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Committee of Deans Meeting 2-2000

Meeting 2/2000 of the Committee of Deans was held between 2.15 pm and 4.25 pm on Tuesday, 22nd February 2000 in the Sir George Lush Room, ground floor, University Offices Building 3a, Clayton Campus.

There were present:

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

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

Ms A Crook, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Resources)

Professor J K Redmond, Dean, Faculty of Art and Design

Professor H Le Grand, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Acting Dean, Faculty of Science

Professor D. Gunstone, Acting 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 N Saunders, Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Professor C Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy

Professor G Griffin, Acting Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics

In attendance were:

Professor J Anderson for Item No 4.3.1

Ms K Spierings for Item No 4.3.1

Dr K Macrae for Item No 4.3.1

Mr J Matthews for Item No 4.4.1

Mr S Hughes for Item No 4.4.1

Professor M Evans for Item No 4.3.2 & 4.3.3

Secretary:

Mr T Calder, University Secretariat

MINUTES

Opening the meeting, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Development), Professor P LeP Darvall welcomed Ms Alison Crook, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Resources) to her first meeting of the Committee of Deans.

1. Apologies

Apologies were received from Professor D Robinson (Vice-Chancellor and President) and Professor J Rickard (Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics).

2. Minutes

The Minutes of meeting 1/2000 were approved.

3. Matters arising from the minutes not dealt with elsewhere in the agenda

3.1 Update on selected Key Issues

Professor Darvall advised members that progress on these matters would continue to be provided to the Committee during the scheduled meeting cycle.

4. Vice-Chancellor’s Group

4.1 Vice-Chancellor and President

4.2 Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Development)

4.2.1 Comparison between Research Green and White Papers

Professor Darvall spoke to this item.

Items raised during discussion included:

  • The White Paper indicated that funding via the Institutional Grants Scheme would be allocated via:

    • Research Income 60%

    • Research Student Numbers 30%

    • Research Output (publications) 10%

  • Noting that publication output was to be retained, members were advised that patents and exhibited original works were to be included in this category.

  • As the White Paper contained a recommendation to reduce the maximum term for scholarships awarded to students admitted to doctoral programs, the Academic Board would be asked to ratify a decision by the PhD and Scholarships Committee to reduce the maximum full-time doctoral candidature from five to four years commencing from the beginning of the 2000 academic year.

  • Noting that a review of the relative costs of teaching across fields and levels of study had been commissioned by DETYA, Deans were advised that Professor M. Evans would seek input from the Deans and submit a draft report on the matter to a subsequent meeting of the Committee.

4.3 Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic and Planning)

4.3.1 Report of the Gippsland Working Party-Implementation

Professor J. Anderson, Dr K Macrae and Ms K Spierings were present for this item.

Professor Lindsay introduced this item.

Members were advised that Council had endorsed the recommendations of the Working Party at its meeting on 13 December 1999. Of the major recommendations contained in the report, three recommendations had been referred to the Gippsland Implementation Team. In addition to co-ordinating specific recommendations, the team is responsible for co-ordinating and prioritising the implementation phase and reporting on progress to Vice-Chancellor’s Group. Deans were invited to advance implementation of the recommendations through the Implementation Team.

4.3.2 Amendments to the Guidelines for fee-paying Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students undertaking award courses

Professor Evans advised members that Deans would be notified of any further amendments to the guidelines.

4.3.3 Update on Learning and Teaching Plan

Professor Evans introduced this item

Deans were advised that the Learning and Teaching Plan 2000 would consist of two parts – a strategic plan and an annual list of priority tasks and projects.

Following discussion, Deans endorsed the process outlined in the document presented.

4.3.4 Allocation process for 2001 – Unallocated Load

Professor Lindsay spoke to this item.

Deans were advised that as only a small amount of unallocated load was available it was proposed to utilise a simple process involving a short and succinct submission for consideration by the Vice Chancellor’s Group.

During discussion the following amendments to the documents were suggested:

  • that an additional category (e) be added to submission (1) as follows:

(e) outcomes identified by reviews

  • Section 2 (b) be amended via addition of the following dot point

Include estimation of starting load and expected retention rates.

Deans were advised that a revised paper would be distributed. In addition, Deans were requested to lodge requests for additional load by 10th March.

4.4 Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Resources)

4.4.1 Update on GST Issues

Mr J Matthews (Assistant General Manager Financial Services Division) and Mr S Allen, from the chartered accounting firm Moore Stephens Hughes Fincher Pty Ltd were in attendance for the item.

Mr Matthews and Mr Allen presented an update on the implications of the introduction of the GST for Monash University.

A copy of the overheads used during the presentation is attached to the Minutes (Attachment 1).

Following discussion it was requested that Deans provide Mr Matthews with the contact details of their nominated faculty GST Champion.

5. Matters raised by Deans

5.1 Monash London Steering Committee

Professor Parker introduced this item.

Members were invited to note that a Monash London Steering Committee had been established. Terms of Reference would be made available as soon as practicable.

During discussion the following issues were noted:

  • a similar Committee had been established for the Prato initiative with the two Committees working closely together in order to further the objectives of Monash

  • a Southern Africa Strategy Group, Chaired by Professor Lindsay, had been established, and

  • Professor Rosenberg had agreed to chair a group reviewing all off-campus activities, with a view to developing a Virtual Campus Directional Statement.

6. Other business

Other matters discussed included:

  • the new Monash Homepage and the Monash Portal,

  • Orientation Opening Ceremony, and

  • the recently released volume of the history of Monash authored by Dr Simon Marginson.

8. Next meeting

The next meeting of the Deans Discussion Group will be held at 4.00 pm on Thursday, 9th March 2000 in the City Office.

The next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, 28th March 2000 in the Sir George Lush Room.