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The Monash Theatre Season at the Alexander Theatre, Clayton campus, will be discontinued at the end of this year, as part of a broader review of performing and visual arts at the university.
Under the review, the university is looking at ways to boost its role and profile in the performing and visual arts scene and plans to increasingly direct funding into projects with strong research or educational links.
The university's recent decision to withdraw funding from the Playbox Theatre and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) was also part of the wider review.
Performing and Visual Arts executive director Mr Stephen Dee said Monash was a strong supporter of the arts and was actively seeking new and exciting ventures, some of which will be announced over the coming months.
"Projects supported by Monash in future will be more closely tied to the university's wider roles of teaching, learning and research/experimentation," Mr Dee said.
The Monash Theatre Season has accounted for about a quarter of the bookings at the Alexander Theatre.
Mr Dee said the university had always understood that the season had a high financial risk and "for nine years Monash had been willing to underwrite that risk".
"Monash now has to operate within a reduced budget and this is affecting all areas of university activity. It no longer has the capacity to accommodate continued losses. This year, attendances at the season are running at 52 per cent of capacity, which translates into a loss of around $170,000 for the university.
"The activities of Monash's Performing Arts Precinct need to more closely reflect the university's key strengths as well as being innovative and engaging.
"While the season is of benefit to the local community, it clearly does not appeal to most Monash staff and students.
"It is with regret that I have had to make this decision, which will disappoint loyal subscribers to the season.
"But Monash is now in a better position to play a stronger and more targeted role in the Victorian arts scene."
From next year, the Alexander Theatre will continue to be available as a venue for hire by school and community theatre groups.
Objipoles
at PeninsulaMonash's Peninsula campus was last week transformed into a large outdoor gallery space when Faculty of Education students installed surrealist sculpture around the campus gardens.
The display of large and colourful totem-like objipoles - some standing 2.8 metres tall - was the culmination of 10 weeks of research, design and construction by first-year primary and early childhood education students.
Featured in the exhibition are striking and original works, including a giant toothbrush, decorated molars, butterflies, teddy bears and abstract designs. They have been mostly made from papier mache, but students also incorporated found objects such as egg shells, lollies and mirrors.
Education studio arts lecturer Ms Mary O'Sullivan coined the word 'objiboles' for the creations as a way of describing both the source of inspiration for the works and "the intimate relationships we all have with everyday objects".
As part of the project, students produced an education kit which included ways of inspiring children to work with and appreciate art in its various forms.
From this week, staff, students and visitors can view the objipoles in their new home inside the campus cafeteria.
The Women's Leadership & Advancement Scheme, a program designed to advance the position of women at Monash, has been launched.
The scheme replaces the university's former Senior Women's Advancement Scheme and Women in Leadership Program. It was recently jointly launched by Monash vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson, chair of the university's newly formed Taskforce for the Advancement of Women, and Professor Barbara Caine, head of Monash's History department and chair of the newly formed Women's Leadership & Advancement Scheme.
Under the program, new strategies will be developed to meet targets for advancing the position of women within the university, as identified in the university's institutional plan, the Monash Plan.
Two new strategies announced at the launch include:
* The Vice-Chancellor's Taskforce on the Advancement of Women, a working party set up to explore and recommend how Monash can better support the advancement of women.
* The Senior Women's Forum for women academic staff at levels D and E and women general staff at levels 10B and above.
The forum, which recently held its first meeting, was set up to provide for ongoing communication between Monash's senior management and senior women. Led by senior Monash academic Professor Caine, it provides an opportunity for women to have input into top-level decision-making through its most senior management tier, the Vice-Chancellor's Group. Currently, there are no women representatives on this group.
Coordinator
of the Women's Leadership & Advancement Scheme Ms Lisa Pawlicka said among
its key functions the forum would provide a focus for discussion and debate,
act as a network for senior women, undertake a policy-making role and provide
a reference group for the scheme.
The Vice-Chancellor's Taskforce will provide for the implementation and monitoring of options for the advancement of women, consult with key players on broad organisational and cultural change, and undertake a practical policy-making role.
Taskforce members, invited by Professor Robinson, include deputy vice-chancellor (Academic & Planning) Professor Alan Lindsay, Medicine dean Professor Nick Saunders, Ms Jenni Chandler, executive director, University Marketing & Development, consultant, in the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Development) Professor Max Brennan, head of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Professor Kerin O'Dea, Biological Sciences head Professor Margaret Clayton, Associate Professor Anne Stonehouse of the Education faculty, Peninsula, Dr Margaret James, manager, Equal Opportunity Unit, Ms Deborah Lampard, director of Quantative Planning Support, Budget and Statisical Services, Ms Sue Wales, acting assistant general manager, Personnel Services, Ms Katherine Lock, manager, Performance Development and Training, and Ms Pawlicka.
For further information, contact Ms Pawlicka on extn 56801 or email lisa.pawlicka@adm
Pictured above: Ms Lisa Pawlicka (left) with Ms Sue Wales
at the launch of the Women's Leadership & Advancement Scheme.
Staff
from Melbourne and Monash universities recently met at Monash's Performance
and Development Training Branch for the closing session of the 1998 management
training program, Learning About Managing.
The program has been this year's major joint Monash-Melbourne staff development initiative under the collaboration agreed to earlier this year by the councils of both institutions.
The management training program began with a combined residential program in April and included follow-up activities at both universities.
Due to the success of the collaborative effort, both institutions plan to make more staff development initiatives available next year.
At the recent closing session of the Learning About Managing program are (from left) Ms Sarah Elder, Ms Kristen Day and Ms Brooke Young, of the University of Melbourne, with Monash staff member Ms Michelle Riseley from the Faculty of Information Technology.
Monash Australian University Games team captains
Annette Collins and Scott Mitchell last week formally handed over
the championship trophy to Monash vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson
following Monash's recent victory at the Games.
Global
perspective Monash Abroad has been inundated with inquiries about its Monash Abroad program.
And interest has intensified as a result of the university's first-ever Study the World Fair, an initiative run by Monash International recently at the Clayton campus to raise awareness about the possibilities and advantages of international study for students.
Staff from the new Monash Abroad office as well as representatives from educational and travel organisations including STA, Australian Volunteers Abroad and Camp America were available to advise interested students and answer their questions at the fair.
Monash Abroad director Mr Karel Reus said the fair was believed to be the first of its kind in Australia and demonstrated the university's commitment to providing international opportunities for all Monash students.
"As part of the Monash plan, more than 750 students per year will study abroad for one or two semesters by the year 2002. The Monash Abroad program will play a key role in encouraging and supporting students interested in studying overseas for part of their Monash degrees," he said.
Monash Abroad recently opened attractive new offices in the Union building on Clayton campus.
Staff are available to give advice, and students can use the service's extensive library of course catalogues, handbooks and videos from overseas institutions to research overseas study destinations.
Florists and flowers from around the country were in full bloom at Monash's Peninsula campus last weekend for the 1998 Interflora National Floristry competition.
Two categories - Florist of the Year and Junior Florist of the Year - were judged at the George Jenkins Theatre.
Australia's top florists attended the two-day event to compete and create floral magic "beyond the realms of commercial floristry".
The florists had to create floral arrangements revolving around elements of the Gilbert and Sullivan production The Mikado.
The Mikado was performed by the Frankston Theatre Group on Sunday afternoon, incorporating many elements of the floral displays created over the weekend.
Applications are being sought from staff and postgraduates for senior resident accommodation at the Halls of Residence, Clayton campus. Accommodation consists of a room with ensuite facilities and telephone. An allowance for meals in the Halls of Residence dining rooms is also provided. For further information and application forms, contact the Halls Operations Office on extn 56200.
Applications are invited from staff and senior graduates for the positions of deputy college heads at Farrer Hall and Howitt Hall. The appointments are for up to three years from1 January 1999. Duties include assisting the college head in the day-to-day running of the hall, involvement in social and cultural activities and helping to maintain a congenial academic and social environment. For information about the benefits, position and selection criteria, contact Dr Aubrey Townsend, college head, Howitt Hall, on extn 56278 or 53207, or Ms Eileen Wilson, college head, Farrer Hall, on extn 56320 or 53310. Written applications should be sent to the respective college heads by no later than 13 November.
Graduates are invited to apply for part-time resident and non-resident tutorships at Mannix College, Clayton campus, in 1999. The college is seeking tutors from the Arts, Business & Economics, Information Technology, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Science faculties. Tutors are paid for up to three hours per week for tutorials and consultations for undergraduates. Resident tutors are expected to participate in college life and monitor the progress of a small number of first-year students. For further information and application forms, contact Mannix College dean Dr Christopher Dowd on extn 53581 or email dean.mannix@lexicon.net
One of Australia's leading surgeons and former chair of Monash's Department of Surgery, Sir Edward Hughes, died recently after a long illness.
Sir Edward, who joined the department at the Alfred Hospital in 1973, was highly respected in his role as professor and chair of Surgery. He was internationally regarded for teaching and leadership in health and medicine and is also recognised as the man who persuaded the Hamer Government to introduce compulsory seatbelt legislation.
Sir Edward, aged 79, died on 16 October at the Cabrini Hospital.
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