Strategy and Resources Committee Meeting 1-2009

Meeting 1/2009 of the Strategy and Resources Committee commenced at 4.30 pm on Thursday 5 February 2009 in the STRIP Ground Floor Meeting Room, Building 75, Clayton campus.

Rhonda Hinds
Secretary

MINUTES

1.    Attendance and apologies

There were present:
Professor Richard Larkins AO(Chair), Professor Bill Charman, Professor Val Clulow (representing Professor Helen Bartlett), Professor Edwina Cornish, Professor Merran Evans, Professor Stephanie Fahey, Mr Ron Fairchild, Professor Arie Freiberg, Professor Jayne Godfrey, Professor Rod Hill, Professor Max King, Professor Stephen King, Professor Rob Norris, Mr David Pitt, Professor Robin Pollard, Professor Tyrone Pretorius, Professor John Redmond, Professor Adam Shoemaker, Professor Phillip Steele, Professor Ron Weber, Professor Steve Wesselingh, Professor Sue Willis.

Apologies were received from:
Professor Helen Bartlett, Professor Rae Frances, Mr Peter Marshall.

In attendance
Ms Loren Miller, Director Business Strategy, Office of the Vice-President (Finance) A warm welcome was extended to new members attending their first SRC meeting – Professor Stephen King, Dean Faculty of Business and Economics, and the non-campus Pro Vice-Chancellors – Professors Merran Evans, Rod Hill, Max King and Phillip Steele.

2.    Formal Items

An additional item 11.3 – Learning and Teaching Performance Fund – was added and starred.

The Committee agreed that all items on the agenda not starred be adopted without discussion, and the action recommended be taken or the information therein noted.

3.    Minutes of Meeting 11/2008

The Committee confirmed the Minutes of SRC Meeting 11/2008, held on 9 December 2008.

4.    Matters arising from the Minutes

4.1   Senior Management Summit (SMS) 2009

Members had before them the final draft of the SMS Program. Speaking thereto, Professor Evans observed that:

• A further document relating to the Performance Indicators portion of the program was yet to be distributed.
• Michael Crowe (Arizona State University) was confirmed as a speaker.

The Chair summarised the Summit’s three themes – Sustainability at Monash, review of the University’s KPIs and implications for Monash of the future of Australian higher education.

The Committee received the SMS program and noted Professor Evans’ advice.

For information: Professor M Evans

5.    Vice-Chancellor’s Business

Professor Larkins reported on a range of matters of current interest, including:

• The critical support role played by staff of the Gippsland campus during the Delburn fire incident. (Secretarial note: this role was extended through the “Black Saturday” bushfire emergency.)
• The allocation of funding from the IEF for Monash’s “New Horizons” bid.
• The $26M allocated to Monash from the Teaching and Learning Capital Fund (part of the Government’s infrastructure package).
• Release of the Report of the Bradley Review, whose recommendations fell into two categories – those capable of immediate implementation by Government (e.g. real indexation, increase in the research block grant) and those requiring negotiation with the States e.g. establishment of a national body for accreditation and quality assurance. The Minister had been urged to implement the first category of recommendations without delay.
• The 2% administrative increase in salaries from the first pay period after 31 March.
• Positive international student numbers for Semester 1.

Subsequent discussion ranged over several issues, in particular, progress on EB negotiations. Members were advised that EB discussions with the NTEU had been positive, but that an agreement on all claims had not yet been reached.

6.    Planning and Monitoring

6.1   Workforce Movements and Redundancy Status (Confidential)

7.    Budget and Financial Performance

7.1    Financial Reports

Observing that the University’s overall outcome for 2008 was good, Mr Pitt presented the University’s 2008 end of year (unaudited) financial results, highlighting the following:

• Above-budget figures included the operating and cash results, student fee revenue and overall faculty operating results. However, research revenue was well below budget, whilst donations were slightly below budget.
• Monash’s improving cash position included a potential permanent $8M improvement.
• Whilst revenue was above budget, so too were expenses, principally those relating to building and equipment.
• The University’s core operating result had increased, however it was important to remember that future expenditure in support of grants would occur – as far as possible this was taken into account in developing the budget.
• 9 faculties had returned a positive operating result – all faculties were budgeted to do so in 2009.

Mr Pitt emphasised the continued fragility of the share markets, but informed members that the University would not be asked to write down the value of its investment portfolios. However, it was likely that other Go8 universities would record significant losses.

The Committee received and noted Mr Pitt’s presentation.

For information: Mr D Pitt

7.2   Monash Support Experience Questionnaire 2008

The Committee received and noted the October 2008 Financial Report.

7.3   Finance Shared Services Review Proposal (Confidential)

8.    Policies

No policies were presented to this meeting.

9.    Standing Committees

9.1   Publications Committee

The Committee

• Received and noted the Report of the Publications Committee meeting of 3 December 2008.
• Approved that the following be removed from all faculty/school/department etc web sites and be replaced with links to the relevant university-approved entry or entries in Course Finder or other approved central unit web sites such as the Monash Research Graduate School, Fees and Admissions units of Student Administration and Systems, and University policy bank:
  • information on fee rates
  • information on university and course admission requirements, including minimum entry scores.
• Approved that, with regard to approved fee rates, these would only be published on Course Finder for prospective students and on the Fees unit website for continuing students in order to meet DEEWR obligations.
• Approved that, with regard to the timing of implementation this process was to be commenced at the beginning of 2009 for completion not later than 1 August 2009, to coincide with the rollover of Course Finder information for the 2010 academic year.

For information: Ms D Aitken

10.    Matters raised by members

11.    Other Business

11.1   Committee Evaluation

Members noted that the Evaluation Report would be submitted to the next meeting. Members were encouraged to forward responses to the Secretary.

11.2   Summary of Activities 2008

Members received and noted the Summary of the Committee’s activities for 2008.

11.3   Learning and Teaching Performance Fund (L&TPF)

Professor Shoemaker reported on Monash’s success in the latest round of funding allocations, announced immediately prior to the meeting.

(Secretarial note: A copy of the L&TPF Total Funding Allocations will be despatched with the Minutes).

12.    Next meeting – please note revised meeting date and venue

SRC Meeting 1/2009 is scheduled for Tuesday 12 March 2009, commencing at 4.00 pm in the Sir George Lush Room.  Refreshments will be served after the meeting.