Council Meeting 2-2004

Meeting 2/2004 of the Monash University Council was held at 5.00 pm on Monday, 22 March 2004 at the Clayton Campus.

Members had been advised that Council meeting 2/2004 (22 March 2004) would be held in the Council Chamber, Administration Building 3a, Clayton Campus commencing at 5.00 pm.

Due to advice from Monash’s Security and Traffic Department that a sizeable student demonstration was likely, members with appointments commencing prior to the Council meeting were advised to enter building 3a by 3.30 pm, all other members were advised to gather at an alternate location on Clayton campus from where they would be bused as a group to the meeting.

At approximately 4.15 pm, all staff and Council members in building 3a were instructed by security staff to evacuate the building for safety reasons due to the likelihood of some student protestors forcing entry into building 3a. Council members were transported to an alternate location where a meeting room was organised for the Council meeting.

At approximately 4.40 pm, all members who had previously indicated they would be in attendance were present at the meeting.

As the student protest resulted in the need to evacuate building 3a, the fifteen students who had previously been granted observer status for the meeting were unable to attend.

As all members were in attendance prior to the advised commencement time of the meeting, a number of matters were discussed prior to the official start of the meeting. These were:

• the Chancellor informed members of the formation of the "Chancellors’ Conference";

• the Vice-Chancellor provided an overview of the University Planning Conference, the outcomes of recent meetings between Vice-Chancellors, parliamentarians and bureaucrats, alumni events held in London and San Francisco and an update on the fund-raising campaign;

• Professor Chris Browne, the elected President of Academic Board and ex-officio member of Council, was welcomed to Council;

• Council expressed its appreciation to Professor Alan Lindsay for his contribution to Council; and

• a member expressed concern that Council papers were not being received at least one week prior to the meeting.

Mr J K Ellis, Chancellor, presiding

Mr P H Ramler AM, Deputy Chancellor

Dr J M Hearn, Deputy Chancellor

Professor R G Larkins AO, Vice-Chancellor

Professor C Browne, President of Academic Board

Professor S Parker, Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor A Lindsay, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Professor E Cornish, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Ms A Crook AO, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resources)

Ms P Sanderson, Chief Executive Officer, Monash Property

Ms J Lightfoot, Director, Major Projects

Mr T Calder, Director, Executive Services

Prior to the commencement of the meeting, advice was received from Victoria Police requesting that the Council meeting be completed as soon as practicable.

Given the above advice, the Chancellor suggested that the following matters be prioritised for consideration:

• 1.5.2 Berwick Campus Development Proposal

• 4.4 Response to the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) – 2003

• 4.2 2003 Annual Report to Parliament of the Council of Monash University

and that non-starred items be approved.

Apologies were received from Ms Louise Adler and Ms Penny Hutchinson, however, Ms Adler was able to attend the meeting.

An apology had been received from Professor Edwina Cornish, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), however Professor Cornish was able to attend the meeting.

At meeting 1/2004, Council approved requests for special leave for meeting 2/2004 (22 March) for Mr John Hutchinson and for meeting 4/2004 (12 July) for Ms Lesley Boston.

The following items had been starred prior to the commencement of the meeting:

1.1 Apologies, 1.2 Special Leave, 1.3 Starring of Items, 1.4 Approval of Non-Starred Items, 1.5.1 Vice-Chancellor’s Issues and Speculations, 1.5.2 Berwick Campus Development Proposal, 2 Confirmation of Minutes of Previous Meeting, 3 Chancellor’s Business, and 4 Vice-Chancellor’s Business.

At the meeting the following starred items were considered: 1.5.2 Berwick Campus Development Proposal and 4.4 Response to the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) – 2003. With the agreement of members, item 4.2 2003 Annual Report to Parliament of the Council of Monash University was referred to the Executive Committee of Council for consideration.

All remaining starred items were held over to the next meeting of Council (3^rd May 2004).

Council resolved on the motion of the Chairman:

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

The documentation and detailed discussion relating to this item was "commercial-in-confidence".

Council received the report titled Business Plan for Berwick Campus Development and noted the explanatory comments of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resources), Ms Alison Crook.

In response to questions, members were advised of the following:

• as the proposal included changes to land usage, the case supporting the changed land usage would be more fully articulated in the next version of the document;

• Monash would, over time, need to shift load to the campus to meet the target student load;

• a Campus Academic Plan was being developed;

• Monash would continue to closely interact with the TAFE sector in the region; and

• development of the campus would cater not only for increased student numbers as required but would also improve the infrastructure and amenities available at the campus.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/14

Council:

• approved the proposal as outlined in the presented business plan;

• authorised the presentation of the proposal to the Minister for Education and Training for consideration; and

• on gaining Ministerial approval, authorised the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resources) to implement the plan, including the signing of relevant agreements, subject to review by the University Solicitor’s Office.

(File RMO1998/0609)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/15

Council noted the report of the Vice-Chancellor dated 10 March 2004 on the affixing of the Common Seal to documents executed under Seal pursuant to Statute 8.1, Section 2.1.5.

(File RMO1997/0889)

As the student protest resulted in the need to relocate the meeting to an alternative venue, no observers were in attendance.

The Minutes of meeting No 1/2004 held on 16 February were circulated.

As consideration of this item could not wait till the next ordinary meeting of Council, members agreed that the matter be referred to the Executive Committee of Council for consideration.

(Files RMO2002/1291, RMO2004/0001)

(File RMO1998/2347)

Prior to discussion of the item, Council discussed the status of a student who had attended the location of the meeting, however, the student had not previously applied for observer status in accordance with the Council Observer Policy. It was resolved that while it was unfortunate that the 15 students previously granted observer status were unable to attend the meeting, it would be inappropriate to grant observer status to a student who had not complied with the existing policy.

Professor Larkins introduced the item and informed members that page 1 of the report to Council summarised the major changes introduced by the HESA. Further Professor Larkins noted that the University needed additional funding in order to avoid a progressive decline to mediocrity. Areas where additional funding would assist include improved student-staff ratios, improved facilities and infrastructure, improved access to students from lower socio-economic groups and improved access for indigenous students. Further, members were advised that 20 percent of extra revenue would be used to increase the number of equity and merit scholarships including indigenous programs and fund the introduction of a new program targeted towards students from low socio-economic and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to do well at Monash.

Members were referred to the financial implications of the changes detailed in the paper presented and the reasons for not waiting till the outcome of the next federal election was known. Further, members were informed that some of the financial modelling and detail of the proposal could not be finalised at this stage as one outstanding issue was that the government needed to resolve the issue of partial exemption scholarships being counted as income against existing living allowances.

The Chancellor requested the views of members that given the advice from Victoria Police, would discussion and debate affect the outcome and the recommended resolution.

In response, a number of Council members suggested that the meeting be reconvened at a later time or adjourned to another date in order to enable debate and discussion. Other members indicated that given the documentation included with the agenda papers and the police advice that a vote be taken.

The recommendation as contained in the agenda papers was put to a vote. The outcome was as follows:

For 10

Against 6

Abstained 2

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/16

Council approved:

1. SCA fees should be set at the maximum allowed levels with the possible exception of lower levels for a small number of courses conducted only at our regional and outer urban campuses where lower fees will be considered and possibly also for research honours programs.

2. The previous decision by Council to admit fee-based Australian undergraduate students should be reaffirmed and in accord with the HESA, the limit should be raised to 35% of the course load with the exception of medical places where the prescribed limit is 10%. Fee-based positions will only be offered where there are adequate facilities and teaching resources to accommodate them. Students accepted through this pathway will require an ENTER within 5 percentile ranks of the lowest students accepted through the normal pathway.

3. 20 percent of the extra revenue raised by step 1. and of the extra revenue from the new provisions with respect to fee-based Australian students will be used to increase our equity programs over and above the equity measures inherent in the HESA 2003. These will have two primary components:

a. An increase in the number of our current equity and merit scholarships and our indigenous scholarship programs

b. A new program which will be targeted specifically towards students of low socioeconomic status and from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to do well at Monash. Students with ENTER percentiles well below those accepted through the normal pathways will be accepted and a special educational program, transition support and a scholarship will be provided for them during the first year. Success in this year will guarantee them selection into the second year of the conventional course. A defined proportion of places under this program will be directed to indigenous students.

The details concerning the number and funding of these programs cannot yet be established as at present partial SCA-exemption scholarships and living allowances or other forms of financial support provided by universities as opposed to the Commonwealth count as income against Commonwealth welfare and living allowances and would therefore not be an effective method of support for students – this is being reviewed by the Commonwealth, and our detailed strategy will need to await a final ruling on this.

4. Monash University should bid for extra fully-funded places for our regional and outer urban campuses particularly to allow the development of new health science courses at Peninsula campus and to allow expansion of Berwick and Gippsland.

(Secretarial note: Following resolution of item 4.4 Response to the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) – 2003, the meeting was closed with outstanding business to be resolved as follows:

• 4.2 2003 Annual Report to Parliament of the Council of Monash University – to be referred to the Executive Committee of Council;

• unstarred items were adopted without discussion; and

• remaining starred items – to be referred to the next ordinary meeting of Council for consideration.

No vote of members was taken to adjourn the meeting.)

(File RMO2004/0504)

(File RMOR2001/050)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/17

Council noted the advice of the Secretary to Council in relation to actions outstanding from discussion of the National Governance Protocols.

(Files RMO2003/0856, RMO2002/0221)

(File RMO1997/1579)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/18

Council noted the confirmed Minutes of Meeting 3/2003 of the Audit Committee held on 12 December 2003.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/19

Council received and noted the 2004 Audit and Risk Management Office Operational Plan.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/20

Council noted the unconfirmed Minutes of Meeting 1/2004 of the Audit Committee held on 16 March 2004.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/21

Council approved the Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee as detailed in the document presented.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/22

Council noted the consolidated report from the initial quarterly legal compliance process.

(File RMO2002/1291)

(File RMO1998/0609)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/23

Council approved the offer provided by the National Australia Bank Ltd and that the Director of Finance and the Treasurer be authorised to sign all documentation relating to the facility on behalf of the University.

(File RMO1998/0844)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/24

Council approved the Monash University Treasury Policy.

(File RMO2004/0531)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/25

Council noted the proceedings of the Resources and Finance Committee meeting held on 12 March 2004.

(File RMO2002/0201)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/26

Council received and noted the report of meeting 1/2004 of the Board of Monash Commercial Pty Ltd held on 6 February 2004.

(RMOR2000/106)

(File RMO2001/0552)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/27

Council received and noted the report of meeting 1/2004 of the Academic Board held on Wednesday, 25 February 2004.

(File Personnel)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/28

Council approved the proposal by the Board of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to fill the position of Professor and Director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/29

Council approved the proposal of the Faculty of Business and Economics to establish and fill a Chair of Econometrics and Business Statistics.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/30

Council approved the proposal of the Faculty of Business and Economics to fill the position of Professor and Head of the School of Business and Economics, Gippsland.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/31

Council approved the proposal of the Faculty of Science to fill a Chair of Pure Mathematics.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/32

Council approved the proposal of the Board of the Faculty of Business and Economics to establish a Centre for Health Economics.

(File RMO1999/1617)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/33

Council approved the recommendation of the Board of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to award the degree of Doctor of Medicine to:

• Dr Xiao-Ming Gao for ‘Adrenergic Mechanisms in Cardiac Pathophysiology: Studies using Gene-targeted Mouse Strains’; and

• Dr Andrew Ajani for ‘Intracoronary Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Coronary in-Stent Restenosis’.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/34

Council noted the proceedings of the Academic Board meeting held on 25 February 2004.

(File RMO1997/0888)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/35

Council received and noted the reports of the Gippsland Advisory Council meetings 7/2003 and 1/2004 held on 2 December 2003 and 2 March 2004 respectively.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/36

Council noted the proceedings of the Gippsland Advisory Council meetings held on 2 December 2003 and 2 March 2004.

(File Personnel)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/37

Council noted that the following had accepted the offer of appointment indicated below and wished to record his thanks to Council:

• Associate Professor Pua Eng Chong – Chair of Biotechnology and as Head, School of Arts and Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, and Honorary Professorial Fellow, Faculty of Science, Monash University.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/38

Council noted that the following had accepted the indicated offers of appointment approved by the Special Professorial Appointments Committee of Council:

• Associate Professor John Davies – Fixed-Term Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Professor Peter Spearritt – Adjunct Professor, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Faculty of Arts.

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/39

Council approved the establishment of the selection committees for appointments to the following positions – Professor and Head, School of Business and Economics, Monash Gippsland, Chair of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Professor and Director, Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development and a Chair of Pure Mathematics as detailed in the document presented.

(File RMO1997/1623)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/40

Council approved the nomination of Council members as Council’s nominees to the selection committees as detailed in the document presented.

(File RMO1997/1623)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/41

Council:

i. approved the proposed alteration to the current Constitution of VPHREC by substituting for it a new Constitution as detailed in the document presented; and

ii. authorised Professor John McNeil to vote in favour of the alteration at a general meeting of members of the company called to approve the adoption of the new Constitution.

(File RMO2000/0327)

RESOLUTION CL2/2004/42

Council noted the audited accounts of the CRC for Asthma Ltd.

(File RMO2000/0960)

The next meeting of Council is scheduled to be held at 5.00 pm on Monday, 3 May 2003 at the Clayton Campus.