Meeting 6/2005 of the Committee of Deans was held at 4.00 pm on Tuesday, 20 September 2005 in the city office, level 11, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne.

Professor R Larkins AO, Vice-Chancellor

Professor S Parker, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor E Cornish, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Mr P Marshall, Vice-President (Administration)

Mr R Fairchild, Vice-President (Advancement)

Mr D Pitt, Vice-President (Finance)/Chief Financial Officer

Associate Professor H Ballis, School of Humanities, Communications & Social Sciences, Gippsland

Professor M King, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Research Training

Professor B Hoffert, Acting 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 T Sridhar, Dean, Faculty of Engineering

Professor R Weber, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology

Professor A Freiberg, Dean, Faculty of Law

Professor E Byrne, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Professor C Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy

Professor R Norris, Dean, Faculty of Science

Professor M Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning)

Professor C Browne, President of Academic Board

Mr J Levine, Divisional Director, Financial Resources Management

Mr R Dias, Deputy Director, Financial Resources Management

Professor B Mackenzie, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Gippsland

Professor M Liddell, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Malaysia

Professor T Pretorius, Pro Vice-Chancellor, South Africa

Professor John Redmond, Dean, Faculty of Art and Design

Mr T Calder, Director, Executive Services

Minutes of meeting 5/2005 of the Committee of Deans held on Tuesday, 2 August were confirmed.

Members noted the advice on the proposed RQF model, outcomes of the recent Go8 board meeting and recent developments on the South Africa Campus.

Professor Chris Browne, President of Academic Board, was in attendance for items under the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Stephen Parker, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, outlined the course and unit approval process and its progress since devolution to the faculties in 2002.

Following discussion and noting the role of the Academic Board in oversight of academic standards, it was suggested that a revised process be developed for discussion.

Professor Parker outlined to members the proposal to review the range of courses available, discipline mix and approach to coursework generally. The proposed approach for conducting the review would initially be developed with external consultants.

Matters raised during discussion included aspects of the current budget model, does the current faculty structure impede interfaculty co-operation, the teaching/research nexus and market demand for disciplines.

The matter would be referred back for further discussion.

Members discussed a range of matters including the role of heads of departments, differing faculty structures, differing use of schools and departments, the need for leadership at the department level and the complexities of remuneration given the differing structures across the University.

Concluding the discussion, the Vice-Chancellor thanked members for their comments and advised the major topic for discussion at the next meeting of the Committee of Deans would be an in depth discussion on the academic structure of the University.

During discussion, it was suggested that the selection panel for the appointment of associate professors be reduced in size, however, the panel should retain outside (of the faculty) representation.

Professor Merran Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning) was in attendance for this item.

Members noted the advice on the outcomes of the rankings for the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund and that the method and allocation of funding would be known late October or November.

Members discussed Monash’s performance relating to student mobility and noted the advice that Monash was lagging behind other Australian universities in the area.

Members noted the draft report of the Monash Abroad Review and the need to increase the Monash Abroad budget if the University intended to meet projected targets.

Following discussion, the Vice-Chancellor summarised the major outcomes and advised that a new structure to support postgraduate students would not be implemented and requested that faculties, and where appropriate, campus directors, take on board and address the issues raised in the paper.

Members noted the advice of Professor Max King, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Research Training, on the issues of targets, incentives and funding of HDR students.

Discussion focussed on the need to review the funding formula for HDR students, strategies in place/required to attract outstanding international HDR enrolments and that faculties should include this matter as a focus during their planning processes.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that he had the capacity to make twelve month appointments in this category and that the Special Professorial Appointments Committee could process a proposal within seven days.

Mr John Levine, Divisional Director, Financial Resources Management and Mr Reynold Dias, Deputy Director, Financial Resources Management were in attendance for this item.

Mr David Pitt, Vice-President (Finance)/Chief Financial Officer, provided members with an overview of the 2006 budget including the projected operating result, the need for an appropriate safety margin, the outcome specific scenarios would have on the operating surplus should they in fact eventuate, changes to central charges and several matters relating to faculty targets for 2006.

During discussion, members noted advice on international student applications, offers and acceptances and use of voluntary separation schemes in areas undergoing restructuring.

Members noted the advice of Mr Pitt on the process and outcome of the preferred travel supplier tender process, the audit of the process and the justification for selection one preferred supplier.

Members were advised that BTI was looking to issue revised guidelines, including smaller profiles for booking arrangements for visiting academics.

This item was discussed with 7.2 University Travel Policy and BTI

Professor Stephen Parker, at the request of several Deans, will re-present the session he provided recently to Divisional Directors on Information Management.

The following meeting dates were approved however subsequent to the meeting the date for meeting 7/2006 had to be amended.

The next meeting of the Committee of Deans will be held at 2.15 pm on Wednesday, 9 November in the Deans (BusEco) Meeting Room, Level 9, Building S, Caulfield Campus.

Vice-Chancellor

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Vice-Presidents

Pro Vice-Chancellors

Deans/Acting Deans