Council Meeting No 1/04

A special meeting of the Council was held in the Law Board Room, Woodward Conference Centre, Melbourne Law School, University Square on Friday 23 January, 2004 at 5.00 p.m., to consider a recommendation from the Vice-Chancellor Selection Committee and to consider matters related to the membership of Council..

Present

Members

The Chancellor, Ms F S Marles (in the Chair)
The Deputy Chancellor (Mr I A Renard)
The Acting Vice-Chancellor (Professor K C Lee Dow)
The President of the Academic Board (Professor F W Rickards)
Mr T L Anning, Mrs S M Crennan, Associate Professor M A Elgar, Hon Mr B Forwood,
Professor L Skene, Ms R Storelli, Mr L Williams and Hon Mr D R White.

Dr J A Hood participated in the discussions by teleconference

Others Attending

Ms M Doig, Dr B H Lochtenberg,
The Vice-Principal (Human Resources) (Ms E Bare)

Mr R Southey (Cordiner King)

The University Secretary (Mr L N Currie)

Business

1. Apologies (Item A.01)

The Chancellor welcomed Associate Professor Elgar to Council, and noted that this was also the first meeting that Professor Skene and Mr Williams were attending in the role of Council member.

Apologies were received from Justice Chernov, Dr Hood, Judge Lawson and Mr Osborn.

Council agreed to deal with matters related to the recommendation from the Vice-Chancellor Selection Committee as the first item of business.

2. Vice-Chancellor Selection Committee (Item A.5)

2.1 Council received the report of meeting 1/2004 held on 12 and 16 January 2004, and an attached biographical summary.

2.2 Council heard a report from the Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor and members of the Selection Committee, and was advised of comments made by referees.

2.3 Council adopted the recommendation that Professor Glyn Davis be offered appointment to the office of Vice-Chancellor for a term of five years from 1 January 2005, renewable subject to a satisfactory review of performance.

2.4 The Deputy Chancellor tabled a draft employment contract which had been approved by the Committee on Staff Salaries as a basis for negotiation with the appointee. Council endorsed the general terms of the contract including the proposed level of remuneration and authorized the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor to settle the final terms, including housing arrangements or assistance.

2.5 Council resolved to record its appreciation of the work of Cordiner King and Saxton Bampfylde Hever, and in particular its thanks to Mr Southey for his assistance with the selection process.

3. Chancellor's Matters (Item A.3[a])

3.1 Appointment of an Interim Vice-Chancellor (Item A3[a].1)

(Professor Lee Dow left the meeting for consideration of this item.)

Council received a document from the Chancellor, and noted that the Committee on Staff Salaries at its meeting earlier that day had supported the proposal it contained. Council resolved to appoint Professor Kwong Lee Dow Vice-Chancellor from 1 February 2004 to 31 December 2004, or until the new Vice-Chancellor takes up the appointment, whichever is the earlier, and authorized the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor to settle the terms of the employment contract. It was noted that it would be possible for Professor Lee Dow to continue for a period as Deputy Vice-Chancellor after the termination of the contract of appointment as Vice-Chancellor, if that were mutually agreed.

3.2 Appointment to a Vacancy on Council

The Chancellor advised Council of Dr Curry's appreciation of its support, and gave an account of the reasons which had led him to persist with his resignation. Council resolved to minute its deep appreciation of the remarkable contribution Dr Curry had made to Council and in the service of the University generally.

Noting that Council's Membership Committee had previously recommended that Dr Lochtenberg be re-appointed for a further term, Council resolved to appoint him to the vacancy which had arisen from Dr Curry's resignation.

3.3 Resignation of Mr Crawford

The Chancellor advised Council of the resignation of Mr Crawford with effect from 20 January 2004 and outlined the reasons he had given for that action. Council accepted the Chancellor's proposal that consideration of the issues raised by the resignation be delayed until its Planning Conference on February 20 and 21, by which time it was hoped that the Victorian Government would have finalized its appointments to positions which had fallen vacant at the end of 2003. Council noted that Mr Crawford had been a Governor-in-Council appointee, and that there was a need to identify an appropriate person to chair its Finance Committee and a need to persuade the Victorian Government to facilitate that appointment. It was agreed that a deputation should seek to see the Premier and any other appropriate members of the Victorian Government as soon as practicable.

3.4 Appointment of Members of Council to University Bodies

Council agreed that current members of Council who served on University bodies in 2003 should continue on them until appointments for 2004 were finalized.

4. Vice-Chancellor's Report (Item A.4)

The Acting Vice-Chancellor had no urgent matters to report.

There being no further business, the meeting closed.