Apologies were received from Mr Grayson and Mr Guest, both of whom had special leave, and from Dr Kolm and Mr Spring.

Council noted the following changes that had occurred in its membership since the previous meeting:
. Ms J.A. Chandler and Mr H.A. Grayson were appointed to further terms by the Governor in Council on the advice of the Nominations Committee;
. Mr A.H. May, Dr F.R. Burden, and Dr M.E. James were elected to further terms by the graduates, the teaching staff other than professors, and the non-teaching staff respectively;
. Professor I.D. Rae succeeded Professor P.C. Chandler as a coopted Dean;
. Professor B.W. Cherry was elected by the professors to succeed Professor R.H. Snape;
. Ms A.L. Ralph was elected by the graduate students to succeed Mr P.L. Baker;
. Mr J.K. Rogers was elected by the undergraduate and diploma students to succeed Mr B.J. Weatherson; and
. Mr C.L. Hatsell ceased to be a member of Council upon his resignation as Chairperson of the Gippsland Campus Advisory Council. The Chancellor welcomed Professor Rae, Professor Cherry, Ms Ralph, and Mr Rogers to their first meeting of Council.

4. Conduct of Business

Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.1, 7, 8, 9, 10.3, 13, 14.1, 15, 16, 21.1, 24, and 26 were discussed at the meeting; the remaining items being dealt with on the motion of the Chancellor that all items on the agenda not starred be adopted without discussion, and the action recommended be taken or the information therein noted.

6. Matters Arising from the Minutes

6.1 Institute of Reproduction and Development

8. Report of the Vice-Chancellor

8.1 Overseas Graduations

The Vice-Chancellor spoke to item 1 of his appended report. He undertook to keep Council informed of further developments in regard to the proposed link between Monash and the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

Following discussion at the previous meeting and subsequent talks with Dr Knights, the Vice- Chancellor assured Council that Monash would continue to give a high priority to research management, both centrally and in the faculties. He said that Professor Darvall had taken on the Deputy Vice-Chancellorship (Research) on a half-time basis until the end of the year and, in this capacity, reported not only to the Vice-Chancellor but to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor on broad academic matters and through Deans in his contacts with faculties. Professor Logan said the newly appointed Manager of Research Services, the Office for Research, and the Higher Degrees and Scholarships Office would all report to Professor Darvall. Professor Darvall would chair the Committee of Associate Deans Research, he said, which had a brief to drive research in the faculties. Professor Logan also said research would have its own budget in 1994, and foreshadowed a review of the University's research policy in consultation with the Academic Board and Council.

8.3 Vietnam

The Vice-Chancellor spoke to item 3 of his appended report.

Speaking further, Professor Darvall acknowledged the assistance given by Mr Peter Laver and the Chancellor in facilitating the link with BHP Petroleum. He said Vietnam was a cripplingly poor country with very limited participation in higher education. A recent delivery of 6000 books donated by the Monash community to the Ho Chi Minh City University had been gratefully received, he said. Professor Darvall also mentioned that Monash had opened an office in Hanoi for recruiting Vietnamese students, and foreshadowed the likelihood of a further office being opened in Ho Chi Minh City. Progress will continue, he said, at a sensible pace.

The Vice-Chancellor spoke to item 4 of his appended report. He said he thought it was significant that Monash was the only Victorian university visited by members of the Federal Opposition's Education Committee.

The Vice-Chancellor commended all involved in the mounting of Open Day on Sunday, 1 August. He said it was very well attended, and better organised than in previous years. There could be no doubt that higher education was a growth industry, Professor Logan said, and the effort and funding committed to Open Day was well justified.

8.6 University Documents for Council Members

In response to a question from Senator Patterson, the Vice-Chancellor informed Council of renewed possibilities for Monash to be involved in the cooperative training of Malaysian medical undergraduates, in Australia for the three preclinical years and in Malaysia for the final three clinical years. Professor Logan said he had provided funds for a planning dean to be appointed by Monash to move things along in this regard.

9. Report of the Gippsland Campus Advisory Council

Council received and noted the appended report of the Gippsland Campus Advisory Council.

11. Report of the Biosafety Committee (27 May Meeting)

12. Report of the Biosafety Committee (24 June Meeting)

Council received and noted the appended report of the Buildings Committee and the accompanying Capital Management Plan. In response to a question from Dr Ward, the Vice-Chancellor said the University was prepared to go ahead with development of a new campus at Berwick only in the event of additional student load and capital funding being made available by Government.

14. Report of the Equal Opportunity Committee

15. Report of the Finance Committee

15.2 Consolidated Financial Statements of the University 1992;

15.3 Audited Financial Statements of Pelletray Pty Ltd; and

Questions were also responded to in regard to Proceedings item 1, 2, 4, and 5.

Council accepted a comment from Committee Chairman, Mr Ramler, that the view of the meeting would be better conveyed if sub-paragraph (iii) of Proceedings item 2 were replaced by:

the current review by Professor Chubb of staffing policies should provide insight into the need for more flexibility in academic staff employment, including issues of casual staffing. There was some discussion of the possibility of a special committee to review staffing needs and planning over a five-year period.

Council approved offers of appointment being made as recommended in the appended reports of selection committees in respect of the following positions:

16.2 Professor and Head, School of Engineering, Gippsland.

17. Report of the Union Board

Council received and noted the appended report of the Joint Finance Committee for Student Amenities.

19. Report of the Joint Student Liaison Committee

Council received the appended report and appointed the selection committee for a Chair of Meteorology recommended therein together with Professor Cherry and Dr James as Council representatives.

In accordance with the appended advice of the University Solicitor's Office, Council made the following legislation:

24.2Audit Committee

Mr Kricker Ms Keys;

Professor Rae;

Dr Coogan

Vacancy maintained pro tem.

Professor Cherry

Ms Ralph;

Dr Kolm

Professor Hearn;

Senator Patterson

Mr J.K. Rogers;

Mr Ramler

Mr Stiles;

Dr Coogan;

Professor Cherry;

Dr Rodan; and

Professor Melbourne.

Council received and noted the appended reports from:

25.2 Dr G.B. Deacon, Department of Chemistry;

Monday, 21 February
Monday, 4 April
Monday, 16 May
Monday, 27 June
Monday, 8 August
Monday, 19 September
Monday, 31 October
Monday, 12 December

Members were reminded that the next meeting of Council was scheduled to be held at 5.00 pm on Monday, 20 September, in the Council Room on the Clayton Campus.