Appointment procedure - Dean

• Legislation
• Role and responsibilities of a dean
• Procedure when appointing or re-appointing a dean
• Selection committee
• Conditions of appointment
• Acting dean - appointments

Legislation

• Statute 3.3 - Deans

Role and responsibilities of a dean

The administrative and academic head of each faculty at Monash University shall be a full-time dean, appointed at Professorial level.

A dean is the academic leader and administrative head of a faculty charged with furthering the mission and objectives of the university. In this capacity the dean:

• coordinates the academic activities of the faculty and is responsible for the allocation of resources necessary for the achievement of the academic objectives of the faculty;
• presides over the general management of the faculty and oversees the operation of its affairs;
• acts as spokesperson for the faculty within the university and in the community; and
• participates in the overall management of the university as a member of the Committee of Deans and as a person consulted by the vice-chancellor in areas of particular expertise.

In addition to the purely administrative duties of the office, a dean exercises leadership by virtue of scholarship and/or eminence in the profession or academic discipline.

Procedure when appointing or re-appointing a dean

Period of time in which review takes places

At least six months before the expiry of the initial period of appointment and of each successive period of reappointment, if any, the vice-chancellor shall review the appointment and shall decide whether to recommend to Council that the dean be reappointed to that office for a further period not exceeding five years.

The vice-chancellor should consult with the Professors of the faculty concerned and may invite comments from the non-Professorial staff of the faculty as to whether the dean should be re-appointed to that office for a further period.

Selection committee

The selection committee shall comprise:

• the vice-chancellor who shall be chair;
• one deputy vice-chancellor;
• the Divisional Director, Human Resources Division;
• two members elected from among their number by the Professors of the faculty;
• one member elected from among his/her number by the non-Professorial members of the teaching staff of the faculty holding full-time or fractional-time appointments;
• one Professor nominated by the Academic Board, from another faculty;
• one Council nominee;
• a representative of an outside professional body to be nominated by the vice-chancellor; and
• representatives of both sexes.

A dean relinquishing office may be consulted but shall not be a member of the committee appointed for selecting successor.

Whilst precise numbers are not stipulated above, there should be a maximum of fifteen members.

The vice-chancellor has the power to co-opt to decanal selection committees.

Strict confidentiality must be observed throughout the entire selection process.

A 70% attendance of members shall represent a quorum for all selection committees.

Members of a selection committee, while nominated by specific bodies, are not regarded as representatives of the body nominating them. Each committee member is an individual serving the committee and is in no way answerable or responsible to another group.

Conditions of appointment

A dean shall hold office subject to the act, statutes and regulations of the university and the terms and conditions set out in the letter of offer and conditions of appointment.

The dean shall be given by the university written advice of:

• the date on which the employment is to commence;
• the salary rate of the dean;
• a statement of the required duties and responsibilities; and
• the terms and conditions of employment applicable to the dean.

If at any stage of the recruitment or selection process, the appointee has concerns about whether he/she is medically capable of performing the essential requirements of the position, the appointee should seek the advice of his/her private medical practitioner prior to accepting appointment. As well, the university's Occupational Health and Safety Branch (OHS) may be able to assist in resolving the appointees concerns and may be contacted at ohsehelp@adm.monash.edu.au; or ext: 9905 4019.

The university reserves the right to require prospective applicants or new appointees to undertake a medical examination and produce evidence of a satisfactory state of health prior to commencement. The appointment of applicants from overseas is subject to a pre-employment medical examination. The medical examination will be at the appointee's expense except where arranged with the university Health Service, Clayton Campus.

A dean normally shall be appointed to that office for an initial period of five years.
At least six months before the expiry of the initial period of appointment and of each successive period of reappointment, if any, the vice-chancellor shall review the appointment and shall decide whether or not to recommend to the Council that the dean be reappointed to that office for a further period not exceeding five years (refer to Role and responsibilities of a dean).

An appointee is required to join Unisuper. Details in Superannuation.

Staff taking up an initial appointment as a dean who are required to relocate will, subject to all documentary evidence reasonable required by the University and in accordance with the relevant rules and policies in place at the time, the University will meet the costs of relocation as follows:

• the travel expenses of relocating the staff member and dependants (if they relocate within one year preceding or following the staff members' relocation) to Melbourne on the basis of economy class air or first class rail travel or if travel is by private car, on the basis of reasonable travel expenses incurred.
• temporary accommodation for a period not exceeding three months; and
• reasonable removal costs and furniture storage;

incurred for a period of up to 12 months from the commencement date, but shall not include the costs of sale or purchase of housing.

If the staff member's employment with the University is terminated prior to two years from the commencement date of the employment, the staff member will be required to refund to the University, a pro rata amount of the relocation expenses (including accommodation, removal and storage expenses) paid, based on the period by which the employment falls short of two years.

The taking of outside studies leave shall be subject to the normal University outside studies program application procedures and the written approval of the vice-chancellor. Except with the express permission of the vice-chancellor, outside studies program leave will not normally be approved during the first five years of any appointment (or appointments) as a dean.

Refer to Leave.

Refer to Outside Studies Program (OSP)

A dean may resign office by giving to the university in writing, at least six months prior notice.

Where a dean either resigns or is not reappointed to or does not seek reappointment to that office, the dean shall be entitled to retain appointment as a Professor and the normal conditions of appointment for a Professor will apply.

Acting dean - appointments

• Statute 3.3 - Deans

Further to the legislation, in the absence of the dean, if both the Deputy Dean and Associate Dean are unable to act for the dean or it is proposed that someone other than the Deputy Dean or Associate Dean should be acting dean then a recommendation should be made by the dean to the vice-chancellor for appointment of an acting dean.