Monash University

Education Committee Meeting 4-2003


Meeting No. 4/2003 of the Education Committee will be held on Wednesday, 16 July 2003 in the Sir George Lush Room, Administration Building 3A, Clayton Campus, commencing at 2:15pm.

Apologies: Please telephone: 9905 9003, or e-mail to: Kerri.Wilson-Reid@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 & ATTENDANCE

Apologies

Mr L Morris, Mr E Keegel

Invited to attend on a regular basis

Associate Professor Yoni Ryan, Deputy Director & Head of Educational Design Group, Centre for Learning and Teaching Support (CeLTS)

*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

The unconfirmed minutes of Education Committee Meeting 3/2003, held 21 May 2003, will be circulated separately.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee approve the Minutes of Meeting 3/2003.

4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

5. ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ACADEMIC BOARD MEETING 3/2003

The Academic Board noted all matters that were reported for information from Meeting 3/2003 of the Education Committee and approved the following matters:

Amendment to the Terms of Reference of the Education Committee. The approved revised terms of reference are located at:

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

Establishment of the new Education Committee Structure, including subcommittees and working parties of the Education Committee, to support the implementation of the Learning and Teaching Plan (LTP) 2003-2005. Details of the new structure are accessible on the Education Committee web page listed above.

The proposed amendment to the Exclusion for Unsatisfactory Progress Regulations, regarding the timing for notice of hearing, was endorsed by the Academic Board and has been submitted to Council for approval.

*6. PROGRESS REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING PLAN

Following the establishment of the sub-committees and working parties of Education Committee at the last meeting, chairs will report briefly on initial set-up and activities and work plans.

Professor C Browne will provide a brief overview of progress against targets for the Learning and Teaching Plan.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee note the advice of the chairs and Professor Browne.

*7. THE TEACHING-RESEARCH NEXUS

p 1-18

Documentation submitted by the Quality Development Committee is attached.

The Learning and Teaching Plan 2003-2005 re-iterates the university’s commitment to a strong connection between research and teaching. Strategies A:4 and A:5 are directed to strengthening the relationships between research and teaching.

Strategy A:4 focuses on identifying how Monash defines and implements the teaching- research nexus:

Actions   Responsibilities and timelines
1. CHEQ will produce a discussion paper for Academic Board on the T-R nexus CHEQ, December, 2002
2. CHEQ will undertake a benchmarking project to analyse methods of implementing the T-R nexus. CHEQ, December, 2003
3. Faculties will appoint working groups to produce a report on how Monash will achieve a nexus between teaching and research in their courses. Faculties with advice from CeLTS and CHEQ, Jan 2004

The teaching-research nexus was also identified in the Still Learning Report as an important issue for the university to address. (http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/res/reports.html)

The discussion paper on the teaching-research nexus has now been drafted by Professor Webb and has been discussed by the Quality Development Committee (QDC). The QDC was established following the Still Learning Report to oversee and report on the university’s quality assurance processes and initiatives.

The QDC decided that the discussion paper on the teaching-research nexus should be considered by Education Committee and CADRES as well as Academic Board.

Professor Webb will speak to the discussion paper, report on progress with Action 2 above, and suggest suitable approaches for Action 3.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee:

  • discuss and provide comment on "The Teaching-Research Nexus: A Discussion Paper"; and

  • consider an appropriate mechanism for faculties to work with CHEQ and CeLTS in preparing reports on how Monash will achieve the nexus in its courses.

*8 TRIAL OF KEY QUALITY INDICATORS

p 19-24

Documentation is attached.

A working group of the CHEQ Faculty Quality Coordinators’ Group has prepared a report on key quality indicators used by faculties in course monitoring and review. The report was prepared in response to Recommendation 18(i) of Still Learning. The report was considered by QDC where it was agreed that CHEQ, in conjunction with the Quality Sub-committee of Education Committee and at least two faculties, undertake a trial of the Key Quality Indicators used in course monitoring and review.

Professor Webb will brief the Committee on the proposal to be presented to the Quality Sub-committee and faculties on how the trial should be run to achieve the goals of refining the measures, data availability, interpretation and utility. The report on the trial will be considered by the Sub-committee and then reported to Education Committee.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee:

  • discuss and comment on the "Report on Identification of Key Quality Indicators";

  • discuss and comment on Professor Webb’s proposal for a trial; and

  • endorse the proposal and refer the matter to the Quality Sub-committee for follow through in conjunction with CHEQ and the relevant faculties.

*9. AMENDMENTS TO THE STUDENT ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

p 25-34

The Deputy University Solicitor, Ms A Lazar, has submitted a proposal regarding amendment of the university’s ‘Student Academic and Administrative Grievance Procedures’. The recommended amendments are set out in the attached memorandum. Copies of the ‘Student Academic and Administrative Grievance Policy’ and ‘Procedures’ are also attached for reference.

These amendments are proposed for endorsement at this meeting as issues relating to these points have been raised for attention. As discussed previously at Education Committee, a more detailed review of the ‘Student Academic and Administrative Grievance Policy/Procedures’ would be conducted by the Deputy University Solicitor in consultation with the Student Rights Officers and Faculty Managers. A re-drafted version of the Policy/Procedures would be submitted to Education Committee at a later time.

Due to other commitments, Ms Lazar will be unable to attend the meeting.

Associate Professor J Hurst, Associate Dean Teaching, Faculty of Information Technology, will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee consider and approve changes to the ‘Student Academic and Administrative Grievance Procedures’ detailed in the proposal presented and set out below:

  • that step 4 of the section titled ‘Monash Enrolled Students’ be amended to permit the senior staff member appointed by the Dean to advise the student in writing if the grievance is considered to be lacking in substance, or frivolous and/ or vexatious; and

  • that step 8 of the section titled ‘Monash Enrolled Students’ be amended to allow a grievance case to be considered closed when a faculty grievance committee determines that there is nothing further that the faculty can offer in order to settle the matter.

10. OTHER BUSINESS

PART B: FACULTY REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

No items have been submitted under this section for this meeting.

 

PART C: NEXT MEETING

The next scheduled meeting of the Education Committee (Meeting 5/2003) will be held at 2:15 pm on Wednesday, 10 September 2003.

All final submissions for the agenda for that meeting are due by Wednesday, 27 August.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Membership:

Professor Alan Lindsay (Chair)

Dr Peter Maddock

Dr Heinz Kreutz

Associate Professor Denise Cuthbert

Associate Professor Alan Farley

Ms Sally Joy

Dr Debbie Corrigan & Dr Paul Richardson

Associate Professor Ian Prince

Professor William Young

Associate Professor John Hurst

Mr Chris Avram

Mr Leighton Morris

Associate Professor Tony Luff

Dr Glenice Ives

Associate Professor Michael Page

Dr Tony Patti

Associate Professor Louis Roller

Dr David Taylor

Professor Max King

Professor Chris Browne

Professor Merran Evans

Professor John Harris

Professor Graham Webb

Ms Mary Aldred (MONSU – Caulfield)

Mr Anthony Hillen (MONSU – Peninsula)

Mr Chris Hurley (MSA – Clayton)

Ms Brooke Anderson (MUBS – Berwick)

Mr Terry Pritchard (MUGSU - Gippsland)

(Pharmacy Students Association) – position vacant

Mr Lim Jian An (MPA – masters by coursework)

Mr Earle Keegel (MPA – graduate/postgraduate diploma

In Attendance:

Mr Clive Vernon

Mr David Secomb

Mr P Marshall (alternate-Mr P Yates)

Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree

Associate Professor Valerie Clifford

Associate Professor Yoni Ryan

Associate Professor Marg 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