Education Committee Meeting 3-2006

Meeting No. 3/2006 of the Education Committee will be held on Wednesday, 31 May 2006, in the Clayfield Room, Building A1, Caulfield campus, commencing at 2.15pm.

Apologies: Please telephone: 9905 5049, or e-mail to: shana.chong@adm.monash.edu.au

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 AND APOLOGIES

Dr Lorraine Bennett, Deputy Director, Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT), for item 6.
Ms Robyn Harris, Quality Adviser, Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ), for item 7.
Ms Michelle King, Director, Office of the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, for items 10 and 11.
Mr Peter Marshall, Vice-President Administration, for item 8.
Professor Rob Willis, Academic Director Caulfield and Clayton, for item 8.

Ms Sue Bell, Monash College
Associate Professor John Hurst, President, Academic Board

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

*3. MINUTES p1-16

The unconfirmed minutes of Meeting 2/2006, held on 19 April 2006, were circulated on 15 May and are attached. Also attached are papers tabled at the meeting.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee approves the Minutes of Meeting 2/2006 held on 19 April.

*4. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

A revised structure of the Academic Board committees is attached. Following the last meeting, the Chair held discussions with the chairs, deputy chairs and secretaries of the relevant subcommittees of Academic Board. The Chair will speak to the item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee notes the advice of the Chair and provides its recommendation on the proposed structure of Academic Board committees.

*4.2 Learning, Teaching and Quality Subcommittee p19-20

Documentation is attached. The revised terms of reference are attached, for consideration. The Chair will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee:

*4.2.1 Transnational Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee p21-22

Documentation is attached. The revised terms of reference are attached, for consideration. The Chair will introduce the item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee recommends, for approval by Academic Board:

*4.3 Education Policy and Programs Subcommittee p23-24

Documentation is attached. The revised terms of reference are attached, for consideration. The Chair will introduce the item and Professor Merran Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning), will provide an update of this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee recommends, for approval by Academic Board, the Terms of Reference and membership structure of the Education Policy and Programs Subcommittee of Education Committee.

*4.3.1 Exclusion Procedures Working Party

Associate Professor Tony Luff, Faculty Academic Progress Committee member of the Working Party, has agreed to undertake the role of chair of the Working Party following the cessation of membership of Associate Professor Marg Lindorff. The Working Party is seeking to fill a membership vacancy for an Academic Progress Committee Chair representative, and its terms of reference are outlined below:

• Provide advice to faculty and central areas of the university, in consultation with the student associations, in relation to the functions and procedures of unsatisfactory progress;
• Review and refine the suite of university proformas and Functions and Procedures, in accordance with Statute 6.2 or the regulations pursuant to the statute, and
• Report to the Education Committee by the last meeting of each year.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee:

*4.4 Re-introduction Of Swot Vac – Options For Consideration p25-44

Documentation from the Academic Year Working Party was circulated to members of the Committee on 15 May and is attached. The Chair will speak to this item.

Three models are explored in the paper, with the Academic Year Working Party recommending that:

• the university make a commitment to re-introduce a swot vac in week 14 of the two main semesters;
• the swot vac be at least three days in length, with examinations commencing on the Thursday of week 14, and that consideration be given to whether it would be reasonably feasible for swot vac in semester two to occupy the whole of week 14;
• the examination schedule be re-structured to accommodate a swot vac in week 14 of semester which does not entail significant deferral of the completion of examinations or the publication of results; and
• the preferred option for re-structuring the examination schedule be the inclusion of evening examinations on Mondays to Thursdays during the examination period.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee:

5. ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM ACADEMIC BOARD MEETING 2/2006

The Academic Board noted all matters that were reported for information from Meeting 1/2006 of the Education Committee.

*6. QUALITY ISSUES – SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES IN RESPONSE TO UNIT EVALUATIONS AND MEQ DATA p45-50

The summaries attached outline the strategies proposed by CALT and CHEQ to support faculties achieve systematic improvements in response to unit evaluation and MEQ 05 data. Dr Lorraine Bennett, Deputy Director, CALT, has been invited to speak to this item.

At the recent Vice-Chancellor’s Group visits to faculties, staff received advice that the University would be gathering information about their responses regarding issues emerging from unit evaluations and MEQ data. It is anticipated that the responses will form the basis of a companion document of best practice that will enable faculties to draw upon ideas.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee notes the information and provides comments to the proposal.

*7. EDUCATION-RELATED QUALITY AUDIT ISSUES p51-56

Documentation is attached. This paper provides a short summary of education-related findings from a recent AUQA audit report and gives some illustrative audit questions (p56) that may be asked of Education Committee members by the AUQA panel during their visit to Monash in September.

Professor Graham Webb, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Quality), will introduce the item and Ms Robyn Harris, Quality Adviser, CHEQ, has been invited to speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee notes the findings of a recent AUQA audit report and considers the audit questions indicative of those the AUQA panel may ask Committee members.

*8. MONASH STUDENT EXPERIENCE FRAMEWORK: STUDENT EXPERIENCE PROJECT p57-82

A draft discussion paper on the Monash Student Experience Framework is attached. The Monash Student Experience Framework (MSEF) sets out to provide opportunities for students to realise their potential to live, learn, work and contribute globally and, accordingly, achieve the objectives set out in Monash Directions 2025. A number of projects will get underway in semester two 2006 as part of the MSEF initiatives, which will focus on the experiences of first year and international students.

Professor Rob Willis, Academic Director Caulfield and Clayton, has been invited to attend the meeting to introduce the item. Mr Peter Marshall, Vice-President Administration, has been invited to provide comments regarding the University’s response to the VSU legislation.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee receives the information and notes the advice of the Academic Director Caulfield, and Vice-President Administration.

*9. TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED EDUCATION AT MONASH p83-88

A discussion paper from the Executive Director, Information Technology Services (ITS) Division, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Campus Coordination) and Director, Centre for Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT) is attached. It addresses the issues of governance in the provision of high quality technology-supported education at Monash.

Central to the paper’s recommendations is the establishment of a Technology Supported Learning and Teaching Steering Group. The Chair will introduce the item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee receives the paper and considers its recommendations regarding the development of a governance structure for technology supported education at Monash.

*10. REVIEW OF COURSEWORK PROGRAMS p89-92

A proposal for a complete review of the coursework programs at Monash is attached. The Chair will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee receives the proposal and notes the advice of the Chair.

*11. STUDENT RETENTION

The Chair will introduce this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee receives the information and notes the advice of the Chair.

*12. COURSE PROPOSAL FLOWCHART: FOR MONASH UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA AND MONASH SOUTH AFRICA CAMPUSES p93-94

Documentation is attached. The Chair and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning) will speak to the item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee notes the information and advice of the Chair and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning).

*13. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE TRANSNATIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE AND IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE p95-96

Documentation is attached. Following a review of the Hong Kong partnership programs in 2005, the Transnational Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee (TQAIC) has referred two of its review recommendations to Education Committee for further consideration, regarding:

• development of a policy on assignment due dates and feedback/grading return dates; and
• procedures for monitoring the return of marked assignments and follow up of assessments that have not been returned to students on time.

Problems with the timely return of assignment feedback to students have occurred across most partnership programs. The Chair will speak to this item.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee notes the information and makes a recommendation regarding the matters referred by the Transnational Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee.

*14. AMENDMENTS TO SPECIAL CONSIDERATION POLICY p97-98

Documentation is attached. Education Committee 1/06 considered an amendment to the Special Consideration Policy that required all faculties to use common procedures. Student Administration has proposed that a deletion of wording from the current policy may serve this purpose.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee recommends the draft Special Consideration Policy, for approval by Academic Board.

15. OTHER BUSINESS

PART B: FACULTY REPORTS

16. BIANNUAL FACULTY REPORTS ON APPROVED COURSE AND UNIT DEVELOPMENTS p99-108

The biannual report on approved course and unit developments for October 2005 to May 2006, as presented by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, is attached.

RECOMMENDATION:

That Education Committee receives and notes the biannual report of approved course and unit developments as presented by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

PART C: NEXT MEETING

Final submissions for the agenda for Meeting 4/2006 are due by Wednesday, 12 July 2006.

Meeting 4/2006 will be held on 26 July in the Sir George Lush Room, Ground floor, Building 3a, Clayton campus.