Monash University

Education Committee Meeting 5-2004

Meeting No. 5/2004 of the Education Committee will be held on Wednesday, 8 September 2004 in the Sir George Lush Room, ground floor, Administration Building 3A, Clayton Campus, commencing at 2.15pm.

Apologies: Please telephone: 9905 5061, or e-mail to: Samantha.Rose@adm.monash.edu.au  

Ms Shana Chong

Secretary

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.

Agenda

PART A PROCEDURAL, POLICY & COMMITTEE MATTERS

1. ATTENDANCE, MEMBERSHIP AND APOLOGIES

Invited to attend:

Mr Vern Garth, Mr Terry Hogan, Ms Amanda Lazar, Associate Professor Ken Jones, Ms Barbara Jacoby (for Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree), Associate Professor Graham Oppy and Ms Alana Matchett.

Apologies:

Dr Tony Patti

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 nominates any additional items to be starred and endorses the recommendations for all items other than those starred.

3. MINUTES

The unconfirmed minutes of Education Committee Meeting 4/2004, held 14 July 2004, have been circulated.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee approves the Minutes of Meeting 4/2004.

4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

4.1 Values for High-Quality Teaching and Learning

As discussed at Meeting 3/2004, members are reminded to provide a written report to Associate Professor Michael Page, Chair, Quality Subcommittee of Education Committee by 20 September 2004 on the updated Values document (emailed to members on 6 July 2004) and suggested exemplars.

5. ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ACADEMIC BOARD MEETING 4/2004

The Academic Board noted all matters that were reported for information from Meeting 4/2004 of the Education Committee.

*6. AUQA AUDIT TIMELINE p 1- 6

Documentation is attached. It was decided at the Vice Chancellor’s Group that the AUQA Audit Timeline be circulated to Education Committee, for information. Professor Graham Webb will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Education Committee notes the progress of the university, in preparation for the AUQA Audit to be undertaken in 2006 or 2007.

*7. MONASH UNIVERSITY EMPLOYER SURVEY REPORT p 7 - 88

Documentation is attached. The Vice-Chancellor’s Group (Quality) has referred the Monash University Employer Survey Report to Education Committee for consideration. Following a recommendation by the Quality Development Committee, the survey was developed by CHEQ to:

  • obtain employer feedback on those graduate skills and attributes that they consider to be most important;
  • obtain employer feedback on the extent to which Monash graduates demonstrate those skills and attributes;
  • identify areas where the development of Monash graduate attributes could be refined;
  • build closer relationships and goodwill between key employers and Monash University.

Professor Graham Webb will speak to the report. Associate Professor Graham Oppy, Chair, Graduate Attributes Working Party, has been invited to attend for this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Education Committee discusses, provides comments and suggests areas for further focus in relation to the Monash University Employer Survey Report.

*8. BLIND MARKING p 89 - 102

As foreshadowed at Meeting 4/2004, a discussion paper on Blind Marking is attached. Members are requested to consider the introduction of blind marking in the university, where the marker cannot identify the owner of the paper during the marking process. In this discussion paper blind marking refers to the examination process only and does not refer to assignments, tests and artistic/performance activities.

Mr Vern Garth and Mr Terry Hogan have been invited to attend to this item and the Chair will introduce the discussion.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Education Committee:

  • endorses, for Academic Board approval, the introduction of blind marking examination utilising the student ID as the form of identification;
  • notes that an implementation plan will be developed by faculties in consultation with the Examinations Branch; and
  • notes further than an appropriate transition period will be determined to ensure a smooth transition process.

*9. AMENDMENTS TO STATUTE 4.1, DISCIPLINE p 103 - 122

Documentation forwarded by Ms Amanda Lazar, Deputy University Solicitor, is attached for information, regarding amendments to Monash Statute 4.1 – Discipline. The amendments in relation to double degree students have been made following approval by Education Committee at Meeting 2/2004 that:

  • for incidents of general misconduct or academic misconduct involving double degree students to be reported to the faculty manager of the managing faculty of the student’s enrolment;
  • for the faculty discipline committee of the managing faculty to invite a member of the faculty discipline committee from the non-managing faculty to be included in the hearing of a discipline committee against a student who was enrolled a double degree; and
  • where an incident of academic misconduct involved students from more than one faculty, that the charges be heard by a Central Discipline Committee.

Other amendments in the legislation relate to name changes due to restructuring or improvements in drafting. Ms Lazar will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Committee considers for endorsement amendments to the relevant sub-sections of the Statute 4.1, Discipline.

*10. 2004 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MONASH TRANSITION PROGRAM p 123 - 126

Documentation is attached. The reports of the Monash Transition Program (MTP) and the University Orientation Committee (appended version) outline the activities for 2004, the new initiatives and direction for the year ahead. The MTP seeks to review, evaluate and improve its current practices, and continues to develop and expand through new ventures aimed at enhancing orientation and mainstreaming transition across the university.

Associate Professor Ken Jones, Chair, Transition, Policy and Planning Committee, has been invited to speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Education Committee receives and notes the report on recent and planned Monash Transition Program activities, and endorses the proposal of an annual rotation of the chair of University Orientation Committee among the chairs of the campus orientation committees.

*11. 2004 REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE ON REVIEW OF NEW PROCEDURES, EXCLUSION FOR UNSATISFACTORY PROGRESS p 127 - 130

Documentation is attached. Associate Professor John Hurst, Chair, Working Party, will speak to the report. At Education Committee Meetings 1/2004 and 2/2004, the issues of double degree procedures, provision of interpreters and membership of academic progress committee were referred back to the Working Party for clarification and finalisation.

This document reports on the finalisation of the outstanding issues:

  1. Double Degree Procedures;
  2. Provision of Interpreters at APC Hearings;
  3. Composition of APC committees;
  4. Mid Year Review of Results;
  5. Amendments to Statutes and Regulations; and
  6. Draft Guidelines for the Conduct of APC Hearings.

Changes to double degree procedures have prompted amendments to ss11.2 of Statute 6.2, Exclusion for unsatisfactory progress:

That Statute 6.2, Section 11 Double degree students, be changed to read:

11.2

In relation to a double degree student -

11.2.1

where one or both faculties of enrolment is of the opinion under section 5 that the academic progress of the student is unsatisfactory, the faculty board of the managing faculty is the responsible faculty for the purposes of this statute;

11.2.2

the academic progress committee of the managing faculty shall, at the option of the non-managing faculty, be augmented by a member of the non-managing faculty; and

11.2.3

the authority of the academic progress committee to exclude the student is an authority to exclude from candidature for both awards. (deleted in its entirety)

The Exclusions Working Party report, including links to previous reports, is located at: http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~ajh/adt/reports/Exclusions2004b.html

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Education Committee:

  • notes the 2004 report of the Working Party of Education Committee on Review Of New Procedures, Exclusion For Unsatisfactory Progress;
  • endorses amendments to ss11.2 of Statute 6.2; and
  • approves the Working Party’s recommendations on outstanding issues as outlined in the report and amendments to the Functions and Procedures on double degree procedures and provision of interpreters.

12. OTHER BUSINESS

12.1 WES Minimum Enrolment

A paper will be tabled. The matter of accurate load planning has been discussed at University Admissions Committee and a major concern raised is the fact that returning load forecasts are typically very inaccurate. This creates problems in areas such as commencing load prediction. WES currently allows students to enrol in less than the load they intend to take over the full year and imposes no minimum enrolment conditions on students. Associate Professor Alan Farley will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Education Committee recommends the implementation of some form of minimum enrolment criteria through WES.

PART B: FACULTY REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

13. BIANNUAL FACULTY REPORTS ON APPROVED COURSE AND UNIT DEVELOPMENTS

The biannual reports of approved course and unit developments have been deferred to a later meeting due to the length of the current agenda and in view of possible changes that could arise from the review process being undertaken by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic).

PART C: NEXT MEETING

The next scheduled meeting of the Education Committee (Meeting 6/2004) will be held at
2:15 pm on Wednesday, 27 October 2004.

All final submissions for the agenda for that meeting are due by Wednesday, 13 October 2004.

Membership:

Professor Alan Lindsay (Chair)

Associate Professor Karen Bensley

Dr Heinz Kreutz

Associate Professor Alan Farley

Associate Professor Sally Joy

Dr Gaell Hildebrand

Associate Professor Ilana Snyder

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 Denise Kirkpatrick

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)

In Attendance:

Mr Clive Vernon

Mr David Secomb

Mr Peter 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)

Further Distribution:

Faculty Managers/Registrars (*9)

Mr T Calder

Ms P Williams

Ms P Herman

Ms S Stafford

Ms B Le Grand