Academic Board Meeting 1-2009 Report to Council

Under Statute 2.2, Academic Board is responsible to Council for, inter alia, the supervision and direction of the academic affairs of the university, including the maintenance of high standards in teaching and research.

1.    Receipt of Report

Recommendation

That Council receive and note the Report of Meeting 1 of 2009 of the Academic Board held on Wednesday 25 February 2009.

A.     ITEMS FOR DECISION BY COUNCIL

2.    Proposed Affiliation with The Cancer Council Victoria (Attachment 1)

Pursuant to Statute 10.1 – Affiliation, the Affiliation Committee (a standing committee of the Academic Board) meets to consider all applications for affiliation, the continuation of any affiliation, all matters related to affiliation, and to make recommendations on affiliation matters to Academic Board and Council.

Academic Board considered the Report from the Affiliation Committee Meeting 1/2009, including the recommendation for endorsement of the proposed affiliation agreement between Monash University and The Cancer Council Victoria and endorsed the proposed affiliation agreement for transmission to Council.

Recommendation

That Council approve the affiliation agreement between Monash University and The Cancer Council Victoria.

B     ITEMS FOR INFORMATION OF COUNCIL

Professor Godfrey acknowledged the traditional custodians of the Australian, South African and Malaysian lands on which the 2009 meetings of Academic Board occur. Acknowledging that this was the first gathering of a large group of the Monash University community since the enormity of the February Victorian bushfires had become known, Professor Godfrey moved a Motion of Condolence to those affected by the bushfires. The motion was seconded by the Vice-Chancellor: http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/execserv/academic-board/motion-of-condolence-victorian-bushfires.pdf

3.    President’s Report

Professor Godfrey addressed Academic Board on a range of issues, including:

• The outcomes of Council’s December meeting, in particular, the revised Masters by Coursework Qualifications Categories, the legislation affecting staff of offshore campuses, and Council’s approval of the changes to the Board’s composition.
• Planning for the transition to the new membership model, including the development of communications strategies to faculties and members.
• The themes considered at the recent Senior Management Summit.
• The successful member induction session held on 24 February.

Reminding members that in 2008 she had spoken of her vision for the Board to be proactive and take a leadership role in directing and supervising the academic affairs of the University, Professor Godfrey outlined the Board’s priorities for 2009, which included:

• Progression of the academic themes and review of the University’s KPIs, discussed at the Senior Management Summit and by Council.
• The implications for Monash of significant sectoral reviews, in particular the Bradley & Cutler Reviews.  Development and implementation of the Centres & Institutes Policy.  The use of information technology in assessment.
• Affiliations.
• Completing the review of the Board’s committee structure.

4.    Direction of Academic Affairs

4.1   Faculty Presentation – Arts

Professor Pauline Nestor, Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Arts presented to Academic Board on the Faculty’s strategies to enhance cross-faculty collaboration and Linkage success, which included identification of sources of potential untapped income, development of a Linkage Incubation Scheme, and implementation of a systematic approach to expanding cross-faculty collaboration.

4.2   Environmental Scan

Academic Board received and noted an environmental scanning report which provided an overview of internal and external developments that may affect Monash University’s operations over the next half decade. The Board noted that there was a range of significant issues likely to impact the sector, including the global economic crisis, increased competition, the influence of rankings, potential instability in South Africa, budgets and environmental sustainability.

The Board recommended that future scans include dashboard indicator signals to highlight areas of particular concern/significance.

5.    Supervision of Academic Affairs

5.1   The use of information technology in assessment

Responding to a Question on Notice member request that Academic Board investigate controlling the use of devices such as non-programmable calculators in examinations, and concerns that there was a mixed approach to this issue across institutions and across faculties within Monash University, Academic Board directed the Assessment Working Party, chaired by Associate Professor Cristina Varsavsky, to consider development of a university-wide policy on the use of information technology in assessment and provide a preliminary report back to the Board.

In so doing, the Board noted that:

• The Faculty of Business and Economics had a policy on the use of information technology in assessment, which was robust and capable of invigilation under examination conditions. A similar approach has been adopted within the Faculty of Science.
• It was necessary to consider changing teaching and assessment practices to acknowledge technological advances.
• It was necessary to have regard to the University’s Graduate Attributes when developing assessment policies.

5.2   Academic Program Development and Review – IITB-Monash Joint PhD

Academic Board considered the IITB-Monash Joint PhD draft program guidelines previously endorsed by the Research Graduate School Committee Meeting 10/2008.

During discussion of the draft Guidelines, members noted that:

• the program guidelines had been developed in accordance with existing Monash University policy regarding such matters as assessment of language proficiency (in particular, an acceptable IELTS score of not less than 6.5).
• utilising mechanisms other than IELTS may provide more accurate assessments of language proficiency.
• the appropriateness of applying IITB fees depended upon the specific attributes of the program.
• the specification of particular requirements relating to duration of candidature had been considered in drafting the draft program guidelines.

Academic Board approved the IITB-Monash Joint PhD draft program guidelines subject to clarification of the extent of their application across disciplines.

Academic Board directed the Research Graduate School Committee to undertake a review of the English language requirements for admission to candidature for Higher Degrees by Research.

6.    Policy Development and Review

6.1   Academic Promotions

Noting the importance to Monash University of a robust promotions process, the improving gender balance of successful candidates and greater number of successful internal candidates, Academic Board considered the changes proposed to the Academic Promotions Procedures.

Academic Board approved:

• Reducing the minimum combined total of weightings allocated to research and education from 60% to 50% for candidates applying for promotion to level C, D and E, on the basis that a minimum of 20% weighting for research or education (not both) could be acceptable;
• Where candidates applied for promotion to Level D, that the relevant head of academic unit should nominate two (independent) assessors, with the candidate nominating two referees, of national standing.
• Existing ‘supporting evidence tables’ would be reviewed by the Human Resources Division in conjunction with the Offices of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) [DVC(R)], the Deans and relevant Pro Vice-Chancellors.
• Alteration of the minimum weightings for candidates applying to reader to 70% research, 20% education and 10% service, to ensure consistency with the new minimum standards for promotion to Associate Professor; and
• The format and content of the 2009 academic promotions procedures and forms.

Academic Board noted:

• Key dates for the 2009 Academic Promotion Round
• Additional activities that the Human Resources Division would undertake to improve the promotions outcomes for off-shore campuses in 2009.

C     OTHER ITEMS

7.    Formal Business

7.1   Academic Board received and noted the Report of the Vice-Chancellor.

7.2   Academic Board received and noted the report of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education).

7.3   Academic Board received and noted the report of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International).

8.    Supervision of Academic Affairs

8.1   Monash Support Experience Questionnaire 2008 (MSEQ08)

Academic Board received and noted the summary of the MSEQ08.

9.    Governance

9.1   Academic Board approved the nomination of Professor Jennifer Rolland, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences to fill a casual professorial vacancy to 30/06/2010.

9.2   Academic Board approved the request for special leave from Associate Professor P Andrews, Faculty of Science, for Meetings 1-3/2009.

9.3   Academic Board ratified the appointment of Professor John Sheridan as Chair, General Library Committee.

9.4   Reports from Standing Committees

Academic Board received and noted the reports of:

• Affiliation Committee Meeting 1/2009.
• General Library Committee Meeting 4/2008.
• Education Committee Meeting 7/2008.
• Research Graduate School Committee Meetings 10 & 11/2008.
• Monash University Research Committee Meeting 8/2008.

9.5   Reports from Faculty Boards

Academic Board received and noted the reports of the following Faculty Board meetings:

• Faculty of Information Technology Meeting 4/2008.
• Faculty of Science Meetings 4, 5 & 6/2008.
• Faculty of Engineering Meeting 5/2008.
• Faculty of Law Meeting 3/2008.
• Faculty of Business and Economics Meeting 6/2008.