Monash University

Scholarships Committee Meeting 1/2004

Meeting 1/2004 of the Scholarships Committee was held on Friday, 26 November 2004, in the Sir George Lush Room, Building 3A, Clayton campus, between 10 am and 12 noon.

MINUTES

1. APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Professor A Lindsay and Professor R Willis.

2. ATTENDANCE

There were present: Professor R Norris (Chair), Mr C Avram (for Professor A Lindsay), Professor M King, Ms S Nadathur and Mr T Wilson.

In attendance were: Professor C Browne (President, Academic Board), Ms C Knowles, Ms L Caldwell, Mr G Toohey and Ms A Matchett (Executive Officer).

*3. TERMS OF REFERENCE, MEMBERSHIP AND ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE

The Chair outlined the Committee’s Terms of Reference and highlighted that the Committee receives reports from two other major university scholarships committees, namely the Coursework Scholarships Committee and the Research Graduate School Committee. The Chair asked members to consider the rationale of the Committee’s existence. Members noted the Terms of Reference and associated action being undertaken by the Committee as listed below.

Meet annually, or more frequently if circumstances require
A system was approved at meeting 1/2003 of the Scholarships Committee whereby resolutions could be approved between meetings of the Committee via circulation. Members agreed that this would be an appropriate way of operating.

Specify the nature of, and receive, annual reports from the Coursework Scholarships Committee (CSC) and the Monash Research Graduate School Committee (RGSC)
At its meeting 1/2002, the Committee considered the format of annual reports from the CSC and the RGSC to the Scholarships Committee, and agreed that the two committees could continue to provide reports in their respective preferred formats. The Committee’s role is an overarching one in this respect.

Coordinate policy and procedures for scholarships and bursaries
Policy and procedures are coordinated by the CSC and the RGSC. It was agreed that policy and procedure for research and coursework scholarships cannot be coordinated by an overarching body due to the extreme difference of the two.

Set principles for the establishment of scholarships and bursaries
This is performed by the CSC and the RGSC.

Oversee the promotion of scholarships and bursaries (including receipt of relevant information in the reports of the CSC and the RGSC and a report from the Marketing and Public Affairs division)
This is an overarching function whereby reports are received and noted by the Committee.

Report and comment on the academic performance of award holders, acceptance rates of offers of awards and reasons for declining of awards
The CSC and the RGSC carry out this function and details are present in their annual reports, which are received and noted by the Scholarships Committee.

Report annually to the Academic Board
The Committee reports annually to the Academic Board.

Members may appoint nominees as necessary
Nominees often attend the Scholarships Committee meetings.

At the request of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor C Browne, President, Academic Board, will carry out a review of all committees that report to Academic Board. The review will aim to streamline the reporting line to Academic Board. The Scholarships Committee will be covered in this review.

Professor M King advised that the RGSC report to Academic Board and review scholarships on a regular basis, making it superfluous to report to the Scholarships Committee. Mr C Avram reported that the CSC reports to Admissions Committee, who report to Academic Board, on a regular basis.

Members noted advice from Mr Avram who reported that coursework and research awards were processed in such a vastly different manner that any coordination of the two was prevented.

The Chair noted that the membership of the Committee currently includes the Executive Director, Marketing and Public Affairs. This role has changed title to Vice-President Advancement and is currently vacant. The selection of an appropriate MAPA representative will be considered after the review of Academic Board Committees has been carried out.

The Committee noted that the above issues will be submitted to Academic Board via the Scholarships Committee Annual Report to Academic Board at its meeting 1/2005.

Action/Information: Professor R Norris, Professor C Browne, Ms A Matchett

*4. STARRED ITEMS

The Committee noted that certain items had been starred as requiring discussion. The Committee starred Item 8.1 and endorsed the recommendations for all other items other than those starred.

*5. MINUTES

The minutes of Scholarships Committee Meeting 1/2003, held Friday, 31 October 2003, were confirmed.

Action/Information: Ms A Matchett

*6. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING

6.1 Principles for establishment of scholarships and bursaries

Professor M King, Chair, Research Graduate School Committee, spoke to this item. Members noted that a working party had been established to develop policy and definitions in relation to the Scholarships Committee’s Terms of Reference, specifically to ‘set principles for the establishment of scholarships and bursaries’. It was further noted that this working party comprising Professor M King, Mr C Avram and Ms C Knowles had not met. The Scholarships Review being undertaken (Item 9) will not cover this point but has made the assumption that the current definitions regarding scholarships and bursaries are sound.

The Committee agreed that the definitions are sound and was hopeful that the Review of Scholarships might also consider this issue.

Action/Information: Professor M King, Mr C Avram, Ms C Knowles, Mr G Toohey

6.2 Impact of taxation on scholarship holders

Mr G Toohey, Manager, Student Administration, spoke to this item. This issue has appeared in the Go8, AVCC and Parliament. The following is an extract from the Australian Taxation Office website (http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/26619.htm) that defines a scholarship in taxation terms:

What is a scholarship?

An amount is a scholarship if: education of the person receiving the scholarship is one of its purposes, and the selection of the persons to receive the scholarship is based on merit or some other rational criterion. A scholarship may include a bursary, educational allowance or educational assistance. A payment made to a student, other than for educational purposes, is not a scholarship. For example, a payment made to a student to research a specific topic for the benefit of the payment provider is not a scholarship. This is because the payment is not provided for the education of the student – it is provided to carry out research for the benefit of the provider. The fact that the recipient is a full-time student is irrelevant and does not change the nature of the payment. In this situation, the payment would be included in the student’s assessable income. However, a payment will be a scholarship if it is provided to a student who is required to undertake research that is assessed as part of completing the course of study. This is often the case for post-graduate students.

A key point of this statement is that payments made to students for research purposes are not considered scholarships due to the benefit to the provider.

The Working Party of the Scholarships Review Group will seek advice from a tax consultant on this issue in order to maximise the benefit to students who are awarded scholarships.

Action/Information: Mr G Toohey

*7. ANNUAL REPORTS

7.1 Coursework Scholarships Committee (CSC)

Mr C Avram, representative for the Chair, Coursework Scholarships Committee, spoke to the report. Specific areas noted and discussed by the Committee included:

The Committee suggested that a report on the average number of scholarships awarded to students in recent years would be advantageous, especially from a marketing perspective, to include in the Coursework Scholarships Guide. The Committee agreed that the publication is thorough and consistent.
The membership and the Terms of Reference of the CSC had not been reviewed for some time and given the increasing volume and complexity of the university’s coursework scholarship program, it is recognised that now is an opportune time for review. As governing body of CSC, Admissions Committee has made a submission to the University-wide review of scholarships outlining the rationale for consideration to be given to the membership and Terms of Reference of the CSC. At present the CSC consists of a representative from faculty groups that are made up of two or three faculties. The Committee agreed that representation should be broader in order to provide opportunity for input from all interested parties.
Admissions Committee has made the suggestion to the scholarships review that ‘promotion of scholarships be reviewed and enhanced so that this can be used more strategically’. The Committee agreed that flexibility in the promotion of scholarships should be increased.
The Committee was asked to note the marked increase in applications processed by the Coursework Scholarships Unit and the subsequent increase in the workload for that unit and the CSC. Further increases in applications are expected in the future due to the proposed increase in scholarships to be offered.
The Committee noted that in the long term it would be desirable for Callista to be able to produce completion and continuation data for scholarship holders.

The Committee noted the annual report from the Coursework Scholarships Committee.

Action/Information: Mr C Avram

7.2 Research Graduate School Committee (RGSC)

Professor M King, Chair Research Graduate School Committee, spoke to the report. Specific areas noted and discussed by the Committee included:

The Committee noted Page 35 of Attachment B to the report that categorised expenditure on postgraduate research scholarships and awards which totalled $24,624,537 in 2003.
There has been a marked increase in applications and subsequently in workload for the Monash Research Graduate School. The MRGS is also the central administrative unit for all research related scholarships and therefore already carries a large workload.
Scholarship holders who have not submitted their theses’ will be identified and followed up.

The Committee noted the annual report from the Research Graduate School Committee.

Action/Information: Professor M King

7.3 Marketing and Public Affairs (MAPA)

Ms Caroline Knowles, Manager, Prospective Students Office, spoke to the report. The Committee noted that a paper had been tabled. Specific areas noted and discussed by the Committee included:

The end of the Year 12 school year is the key time for the advertisement of scholarships and MAPA will be placing advertisements in the major print supplements during this period.
In addition to advertising scholarships within Victoria, the Prospective Students Office targeted exclusive interstate private schools to promote Monash’s scholarships in 2004, with the aim of attracting students of a very high calibre to Monash.
The University elected not to hold the annual scholarships fundraising event in 2004, pending the arrival of a Vice-President Advancement. An appeal is planned for April/May 2005.
In recent years Monash has received good media coverage for scholarships following the release of Year 12 results. Monash are very competitive in the scholarship market despite lack of attention on the day results are released.

The Committee noted the annual report from Marketing and Public Affairs.

Action/Information: Ms C Knowles

8. ANNUAL UPDATE OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO APPEAR ON TRANSCRIPTS

*8.1 Coursework scholarships to appear on transcripts

This item was starred due to a tabled paper that required discussion. The Committee noted that the awards and prizes presented on this list from the Faculty of Engineering did not conform to the agreed criteria for scholarships to appear on academic transcripts. The two recommendations put forward by the CSC were rejected.

The Committee considered the list of awards and prizes submitted by the Faculty of Engineering and accepted The Professor Kenneth Hunt Award, Transurban Excellence in Engineering Award and the Siemens Prize for Innovation to appear on transcripts. The remaining items listed have been referred back to the CSC to liaise with the Faculty of Engineering. The Committee noted that the list of coursework scholarships to appear on transcripts remain the same as those previously approved.

Action/Information: Ms L Caldwell

8.2 Research scholarships to appear on transcripts

The Committee approved the 2004 updates of faculty and university-wide scholarships to appear on academic transcripts as submitted by the Research Graduate School Committee.

Action/Information: Ms P Herman

*9. PROGRESS ON THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS REVIEW

The Vice-Chancellor’s Group approved the establishment of a Review Group (DVC A Lindsay, DVC A Crook, DVC E Cornish, Professor M Evans, Professor M King) to focus on:

The categories and structures of the scholarships the University should be offering;
The administrative responsibilities, processes and resource arrangements to administer scholarships; and
If not duplicated by other reviews, to develop a suite of scholarship options to assist the University in implementing the Backing Australia’s Future reforms, particularly having regard to the interface between full and partial scholarship payments and Centrelink and taxation benefits.

The review is being undertaken by a working party comprising the Divisional Director (SSSD), Manager of Student Administration and the Faculty Manager, Education.

The working party first met in August and will forward a final report with findings and recommendations to the Review Group in due course. Some aims and findings of the working party are covered in the following points:

Ensure all scholarships offered conform with the University’s overall aims.
Scholarships are used effectively as marketing tools to attract high achieving students to Monash.
That Monash encourages diversity through scholarships.
Internal and external scholarships advertising lacks cohesion.
Staff are generally unsure about scholarships, especially those that fall outside of the staff member’s direct area.
Ensure that scholarships provide students with maximum benefit.
Improve procedures for staff on how to set up a scholarship.
Ensure that there is an easily accessible scholarships contact point for staff and students for all scholarships.
Ensure correct payments are made to scholarship holders and that the payments made are in compliance with Taxation Office regulations.

Another finding is that while it is appropriate to separate administration for research and coursework scholarships there is a need for greater coherence of overarching administration of scholarships especially in the areas of finance, compliance and marketing. This includes the recognition that a central website and contact area would be beneficial to both students and staff.

The Committee thought that setting up a central administrative unit for scholarships could consume resources without adding value and that this single point would simply refer queries to the Coursework Scholarships Unit or MRGS. Mr Avram commented that there is no commonality between research and coursework scholarships and that the two cannot be centrally coordinated.

The Committee noted the preliminary briefing provided by Mr G Toohey on the activities and the progress of the Scholarships Review Group and its working party.

Action/Information: Mr G Toohey

10. OTHER BUSINESS

There was no other business.

11. NEXT MEETING

A meeting for 2005 will be scheduled after the review of Academic Board committees as outlined under Item 3, if it is deemed necessary.