Meeting 2/95 of the Education Committee was held Wednesday 5 April 1995 at 9:00am in the Council Room, University Offices, Clayton campus.
There were present:
Professor L Chipman (Alternate Chair)
Associate Professor R Alfredson, Engineering
Dr G Baldwin, Policy and Planning
Professor E Barry, Arts
Mr F Corsar, MPA
Professor S Crossley, Science (for Associate Professor N Hallam)
Professor A Edwards, Co-opted
Dr M Evans, Business and Economics
Associate Professor M Gill, Education
Ms M Guli, MSA
Mr A Hankin, MUSU, Inc
Professor M King, PhD and Scholarships
Ms H Morgan, MPA
Associate Professor G Taylor, Medicine
Ms A McMillan, FCIT
Associate Professor S McNicol, Law
Professor J Redmond, Art and Design
Associate Professor L Roller, Pharmacy
In attendance were:
Ms E R Brooks, Secretariat
Mr R Burnet, Student Services
Ms B L Chew, MPA
Ms J Dunn, Secretariat
Faculty Registrar/Manager (in rotation) -
Mr D Secomb, Head of Administration, Engineering
Apologies were received from:
Professor A Barnett, Nursing
Professor R Pargetter, Chair
MINUTES
1. STARRED ITEMS
The Committee starred item 15.2.1 in addition to the other items previously starred, and endorsed the recommendations for items other than those starred.
2. MINUTES
The Committee approved the minutes of Meeting 1/95 and of Extraordinary Meeting 1/95 as circulated.
3. MEMBERSHIP
The Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor to coopt Professor Anne Edwards of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Mr Frank Corsar was welcomed to the Committee as a new student representative for Master degree candidates, replacing Mr Stephan Kulesza.
4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
4.1 Academic Board approval of subjects
Regarding Minutes 4.1 Meeting 1/95, 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 had not yet responded to the paper submitted to them for comment.
4.2 Fees for Subjects Taken Over and Above Degree Requirements
Regarding Minutes 4.2 Meeting 1/95, 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, and that a summary would be presented to the Education Committee at a later date.
4.3 Conventions in Naming Degrees
Regarding Minutes 4.3 Meeting 1/95, 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 would be brought to a later meeting of the Education Committee.
4.4 Honours Working Party
Regarding Minutes 4.4 Meeting 1/95, 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 the working party was drafting a paper based on a set of draft guidelines for honours years circulated by the AVCC in February 1995, and that this paper would be brought to the next meeting of the Education Committee.
4.5 Marking and Selection Practices
Regarding Minutes 4.5 Meeting 1/95, 3.8 Meeting 8/94 and 11 Meeting 7/94: the Committee noted that Dr Baldwin would submit the requested descriptive paper concerning marking practices to the Committee at a later date.
4.6 Advice from the Committee of Deans - Academic Medals and Valedictory Ceremonies
The Committee noted that at meeting 4/95 of the Committee of Deans, the paper endorsed by the Education Committee was discussed. The Committee discussed the extract included in the Agenda papers from the unconfirmed minutes of that meeting, and noted Professor King's comment that the PhD and Scholarships Committee had developed a proposal for naming the PhD Medal, and was now very supportive of the proposal. The student representatives queried the comment that student response to the idea was lukewarm, and were invited to conduct such polling as may be helpful to gauge student opinion on the proposals before the Committee of Deans.
The Committee also noted that the deans of faculties had been invited to comment on the proposal, and expressed interest in commenting further on any changes made.
4.7 Discipline Working Party
Regarding Minute 5 Meeting 1/95: the Committee noted that the working Party on Student Discipline had reconvened to further examine the paper presented to the Education Committee at meeting 1/95, and that a progress report would be presented to the next Education Committee meeting.
5. COURSE APPROVALS FOR 1996
The Committee noted that entries for the 1996 VTAC Guide to Courses were to be finalised no later than May 4 1995, and that the proof copy of the Guide included a number of courses which had not yet been approved by Academic Board. Members also noted that the University was required to certify that new entries to the guide had been approved before the final copy was submitted to the VTAC authorities. The Committee then discussed approval mechanisms and the need for academic scrutiny by all faculties involved in a newly proposed degree or new combination of degrees. The Committee recommended the formation of a working party to examine the degree development process, with particular regard for deadlines and barriers within the process, including the VTAC requirement that the courses be approved before inclusion in the Guide.
In further discussion members expressed discomfort with the idea of "in principle" approval, concern for possible loss of rigour of scrutiny felt to be inherent in a situation requiring hasty approval processes, the hope that such a situation would not arise again and the need for faculties and the university in general to be responsive to external forces. The Committee agreed to identify according to category the twentyfive listed courses which had not yet been presented for approval, and to make the following recommendation to Academic Board. It was also agreed that the Education Committee would call an additional meeting for Wednesday 3 May 1995, at 9:30 am in the University Council Room, University Offices, in order to examine the proposals for as many of these courses as could be prepared.
The Committee also noted that two proposed programs were withdrawn by the Faculty of Medicine from consideration at that time:
The Committee therefore agreed to recommend to the Academic Board that the course proposals listed below be approved in principle by the Academic Board subject to the close scrutiny of the Education Committee on 3 May 1995, and of the relevant faculty boards before that date. The Committee noted that the proposals would later be submitted for ratification by the Academic Board. Proposals which were not endorsed by the Education Committee on 3 May would be withdrawn from the VTAC Guide, and the "in principle" approval granted by the Board would be rescinded.
The courses requiring the approval of the Academic Board in principle, subject to the scrutiny of the Education Committee on 3 May are as follows:
New double degree programs which are combinations of existing University courses:
New degree programs or double award programs including a new degree program:
Tagged degree programs which are a repackaging of existing streams and subjects:
Double award programs which are combinations of an existing Monash award and a TAFE course:
6. BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION
Ms McMillan informed the Committee that the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology had approved the following subjects to be offered as part of the Bachelor of Communication degree:
6.1 COT2800 Public Networks - revised version of COT1800
6.2 COT2700 The Computing Environment - revised version of COT1700
6.3 COT3206 Systems Security and Privacy - revised version of COT2200
6.4 SYS3706 Analysis and Design - revised version of SYS2071
6.5 LAR2603 Information Processing - revised version of LAR2003
6.6 LAR2670 Electronic Document Operations - revised version of COT2170
6.7 LAR3604 Information Policies and Infrastructures - revised version of LAR3004
6.8 LAR3606 Electronic Information Sources - revised version of LAR3006
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the amendments to subjects listed in items 6.1 to 6.8 inclusive.
7. MATTERS REFERRED BY CADeT
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposed Policy on Induction to Teaching and Learning, submitted to the Education Committee by CADeT.
8. EDUCATION POLICY AND INTENSIVE TEACHING
The Committee was informed by Professor King that Professor Bellamy had responded to the memo attached to the Agenda, and that Professor Bellamy had indicated that a student wishing to use the subject for credit towards a postgraduate degree would be required to undertake additional assessment. Ms McMillan also commented that the Faculty Board had not endorsed the original advertisement and that the academic responsible had been asked for a written explanation. She further clarified that the course was used as a professional development course, and that although additional assessment had been developed for the subject should a student request that it be included in a postgraduate course, that no student had made such a request.
The Committee agreed that the matter of intensive teaching as it related to the Education Policy statements on credit points and hours of work was an important one, and that those principles should not be neglected in future developments.
9. REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN
The Committee noted that the University Librarian did not submit a report for this agenda.
10. FACULTY OF SCIENCE COURSE AMENDMENTS
The Committee noted that at its meeting held on 30 November 1994 the Board of the Faculty of Science endorsed the following changes consequent on recommendations from the Psychology Advisory Board.
10.1 Requirements for Psychology Majors - Gippsland campus
The Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Faculty of Science that
for transmission to the Academic Board.
10.2 Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology
The Committee endorsed the recommendation of the Faculty of Science to amend the Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology as follows:
11 FACULTY OF ARTS REPORT
The Committee received the report of the Faculty of Arts Faculty Board Meeting 1/95 and considered each item requiring action separately for transmission to the Academic Board.
11.1 New Subject Proposals
11.1.1 AUS1010S Out of Empire
11.1.2 AUS1020S Democracy and Nation
11.1.3 EUR3xxx The Politics of Work in Europe
11.1.4 GSS3101 Borderworks: Theorising Gendered Experience
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the subject proposals listed in items 11.1.1 to 11.1.4 inclusive.
11.2 Amendment to course
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to include the following subjects in the Bachelor of Arts (Australian Studies):
12. FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORT 1/95
The Committee received the report of the Faculty of Business and Economics Faculty Board Meeting 1/95 held on 15 February 1995, noted the proceedings and considered each item requiring action separately for transmission to the Academic Board.
12.1 Amendments to Existing Courses
12.1.1 Graduate Diploma of Business (Accounting)
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to alter the title of the Graduate Diploma of Business (Accounting) to the Graduate Diploma in Accounting, to enable all graduate diplomas in the discipline to use the same title.
12.1.2 Graduate Diploma in Accounting - Course Structure
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal that the three Graduate Diplomas in Accounting, offered at the Clayton, Caulfield and Gippsland campuses, have the course structure detailed in the document provided by the Faculty.
12.2 New Subject Proposals
12.2.1 MKT5000 Management of Retail Enterprises
12.2.2 MKT5001 International Retailing
12.2.3 FIN3191 Singapore Income Taxation
12.2.4 ACC2xxx Financial Entrepreneurship - Theory and Practice
12.2.5 FIN2191 Taxation Law for International Trade
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the subject proposals listed in items 12.2.1 to 12.2.5 inclusive.
12.3 Disestablishment of Subjects
12.3.1 FIN3721 Public Finance
12.3.2 GBU8023 Advanced Financial Accounting - selected topics from this subject are to be incorporated into GBU8021 Financial Accounting.
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to disestablish the subjects listed in items 12.3.1 and 12.3.2 above.
12.4 Graduate Certificate in Professional Skills
The Working Party in Professional Skills of the Faculty of Business and Economics made a number of recommendations to Faculty Board, which Faculty Board endorsed for transmission to the Education Committee. These recommendations were set out in a document attached to the Agenda. Members noted that (regarding recommendation 3iii) the fee structure of any proposed course had to be approved by the Finance Committee, and recommended that any required fees be included in the proposed course fee. In addition, the Committee recommended that any course proposal also examine the Distance Education opportunities closely.
The Education Committee endorsed, subject to the above comments, the recommendations made by the Working Party in Professional Skills for transmission to the Academic Board.
13. FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS - NAMING OF AWARDS
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the following proposals to rename existing diplomas:
14. FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORT 2/95
The Committee received the report of Faculty of Business and Economics Faculty Board Meeting 2/95 held on 15 March 1995, noted the proceedings and considered each item requiring action separately for transmission to the Academic Board.
Regarding items 14.5 to 14.9, the Committee queried the awarding of a second degree for one year's work, ie the ability to achieve two degrees in four years. Dr Evans tabled a paper concerning the rationale for the new combinations, and explained that the DEET guidelines for credit transfer were such that the minimum proportion of work in the degree had to be the equivalent of one year, with no consideration of whether previous study to be used for credit had been used to earn a degree. It was also pointed out that the Faculty had traditionally offered semiprofessional degrees, but that this model of double degree offering was not to be seen as appropriate to all faculties.
The Committee requested that the recommendation to the Academic Board include the paper tabled by Dr Evans and a summary of the relevant sections of the credit transfer policy.
14.1 Amendments to existing courses
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal that the title of the Bachelor of Business (Multidiscipline) be amended to Bachelor of Business.
14.2 Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance)
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance).
14.3 Bachelor of Commerce (Business Statistics)
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Commerce (Business Statistics).
14.4 Bachelor of Commerce (Strategic Management)
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Commerce (Strategic Management).
14.5 Bachelor of Business (International Trade)/Bachelor of Business (Management)
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Business (International Trade)/Bachelor of Business (Management)
14.6 Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor of Business (Marketing)
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor of Business (Marketing).
14.7 Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Economics
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Economics.
14.8 Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Business Systems
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Business Systems.
14.9 Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance)/Bachelor of Computing
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish a new course, to be titled Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance)/Bachelor of Computing.
14.10 New Subject
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to offer the subject GBUxxxx Asian Employment Relations.
15. FACULTY OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REPORT 4/94
The Committee received the report of Faculty of Computing and Information Technology Faculty Board Meeting 4/94 held on Wednesday, 30 November 1994, noted the proceedings and considered each item requiring action separately for transmission to the Academic Board.
15.1 Renaming Associate Diploma Course
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to rename the Associate Diploma in Computing as the Diploma in Computing.
15.2 New Subject Proposals
15.2.1 CFR3304 - Developing Client-Server Applications
15.2.2 CFR3150 - Algorithm Design and Analysis
15.2.3 CFR3234 - Development Environment for GUI and Multimedia
15.2.4 CFR3231 - User Interface Design Principles with GUI and Multimedia
15.2.5 CFR3308 - Commercial Software Development in COBOL
15.2.6 CSC3210 - Software Development in COBOL
15.2.7 BUS3400 - Multimedia for Business
Members of the Committee requested that the proposals be rewritten to conform to the current proforma for subject proposals, particularly in terms of the links between objectives and assessment and methods of teaching and assessment, and that the recently recommended style for handbook entries also be adhered to in future proposals.
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the subject proposals listed in items 15.2.1 to 15.2.7 inclusive.
15.3 Amendments to Subjects
15.3.1 SFT3316 - Concurrent Programming - to be offered as a six point subject in the Bachelor of Computing(Information Systems)
15.3.2 COT3031 - Client-Server Database Systems to be offered as a six point subject in the Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems)
15 3.3 SFT2201 - Software Engineering Practice to be offered in the Bachelor of Computing(Information Systems)
15.3.4 SFT2205 - Commercial Programming in COBOL to be offered in the Bachelor of Computing(Information Systems)
15 3.5 BUS3150/4150/5112 to be renamed Computer Facilities Network Management.
15.3.6 BUS4300 - Business Communications - change in point value from 4 to 6 points.
15.3.7 Bachelor of Digital Systems - revision of pre-requisites
15.3.8 disestablishment of subjects offered by the Peninsula School of Computing - the Faculty is satisfied that no disadvantage to students will ensue.
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the amendments as listed in items 15.3.1 to 15.3.8 above.
15.4. Information Studies Major
The Committee endorsed for transmission to the Academic Board the proposal to establish an Information Studies major in the Department of Librarianship, Archives and Records consisting of the following existing subjects:
16. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
16.1 Double degree Approval
The Committee noted that all degree proposals, including those for new combinations of existing courses, must be submitted for approval to the Education Committee as if they were new courses. In particular, this is to ensure that matters of credit, workload and structure are both clearly expressed and equitable.
16.2 New submission requirements
It was requested that a student should be added to the two academics examining subject and course proposals before the preparation of the Education Committee Agendas (Dr M Evans and Prof N Hallam - Undergraduate; Prof A Edwards and Prof M King - Graduate). The Committee noted the request, which will be referred to the Chair.
The Committee examined the new reporting guidelines more closely, and altered the recommendation that each faculty report minor amendments twice per year, so that it should read "no less than twice per year". A revised version of the document is attached to these minutes.
16.3 Working Parties of the Education Committee
The Committee noted the progress of each of the three working parties described in Agenda item 4 of Extraordinary Meeting 1/95. The Chairs of the Discipline and Honours working parties noted that documents would be presented to the next regular meeting of the Education Committee, and Professor King noted that the Graduate Studies working party was currently in abeyance while the Chair (Professor King), and Professors Darvall, Pargetter and Whitelaw met to discuss the direction of the working party.
17. NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Education Committee will be held at 9:30 am on Wednesday 3 May 1995 in the Dean's Meeting Room, University Offices.
Professor R J Pargetter (Chairman)
Associate Professor R Alfredson, Engineering
Dr G Baldwin, Policy and Planning Directorate
Professor T Barnett, Nursing
Professor E Barry, Arts
Professor L Chipman, Distance Ed (Alternate Chair)
Mr F Corsar, MPA
Professor A Edwards, Co-Opted
Dr M Evans, Business and Economics
Associate Professor M Gill, Education
Ms M Guli, MAS
Mr A Hankin, MUSU, Inc.
Associate Professor N Hallam, Science
Professor M King, PhD and Scholarships Committee
Mrs A McMillan, Computing and Information Technology
Associate Professor S McNicol, Law
Ms H Morgan, MPA
Professor J Redmond, Art and Design
Dr L Roller, Pharmacy
Associate Professor G Taylor, Medicine
Mr R Burnet, Student Services
Faculty Registrar/Manager (in rotation)
Ms E R Brooks, Secretariat
Mr P Annal, Computer Centre
Mr R Cochrane, M I Pty
Ms O Cornelius, Secretariat
Ms J Dunn, Secretariat
Mr B Eddy, Solicitor's Office
Ms C Holland, Arts
Mr T Lee, MUSU, Inc
Mr E Lim, Librarian
Mrs D Macmillan, Nursing
Mr M Murphy, MAS
Ms E Nolan, Arts
Ms S Parker, Bus & Eco
Ms A Pilgrim, Bus & Eco
Ms J Sullivan, FCIT
Mr P Summers, Policy and Planning
All Faculty Deans
All Faculty Registrars/Administrators