Meeting No. 4/2001 of the Education Committee was held on Wednesday, 1 August 2001 in the Sir George Lush Room, Administration Building 3A, Clayton Campus, between 2:15pm and 3:20pm.

Ms K Wilson-Reid

Executive Officer

There were present: Professor A Lindsay (Chair), Associate Professor D Garrioch, Mr K Bensley, Professors A Farley and S Joy, Dr D Corrigan, Dr P Richardson, Associate Professor I Prince, Professor W Young, Associate Professor J Hurst, Professor S Campbell, Associate Professors T Luff, M Sim and M Page, Professors M King, M Evans and J Harris, Mr S Szewach, Mr C Wolfe, Ms N Lo’Ngok, Ms D Brown, Mr S Juster and Ms M Mahat.

In attendance were: Mr C Vernon, Mr P Lawford, Mr P Yates and Ms K Wilson-Reid.

Apologies were received from Professor G Webb, Mr C Avram, Dr T Patti, Associate Professor L Roller and Dr K Stewart.

The Chair, Professor A Lindsay, welcomed to the meeting new and returning members Associate Professor D Garrioch, Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Arts – returning from OSP semester 1/2001, Professor S Joy, recently appointed Associate Dean Graduate Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, Dr D Corrigan and Dr P Richardson, recently appointed to share the position of Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Education, and Ms N Lo’ngok, student member from the Monash Union of Berwick Students (MUBS).

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair farewelled and extended thanks to retiring members Dr M Peel, Acting Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Arts (Acting ADT semester 1/2001), Associate Professor L Nethercott, previously Associate Dean Graduate Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, Dr I Walker, previously Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Education, and Mr E Miller, MUBS.

Professor Lindsay also welcomed Dr H Edwards, Acting Director, CHEQ, and Ms J Williams, Project Officer, IAS Students, who were in attendance for this meeting.

The Committee noted that certain items had been starred as requiring discussion. Item 9A was added at the meeting.

The Committee endorsed the recommendations for all items other than those starred.

The Committee approved the Minutes of Meeting 3/2001, held 9 May 2001.

All matters from the last meeting of the Education Committee, Meeting 3/2001, were considered at Academic Board Meeting 3/2001. Therefore, there were no matters to report in relation to Education Committee business from Meeting 4/2001 of Academic Board.

5. EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE 2002 RMO2001/1010

The Committee noted the 2002 schedule for Education Committee meetings, that was approved by the Chair, Professor A Lindsay, as set out below:

It was noted that all meetings of the Committee would be held in the Sir George Lush Room, ground floor of Administration Building 3A, Clayton campus.

6. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF COURSE PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW PAPER: ‘COURSE STRUCTURES FOR PROFESSIONAL AND EMPLOYMENT NEEDS’ RMO2000/0611

An extract from the minutes of Council Meeting 4/2001, held 25 June 2001, was circulated (p 1-2). The extract related to a report that was presented to the Council by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning), Professor A Lindsay, entitled ‘Course Structures for Professional and Employment Needs’. (A draft of the paper was considered at Education Committee Meeting 3/2001.) This paper was the second of a series of three overviews of the university’s course portfolio.

The Education Committee noted the minute from Council Meeting 4/2001, regarding Council’s consideration of the report entitled "Course Structures for Professional and Employment Needs".

Professor G Webb, Director, Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ), was an apology for this meeting.

The acting Director of CHEQ, Dr H Edwards, attended the meeting and provided a verbal report on the university’s quality agenda. The Committee noted information regarding the universities to be audited in 2001/2002 (not including Monash), the release of the draft AUQA Audit Manual, current issues for attention and the composition of AUQA audit panels. Dr Edwards also informed the Committee about current quality activities at Monash involving ‘Institutional Self Review’, a project with particular faculties on graduate attributes, processes for subject reviews, finalisation of the online instrument for flexible learning and current activities of the Support Services group.

The Chair thanked Dr Edwards for the report. It was agreed that CHEQ would distribute a copy of the draft AUQA Audit Manual to members following the meeting for reference. Members noted that comments about the draft could be relayed to CHEQ within the next two weeks.

At its Meeting 7/2000, the Committee requested that faculties provide written reports regarding implementation of the university's special consideration principles and procedures, as approved at Academic Board Meeting 2/99, together with any feedback for consideration during their evaluation.

The principles and procedures and the application form, together with the faculty reports on implementation, were circulated (p 3-58). A report from the Faculty of Engineering was emailed to members prior to the meeting and is attached at Attachment A.

Professor M Evans, Director, Planning and Academic Affairs, spoke to this item and highlighted that the principles and procedures had been almost completely implemented by faculties and that they appeared to be working effectively overall. Professor Evans provided a summary of the feedback and suggestions received from the ten faculties.

Discussion occurred and issues were raised including:

The Committee noted the faculty reports on implementation of the principles and procedures and made suggestions for refinement. It was agreed that Professor Evans, together with Mr K Bensley, Mr S Szewach and Associate Professor I Prince, would re-draft the principles and procedures and the application form, taking into consideration the suggestions made, for consideration at a later meeting.

A paper was circulated that was presented by the IAS Project – Callista, in relation to course titling and abbreviation conventions in Callista (p 59-62). Mr P Yates, Director, Systems and Services, was in attendance and Ms J Williams, IAS Project – Change Team, attended the meeting for this item.

The matter of standards for course titling and abbreviation was initially raised in late 2000, further to the Education Committee and Academic Board’s consideration of ‘popular’ course title abbreviations that included irregular punctuation and letter casing. The Education Committee noted, at its Meeting 7/2000, that the university did not at that time have a policy on standards for course titling. (The normal titling patterns followed by Australian universities are set out in the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook, located at: http://www.acu.ac.uk/home/index.html )

This paper sought endorsement of a set of university standards for course titling and abbreviation to ensure consistency of data entry into Callista. This consistent approach would also be reflected in the award titles printed on the university’s academic transcripts and testamurs. The suggestions put forward in the paper were based on examples of existing course titles and abbreviations currently used across the university. (For further reference, the university’s awards were located under Statute 6.1.2 – Courses and Degrees, at:

http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/calendar/statutes/statutes06.html#Heading137 )

Brief discussion occurred regarding the impact of the proposal on ‘popular’ course title abbreviations. The Education Committee approved the proposed set of university standards for course titling and abbreviation, for use in relation to Callista data entry, university transcripts and testamurs, as set out in the paper presented by the IAS Project. It was noted that reference to ‘double degree’ within the document would be amended to read ‘double degree course’. The Committee noted that the procedures would be lodged on the Policy Bank on the Secretariat website for reference.

(Secretarial Note: Minor housekeeping amendments were made to the procedures following the meeting. It was also noted that research awards would be affected by the proposal. Accordingly, the proposal was forwarded to the Research Graduate School Committee for endorsement prior to lodgement of the procedures on the web.)

This item was added at the meeting by the Chair.

Professor Lindsay advised the Committee regarding developments in this area including a university survey on the types of electronic support used, a survey for the purpose of DETYA profiles, and development of the third course overview paper on ‘Use of On-Line Technologies to Support Flexible Learning’.

Professor J Harris, Director, CeLTS, informed members about the amount and accuracy of data that had been received for the Monash subject survey that had officially closed on 27 July. Members noted that, to date, less than half of the subject codes that were drawn from Callista prior the survey’s commencement on 12 July had been categorised. ADTs were asked to encouraged faculty staff to work further on the accuracy and content of data provided by mid-August.

Professor Lindsay advised that the survey results would be circulated to the Committee together with an item about the third course overview paper at the next meeting. The Chair noted that Deans had been asked for faculties to provide brief papers outlining their strategies for on-line technologies to support teaching and learning that would feed into the next meeting. The office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor would write to faculties to highlight requirements for this exercise prior to that meeting.

A document was circulated (p 63-64).

Education Committee received and noted the Report of Meeting 2/2001 of the Board of the Faculty of Education, held 30 May 2001.

10.1 Ratification of course amendment previously approved RMO1997/1365

An amendment to the Bachelor of Business and Commerce / Bachelor of Sport and Outdoor Recreation was proposed in late 2000 by the Board of the Faculty of Business and Economics. This proposal was endorsed by the Education Committee and approved by the Academic Board at their respective meetings 1/2001, subject to endorsement by the Board of the Faculty of Education.

The Education Committee noted that the major amendment to the Bachelor of Business and Commerce / Bachelor of Sport and Outdoor Recreation, that was approved by the Academic Board at its Meeting 1/2001 subject to ratification by the Board of the Faculty of Education, was ratified by that Board at its Meeting 2/2001.

A document was circulated (p 65-66).

The Education Committee received the Report of Meeting 4/2001 of the Board of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, held 4 July 2001.

Documentation was circulated (p 67-74). The proposal under this item was underway in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, prior to the introduction of the devolved course and unit approval process from 21 March 2001.

The course proposal indicated potential cross-faculty involvement with the Faculties of Science, Information Technology, Pharmacy and Engineering. The Committee noted that consultation and formal sign off by those faculties was underway.

It was noted that this proposal involved a single, 48 point honours year with no break down into assessable components against which results could be recorded. A query was received regarding the university’s position on whether it was necessary to divide honours courses into assessable components (subjects/units). It was noted that considerable efforts had been made in the Faculty of Science and other faculties to achieve this divided structure based on an understanding that this was a university requirement. The Chair invited Professor M King, who had previously chaired the working party that prepared the university’s approved ‘Fourth Year Honours Programs - Guidelines for Good Practice’, to provide clarification on this matter. Professor King noted that whilst the ‘Guidelines for Good Practice’ currently permitted more than one structure for honours for the recording of results, it was preferable to divide honours into assessable components for several reasons including that:

Discussion occurred about aspects and further benefits of honours division. In relation to the university’s position on the break down of honours courses into assessable components, the Committee agreed that Professor M King, together with Associate Professor M Page, Associate Professor T Luff and interested student members, would draft an appropriate position statement with a view to its inclusion in policy. Consultation would occur with the Director, Planning and Academic Affairs, Professor M Evans, prior to the draft being returned to the Committee for consideration.

It was noted that the proposal under this item was not restricted by the university’s current official position on the above matter. Associate Professor Luff noted that the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences would work towards further break down of honours as required in the case that the university policy on this matter was clarified.

The Education Committee endorsed for submission to Academic Board the proposal of the Board of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to establish the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours), to be offered on campus at the Clayton campus, commencing semester one, 2002.

12. BIANNUAL FACULTY REPORTS ON APPROVED COURSE & UNIT DEVELOPMENTS RMO2000/0611

Documentation was circulated (p 75-112).

Under the new integrated academic and resource planning approach, including the devolved course and unit approval process (operational since 21 March 2001), faculties report approved course and unit developments biannually to the Education Committee for noting. At Education Committee Meeting 2/2001, a schedule was set with the first round of biannual reports to be submitted across Education Committee meetings 4/2001 and 5/2001.

Biannual reports were received from the Faculties of Arts, Business and Economics and Law. The Faculty of Pharmacy advised that no course or unit developments had been approved by the Faculty Board since the introduction of the devolved approach. It was noted that the Faculty of Education would provide a report to the next meeting.

For reference, the proforma for faculties to report biannually to the Education Committee about their approved course and unit developments for noting was located at:

http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/res/cds/index.html

The Education Committee received and noted the biannual reports of course and unit developments presented by the Faculties of Arts, Business and Economics and Law, and noted that the Faculty of Pharmacy had no course or unit developments to report for this mid-year cycle of biannual reporting.

(Secretarial Note: Associate Professor D Garrioch, Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Arts, noted subsequent to the meeting that one amendment was required to the Arts Faculty biannual report on agenda page 78. The report would be amended to delete reference to the course amendment involving the ‘Major in English-in Use in the BA’.)

13. LIBRARY IMPACT STATEMENT RMO1997/0395

The Library Impact Statement for the period January to June 2001 was circulated (p 113-114).

The Education Committee noted the Library Impact Statement, provided by the University Library, for the period January to June 2001.

The next scheduled meeting of the Education Committee (Meeting 5/2001) will be held at 2:15 pm on Wednesday, 26 September 2001.

Submissions for that agenda are due by 12 September 2001. Further information about the Education Committee is located on the University Secretariat website at:

http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/com/ec/index.html

Professor Alan Lindsay (Chair)

Associate Professor David Garrioch

Dr Denise Cuthbert

Mr Karen Bensley

Professor Alan Farley

Professor Sally Joy

Dr Debbie Corrigan & Dr Paul Richardson

Associate Professor Ian Prince

Professor William Young

Associate Professor John Hurst

Mr Chris Avram

Professor Susan Campbell

Associate Professor Tony Luff

Associate Professor Malcolm Sim

Associate Professor Michael Page

Dr Tony Patti

Associate Professor Louis Roller

Professor Peter Stewart

Professor Max King

Professor Merran Evans

Professor John Harris

Professor Graham Webb

Mr Simon Szewach (MONSU – Caulfield)

Mr Colin Wolfe (MONSU – Peninsula)

Ms Natalie Lo-Ngok (MUBS)

Ms Deb Brown (MSA)

Mr Sharn Juster (MUGSU)

Ms Marian Mahat (MPA – Masters)

Mr Clive Vernon

Mr Peter Lawford

Mr Peter Marshall (alternate Mr Peter Yates)

Ms Kerri Wilson-Reid (Executive Officer)

Faculty Managers/Registrars (*9)

Mr T Calder

Mr D Mernagh

Ms C Holland

Ms P Herman

Ms S Stafford

Mr B Eddy

Ms M Fairbanks

Ms L Davies