Meeting 7/2000 of the Deans Discussion Group was held
between 6:00pm and 8:35pm on Tuesday, 21 November, 2000 in the Monash
City Office, Level 11, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne.
Phillip Siggins
Secretary
1. There were present:
Professor D A
Robinson, Vice-Chancellor and President, Presiding
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 B
Mackenzie, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Gippsland Campus
Professor J
Redmond, Dean, Faculty of Art and Design
Professor H Le
Grand, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Interim Dean, Faculty of Science
Professor G
Palmer, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics
Professor J
Rosenberg, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology
Professor S
Willis, Dean, Faculty of Education
Professor M
Brisk, Dean, Faculty of Engineering
Professor S
Parker, Dean, Faculty of Law
Professor N
Saunders, Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Professor C
Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy
In Attendance was:
Mr I Porter, Principal Adviser, International and
Government Relations
Arrangement of Agenda
Item 6 Gallery Issues preceded items 4 School
Formation and Structure at Gippsland and item 5 Strategic
Alliances – North America.
2. Notes
The notes of Meeting 6/2000 (5th September)
of the Deans Discussion Group were received.
3. Matters Arising from the Minutes not dealt with
elsewhere in the Agenda
Substantive matters arising were dealt with in the body
of the agenda. There were no other matters arising.
4. School Formation and Structure at Gippsland
Professor Mackenzie spoke to this item and sought the
views of the Committee on the most appropriate academic structure
applicable to the Gippsland Campus. Professor Mackenzie informed members
that he had written to heads of Departments indicating that development
of an academic plan for the campus was necessary. He had also advertised
a position for a Manager, Academic Planning for the campus.
There was discussion of several models. Members tended
to the view that structural change should not occur if it diminished the
energy that was characteristic of Monash including entrepreneurial
vitality. Organisational arrangements in future would need to be both
dynamic and fluid. The solution may be not to make another simple
structural change but to engage in detailed negotiations with course
providers that might stimulate development of an array of vital
cross-faculty programs.
In the context of this discussion, a member commented
that emphasis should be on resourcing departments rather than courses.
The University should address how it rewards innovation, aligns
resources with active teaching and research areas and empowers staff to
make decisions and take initiatives. It was agreed that this topic would
be considered at a future Deans Discussion Group.
5. Strategic alliances – North America
Mr Ian Porter presented the paper Strategic
Partnerships in North America. Mr Porter advised that the Monash
presence in North America was not highly developed. The strategy was to
focus on a small number of potential partners and foster productive
relationships with a view to refining a partnership. Features of the
discussion followed Mr Porter’s presentation included:
The Vice-Chancellor thanked Mr Porter for his
presentation and indicated that North America would be a focus for
particular attention in 2001.
6. Gallery Issues
Professor John Redmond spoke to this item and reported
on the University Gallery in the context of the other galleries in the
University and other Australian university galleries and collections.
Proposals were considered concerning governance and administration of
the University Gallery and those proposals were endorsed by the
Committee.
7. Next Meeting
The next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans will
be held Meeting at 2:15 pm, Tuesday 16th January 2001, in the Sir George
Lush Room
The next meeting of the Deans Discussion Group will be
held at 4.00pm on Tuesday 5 December 2000, in the City Office.
