Monash University

Education Committee Meeting 4/2002


Meeting No. 4/2002 of the Education Committee will be held on Thursday, 1 August 2002 in the Sir George Lush Room, Administration Building 3A, Clayton Campus, commencing at 2:15pm.

Apologies: Please telephone: 9905 9001; or e-mail to: Theresa.Ogilvie@adm.monash.edu.au

Ms K Wilson-Reid

Executive Officer

Members having a direct commercial or financial interest in any item before this meeting must declare that interest to the Chair via the Committee Secretary prior to consideration of the item, and must not take part in a vote on any matter concerning it.

A G E N D A

PART A PROCEDURAL AND POLICY MATTERS

*1. APOLOGIES, MEMBERSHIP MATTERS AND ATTENDANCE

Apologies

Apologies have been received from Professors G Webb and M King.

Membership

The Committee welcomes Dr Heinz Kreutz, Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Arts, as a new member.

Attendance

Associate Professor Valerie Clifford, Head of the Higher Education Development Unit (HEDU), CeLTS, has been invited by the Chair to attend meetings of the Education Committee on a regular basis.

The following people have been invited to attend for this meeting:

  • Ms Amanda Lazar, Deputy University Solicitor

  • Associate Professor Helen Edwards, Quality Advisor, Academic Programs, Audit and Training, CHEQ

  • Ms Isa DiTrocchio, Committee Services Officer, University Secretariat.

*2. STARRED ITEMS

The Committee should note that certain items have been starred as requiring discussion.

Additional items may be starred at the discretion of the Committee.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee nominate any additional items to be starred and endorse the recommendations for all items other than those starred.

*3. MINUTES

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee approve the Minutes of Meeting 3/2002, held 8 May 2002 (circulated previously), subject to the following amendment to item 10 regarding ‘Update on Implementation of Previously Approved Academic Transcript Matters’:

"The Committee:

·

· gave in principle approval of the additional recommendations 7A to 7C, noting that procedural matters regarding committee roles would need to be resolved."

4. ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ACADEMIC BOARD MEETING 3/2002

p 1-2

An extract from the Minutes of Academic Board Meeting 3/2002, regarding the Report of Education Committee Meeting 3/2002, is attached for reference.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee note that matters reported from the last meeting of the Education Committee were approved/noted as detailed in the extract from the minutes presented.

5. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

5.1 Final Report from the Working Party on Extra Exam Time for Non-English-Speaking Background (NESB) Students

p 3-12

A report from the Working Party on Extra Exam Time for NESB Students was considered at the last meeting. Following the receipt of comments at and after that meeting and further amendments to the Report, a final version of the Report is attached, forwarded by the Convenor, Associate Professor M Page, for consideration at this meeting.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee endorse the ‘Report of the Working Party on Extra Exam Time for NESB Students’ presented, including the recommended policy and implementation matters, for transmission to Academic Board for consideration.

*6. KEY CHALLENGES FACING THE MONASH COMMUNITY

Professor A Lindsay, Chair, will introduce this item and open discussion.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee engage in discussing key academic challenges facing the Monash Community and identify effective responses to these issues.

*7. GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES

p 13-32

A document entitled ‘Developing Monash Graduate Attributes’ is attached that was forwarded by Associate Professor H Edwards, Quality Advisor, Academic Programs, Audit and Training, Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ).

Further documentation about this matter (that are a substantial length), including a research report on the graduate attributes project and appendices to the report on the graduate attributes project, can be located at the address below. (One hardcopy of the additional documentation will be available for perusal at the meeting.)

http://www.adm.monash.edu/cheq/academic/index.html

Background:

At its Meeting 4/99, the Education Committee established a working group (Dr K Macrae, Professors G Webb and A Farley) to give consideration to the University’s graduate attributes. They appeared with some differences in presentation and content in ‘Leading the Way – Monash 2020’, the ‘Learning and Teaching Plan’, and other documentation. It was envisaged that the key elements of the University’s strategic directions would be incorporated and the graduate attributes would be re-cast into a consistent format.

At its Meeting 3/2000, the Education Committee considered the existing Monash graduate attributes and the proposed re-cast set of attributes presented by the working group; gave initial consideration to the development of a more detailed description of what was entailed in each of the core attributes and how the core graduate attributes could be embedded in the Monash curriculum; and agreed that further development of various aspects of the proposal by the working group was required, in the light of the suggestions at that meeting (refer Minute 5.1). A copy of that latest working group report from Meeting 3/2000, together with the graduate attributes as included in the main publications, is also attached for reference.

Associate Professor H Edwards will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That, noting the advice of Associate Professor Edwards and the documentation presented, the Committee consider the following recommendations regarding the university’s graduate attributes, that:

  1. The University develop a clear statement on the Monash graduate attributes and incorporate this into its planning and operational documents

  2. Faculties develop and make explicit their approach to developing and achieving Monash graduate attributes. This includes describing how graduate attributes are taught and assessed in courses and developing a system whereby students and employers can be assured that graduates have attained the attributes.

  3. Monash actively support the development of Monash graduate attributes, especially in existing courses.

  4. Monash University and faculties adopt the Quality Cycle to monitor the development of Monash graduate attributes

  5. Education Committee adopt the recommendations in this paper and devise strategies for implementation.

*8. EXCLUSION FOR UNSATISFACTORY PROGRESS

At its Meeting 2/2000, the Academic Board approved the ‘Report of the Education Committee Working Party to Review Exclusion for Unsatisfactory Progress’. The substitute ‘Statute 6.2 – Exclusion for Unsatisfactory Progress’ and ‘Exclusion for Unsatisfactory Progress Regulations’, that enable the implementation of the new system for exclusion and appeals, were approved at Council Meeting 8/2001. Statute 6.2 was signed off by the Minister on 6 May 2002.

Relevant members of the university community were recently advised about implementation of the university’s new system for exclusion and exclusion appeals, that is effective for the 2002 academic year.

For reference, the new ‘Statute 6.2 – Exclusion for Unsatisfactory Progress’ and Exclusion for unsatisfactory progress regulations are located at:

http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/calendar/statutes/statutes06.html#Heading150

http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/calendar/regulations/regulations19.html

The original, approved report of the Working Party is located at:

http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/com/ec/ecx/exclrep.htm

Drafts of the new procedures for the Exclusion Appeals Committee of Academic Board and the Faculty Academic Progress Committees are currently being produced and will be circulated shortly to relevant areas for input and to the Education Committee for consideration.

8.1 Issues in relation to implementation of the new exclusion legislative framework

p 33-40

A memorandum from Professor S Campbell, Associate Dean Teaching for the Faculty of Law, together with a response from the Deputy University Solicitor, Ms A Lazar, are attached.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee:

  • note the issues in relation to implementation of the new legislative framework for exclusion for unsatisfactory progress as highlighted in the memorandum from Professor Campbell and responded to by Ms Lazar; and

  • consider any policy issues arising from the issues highlighted.

8.2 Unsatisfactory Progress Criteria

p 41-56

Noting that the devolution of the academic decision about exclusion to the faculties would involve a greater level of consistency of procedures across the university, uniform criteria for unsatisfactory progress were recommended and approved. Academic Board also approved the Working Party’s recommendation that variation to these criteria would require approval by the Education Committee. The relevant uniform progress criteria as set out in the Regulations are:

"…3.1 Before referring a matter to an academic progress committee under section 5 of the statute, unless otherwise determined by the Academic Board [approval role delegated to the Education Committee at Academic Board Meeting 2/2000], a faculty board must be satisfied that the student concerned has -

3.1.1 in the period commencing in December of the previous year and including at least two semesters of candidature, failed more than 50% of the student's enrolment;

3.1.2 failed the same compulsory subject twice; or

3.1.3 failed to comply with any terms or conditions imposed by the faculty board under section 5 of the statute or by an academic progress committee of the faculty…"

Requests for Education Committee approval of variations to the university’s uniform progress criteria are attached from the Faculties of Business and Economics, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Pharmacy.

Also attached for background information about relevant implementation issues is a memorandum from Ms A Lazar, Deputy University Solicitor.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee consider and approve the requests for variation from the university’s uniform criteria for unsatisfactory progress presented by the above five faculties, that will be effective from (and including) the 2002 academic year.

9. CHARACTERISING GRADUATE COURSES AND STUDENTS

p 57-58

A document is attached that was presented by Professor M Evans, Director, Planning and Academic Affairs.

RECOMMENDATION:

That, noting the information provided in the paper presented, the Committee endorse the recommendation that the term ‘Postgraduate Coursework’ will replace the term "Other Postgraduate" for all but DEST reporting purposes.

PART B: FACULTY REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

10. LIBRARY IMPACT STATEMENT

p 59-60

A document is attached.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee note the Library Impact Statement for the period January to June 2002 presented.

PART C: NEXT MEETING

The next scheduled meeting of the Education Committee (Meeting 5/2002) will be held at 2:15pm on Wednesday, 18 September 2002. All final submissions for the agenda for that meeting are due by no later than Wednesday, 4 September 2002.

Other information about the Committee can be located on the Secretariat web site at:

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

 

Membership:

Professor Alan Lindsay (Chair)

Dr Heinz Kreutz

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

Ms Glenice Ives

Associate Professor Michael Page

Dr Tony Patti

Associate Professor Louis Roller

Professor Peter Stewart

Professor Max King

Professor Chris Browne

Professor Merran Evans

Professor John Harris

Professor Graham Webb

Mr Michael Josem (MONSU-Caulfield)

Mr Chad Brooks (MONSU – Peninsula)

Ms Shen Narayanasamy (MSA - Clayton)

Ms Natalie Lo’Ngok (MUBS - Berwick)

Mr Terry Pritchard (MUGSU - Gippsland)

(Pharmacy Students Association) – position vacant

Mr Richard Morgan (MPA – masters by coursework)

(MPA – Masters) – position vacant

In Attendance:

Mr Clive Vernon

Mr Peter Lawford

Mr Peter Marshall (alternate - Mr Peter Yates)

Associate Professor Valerie Clifford

Dr M Lindorff

Ms Kerri Wilson-Reid (Executive Officer)

Further Distribution:

Faculty Managers/Registrars (*9)

Mr T Calder

Mr D Mernagh

Ms P Williams

Ms P Herman

Ms S Stafford

Ms B Le Grand