Monash University

Education Committee Meeting 3-2004

Meeting 3/2004 of the Education Committee was held on Wednesday, 19 May 2004, in the Sir George Lush Room, Building 3a, Clayton campus, between at 2:20 pm and 4.15 pm.

There were present:

Associate Professor A Farley (Acting Chair), Associate Professor K Bensley, Dr H Kreutz, Ms S Joy, Associate Professor J Hurst, Mr C Avram, Associate Professor M Page, Dr T Patti, Associate Professor L Roller, Dr D Taylor, Professor J Harris, Professor G Webb, Ms A Wong, Ms M Aldred, Mr T Szalek, Mr T Stephens and Ms A Healey.

Mr D Secomb, Associate Professor V Clifford, Associate Professor Y Ryan, Associate Professor M Lindorff, Ms S Stafford, Ms K Gardner, Mr G Toohey and Ms S Chong (Secretary).

Apologies were received from Professor Alan Lindsay, Associate Professor Tony Luff, Professor Chris Browne, Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree, Professor Robin Alfredson, Professor Merran Evans, Dr Louise McCall, Professor William Young, Mr Leighton Morris and Professor Max King.

Associate Professor Alan Farley chaired the meeting in Professor Lindsay’s absence, who was chairing a meeting of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) members of the Group of Eight universities in Canberra.

Documentation was previously circulated.

Action/Information: Shana Chong

Refer to Item 6.3.

Members noted that the Academic Board had noted all matters that were submitted via the Report of Meeting 2/2004 of the Education Committee.

Documentation was circulated and additional information on Inclusive Practices was tabled at the meeting (attached).

Associate Professor John Hurst, the Education Committee member of the Inclusive Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC), called for increased consciousness of inclusive practices issues and matters facing individuals with disabilities. He pointed out that a greater awareness of those issues would ensure the university community had the right processes in place, within and external to the teaching environment.

Changes incorporated at the outset of planning to provide improvements to facilities and increase accessibility to these groups would also benefit the wider community, according to Professor Graham Webb, Chair, IPAC. Members were informed that the Inclusive Practices: Disability Plan 2003-2007 contained "real targets", key result areas (KRAs) and designated management roles to oversee that those targets were met, in accordance with the relevant legislation, and supported the university’s overarching commitment to equal opportunity and social issues.

Members noted the plan’s consultative approach with all major stakeholders, its philosophy from a social equity perspective and practical guidelines for academic staff. Ms Kay Gardner, Manager, Equity and Diversity Centre, highlighted to members the scope of inclusive practices beyond disability matters and noted how issues of a cultural, language, medical and religious nature may impact on an individual’s learning ability. She stated that the plan outlined a series of generic statements, in relation to learning and teaching, and the inclusive practices strategies applicable in that area. It was essential for members to promote its dissemination throughout Monash at the learning and teaching level.

Suggestions for stimulating local activities at faculty level included discussion with the Faculty Managers’ Group and Faculty Education Committees, in addition to meetings with the major university committees, to ensure that the relevant heads of department and line managers in faculties, research areas and divisions were targeted as part of IPAC’s dissemination strategy from senior management downwards.

Members provided feedback and comments to the wording of the plan and some suggestions for amendments included:

• Item 2.1.7, Target Timeline: to be amended to reflect the multiple examination periods (11 including DEF/SUP exams) and trimester arrangements at off shore campuses; and
• Items 1.1.1 and 2.1.8, Director CeLTS Director Learning and Teaching.

Comments that the Inclusive Practices information omitted references to the diverse range of mediums in the delivery of teaching were noted. Members concurred that the plan should be expanded to incorporate the learning management systems within the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Library and the technologies associated with current teaching methods. Options for developing generic statements in the plan that reflected all teaching practices were suggested.

Current support services in place included:

Members noted the plan would be promulgated, subsequent to approval from the Vice Chancellor’s Group at its meeting on 26 May 2004.

Associate Professor Valerie Clifford provided a summary of progress for the 2004 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) and noted that a call for nominations from the Associate Deans (Teaching) was the main form of identifying applicants institution-wide. It was noted that the following staff were already preparing their submission for the 2004 awards:

Applicants had been encouraged to forward their applications early, in advance of the closing date of 25 June 2004 for submission to HEDU. Early identification of candidates and support provided to their portfolio preparation were the main areas of support provided by HEDU. Members noted the following assistance from HEDU had been provided to applicants, including:

Members strongly encouraged faculties and divisions to provide additional assistance as needed in the preparation of candidates’ portfolios.

Discussion occurred about the alignment of the Vice Chancellor’s Awards for teaching excellence with the AAUT and Associate Professor Clifford indicated that the Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Awards working group’s work on aligning the criteria for both awards was being revised, with an expectation that the criteria for both awards be consistent and aligned for the 2005 cycle. Members noted that a strategic approach in canvassing nominations should be incorporated to promote proactiveness from the teaching community in response to these awards.

Documentation was circulated and Associate Professor Michael Page, Chair, Quality Subcommittee, spoke to this item.

Members were informed of the background to the report, as part of the Subcommittee’s work in relation to its Terms of Reference on developing a statement on values for high-quality teaching and learning at Monash towards the implementation of the Learning and Teaching Plan 2003-2005.

The Committee was asked to provide further input and feedback as the first stage of further consultation with the broader university community, including faculties, divisions and student representatives. Associate Professor Page noted that the group looked at historical work against existing strategic documents, consulted with a range of people on the revised drafts and concentrated its efforts on identifying values that staff considered may be appropriate in the university’s teaching and learning against the institution’s overaching values statement.

Members noted that the Subcommittee’s report had provided an underlying set of values for teaching staff that was developed from a "bottom up" approach and were grouped in a meaningful way. The Committee noted that the report could serve as a point of reference for strategic work in the area of education policy and learning and teaching plans and would support the current strategic documentation by defining the set of values underpinning the learning and teaching plan.

Some minor amendments were endorsed in relation to the following text on p6 of the report:

Following these amendments members provided positive feedback to the report and its methodology and endorsed the current draft. It was decided it is now ready for circulation in members’ faculties and divisions, for further discussion, in relation to the following:

1. the overall approach and purpose of the report
2. the eight values proposed and their broad intent
3. the specific examples listed under each value
4. possible examples of current good practice in teaching and learning that are illustrative of each value and of broad applicability
5. possible areas for improvement in relation to the values (which have not already been identified as part of the implementation of LTP 2003-2005).

Two reports from Associate Professor Valerie Clifford, Chair, Internationalisation of the Curriculum Subcommittee (IOCSC), were circulated prior to the meeting. Progress reports from Associate Professor Clifford had been submitted to the Education Committee at Meetings 5/2003 and 6/2003.

Members provided comments to the report, including the proposed revisions to the membership structure for the IOCSC and input to the institutional International Self-Review Panel. The Chair informed the Committee that the discussion on the International Self-Review Panel had been rescheduled to Meeting 3/2004 of CADeT, to be held on 26 August 2004.

It was essential that the Subcommittee note the "Australian-centric" content that was current in some curricula used for off-shore, off-campus students which, consequently, hindered their ability to contextualise the information in the text in the curriculum, as opposed to on campus students. Associate Professor Clifford referred to the draft review on the literature in this area and the three approaches to internationalisation of the curriculum. Members concurred that internationalisation of the curriculum would benefit these cohorts of students if the text contained reference that was unique to their situation in some way.

Members noted that the IOCSC’s work on its terms of reference had identified that an investigation of current staff orientation to internationlisation of the curriculum and the current practices at faculty level would be useful to provide a basis for the discussion at CADeT. Associate Professor Clifford explained that the data gathered from faculties, in consultation with the faculty education committees, would assist in the Subcommittee’s investigations and alerted Associate Deans (Teaching) to a submission date, prior to 26 August 2004, of this data. It was noted that various examples of internationalisation of the curriculum improvements, planning and systems may be referred to in the discussion with the International Self-Review Panel.

Members discussed and considered preferred options for membership structure and nominations to the group. Members concurred that ongoing representation from ITS should be incorporated in the membership and identified Ms Chris Walker from ITS as a point of contact for further consultation on membership. The group endorsed the following structure:

The Chair invited Mr Chris Avram to inform members of outcomes from the Admission Committee in relation to access by radically accelerated entry (ie. students under 16) into the university. Members noted that changes were approved and ratified at Academic Board Meeting 2/2004 and members were asked to consider its impact on teaching, requirements for case study work and field work and the legal implications for teaching staff. During this discussion the question teaching 16 year olds also arose. Mr Avram reported that correspondence would be forwarded to Associate Deans (Teaching), seeking input from faculties in relation to strategies for teaching and its outcomes reported back in due course. Advice from the University Solicitor’s office was being sought on these matters.

The Committee noted the support services available from faculties to actively assist elite athletes who were undertaking studies at Monash. Members were reminded that there was a designated staff member from each faculty who was available for consultation with these students in relation to any special arrangements in order to balance their course work with training and competition schedules.

The Committee noted the precedent provided by other universities in the provision of interpreters for international students and correspondence provided to these students in their home language. It was noted that the Working Party on exclusion procedures review had considered this highly complex issue and, at a meeting held in April 2004, in consultation with all faculties, supported the current provision for one person to accompany and assist students at academic progress committee hearings.

On behalf of the Committee, the Chair farewelled and extended thanks to Professor John Harris for his long-standing contribution to the Education Committee and, notably, significant advances to the University’s flexible learning programs in recent years.

In response to a query, the Chair advised that this item be raised at the next meeting of Education Committee to allow Professor Lindsay to comment on the status of the development of the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund.

The next scheduled meeting of the Education Committee (Meeting 4/2004) will be held at 2:15 pm on Wednesday, 14 July 2004.

Professor Alan Lindsay (Chair)

Associate Professor Karen Bensley

Dr Heinz Kreutz

Associate Professor Alan Farley

Ms Sally Joy

Dr Debbie Corrigan & Dr Paul Richardson

Professor Robin Alfredson

Professor William Young

Associate Professor John Hurst

Mr Chris Avram

Mr Leighton Morris

Associate Professor Tony Luff

Dr Louise McCall

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)

Ms Taryn Macfarlane (MONSU – Peninsula)

Ms Angie Wong (MSA – Clayton)

Mr Timothy Szalek (MUBS – Berwick)

Mr Sean Mc Loughlin (MUGSU - Gippsland)

(Pharmacy Students Association) – position vacant

Mr Tim Stephens (MPA – masters by coursework)

Ms Ann Healey (MPA – graduate/postgraduate diploma)

Mr Clive Vernon

Mr David Secomb

Mr P Yates (alternate for Mr P Marshall)

Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree

Associate Professor Valerie Clifford

Associate Professor Yoni Ryan

Associate Professor Marg Lindorff

Ms Shana Chong (Secretary)

Faculty Managers/Registrars (*9)

Mr T Calder

Ms K Wilson-Reid

Ms P Williams

Ms P Herman

Ms S Stafford

Ms B Le Grand