A meeting of the Council was held in the Council Chamber,
University, on Monday 1 March, 1999 at 4.00 p.m. Present
The Chancellor, Sir Edward Woodward (in the Chair)
The Deputy Chancellor (Dr N G Curry)
The Deputy Chancellor (Mrs F S Marles)
The Vice-Chancellor (Professor A D Gilbert)
The President of Academic Board (Professor S A Walker)
Mr P Allen, Professor J A Angus, Mr T L Anning, Mr L J Carden, Ms A Chinn, Mr D A
Crawford, Mr J S Doyle, Hon B Forwood, Dr B H Lochtenberg, Ms E M Proust, Associate
Professor M R Theobald, and Ms C M Walter.
The President of Convocation (Dr T Latham)
The President of the Student Union (Ms E Blandthorn)
The President of University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association (Ms S Roberts)
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Professor C B Schedvin)
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Professor K C Lee Dow)
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (Professor F P Larkins)
The Registrar (Mr J B Potter)
The Academic Registrar (Mr I Marshman)
The Director, Student and Academic Services (Dr G Chandler)
The Director, Recruitment and Admissions (Dr I Irvine)
The Director of Human Resources (Ms E Baré)
The Director of Executive Services (Mr L N Currie)
The General Manager, Vice-Chancellor's Office (Ms M O'Keefe)
The Manager, Central Secretariat (Mr J A Goodwin)
Business
1. Observers
The Chancellor advised that the 1999 President of the Student Union, Ms Elizabeth
Blandthorn, and the 1999 President of the Postgraduate Association, Ms Sarah Roberts,
would be attending Council meetings observers during 1999, and welcomed them to the
meeting.
2. Leave of Absence (Item A.01)
An apology was received from Mr Justice Chernov.
Leave of absence for this meeting had been granted to Lord Dearing and Professor Lim
Pin.
Leave of absence for the following meeting, to be held on 29 March 1999, was granted to
Lord Dearing and Professor Lim Pin.
3. Minutes of Meeting 8/98 (Item A.1)
The minutes of meeting of Council 8/98, held on 7 December 1998, copies of which had
been distributed, were confirmed.
4. Starring of Additional Items (Item A.2[a])
Items B.2(7) and B.5(7) were starred for discussion.
5. Motion to Adopt or Receive "Unstarred Items of Business" (Item A.2[b])
In accordance with established procedure it was formally agreed that the items of
business that were not to be specifically discussed should be adopted where containing
recommendations or received where containing reports.
6.Chancellor's Matters (Item A.3)
6.1 Council received a paper from the Chancellor on Voting Procedure, and approved
the revocation of Standing Order of Council number 10, and the substitution of the
following:
"Voting
10. The voting procedure at Council meetings is as follows-
10.1 Subject to paragraph 10.2 below, voting must be by show of hands and the result
must be declared by the chairperson.
10.2 The Council may, with respect to any motion before it, resolve that voting is to
be by secret ballot.
10.3 A motion is carried if voted for by a majority of the members present or, if the
agreement of a specified number of members is required by statute, by the number of
members so prescribed."
6.2 Individual Performance Appraisal for Members
The Chancellor expanded briefly on a proposal that he had circulated separately to the
external members of Council for their comments.
7. Vice-Chancellor's Report (Item A.4)
7.1 Council received the Vice-Chancellor's Report, together with five tabled papers
- an amendment to Recommendation A.1, a Y2K Report, a supplementary paper on the 1999
student load, a letter dated 26 February from the Minister of Planning and Local
Government, and the draft-in-confidence of the Higher Education Legislation Amendment Bill
1999.
7.2 New Administrative Structure
Council adopted the recommendation that Mr Ian Marshman be appointed as Vice-Principal
(Administration), for an initial five-year period beginnning 1 March, 1999, and that until
such time as the re-structured position of Academic Registrar is filled, Mr Marshman also
continue to discharge the responsibilities of Academic Registrar.
Council approved the appointment of Mr David Percival as Vice-Principal (Corporate
Services), for an initial five-year period beginnning 1 March, 1999.
Council noted that the position of Academic Registrar and Vice-Principal had been
advertised, and that a member of Council would be invited to participate in the Selection
Committee for this position.
Council further noted that the Vice-Chancellor would provide Council with details of
the new position of University Secretary and the relevant legislation at the May meeting
of Council, and that a detailed implementation schedule for the new administrative
structure would be provided to the next meeting of Council.
7.3 Melbourne University Private - Remuneration of Directors
Council considered the question of remuneration for directors of University companies.
Dr Lochtenberg and Mr Crawford advised of a possible conflict of interest, and withdrew.
Council approved the principle that members of the Board of any University company
operating on a fully commercial basis should be eligible for remuneration at the
discretion of the Board, but that each case should receive separate endorsement by the
Council of the University of Melbourne. Ms Chinn requested that her dissent be recorded.
Council noted that all directors who are members of Council or officers of the
University, who have been appointed by the University to such Boards, are covered by the
University's Officers' and Directors' Indemnity Insurance, and that it is the
responsibility of the Board of each University subsidiary company to ensure that all
external directors are covered by Officers'and Directors' Insurance.
7.4 Voluntary Student Unionism
Council resolved to reiterate earlier resolutions of Council supporting AVCC policy on
membership of student associations, and to reject the proposed legislative amendments to
the Higher Education Funding Act 1988, which (if instituted) would gravely compromise the
capacity of the University of Melbourne to provide students with a world-class learning
environment and would jeopardise the international competitiveness of the University. (The
dissent of Hon B Forwood was noted.)
7.5 eMERGE CMC Ltd
Council noted that the Executive Committee, at its meeting on 21 December 1998, had
adopted the following recommendations concerning a restructuring proposal to change the
nature of the company from a company limited by guarantee to a company limited by shares -
- That the University require the constitution of the company to be amended so that clause
90.1 conforms to the requirements of the Melbourne University Act
- That a satisfactory change to the constitution be made to ensure that the members have
control over the entry of new members to the company and the sale of shares held by
members changing their holdings or exiting membership
- That Mr J B Potter become a member of the company, or an election of directors by the
members occur wherein he is a candidate along with any further candidates proposed by
other members
- That if these matters are settled to the satisfaction of the Vice-Chancellor the
necessary action to change the constitution be taken by the University
- That a report on progress be brought to the next meeting of the Executive Committee or
the Council, whichever meets first.
It was reported that since that time the constitution of the company had been amended
to conform with the requirements of the Melbourne University Act as requested, and that
the other concerns of the University, which gave rise to the above resolutions, had been
sufficiently addressed for the University to agree to the final arrangements proposed. The
University is a member of the restructured company and holds shares in it.
7.6 Artistic Director - Melbourne Theatre Company
Council noted that Mr Simon Phillips had been appointed the new Artistic Director and
Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Theatre Company, commencing June 1999.
8. Administrative Committee (Item A.5[a])
8.1 Council received the report of the Administrative Committee meetings 30/98 to
2/99 inclusive, together with the revised minutes and report of meeting 4/98 of the
Occupational Health and Safety Committee and a Progress Report on the Environmental
Management System Project.
8.2 1999 Schedule of Conferring Ceremonies
Council approved the re-scheduling of two international conferring ceremonies from
Thursday 16 December to Wednesday 15 December 1999 at 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.
9. Planning and Budget Committee (Item A.6)
Council received the report of meeting 1/99 of the Planning and Budget Committee, held
on 3 February 1999.
10. Committee of Convocation (Item A.7)
Council received the report of meeting 8/98 of the Committee of Convocation, held on 16
December 1998.
11. Academic Board (Items B.1[a] and B.1[b])
11.1 Council received the reports of meetings 9/98 and 1/99 of the Academic Board,
held on 17 December 1998 and 18 February 1999 respectively, together with the report
of meeting 4/98 of the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee, held on October 1998.
11.2 New English Study in the Victorian Certificate of Education
Council adopted the recommendation that students in the trial English Language Units 3
and 4 in the year 2000
- be able to count this study towards the aggregate for entrance to the University of
Melbourne in 2001 in place of the current compulsory component in English or English as a
Second Language;
- be able to satisfy any English prerequisite for entry to the University of Melbourne in
2001 using equivalent study scores in English Language Units 3 and 4 rather than English
or English as a Second Language.
11.3 University Notice to Schools of Changes to Prerequisites and Selection
Procedures
Council adopted the recommendation that, when the Board of Studies accredits new VCE
curricula or assessment, or re-accredits VCE curricula or assessment, the usual notice to
schools of two and a half years for prerequisites and changes to selection procedures of
VTAC may be shortened because of decisions of the Academic Board about the new or revised
VCE curricula or assessment.
11.4 Student Awards
Council approved the establishment of the following new student awards, as set out in
Appendix A to the report:
Deutsche Bank Prize for Advanced Financial Accounting
Deutsche Bank Prize for Numerical Techniques in Finance
Deutsche Bank Prize for Advanced Finance
11.5 Doctoral Citations for Conferring Ceremonies
Council agreed that an 80-word limit shall apply to higher doctorate citations other
than honorary degrees.
11.6 Oral Report by the President of the Academic Board
The President of the Academic Board, Professor Sally Walker, gave a brief oral report
to the Council.
12. Finance Committee (Item B.2)
12.1Council received the report of meeting 1/99 of the Finance Committee, held on
17 February, 1999
12.2 Property Acquisition - University Square Development
Council approved the allocation from the University's Reserve Funds for the acquisition
of properties, as set out in Attachment 1 to the report.
12.3 Oral Report by the Chair of the Finance Committee
The Chair of the Finance Committee, Mr John Carden, gave a brief oral report to the
Council.
13. Human Resources Committee
The Chair of the Human Resources Committee, Mrs Fay Marles, gave a brief oral
report to the Council.
14. Buildings and Estates Committee (Items B.4 and B.4[b])
14.1 Council received the reports of meetings 1/99 and 2/99 of the Buildings and
Estates Committee, held on 27 January 1999 and 15 February 1999 respectively.
14.2 Amendment to Master Plan
Council approved an amendment to the Master Plan to allow the Asia Centre building to
be sited within the three metre setback from Swanston Street stipulated in the 1991 Master
Plan.
14.3 Presentation by Architect
Mr Bob Nation, of Nation, Fender, Katsaladis Pty Ltd, gave a brief presentation on the
plans for the Asia Centre.
14.4 Oral Report by the Chair of the Buildings and Estates Committee
The Chair of the Buildings and Estates Committee, Dr Norman Curry, gave a
brief oral report to the Council.
15. Executive Committee (Item B.5)
Council received the report of meeting 1/98 of the Executive Committee, held on 21
December, 1998.
16. Legislation Committee (Item C)
16.1 Council received the report of meeting 1/99 of the Legislation Committee, held
on 22 February 1999.
16.2 Council made the following Regulations as detailed in the report:
Amendment of Regulation 7.1.R2 - To establish a new chair (1/99)
Amendment of Regulation 7.1.R2 - To establish a new chair (2/99)
Amendment of Regulation R7.75 - To regulate the use of the Kitson Clark Fund (3/99)
Council noted that the expression in inverted commas towards the close of the
explanatory note for amendment (3) should read "adornment", not "a
document".
17. Summary of Reports on Matters dealt with by the Vice-Chancellor Item D.2[a])
Council received the summary of reports on matters dealt with by the Vice- Chancellor,
as set out in Items D.2[a] and [b].
18. Melbourne Theatre Company Board of Management (Item D.5)
