Council Special Meeting 1-1990

A special meeting of the Monash University Council was held on Friday, 16 February 1990, in the Council Room, University Offices, between 3.00 and 4.45 pm.

There were present:

The Chancellor, The Hon. Sir George Lush, in the Chair

The Deputy Chancellor, Mr J.A. Hancock

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor M.I. Logan

In attendance were:

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor J.A. Hay

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). Professor I.J. Polmear

The Registrar, Mr A.L. Pritchard

The Comptroller, Mr P.B. Wade

The Secretary, Mr M.D. Watson

The Director of External Relations and Alumni Affairs, Miss J.M. Beck

The Acting Information Officer. Mr J. Clark

Apologies were received from:

MINUTES

1. Enabling Legislation for the Merger of Chisholm and Gippsland Institutes with Monash University

Council noted that, at a meeting on 8 February, the Monash-Chisholm Merger Implementation Committee had approved unanimously for submission to the Councils of Monash University and Chisholm Institute the attached draft Bill for a Monash University (Mergers) Act 1990 to facilitate the merger with Monash University of Chisholm Institute of Technology and Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education.

The meeting also noted that the draft Bill had been considered by the Chisholm Council on 13 February, at which it had been approved in general terms but with final approval withheld until its next meeting on 13 March pending the resolution of several areas of particular concern, only one of which, the Chancellor said, could be regarded as being of any moment.

In opening discussion, the Chancellor gave notice that he intended to invite the Vice-Chancellor to move that Council approve the draft legislation before it, after which he would move that the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, acting together, be authorised to approve on the University's behalf changes in wording or content of the draft amending Act provided that they were satisfied that such changes did not affect the substance of that Act.

Professor Hay then gave an account of the extensive consultative processes that had been established to give shape to the Monash-Gippsland merger. Professor Logan highlighted the trust and good-will that had underlined the whole venture and offered his own view that the draft Bill was a proper document, setting in place a broad structure for the enlarged institution, leaving most of the detail to be filled in by statute and regulation.

In the course of discussion of the draft legislation, the Chancellor gave an undertaking that he was prepared to bring to the first meeting of the transitional Council a proposal to establish a broadly-based Nominations Committee to provide advice on worthy nominees for cooption and appointment to the University Council. As well, the Vice-Chancellor undertook to prepare a short paper for circulation to members rehearsing his views on the educational rationale and anticipated outcomes of the mergers with Chisholm and Gippsland Institutes.

Following discussion, the Chancellor put Professor Logan's motion that Council approve the draft legislation before it, and this motion was carried nem. con.

The Chancellor then moved, as foreshadowed, that the Chancellor and Vice- Chancellor, acting together, be authorised to approve on the University's behalf changes in wording or content of the draft amending Act provided that they are satisfied that such changes do not affect the substance of that Act, and this motion was also carried nem con.

The Chancellor undertook to convene a further special meeting of Council in the event of the University being pressed to agree to substantive changes in the draft legislation.

On a peripheral matter, the Chancellor gave notice that early action would need to be initiated to ensure that the standing committees of Council were augmented in such ways as to broaden their effective jurisdiction, where appropriate, across the four campuses of the enlarged University.