Council Meeting 2-2005

Meeting 2/2005 of the Monash University Council was held between 5.00 pm and 6.50 pm on Monday, 21 March 2005 in the Boardroom, 1^st floor, Sissons Building, Parkville Campus.

Mr J K Ellis, Chancellor, presiding

Mr P H Ramler AM, Deputy Chancellor

Professor R G Larkins AO, Vice-Chancellor

Professor C Browne, Chair of Academic Board

Professor S Parker, Senior 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)

Professor Colin Chapman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy

Mr John Matthews, Divisional Director, Corporate Finance

Mr T Calder, Director, Executive Services

The Chancellor informed Council that prior to the meeting, Professor Warwick Anderson had declared that he had an interest in a company listed in the Report of the Board of Monash Commercial Pty Ltd. The Chancellor thanked Professor Anderson for his declaration and noted that the company concerned was part of the overall reporting matrix of Monash Commercial and would continue to be included in future Monash Commercial reports to Council. On this occasion, Council was receiving and noting the report, however, should Council in the future discuss or be requested to make a determination relating to the company concerned, Council noted that Professor Anderson would not participate in the discussion nor vote on any matter relating to the company.

On behalf of Council, the Chancellor welcomed Ms Sue Smith to her first meeting of Council.

Apologies were received from Dr June Hearn, Ms Dale Halstead and Dr John Zillman AO.

Council approved requests for special leave for meeting 3/2005 (2 May) for Mr John Hutchinson and for meeting 5/2005 (8 August) for Ms Lesley Boston.

Items 1.1 Apologies, 1.2 Special Leave, 1.3 Starring of Items, 1.4 Approval of Non-Starred Items, 2 Confirmation of Minutes of Previous Meeting, 3 Chancellor’s Business, 4 Vice-Chancellor’s Business, 6 Report on the Council Planning Conference (Meeting 1/2005) held on 12 February 2005, 7 Filling of vacancies on committees of Monash University Council, 8.2 Monash IT Pty Ltd: Funding Requirement Increase, 9 Report of the Audit Committee and 13 Report of the Honorary Degrees Committee were starred and discussed at the meeting.

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’.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/2

Council noted the report of the Vice-Chancellor dated 9 March 2005 on the affixing of the Common Seal to documents executed under Seal pursuant to Statute 8.1, Section 2.1.5.

(File RMO1997/0889)

Authorised observers were admitted to the meeting following confidential items.

The Minutes of meeting No 8/2004 held on 13 December 2004 were circulated.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/3

Council confirmed the Minutes of meeting No. 8/2004 held on Monday, 13 December 2004.

Council noted, with acclamation, the contribution of Mr Glenn Barnes to Council including his leadership of the Resources and Finance Committee.

Mr Barnes thanked his fellow Council members for their contributions and assistance during his time on Council and noted that it was with regret that time commitments to other activities had meant that he was no longer able to commit the time necessary to properly fulfil the role of Council member on Monash University Council.

The Chancellor informed Council that the two Governor-in-Council vacancies on Council were still under consideration by the Department of Education and Training.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/4

Council received the oral report of the Chancellor.

(File RMO1998/2347)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/5

Council noted with acclamation Australia Day Honours awarded to key individuals associated with Monash University as detailed in the paper provided.

(File RMO1999/0190)

Council noted the advice of the Vice-Chancellor that the commencing load of international student numbers was approximately 17% less than projected and, along with lower than projected enrolments of Australian full-fee paying undergraduate students, would result in lower fee revenues of approximately $10 million. The lower than projected revenues would not require a revision of the 2005 Budget as adjustments would be made to both faculty and central support division costs to overcome the shortfall.

Following discussion where it was noted that the decline in enrolments of international students was not uniform across the sector, Council noted the advice of the Vice-Chancellor that a range of activities were being reviewed to ensure that University processes were not contributing to the decline in enrolments.

Council noted the advice of the Vice-Chancellor that there had been a marked increase in student enrolments at the campus with a further intake of 100 to 150 expected to enrol in second semester.

Further, relationships with external stakeholders were continuing to improve and indications were that the issue of the limit on student numbers at the campus would be satisfactorily resolved in the coming months.

Council noted:

• Professor John Anderson would return to Australia to the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Industry) with responsibility for improving liaison and developing partnerships with business and industry;

• Vice-President (Advancement) – an offer had been made and accepted, however, at the request of the successful applicant, an announcement would not be made until 9 April 2005; and

• Vice-President (Finance) – the search process had commenced.

The Vice-Chancellor advised that the purpose of the dinner was to emphasise Monash’s commitment to building closer relationships with business and industry that would, in turn, produce improved outcomes for research and development, education and economic development.

The Vice-Chancellor informed Council that legislation had been introduced into Federal Parliament to preclude universities from charging compulsory fees not directly related to a student’s course of study. If the legislation were passed, it would come into effect in 2006.

Further, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the current amenities fees, analogous to local government council rates, subsidised a range of services across campuses. Those services not only directly assisted students but also broadened the student experience in areas such as sport, club activities and social interactions.

Council was advised that, in addition to ongoing discussions with student representatives, management had commenced a process of assessing the affected services with a view to identifying those services that the University might be able to partially or fully subsidise and those that may need to become "user pays" as a result of the legislation.

During discussion, Council noted the effect the legislation may have on the University’s funding in future years, that some services to students may disappear from the campus which, in turn, may have a profound effect on the student campus experience, the attitude of students and student groups to the legislation varied, the role of MONYX in the provision of student services and the increasing intrusion of government at the micro-management level of universities.

The Chancellor, in summarising the discussion, reaffirmed Council’s support for the Vice-Chancellor’s position that compulsory amenities fees, and the resulting services, were integral to the student experience and that the introduced legislation was another example of the government’s increasing attempts to micro-manage Australian universities.

Council was advised that the proposed joint development of the Berwick Campus was still under discussion with representatives from the Department of Education and Training. Further, recent issues relating to a proposal to construct additional student accommodation had been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.

The Vice-Chancellor outlined to Council the recent difficulties for the company and a range of changes that had been put in place including the secondment of Mr Tony Pollock to the company.

The Vice-Chancellor advised Council that he was delighted to inform them that due to a generous endowment from Ms Lee Liberman, the University had established "The Leon Liberman Chair in Modern Israel Studies".

Ms Liberman made the endowment in memory of her late husband, Leon, who graduated from Monash with a Bachelor of Economics in 1969.

As requested at meeting 8/2004 (13 December), a report on the matter would be presented to the next meeting of Council (2 May).

Council noted the advice of the Vice-Chancellor that more than 10,000 people visited the Australian Synchrotron during a very successful open day.

In response to a question from a Council member relating to the recent appointment of the former Vice-Chancellor of Monash, Professor David Robinson, to the Chair of VERNet Pty Ltd, Council was informed that Monash was one of ten universities and the CSIRO who were shareholders in the company (VERNet is not a Monash controlled entity) and the appointment was made by the Victorian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/6

Council received and noted the Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Council.

(File RMO1998/2347)

During an introduction of the Annual Report to Parliament, including the 2004 Consolidated Financial Statements, Council noted the advice of the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resources) on the continued inclusion of triple-bottom-line reporting in the Annual Report, the reasons behind the higher than forecast surplus and the accounting treatment for DEST advance payments.

Council noted advice that the accounting treatment for DEST advance payments may result in a "qualification" of the financial accounts, however, Council supported the view that the accounting treatment, previously approved by Council, would result in Monash lodging financial statements that were a true reflection of Monash’s financial performance in 2004.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/7

Council adopted the University’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2004 subject to the qualification of the accounts being acceptable to Monash and that no new matters deemed "material" arose in the final stages of the audit.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/8

Council approved the 2004 Annual Report to Parliament of the Council of Monash University for forwarding to the Minister for Education and Training subject to final clearance of the Consolidated Financial Statements by the agents of the Auditor-General – RSM Bird Cameron Partners.

(File RMO2002/1291)

Professor Stephen Parker, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, outlined to members the outcomes of the 2005 Senior Management Planning Conference and advised Council that the Annual Priorities for 2006 would feed into the development of the Annual Plan 2006.

During discussion, a number of issues were raised including:

• the need to recast the fourth annual priority to include "principles of equity";

• positioning of Monash in the marketplace;

• the need to leverage those areas where Monash performed well; and

• the importance of continuing to implement the Information Management Strategy.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/9

Council received and noted the Report on the outcomes of the Senior Management Planning Conference.

(File RMO1997/1558)

Professor Edwina Cornish, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), introduced the benchmarking report to Council noting that Monash had ten departments/schools ranked as number one, however, noting that all Go8 universities were focussing on improving research performance, some departments/schools still needed to improve their research performance.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/10

Council received the report and noted the advice of Professor Edwina Cornish, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research).

(File RMO2001/1153)

At meeting 8/2004 (13 December), Council:

• adopted the Monash University Budget 2005 subject to finalisation of the capital works budget; and

• requested that a report confirming the budget as presented or detailing proposed revisions due to changed student enrolment numbers be presented to Council in early 2005.

A revised Capital Works Budget was considered at the recent meeting of the Resources and Finance Committee held on 10 March 2005 and was presented for Council’s consideration at agenda item 10.3.

(File RMO1997/0611)

The Chancellor thanked members for their attendance at the Council Planning Conference and noted that he hoped that in 2006 a joint afternoon session with attendees at the Senior Management Conference would be scheduled and that the joint dinner be retained. Further, the Chancellor, with the Deputy Chancellors and in consultation with Professor Parker, would develop the themes for the 2006 conference and present the program to Council for consideration in late 2005.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/11

Council:

1. received the Report on the Council Planning Conference (Meeting 1/2005);

2. approved the Council Evaluation 2005 be completed in late 2005 with the outcomes reported to the final meeting of the year; and

3. the program for the 2006 Council Planning Conference be presented to Council for consideration late 2005.

(File RMO1998/2347)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/12

Council approved the appointment of the persons named to fill vacancies on committees of Council as detailed below:

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/13

Council amended the membership categories for the Physical Resources Subcommittee from three external members of Council to two external members of Council and one student member of Council.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/14

Council appointed Dr Carol Williams to fill the vacancy on the Physical Resources Subcommittee in the category of staff member of Council and appointed Mr Leo Ostroburski to fill the vacancy in the category of student member of Council.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/15

Council appointed Mr Paul Ramler AM as Chairman of Resources and Finance Committee until such time as the Membership Committee provided further advice to Council.

(Files RMO1998/0045, RMO1998/0044, RMO1998/0041, RMO1998/0042, RMO1998/0220)

(File RMO1998/0598)

The Executive Committee of Council, acting under its delegation from Council, met on 21 January 2005 and approved an offer of an appointment as Chief Executive Officer, Monash South Africa, for a period of five years, and an associated honorary appointment as a Pro Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Monash University Australia, as per the report of the selection committee forwarded to members of the Executive Committee, be made to Professor Tyrone Pretorius.

(File RMO1998/055)

The Executive Committee of Council, acting under its delegation from Council, met on 24 January 2005 and approved the provision of additional funding to Monash IT Pty Ltd in the amount and on the terms and conditions detailed in the document provided to members of the Executive Committee.

In response to a question, the Vice-Chancellor informed Council that the additional funding provided to the company would enable the company to trade out some of its difficulties and result in the Faculty of Information Technology not having to incur the company’s deficit.

(File RMO2004/0710)

The Executive Committee of Council, acting under its delegation from Council, met on 11 February 2005 and approved Monash University entering into a development agreement for a 120 bed student accommodation development at the Berwick Campus and offering, if required, financial settlement to the level approved by Council at meeting 6/2004 (27 September) in lieu of any further development rights at the campus as detailed in the document provided to members of the Executive Committee.

(File RMO1998/0609)

The Executive Committee of Council, acting under its delegation from Council, met on 11 February 2005 and approved the proposal of the Faculty of Arts to confer posthumous awards of Bachelor of Music and Honours degree of the Bachelor of Arts and the proposal of the Faculty of Business and Economics to confer a posthumous award of Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) to the students named in the document provided to members of the Executive Committee.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/16

Council noted the approvals granted by the Executive Committee of Council at its meetings held on 21 and 24 January 2005 and 11 February 2005.

(File RMO1997/0346)

The Chair of Audit Committee outlined to Council the major items considered at the meeting being:

• consideration of the Consolidated Financial Statements;

• report of Annual Compliance; and

• the establishment of an Audit Committee by each controlled entity excluding the Monash South Africa companies which will consider the matter at their next board meeting.

On behalf of Council, the Chancellor commended the compliance process and staff involved in implementing the procedures throughout the University.

(File RMO1997/1579)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/17

Council noted the unconfirmed Minutes of Meeting 1/2005 of the Audit Committee held on 17 March 2005.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/18

Council noted that the Audit Committee recommended to Council that it adopt the 2004 Financial Statements, subject to final clearance by the agents of the Auditor-General – RSM Bird Cameron Partners.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/19

Council noted the consolidated report on the legal compliance process for the December quarter 2004.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/20

Council noted that the Resources and Finance Committee recommended to Council that it adopt the 2004 Consolidated Financial Statements, subject to completion of an acceptable audit by the Victorian Auditor-General and clearance by the Audit Committee.

(File RMO2002/01291)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/21

Council approved acceptance of 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 CL2/2005/22

Council approved the revised Capital Works Budget for 2005 within the context of the forecasts going through to 2009.

(File RMO1997/0611)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/23

Council, noting the endorsement of Resources and Finance Committee:

1. noted progress on the proposed mixed use residential development; and

2. approved that the MSA Pty Ltd Board enter into a development agreement that includes land sale, at least 150 student beds and student accommodation management by the University.

(File RMOR2004/119)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/24

Council, noting the endorsement of Resources and Finance Committee approved:

1. the actions outlined in the paper (Appendix E) in order to finalise 2003 amenities fees allocations at the Caulfield campus and 2003 and 2004 allocations at the Clayton campus;

2. the final allocations for 2003 be made to the Caulfield and Clayton campuses in accordance with the table in Appendix A of Appendix E; and

3. the final allocations for 2004 be made to the Clayton campus in accordance with the table in Appendix B of Appendix E.

(File RMO2000/1252)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/25

Council noted the proceedings of meeting 1/2005 of Resources and Finance Committee held on 24 November 2004.

(File RMO2004/1407)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/26

Council received and noted the report of the Board of Monash Commercial Pty Ltd of meetings held on 5 December 2004 and 4 February 2005 respectively.

(File RMOR2001/112)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/27

Council received and noted the report of meeting 1/2005 of the Academic Board held on Wednesday, 23 February 2005.

(File RMO2004/0809)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/28

Council approved the proposal of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to establish the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases.

(File RMO2005/0176)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/29

Council noted the proceedings of the Academic Board meeting held on 23 February 2005.

(File RMO2004/0809)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/30

Council received and noted the report of the Honorary Degrees Committee Meeting 2/2004 held on Friday, 10 December 2004.

(File RMO1997/1110)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/31

Council noted the award of honorary degrees made by the Committee as presented orally by the Chancellor, Mr Jeremy Ellis as follows:

• Dr Brenda Mary Niall AO

• Emeritus Professor Peter Le Poer Darvall

• Ms Beatrice Eileen Faust AO

• Emeritus Professor Peter James Fensham AM

• Mrs (Mary) Elizabeth Grant AM

• Mr James Fairweather Murray

• Emeritus Professor (Peter) Louis Waller AO

• The Honourable Michael Richard Lewis Wooldridge

(File RMOR2003/085)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/32

Council received and noted the report of the Gippsland Advisory Council meeting 7/2004 held on 30 November 2004.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/33

Council noted the proceedings of the Gippsland Advisory Council meeting held on 30 November 2004.

(File RMO1997/0888)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/34

Council noted that the following had accepted the indicated offers of appointment and wished to record their thanks to Council:

• Professor Tyrone Pretorius – Pro Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Monash South Africa.

• Professor Robert Bartnik – Chair of Pure Mathematics, Faculty of Science.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/35

Council noted that the following had accepted the indicated offers of appointment approved by the Vice-Chancellor and President:

• Associate Professor Val Clulow – Professor and Head, School of Business and Economics, Monash Gippsland.

• Mr Michael Dooley – Chair of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy.

• Dr Sarah Joseph – Professor of Human Rights, Faculty of Law.

• Professor Richard Krever – Professor of Taxation, Department of Business Law and Taxation, Faculty of Business and Economics.

• Associate Professor Catriona McLean – Professor of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Associate Professor Bernadette McSherry – Louis Waller Chair of Law, Faculty of Law.

• Associate Professor Mervyn Silvapulle – Chair of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Faculty of Business and Economics.

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/36

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

• Dr William Appelbe – honorary appointment as Professor, Faculty of Information Technology.

• Professor Agnes Bankier – honorary appointment as Professor, Department of Medicine, Southern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Professor Iain Clarke – Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Professor Michael Clyne – Emeritus Professor.

• Associate Professor Rod Devenish – Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Dr Robert Conyers – honorary appointment as Professor, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Professor Peter Disler – honorary appointment as Professor of Medicine, School of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Associate Professor Chris Goddard – Professor, School of Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Dr Paul Myles – honorary appointment as Professor, Department of Surgery, Central and Eastern Clinical School, and Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Professor Kim Ng – Emeritus Professor.

• Professor Graham Oppy – Professor, School of Philosophy and Bioethics, Faculty of Arts.

• Dr Karlheinz Peter – honorary appointment as Professor, Department of Medicine, Central and Eastern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Associate Professor Jennie Ponsford – Professor of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

• Professor Merle Ricklefs – honorary appointment as Professor, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics and School of Historical Studies, Faculty of Arts.

• Professor Graeme Smith – Emeritus Professor.

• Professor Tom Triggs – Emeritus Professor.

• Professor Marelyn Wintour-Coghlan – honorary appointment as Professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

(File Personnel)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/37

Council approved an offer of appointment as Dean, Faculty of Education, for the period commencing on 1 January 2006 and expiring on 31 December 2010, be made to Professor Susan G. Willis.

(File RMO1998/3120)

RESOLUTION CL2/2005/38

Council approved an offer of appointment as Dean, Faculty of Science, for the period commencing on 1 January 2006 and expiring on 31 December 2008, be made to Professor Robert K. Norris.

(File RMO1999/0564)

The next meeting of Council is scheduled to be held at 5.00 pm on Monday, 2 May 2005 at the Clayton Campus.