty of Education

Professor M L Brisk, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor J Rosenberg, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology

Professor S Parker, Dean, Faculty of Law

Professor G Taylor, Acting Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Professor C Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy

Professor R W Davies, Dean, Faculty of Science

Professor Merran Evans, Director, Planning and Academic Affairs for Item 4.1.1

Dr Geoffrey Knights, Deputy Chancellor

Mr Bob Burnet, Assistant General Manager, Student Services for Item 4.3.2

Ms Amanda Lazar, Deputy University Solicitor for Item 6.1

Mr John Levine, Assistant General Manager – Budget & Statistical Services and Mr Tony Pollock, Executive Director – International for Item 6.2.

Mr P Siggins, Manager, University Secretariat

Apologies were received from Professor Peter Darvall and Professor Nick Saunders.

The minutes of meeting 7/99 held 28^th September 1999 were confirmed.

The minutes of the special meeting to consider the Budget 2000 held 12^th October, 1999 were confirmed subject to inclusion of a statement on page 3 under the topics covered in discussion indicating that faculty bidding for funds from "top slicing" was no longer applicable.

There were no matters arising.

Professor Merran Evans was in attendance for this item.

Members received a document, Global Development Framework (Exposure draft) 11^th November 1999.

The Vice-Chancellor introduced the Global Development Framework (the Framework) noting that it was part of the second tier of University’s Planning and Review Framework underpinning Leading the Way: Monash 2020.

Part I of the Framework elaborated principles and major categories of development activity, together with an indication of major priorities and prospects 2000-2010

Part II outlined the global aspects of teaching and learning, research and the supporting infrastructure. The Vice-Chancellor noted that Part I would be further developed and become more precise as campuses, strategic alliances and centres were established on the basis of academic and business planning. The Vice-Chancellor emphasized that global development is not separate from teaching and learning and research but integral to it; accordingly, Part II of the Framework should eventually become redundant with the issues and directions accommodated in the updated Teaching and Learning Plan, Research Management Plan and operational plans of academic, support and administrative units.

The Vice-Chancellor commended the Framework to Deans as providing a useful initial ‘framework’ within which Monash’s global developments could be considered.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that the Framework had been considered by the Global Advisory Committee which had supported it and following consideration by Committee of Deans would be referred to Academic Board.

Following his opening remarks the Vice-Chancellor outlined each section of the Framework.

Comments on Part I included the need for new ventures to reinforce other ventures – this should be positively expressed in the document.

Members noted the Vice-Chancellor’s advice that reference would be made to Monash Malaysia, Kings and Prato. Other comment was on quality assurance issues and it was suggested that quality assurance be mentioned earlier, if not at the front of the document.

At the close of discussion, the Vice-Chancellor invited Deans to forward to Professor Merran Evans any further comments noting that papers for Academic Board would need to be circulated by Friday 19^th November. Following consideration by Academic Board, the Framework would be considered by Resources and Finance Committee (1 December) and Council (13 December).

A paper, Report of the Gippsland Campus Working Party, had been distributed.

Dr Knights, Deputy Chancellor and Chair of the Gippsland Campus Working Party, was in attendance.

The Vice-Chancellor advised that this discussion was a final opportunity for input before the report was formally submitted to him. At the Vice-Chancellor’s invitation, Dr Knights spoke to the report.

Dr Knights noted that the Gippsland Campus Working Party had been established by the Vice-Chancellor in February 1999 to examine the role of the Gippsland Campus within the greater Monash and the Gippsland region. The report required some ten months of work and its delivery had been somewhat delayed because of the large volume of input from different sources and in light of the Victorian elections. Dr Knights commented on the successful aspects of the campus, which was now more akin to a full university campus and now had improved facilities. Staff profiles were also improving but there was scope for progress in regard to the research profile of the campus.

Dr Knights commented on the need for the campus to be fully supported by and integrated with the local community. In the context of the University’s operation as a whole he suggested that the Gippsland campus bore a greater resemblance to Monash University Malaysia and the University’s other planned campus activities in South Africa than to the Melbourne metropolitan campuses. The recommendation in the Report were designed to assist with better structuring and closer liaison with the local community. The Working Party had looked at a number of options regarding the future of the campus and had resolved that the University would be better served by the development of a new model of structure and administration for the campus. Features of this new model would include a new Campus Academic Development Forum, the appointment of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor and the development and reinvigoration of academic programs and research activities.

There was extensive discussion of the report and Deans commented on the suitability and implications of appointment of a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the impact of the establishment of an Institute of Regional Studies and the development of Distance Education in the University.

At the conclusion of discussion the Vice-Chancellor thanked Dr Knights on behalf of all Deans. The Vice-Chancellor commented that the report would receive wide circulation and if there was broad support for it attention would be given to issues concerning its implementation. The Vice-Chancellor anticipated that subject to these provisos implementation would commence in 2001 at the earliest.

Professor Lindsay reported that discussions were in progress and still in the early stages. A formal response to the University’s offer had not yet been received.

Professor Lindsay introduced the Report of the Working Party on the Role of Faculty Student Equity Officers (the Report) noting that the Report was produced by a working party established by a subcommittee of the Equal Opportunity Committee. The Report was directed at how Deans might provide support for equity structures in their faculties. Professor Lindsay advised that following discussion at Committee of Deans the Report would be considered by the Vice-Chancellor’s Group. The proposals put forward by the Report were management matters and Deans would need to be comfortable with the proposed arrangements.

Mr Burnet was invited to speak to the paper and he advised the meeting that the University performed well with respect to addressing the needs of people with disabilities but that there was scope for improvement in handling the full range of equity issues. A Student Access and Equity Plan was also in process of being developed over the next year. Mr Burnet suggested that Student Equity Planning was a core activity and affected student recruitment and the reputation of the University.

In discussion members commented on the need for the Report to put its case in positive terms to achieve support in the faculties. Professor Lindsay indicated that the foreshadowed Student Access and Equity Plan would provide further understanding of the rationale for the envisaged equity students.

In drawing discussion to a close the Vice-Chancellor noted that progress made in addressing equity needs and looked forward to receiving further reports in the New Year.

The Committee endorsed the proposal to advertise and fill a Chair in Medicinal Chemistry.

The Committee gave in principal support to the proposal to appoint six Research Professors but noted that the incoming Dean of the Faculty would need to be consulted before the proposal could proceed further.

The Committee endorsed the proposal to establish, advertise and fill the position of Professor of Rural Health Research in the Centre of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine.

The Committee endorsed the proposal to establish, advertise and fill the Chair in Rural Mental Health at Bendigo in the Department of Psychological Health, Faculty of Medicine.

Ms Amanda Lazar, Deputy University Solicitor, introduced the paper, Dean’s power to suspend a student’s enrolment for health reasons nothing that the envisaged provisions would only be used in extreme situations, for example, where the threat of physical violence was possible.

The Committee endorsed the proposal to amend Statute 6.3 Exclusion for Health Reasons to allow a dean, where it is not reasonably practical to obtain medical opinion, to obtain opinion from a psychologist or the University’s security branch for the purpose of exercising the power given in sections 1 and 2 to refuse or suspend a student’s enrolment for health reasons.

It was noted that notwithstanding this amendment the dean would still be required to consult with two members of the Faculty holding full time appointment of lecturer or above before a student’s enrolment could be refused or suspended. The statute also gave a student a right of appeal to a Committee appointed by Academic Board. The appeal committee may require that a student undergo a medical examination.

Mr Levine and Mr Pollock in attendance for this item. Mr Levine introduced the paper, Proposed Course Fees for Australian Students (2000) and International Students (2001).

The Committee gave detailed attention to the alternative fees suggested in the paper, noting that increased fees may be necessary to provide an additional source of revenue to support the provision of scholarships for higher degree research students and bursaries for students who are constrained from taking up a Monash place due to financial hardship.

The Committee also noted that level of Monash fees in comparison with those set by other major institutions and further noted that Monash is generally ranked in the mid to lower end of the scale. In discussion there was broad support for the proposed amended fees.

Mr Levine undertook to send back to each Dean a full list of fees per faculty for any further discussion/amendment.

The Committee approved the meeting dates for the Committee as detailed in the schedule of dates for 2000.

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.