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World champions:
Kim Little (left) and |
In two world firsts, Monash students have won the World Debating Championship for the second time in a row, this time with the first winning female team, consisting of masters philosophy student Kim Little and arts/law student Cathy Rossouw.
Following on from the Monash success at the championships in the Philippines last year, Kim and Cathy were chosen to compete in the eight-day 20th World University Debating Championships in Sydney last month which involved 700 students from 106 universities in 26 countries.
In the final, they defeated all-male teams from La Verne University in the United States and University College Dublin, as well as a mixed team from Glasgow University, arguing against the premise that 'Karl Marx would have approved of the Internet'.
According to Kim, universities were reluctant in the past to send all-female teams to the championships as there was a perception that in the British parliamentary style of the competition, women could not match the aggressive interjection of the male debaters.
"In fact the organisers described Monash as courageous for choosing an all-female top team," she said.
Praising the Monash Association of Debaters for its strong support and training of keen debaters, Cathy said all members were encouraged to achieve their potential.
In winning the world title this year, Monash has become the first university ever to win back-to-back events.
Congratulating this year's champions, vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson said winning the event two years in a row was a great credit to Monash students.
"It's an amazing result by any standard. We're very proud of our Debaters Association and all the teams that represent Monash University both in Australia and internationally," he said.
As for the future, the debaters say there is already keen competition among Monash students to represent the university in Glasgow in 2001. Next year, they say, they will be going for a hat-trick.
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Selection's a breeze with a new scooter, as Professor Homer Le Grand found when he travelled between faculties up to eight times a day as dean of Arts and interim dean of Science. Photo by Greg Ford. |
Monash University has experienced strong demand from prospective students again this year, with first round selection scores for the Victorian campuses published on the web and in the press in mid-January.
In a year of few surprises, Education and Nursing continued their surge in popularity, with Education's Peninsula courses in particular showing increased interest by students. Nursing scores increased at both Peninsula and Gippsland, reflecting growing demand across the sector.
The new Formulation Science course offered by Monash's Victorian College of Pharmacy has started with an ENTER of 89.7. Also very popular in its first year is Engineering's new Aerospace degree with a score of 96.55.
The ENTER for the Bachelor of Science degree dropped around 10 points to 72.1, reflecting the 100 more offers made this year over last year's figure.
Across all campuses, degrees in Arts, Business and Economics, Engineering, Information Technology, Law and Medicine have maintained high levels of interest.
According to chair of the university's Admissions Committee Professor Merran Evans, demand for Monash courses across the board has generally been very pleasing.
"We anticipate that the university will have no difficulty meeting undergraduate load with highly achieving students again this year," she said.
With the faculties and Student Services now busy with enrolments, the university is finalising round one and preparing for round two, which will be published later this week.
"It's full on at this time of year, with selection staff working long hours to meet the tight deadlines," Professor Evans said.
"A lot of care is taken to ensure that all applicants are considered on their merits. That's one of the true strengths of our selection process."
It's Y2K and all is wellThorough preparation by staff paid off as Monash travelled smoothly into the year 2000, according to chair of the Y2K Assessment Team Mr Alan McMeekin. "Far from being the 'con' claimed by a number of people after the event, Monash discovered some time ago that key systems were not Y2K compliant. Unless we had invested heavily in their replacement, we would certainly have had major failures," he said. Emphasising the value of the Y2K-related work to the ongoing activities of Monash, Y2K Research Team leader Professor Colin Chapman said that as power failure was the main risk for Monash research, particular attention was paid to backing up research data and protecting frozen samples. "It may seem surprising that this was not happening routinely, but Y2K provided a timely deadline for raising these important tasks to the top of the priority list," he said. With Y2K being his major focus since 1997, Monash's Year 2000 Project coordinator Mr Max Robinson was one of a number of staff who celebrated new year with a soft drink, and joined other staff from ITS, Facilities and Services and the research team early on 1 January to begin a series of checks. They were more than satisfied with the results. "Y2K was a business issue, not just an IT issue, and the university's systems were brought up to modern requirements," Mr Robinson said. "We need to thank not only the people who were directly involved in the Year 2000 Project, but those who took on extra workload because of the diversion of staff focus." According to director of Audit and Risk Management Mr Greg Connell, Monash now has a better handle on its key business risks, and is better placed to respond to events affecting its key functions, systems and facilities. The Y2K Steering Committee, chaired by deputy vice-chancellor Professor Peter Darvall, will meet in February to ensure that the contingency plans already developed form part of an overall crisis management plan for the university. |
Monash is now offering students the option of paying their fees using the electronic banking facilities of BPAY.
To use BPAY, students must first contact their bank to set up the necessary identification and security codes. Students can then pay their fees by transferring funds from a savings, cheque or credit card account via telephone or the Internet.
The new service is part of the expanded payment options now available to students, which include payment either through a Bank of Melbourne branch; direct to the university by cheque or credit card, fax or email; or using BPAY.
Payment options are fully detailed on the reverse side of the Student Enrolment and Fees Advice Form, and further information is available from the Student Services Centre at Clayton campus.
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The vice-chancellor reminded members that at the first meeting of the year (15 February 1999) he had reported on a range of issues facing the university over the coming year. At this meeting, the vice-chancellor revisited those issues and provided an update.
The vice-chancellor commented that in the year ahead there would be further development of the university's Learning and Teaching Plan with the university pressing ahead with innovations in the electronic delivery of teaching. During 2000, the deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and Planning), Professor Alan Lindsay, would introduce strategic proposals for positioning the university in relation to new modes of teaching and learning.
Advancing and applying knowledge
The vice-chancellor briefed Council in relation to the university's research performance noting that 1999 had been a successful year in this regard. There had been a marked improvement in overall performance in relation to attracting support from granting bodies and the vice-chancellor noted the particular success of submissions for NHMRC funding.
Under this topic, the vice-chancellor also commented on the anticipated re-emergence of debates about Commonwealth funding models and their implications for student intake.
The vice-chancellor outlined progress with development of the Berwick campus toward it becoming a 'learning community'. The vice-chancellor also noted that while Y2K and the new SAP finance/HR system had initially presented formidable challenges earlier in the year, the current situation was very satisfactory with the university being in a position of high preparedness for Y2K and with SAP infrastructure increasingly settled.
The vice-chancellor provided Council with a briefing on continuing negotiations.
The vice-chancellor introduced the Global Development Framework noting that it was part of the second tier of university's planning and review framework underpinning Leading the Way: Monash 2020.
The framework was supported and approved by Council.
Council received the report of the Gippsland Campus Working Party.
Dr Geoffrey Knights, deputy chancellor and chair of the Gippsland Campus Working Party, was invited to speak to the report.
There was extensive discussion of the report and members commented on the options available for the Gippsland campus.
At the conclusion of discussion, the vice-chancellor thanked Dr Knights on behalf of Council and the university. The vice-chancellor anticipated that an implementation working party would be set up to work during 2000 with a view to implementation being introduced in 2001.
Council endorsed the recommendations of the report and requested that Dr Knights as chair of the Gippsland Campus Working Party refer the question of student exchange between the Gippsland campus and metropolitan Monash campuses to the working party.
Agendas and minutes for meeting of Council can be accessed at http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/unisec/cnt/cntind.htm
Queries should be directed Mr Phillip Siggins on extn 52010 or email Phillip.Siggins@adm.monash.edu.au
Monash University's new external website at www.monash.edu.au has been received positively by the university community, according to marketing manager Ms Cathy Kirkham.
Developed by the University Marketing Office in Public Affairs, the website was activated by Information Technology Services (ITS) in mid-January. It is the result of extensive consultation, with input from more than 100 members of the Monash community.
"The development incorporates a new design and structure for the first three levels, with changes based on a thorough analysis of users' needs," Ms Kirkham said.
"The site has been designed to ensure easy navigation and use, strong Monash branding and a consistent look and feel throughout."
The site's internal staff section, Monash Staff Online, is intentionally not readily accessible by external users given the confidential nature of the information it contains.
To find this staff section from the home page, staff should click on the yellow triangle next to the word 'caution' at the bottom of the page.
Congratulating the many people involved in the project, vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson said the new website underlines Monash's commitment to become an institution without borders and a university of global interaction.
"Consistency is of key importance in establishing and reinforcing the Monash name around the world, and this should be reflected in our online presence as much as in our other communications," he said.
Web templates have been developed to ensure consistency of the new look for Monash online. All future Monash web pages should be designed using these templates, available from Ms Sue Steele at Web and Internet Facilities (ITS) at sue.steel@its.monash.edu.au All existing Monash web pages will eventually be adapted to comply with the new site design and structure.
Public Affairs will officially launch the site early this semester along with a Monash identity manual. The manual will provide guidelines on the use of the Monash logo and crest, and design and layout of web pages, publications, advertisements and stationery.
Comments on the new site can be emailed to webfeedback@adm.monash.edu.au
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