Meeting No 1/95 of the Education Committee was held on Wednesday 22 February 1995 at 9:00 am in the Council Room, University Offices, Clayton campus.
There were present:
Professor I Chubb (Chairman)
Associate Professor R Alfredson, Engineering
Dr G Baldwin, Policy and Planning
Professor A Barnett, Nursing
Professor E Barry, Arts
Professor J Freebairn, Business and Economics
Associate Professor M Gill, Education
Ms M Guli, MSA
Associate Professor N Hallam, Science
Professor M King, PhD and Scholarships
Ms H Morgan, MPA
Associate Professor G Jenkin, Medicine (for Associate Professor G Taylor)
Ms A McMillan, FCIT (for Professor C Bellamy)
Associate Professor S McNicol, Law
Professor J Redmond, Art and Design
Dr K Stewart, Pharmacy (for Associate Professor L Roller)
In attendance were:
Ms E R Brooks, Secretariat
Ms J Dunn, Secretariat
Mr I Gregory, Academic Projects
Mr N Thorburn, Student Services
Faculty Registrar/Manager (in rotation) -
Ms E Wilson, Faculty Administrator, Law
Apologies were received from:
Professor L Chipman, Distance Education
Mr A Hankin, MUSU, Inc
Mr S Kulesza, MPA
MINUTES
1. STARRED ITEMS
The Committee starred an additional item, being item 12. The Committee then endorsed the recommendations for items other than those starred.
2. MINUTES
The Committee approved the Minutes of Meeting No 8/94 held on Wednesday 14 December 1994 as circulated.
3. MEMBERSHIP
The Committee welcomed Professor John Redmond (Art & Design) and Associate Professor Sue McNicol (Law) to the membership of the Education Committee.
4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
4.1 Academic Board approval of subjects
Regarding Minutes 3.1 Meeting 8/94, 3.2 Meeting 7/94, 3.2 Meeting 6/94, 3.2 Meeting 5/94, 3.4 Meeting 4/94 and 8.5 Meeting 3/94: the Committee noted that the University Solicitor's Office has not yet responded to the paper submitted to them for comment.
4.2 Fees for Subjects Taken Over and Above Degree Requirements
Regarding Minutes 3.2 Meeting 8/94, 3.3 Meeting 7/94, 3.3 Meeting 6/94, 3.3 Meeting 5/94, 3.5 Meeting 4/94 and 9.5 Meeting 3/94: the Committee noted that most Faculties have forwarded their current fee policies to the Executive Officer. A summary will be presented to the Education Committee at a later date.
4.3 Conventions in Naming Degrees
Regarding Minutes 3.4 Meeting 8/94, 3.5 Meeting 7/94, 3.7 Meeting 6/94, 3.9 Meeting 5/94 and 11.1.12 Meeting 4/94: the Committee noted that this item will be brought to a later meeting of the Education Committee.
4.4 Honours Working Party
Regarding Minutes 3.5 Meeting 8/94, 3.6 Meeting 7/94, 3.8 Meeting 6/94, 4 Meeting 5/94, and 4.1.9 Meeting 3/94: the Committee noted that this item will be brought to a later meeting of the Education Committee.
4.5 Marking and Selection Practices
Regarding Minutes 3.8 Meeting 8/94 and 11 Meeting 7/94: the Committee noted that Dr Baldwin will submit the requested descriptive paper concerning marking practices to the Committee at a later date.
4.6 Advice from the Committee of Deans
At Meeting No 16/94 of the Committee of Deans, the issue of funding for the library resources required in the development of new courses and subjects was raised, as requested by this Committee (Minute 12, Meeting 7/94). The extract from the unconfirmed minutes of the Committee of Deans is as follows:
"The view was expressed that Deans were responsible to ensure funds were allocated to the Library to cover the costs of resources required for the introduction of new courses or subjects. It was suggested that, in cases where a faculty had not allocated appropriate resources to the Library, the Librarian should follow the matter up with the Dean concerned. It was also suggested that the initial issue was one of planning; faculties may need to develop strategic plans to stage and fund the introduction of new courses/subjects (D156/94)."
The Committee noted the comments of the Committee of Deans.
4.7 Amendment to Title
Minute 21.1 Meeting 8/94, referred to alteration of the title of the Graduate Diploma in Business (Management) to Graduate Diploma in Operations Management. The original title was incorrectly reported to the Education Committee, and was, in fact, Graduate Diploma in Manufacturing Management. The Report to Academic Board reflected the correct original title and the correct amended title. The Committee noted this information.
5. DISCIPLINE WORKING PARTY
The Committee received the Report of the Working Party on Student Discipline, and considered separately each of the recommendations made in Section Six of that document. After extensive discussion, the Committee referred the document back to the Working Party for amendment, and circulation of the amended document to the student organisations and to former members of Discipline Committees for comment. Subsequent to its amendment and circulation, the document should be returned to the Education Committee for consideration prior to submission of the document to the Academic Board.
6. BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION
The resubmission of the Bachelor of Communication course proposal was received by the Education Committee. The Committee noted that Faculty responses to the course proposal would be submitted to the 5 April meeting of the Education Committee.
7. ACADEMIC MEDALS, VALEDICTORY CEREMONY AND SCHOLARSHIP ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
The Committee received a revised paper concerning the proposal for academic medals, a valedictory ceremony and a scholarship enhancement scheme. The Committee made several amendments to the proposal, including the suggestion that double degree candidates should be considered for the medals only by their own faculty, that any student may be awarded a particular medal only once in their career and that the number of medals should be increased, before endorsing the proposal for transmission to the Academic Board.
8. FACULTY PREREQUISITES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY
The Committee received advice that the difficulty foreseen by the Department of Physiology had been resloved by negotiations undertaken by the Department with officers of the Faculty of Arts.
9. LIFELONG LEARNING SKILLS AND ATTITUDES
Members of the Committee received a copy of Commissioned Report No 28, Developing Lifelong Learners through Undergraduate Education (produced by the Department of Employment, Education and Training) in addition to the papers attached to the Agenda. An additional booklet, The enabling Characteristcs of Undergraduate Education is attached to these minutes.Members of the Education Committee were invited to write to Professor Chubb as Chair of the Working Party on Lifelong Learning with suggested issues for the working party to discuss.
10. REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN
The Committee received the University Librarian's Summary of Library Impact Statements submitted in January 1995.
11. FACULTY OF ENGINEERING SUBJECT QUOTAS
The Committee received a paper outlining the methods used to determine subject quotas in the Faculty of Engineering for 1995. The Committee approved the subject quotas as proposed in Attachment A of the document provided by the Faculty of Engineering.
12. FACULTY OF MEDICINE SUBJECT AMENDMENTS
The Committee noted that these subjects were to be additionally coded rather than recoded, before considering the item.
12.1 GHS9842 Graduate Nursing Studies I: Caring in Nursing - to be additionall coded NSG9842 and offered also at the Peninsula campus
12.2 GHS9843 Graduate Nursing Studies II - to be additionally coded NSG9843 and offered also at the Peninsula campus
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the amendments to subjects listed in items 12.1 and 12.2 inclusive.
13. FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS SUBJECT PROPOSAL
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new subject MBA5889 External Environment, to be offered in 1995.
14. OTHER BUSINESS
14.1 Vote of Thanks
The outgoing Chair, Professor Chubb, congratulated the Committee on its developmental role in setting educational policy for the University, and for its diligence and commitment to educational programs. In return, the Committee moved a vote of thanks to Professor Chubb, citing his creativity and the energy he has devoted to an often complex task.
15. NEXT MEETING
The Committee noted that the next meeting of the Education Committee will be held at 9 am on Wednesday 15 March 1995 in the Council Room, University Offices. This will be an Extraordinary Meeting to discuss discuss administrative and operational arrangements for the Education Committee for the remainder of 1995. It is intended to last no more than one hour.
The next normal meeting of the Education Committee will be held at 9 am on Tuesday 4 April 1995. Submissions for this meeting are to be delivered to the Secretariat no later than Friday 24 March. Single sided, original documents are preferred.