Meeting 4/2001 of the Deans Discussion Group was held between 4.00 pm and 8:45pm on Tuesday, 5 June 2001 in the Monash City Office, Level 11, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Phillip Siggins

Secretary

In opening the meeting the Vice-Chancellor advised that additional agenda items would be discussed; these included:

The Vice-Chancellor also advised that the item Cross-Faculty Interests would be discussed at dinner and that item 3.3 Progress in regard to North American partners/allies would be discussed first followed by items 3.4 Art and Design Video Presentation and 3.2 Strategies in regard to Higher Degrees by Research.

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

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

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

Professor B Mackenzie, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Gippsland Campus

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

Professor H Le Grand, Dean, Faculty of Arts

Professor G Palmer, Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics

Professor S Willis, Dean, Faculty of Education

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, Nursing and Health Sciences

Professor C B Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy

Professor R Norris, Dean, Faculty of Science

An apology was received from Professor P LeP Darvall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Development).

Professor Merran Evans, Director, Planning and Academic Affairs

Professor Max King, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Business and Economics

Mr Tony Pollock, Executive Director, International Affairs

The Notes of an additional meeting of the Deans Discussion Group held 16^th May 2001 were received and noted.

Mr Pollock spoke to this item noting that Professor Le Grand had recently visited a number of North American institutions. Mr Pollock commented that there was a need for Monash to be represented in North America at reasonable cost. This representation might comprise a single person office with oversight of its activities being managed from Monash International in Australia. Mr Pollock reported that feedback from some institutions that had been visited or contacted in the previous round was starting to flow in and included a draft agreement with the University of Arizona and communications from Michigan State, Vanderbilt and Nashville.

Professor Le Grand also commented on fostering of relationships in North American Institutions and he suggested that instead of a full time office, money should be spent on a variety of activities including seeding grants for initiating joint research activities and other activities such as scholarly exchanges. He commented on his contact with campuses of the University of North Carolina and suggested that small-scale initiatives spread over several years could be beneficial.

Discussion then focussed on the United States as an international provider and competitor in the context of transnational and off-shore delivery.

Mr Pollock was then invited to comment on progress with the Global Development Plan. He advised that the first cut of the document was almost ready for circulation. It would be presented to Mr David Phillips for comment, then to the Vice Chancellor’s Group on 27 June, to Committee of Deans and then to the wider community from July to 31 August. Following this wider circulation, the Global Development Plan would be returned to the Vice Chancellor’s Group, then to Committee of Deans on 4 September and from there to Council on 1 October. (Note: this timetable has subsequently been revised. The Plan will be considered by Council on 17 December)

The Global Development Plan set out objectives and strategies underpinning the five principles of the Global Development Framework and included further content about plans for the South Africa and Malaysia Campuses.

Mr Pollock tabled papers concerning the approaches made by North American institutions.

In the context of this discussion, Professor Brisk reported that the Institute of Engineers Australia (I.E. Aust) had accredited the Engineering courses for the Malaysia Campus – the first time an overseas course had been accredited by this body. Members congratulated Professor Brisk on this successful outcome.

The Vice-Chancellor then invited Professor Parker to report on a development plan for Europe. Professor Parker advised that the London and Prato Steering Group was in the process of articulating concepts about London and Prato noting that the respective development of these Centres was not symmetrical. In addition, Ulm and Potsdam were both ongoing and accordingly, a broader plan embracing these developments and making provision for other initiatives was necessary. The London/Prato Steering Group would become the Europe Steering Group. A new model for governance would be appropriate with a future Director/Pro Vice-Chancellor being appointed to be .5 London and supported by a full time manager for London.

The Vice-Chancellor thanked Mr Pollock for his attendance.

Professor Redmond presented a video targeted for an audience of international students and which would be suitable for students in the 15 to 20 year old age bracket. Members expressed their appreciation for the high quality video and noted that it was part of a total package including CD, powerpoint presentation and accompanying literature. The Vice-Chancellor thanked Professor Redmond for his presentation.

Professor Le Grand spoke to this item noting the importance of Higher Degrees by Research completions and he outlined initiatives taken in the faculty to enhance completion rates including the establishment of a formal graduate school in the Faculty of Arts.

Professor King was invited to comment and he too emphasised the importance of improving completion rates. He noted that funding for Higher Degrees by Research is distributed via a formula and raised the issue of how Higher Degrees by Research load is allocated across the University. He suggested that the question as to whether Higher Degrees by Research load should be distributed according to the formula was a matter for Deans and the Vice-Chancellor’s Group to consider.

Professor King commented on a trend toward more coursework, on models for supervision of candidates and also on Junior Research Fellowships. In this context there was discussion about Intellectual Property issues and especially in relation to student intellectual property matters.

The Vice-Chancellor invited Professor King to provide further clarification about formula driven allocation of Higher Degrees by Research load and issues concerning completions as raised by members.

Professor Saunders commented on the need for an accepted minimum set of expectations about student progress and the role of the supervisor. In responding, Professor King noted that guidelines exist in this regard and annual reporting is available; he also noted that Masters by Research, unlike the PhD, are faculty degrees and under the jurisdiction of the faculties.

Discussion then focussed on what action could be taken in relation to poor supervision of candidates and on the time limits that apply for completion of research degrees.

The Vice-Chancellor thanked Professor King for his attendance.

Ms Crook provided a presentation clarifying the relationships between Monash Commercial, Montech and the faculties. Montech would become a shell company with a range of syndicates reporting to it. A process to manage risk would be put in place with Faculty Business Development Managers established in relation to a risk management unit that was subordinate to Monash Commercial. Ms Crook asked the meeting for its views on communicating more broadly the reporting relationships of the companies. Professor Le Grand responded that the key element would be the appointment of the Business Development Managers who would then communicate with their faculties.

The Vice-Chancellor informed members that Professor Le Grand had suggested that the Vice Chancellor’s Group meet annually with Faculty Executives and the Faculty Boards. The Vice-Chancellor confirmed that he believed it would be a positive move for his Group to meet with the Faculty Executive Committee with a view to communicating the University’s direction and imperatives. The Vice-Chancellor suggested that visits to Faculty Boards by individual VCG members continued to be appropriate. A schedule would need to be drawn up and arrangements firmed up.

The Vice-Chancellor thanked Professor Le Grand for raising this matter.

Professor Rosenberg reported that the Faculty of Information Technology had sponsored a digital display at the Museum of Victoria.

There was comment on the possible benefits that might flow from closer association with the Museum.

Professor Palmer reported that she had had occasion to use 30 Collins Street for meetings of a departmental review group. She also informed the meeting of relocations of two areas of the Faculty of Business and Economics from the city to the Caulfield Campus and asked whether increasing the teaching programs at the city premises was acceptable. The Vice-Chancellor responded that 30 Collins Street was owned by the Monash Foundation as a commercial enterprise and activities at 30 Collins Street had to be at commercial rates. The location of key centres at 30 Collins Street was appropriate but there was opposition to the concept of it as a teaching campus.

There was discussion of the need for a city address for some faculty activities and Professor Chapman reminded members of the availability of the Parkville Campus. In the course of discussion, it was noted that both the faculties of Law and Business and Economics sought a city location for some activities while other faculties were provided for at Caulfield and Parkville as inner locations.

A paper, Cross Faculty Interests, Report on progress: June 2001 (with attachments) had been distributed.

Professor Merran Evans introduced the four topics outlined in the paper.

Members noted the information as provided in the progress report from Professor Chris Cocklin.

Members noted that Professors Parker and Chapman had met with Professor Mark Wahlquist on 23 May. Professors Parker and Chapman advised that ‘Food’ had further progress to be made before it could be considered a unifying concept. It was agreed that more mapping of activity in this area should be undertaken before a final decision was taken.

Members noted the information provided and the Vice-Chancellor’s advice about the link with an AFL Team and Monash.

It was agreed that this cross faculty interest should be allowed to develop further before any decisions were taken.

A paper, Postgraduate and Professorial Business Education from Professor Gill Palmer was distributed. Professor Palmer spoke to her paper and emphasised the cross faculty nature of the proposal. Professor Palmer highlighted the new program structure of the MBA which would comprise 16 subjects (10 core subjects and 6 elective subjects) and that organised collections of elective subjects may be made available from every faculty.

Members endorsed the recommendations as detailed in Professor Palmer’s paper and accepted the Vice-Chancellor’s recommendation that proposed subjects for the MBA be submitted to Professors Gill Palmer and Rob Willis before they were considered by Professor Alan Lindsay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice- President (Academic and Planning).

Professor Evans spoke to the paper, Non Award Programs at Monash.

The Vice-Chancellor advised that Professor Alan Lindsay and Ms Alison Crook would meet to discuss putting some resources toward establishing a listing of non award programs with a view to an enhanced non award web page.

The Vice-Chancellor reminded members that at the last formal Committee of Deans, Professor Mackenzie had presented the Gippsland Academic Plan. Professor Mackenzie would now be visiting Deans over the next two weeks to prepare for the next iteration of the Plan.

Close 8:45pm.

The next ordinary meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, 3 July 2001 in the Sir George Lush Room.

The next meeting of the Deans Discussion Group will be held at 4.00 pm on Tuesday, 17 July 2001 in the City Office.

Vice-Chancellor and President
Deputy Vice-Chancellors and Vice-Presidents

Pro Vice-Chancellors

Deans