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New deputy vice-chancellor and vice-president (Resources) Ms Alison Crook AO commenced at Monash on 16 February with a firm commitment to ensuring excellence in services and facilities to support the university's academic activities.
Initially attracted to Monash by the strength and coherence of the vision expressed in Leading the Way 2020, Ms Crook said that to achieve that vision and to be known for conducting innovative teaching and research of international quality and relevance, the university must attract and retain the highest quality staff and provide the highest quality facilities and services.
"In turn, this depends on having adequate resources which are effectively deployed," she said.
"The resources flow from attracting students, from community and government support, from private sector involvement and from capitalising on our intellectual property.
"Completing the loop, all this is dependent on the quality of teaching and research, on the Monash 'brand' symbolising excellence. It's a 'virtuous circle', if you like, with every element interconnected. Damage to any one of the elements can cause a 'vicious circle'.
"To be competitive in the global education market, Monash is already working towards ensuring that all elements support and strengthen each other."
Ms Crook sees her role in this as delivering a real focus on excellence in services and facilities, assisting in generating adequate resources, and ensuring that the university's resources are most effectively deployed.
Bringing to Monash a wealth of experience in public administration and in international business, Ms Crook has an outstanding record of achievement throughout her career.
She has been named the Bulletin/Qantas Business Woman of the Year and Business Review Weekly/Alcatel Business Leader of the Year (Professions). Well known for her work in organisational change, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to Public Administration. She has also been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of South Australia and Macquarie University.
Now joining Monash from Serco Asia Pacific Pty Ltd, where she was executive director (Operations) and also managing director of Serco Transport Services, Ms Crook says she is enjoying getting to know all areas of her new portfolio, and coming to grips with the diversity of the university.
Professor John Anderson will play a key role in the development of Monash University South Africa as the university's new pro vice-chancellor.
Currently campus director of the Berwick and the Gippsland campuses, Professor Anderson will move gradually into the new position from March. Initially he will be based in Australia, before relocating to South Africa mid-year.
Announcing the appointment, vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson said that among Professor Anderson's many achievements as campus director, he has an excellent track record of establishing relationships with business and the community.
"We need to ensure that Monash University South Africa becomes an integral part of its surrounding community, as well as it being a base for activities throughout Southern Africa," he said.
As pro vice-chancellor, Professor Anderson will oversee all aspects of the development of the new university and report to the Vice-Chancellor's Group.
On academic matters, a Southern Africa Strategy Group, chaired by deputy vice-chancellor Professor Alan Lindsay, will link into the Committee of Deans and the Academic Board.
With just one year to the opening of Monash University South Africa, building is about to begin on the 100 hectare site at Roodepoort, which is 20 km north-west of central Johannesburg.
The first students will enjoy high-quality facilities, including a 250-seat lecture theatre, tutorial and computer rooms, a library, student services, some retail outlets and student recreation areas.
In the first year of operation, the university has been accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority to offer undergraduate programs in arts, business and commerce, business systems, computing and information technology.
Detailed course planning will be coordinated by an Academic Programs and Support sub-committee, with academic staffing requirements finalised by May.
Other project teams at Monash are involved in the development of facilities; marketing, communications and recruitment; administrative support services; technical support services; and financial and legal matters.
A special website on Monash University South Africa is being developed to keep staff informed of progress throughout the year. Further details will be available shortly.
Polish studies supportedPolish Studies will continue to be taught at Monash through the Slavic department in the Faculty of Arts, thanks to a generous donation from the Stanislaw Blum Foundation. At a presentation ceremony held last week at the Clayton campus, the president of the Federal Council of Polish Associations in Victoria, Mr Ch. Lancucki, said the Polish community was very proud to support the continued teaching of the Polish language and cultural studies at Monash. "It is very important that our young people maintain their cultural and linguistic traditions, and by working with Monash to support the teaching of Polish studies we are also supporting our community," Mr Ch. Lancucki said. Arts faculty dean Professor Homer Le Grand, in thanking the Polish community for its support, said Polish studies could only survive at Monash with outside support. "Today's ceremony is important, not only to acknowledge the support being provided and to celebrate the continuation of Polish studies at Monash, but also as a vehicle for the academic and Polish communities to meet and exchange views," he said. |
While many hundreds of new students across Monash's Victorian campuses were enjoying a range of orientation activities last week, their parents and in some cases their partners were attending an orientation program specifically designed for them.
The Parent Orientation Program was held for the second time this year at both the Clayton and Peninsula campuses, while the Caulfield campus Orientation Committee invited partners to their function for part-time and distance education students.
According to Orientation Program director Dr Mark Peel, the response to the program this year has been very positive, with a significant increase in the number of parents attending.
"Some parents who attended the program expressed concerns about their sons and daughters entering an adult learning environment and wondered what level of support they should provide," he said.
"Parents attending the session were clearly reassured as they listened to current students explaining what life at university is like and heard about the support structures the university has in place for students."
At the orientation opening ceremony on Clayton campus, Monash Student Association president Will Fowles told students that university life was not only about study, but also about meeting new people, challenging ideas and discovering themselves.
He went on to urge students to get involved in the wealth of student activities available to them.
Judging by the numbers of new students on Monash campuses last week, the indications are that they are heeding his advice.
Dressed up and ready to welcome new students to the Berwick campus were second-year Communications and Marketing students Lauren Stone (left) and Kate Hennig.
With world attention focused on the environmental problems associated with the use of cyanide for gold extraction, the announcement by a team of Monash academics of their research in the area has been timely.
Department of Physics head Associate Professor Cashion has been working on the development of alternative absorbents, which would work with chloride extraction instead of cyanide. In collaboration with Chemical Engineering department senior research fellow Dr Bill Jay, studies have been carried out that have opened up the possibility of a chloride-based extraction process.
According to Associate Professor Cashion, most of the work to date has been done as honours projects, but he is hoping the current problem may create interest in funding further development of the systems.
In the past year, the team, which included honours student Tamar Greaves, has also developed a prototype iron-loaded activated carbon which may significantly reduce loss of gold due to abrading of the carbon pellets. They hope they will be in a position to apply for a provisional patent for this work in the near future.
The university's Staff Development Unit is this week mailing out to individual staff members their Staff Development 2000 booklet.
The booklet provides information on the core development and training programs the unit offers free of charge to Monash staff, as well as information on how to access support, advice and training provided by a range of other areas across the university.
Additional copies of the booklet are available by contacting information officer Ms Vicki Mihalakopoulos on extn 568000 or email Vicki.Mihalakopoulos@adm.monash.edu.au
Further information can be found at www.monash.edu.au/personnel/sdu/index2.htm
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