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Faculty
funding is high on the agenda for the new dean of Education, Professor Sue Willis,
who commenced at Monash on 25 May.
Previously dean of the School of Education at Murdoch University, Professor Willis is no stranger to leading staff in a faculty coming to grips with the implications of reduced government funding.
"Education faculties contribute to the general good of the community and often service groups that are publicly funded," she said.
"It is a real challenge for staff in Education to maintain that vision of what education is about, while grappling with the notion that doing public good is not necessarily going to be funded by the public purse.
"I'm a strong believer in the capacity of people to come up with solutions. When staff understand the problems and get involved, creative ideas emerge."
Tackling similar issues at Murdoch, Professor Willis was director of the Centre for Curriculum and Professional Development, which focused on improving the capacity of staff to form teams to tender for, or apply for, research and development grants.
As a collaborative effort of Murdoch's School of Education, the centre earned $1.8m in its first two-and-a-half years.
Professor Willis was also instrumental in setting up the Australian Institute of Education as a joint venture with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Western Australia to provide an enhanced suite of offerings to students and to form a critical mass of staff in areas of research specialisation.
Her own research and professional activities span three areas - mathematics curriculum; gender, social justice and education; and professional judgement and accountability.
Keenly interested in global education, Professor Willis believes that an international curriculum works best when it enables students to access the wider world while maintaining their home culture.
"International curriculum is not culture-specific, but a richer blend of the local with the global," she said.
"Education faculty staff have many skills in this area. We need to develop international curricula by learning from each other, and by sharing that knowledge right across the university."
New pro vice-chancellor for Gippsland
Professor Mackenzie, who is currently pro vice-chancellor Academic Affairs at the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, will take up the position in late August. Canadian by birth and Australian by adoption, Professor Mackenzie has experienced higher education on three continents. His initial arts degree at the University of British Columbia was followed by a masters degree at Simon Fraser University. Moving to the UK in 1969, he completed a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, before taking up an appointment at the University of Tasmania in 1973. Over the next 18 years, Professor Mackenzie lectured in a number of areas of psychology, becoming deputy head and then head of department in 1986. He has an extensive research record and has been the recipient of numerous research grants and scholarships. Professor Mackenzie was appointed dean of Arts at the University of Tasmania in 1988 and executive dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1991, before joining the University of Western Sydney in 1995. In his current position as pro vice-chancellor Academic Affairs, Professor Mackenzie has made major contributions to academic planning and quality assurance, and has undertaken a reorganisation and simplification of the university's academic structure. He has developed innovative agreements with universities and colleges in the US, China, Singapore and Vietnam, covering student and staff exchanges, advanced articulation, offshore program delivery and research cooperation. Speaking about the move to Monash, Professor Mackenzie said he takes particular pride and interest in working at regional campuses and universities to raise the profile and stimulate academic development and research. "It's a credit to my predecessors at Gippsland that the campus is now poised to take huge strides forward," he said. "It has extremely enthusiastic and committed staff and exceptional buildings and infrastructure. Monash Gippsland has the greatest potential of any regional campus. There's not only a very important job to be done there, but it's very 'doable'." Announcing the appointment, vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson said Professor Mackenzie had an outstanding track record of achievement in key areas relevant to the further development of Monash Gippsland. "The recommendations of the Gippsland Campus Working Party last year laid the groundwork for an exciting future for the campus," he said. "Professor Mackenzie is just the right person to lead that work forward. We are delighted he has agreed to join Monash University." |
Academic staff involved in course development need to consider the GST implications of all Australian-based undergraduate, postgraduate and short course teaching activities according to the Financial Services GST project team.
The university has been advised that GST-free courses include award (undergraduate degree) courses, masters and doctoral degrees, as well as are single subjects of award courses if they include an assessment component. If the single subject does not include assessment, then the course is GST-liable.
The Australian Taxation Office has also determined that CAE courses and trade and professional courses which gain admittance to a professional body eg College of Surgeons and Institute of Chartered Accountants, are GST-free. All other short courses, hobby courses, staff development courses and seminars are GST-liable.
Course materials eg course notes, safety glasses, stethoscopes etc. may also be subject to the GST, and faculties are currently working with the university's GST consultant, Mr Steve Allan of Moore Stephens HF, to determine the GST status of existing course materials.
Detailed information to assist staff about teaching and the GST is available at www.monash.edu.au/finserv/Taxation/GST/faculty_issues.html
Student fees payment goes hi-techFrom the second semester this year, students will be able to pay tuition and amenities fees on a credit card account via the internet or by using an interactive voice recognition telephone system. Monash and the Westpac Banking Corporation developed the initiatives, which are based on the bank's NetDirect and PhoneDirect services. Both systems use the latest Westpac security technology, which verifies the student ID number and credit card number before the transaction can proceed. According to Monash's Financial Systems manager Ms Heather Bradbury, payment of fees by credit card is becoming popular. She said students could already use their credit cards to pay in person, by BPAY electronic banking service, by email or over the telephone, but the new services have the advantage of issuing a receipt on the spot. "Although the new payment services are available to all students, they are particularly aimed at international and distance education students who can access the payment web page or use PhoneDirect at any time, day or night," Ms Bradbury said. The university's fees advice form has been redesigned to include full details on how to use the services. The new forms will be mailed to students in time for the second semester.
Westpac senior managers Mr John Habgood and Ms Peta O'Brien demonstrate some of the features of NetDirect to Ms Heather Bradbury (seated). |
Vacation
care programA holiday program will once again be available in the forthcoming school holidays at Monash's Clayton campus.
The program, which will run from 26 June to 7 July, is available for children aged five to12 years.
Activities will include roller-blading, cooking, Olympic Games, art and craft, pottery, science and much more.
The cost is $25 per day, which reduces for parents who qualify for childcare assistance. Enrolments can be either full time or for single days.
To enrol, contact the Family Advisory Services at University Community Services on extn 53156.
WIF workshopsWeb and Internet Facilities is hosting weekly workshops on web and internet-related issues of interest to the Monash community. Workshop video-conference locationsLecture theatre S12, Clayton; Room A1.11, administration building, Caulfield; Room 2W262, main building, Gippsland; Room A1.10, administration building, Peninsula. Dates
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Vice-chancellor's awardsNominations are open for the 2000 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Distinguished Teaching, Excellence in Team-Based Educational Development, and Postgraduate Supervision. There are three awards for distinguished teaching, one for educational development, and one for postgraduate supervision. Each teaching and supervision award consists of $5000, a medallion and a permanent citation in the University Calendar. The educational development award is for $10,000. For brochures and further information, contact Ms Lucy Wiasak at the Centre for Higher Education Development on extn 56817 or visit the CHED website at www.adm.monash.edu.au/ched |
Calling all managersIn late June and early July, the Staff Development Unit is offering a special management series designed to provide academic department heads and unit managers with updated information, advice and support in the areas of people and resource and change management. Staff new to management positions at the university will find the programs particularly useful. The programs also give managers the opportunity to meet and confer over current issues of interest and concern, as well as to discuss common work challenges. Full details are at www.monash.edu.au/personnel/ sdu/management |
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Monash's
Gippsland campus will move forward under the leadership of Professor Brian
Mackenzie, who has just been appointed as pro vice-chancellor.
