A selection of Council’s decisions and discussions on
2 June 2008

The Faculty of Arts

The Council passed the following Resolution on the Faculty of Arts:

• Recognises the importance to the University and the wider community of a strong and vibrant Faculty of Arts;
• Acknowledges the concerns expressed about the financial situation the Faculty of Arts is currently facing;
• Notes that under past and current budget arrangements the Faculty receives full funding in respect of the programs it delivers and that, in addition, the Faculty will receive some $20 million in additional support over 2007-2010; and
• Requests the Vice-Chancellor to:

  Ensure that effective processes for communication with staff, students and their representatives are improved in subsequent implementation of the Arts Revival Plan; and

  Report to Council in July and October on further progress in implementing the Arts Revival plan, including matters raised in Council discussions at this meeting.

Appointment to Boards

Pro Vice-Chancellor (University Relations) Professor Warren Bebbington has been appointed as a director of the Board of the Ian Potter Museum of Art from 1 June 2008.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Rathjen has been appointed as director to the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Board.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Rathjen has been appointed as director to the Victorian Institute of Chemical Sciences Board.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Rathjen has been appointed as director to the Bio21 Cluster Board.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Rathjen has been appointed as member to the Uniwater Governing Committee.

Amendments to the Constitution of Melbourne University Student Union Limited

Council approved the proposed amendments to the constitution of Melbourne University Student Union Limited.

Amendments to the Constitution of Neurosciences Victoria Limited

Council approved the proposed amendments to the constitution of Neurosciences Victoria Limited, and agreed to the University’s continued membership of the company.

Amendments to Regulation 17.1R6

Council approved certain amendments to the University’s purchasing procedures and delegations in relation to financial matters.

Proposal for a New Organisational Committee Structure

Council approved the following organisational arrangements effective from 2 June 2008,

Disestablishment of Planning and Budget Committee;

Disestablishment of the Committee of Deans;

Establishment of a Senior Executive Committee; and

Senior Management meeting structure, Key Portfolio and Title Changes and associated processes for implementing new management structures and committee meeting arrangements.

Council was advised that, although Planning and Budget Committee had been disestablished, it was proposed to continue to hold the annual Planning and Budget Committee Conference in the middle of the year.

University Centres

Council approved the establishment of the following Centres:

• National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, noting the establishment date to coincide with the launch date 23 October 2007
• Asia-Pacific Centre for Leadership for Social Impact
• Centre for Ideas and Economy
• Asia Pacific Centre for Animal Health (retrospective recognition from 4 January 1999)

Council approved the Changes to following Centre Names

• Institute of Comparative and International Law to The Institute for International Law and the Humanities, noting that the change was effective from 1 July 2005.
• International Centre for Energy, Resources and Environmental Law to Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, noting that the change was effective from 1 January 2008.

Council endorsed the disestablishment of the following Centres:

Melbourne Business School

• Centre for Management of Information Technology
• Centre for Manufacturing Management
• Coles Myer Centre for Retailing and Marketing

Faculty of Science

• Centre for the Growth and End-use Quality of Cereals
• Research Centre for High Energy Physics (Noted at Council Meeting 3/08 - 12.5.08)

Faculty of Music

• Centre for Studies in Australian Music

Melbourne School of Engineering

• Centre for Advanced By-Wire Technologies (RABiT)
• Centre for Geographic Information System and Modelling (CGISM)
• Centre for Environmental Applied Hydrology (CEAH)
• International Technologies Centre (IDTC)

Name Changes

Council approved the following changes in the Faculty of Arts

• The School of Philosophy and the remaining disciplines in the former School of Social and Environmental Enquiry [Anthropology, Social Theory, Development Studies, Gender Studies and History of Philosophy of Science], amalgamate to form a new School of Philosophy, Anthropology and Social Inquiry effective from 1 July 2008.
• The name of the School of Political Science, Criminology and Sociology be changed to the School of Social and Political Sciences, effective 1 July 2008.

International Committee

Council approved new and renewed University and Faculty Level linkages with overseas institutions as follows:

Establishment of New University level linkages

• Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and Bristol University, UK, noting that the Faculties of Law and Veterinary Science will not be participating faculties, and University of Delhi – U21 following its accession to Universitas 21.

Establishment of New Faculty level linkages

• Faculty of Arts – University of Tokyo, College of Arts and Science, Japan; Faculty of Land and Food Resources – Kasetsart University, Thailand.

Renewal of Faculty level linkages

• Aalborg University , Denmark – Melbourne School of Engineering
• Carnegie Mellon University , USA – Melbourne School of Engineering - Faculty of Science , Faculty of Medicine , Dentistry & Health Sciences (MDHS).
• Cornell University, USA - Faculty of Architecture , Building and Planning; Faculty of Arts; Melbourne School of Engineering; Faculty of Land and Food Resources; and Faculty of Science.
• Heriot-Watt University , Scotland - Faculty of Economics and Commerce.
• Kasetsart University , Thailand - Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning. Formal linkage with Kasetsart requested by the Faculty of Land and Food Resources.
• Loughborough University , UK – Melbourne School of Engineering (Civil and Environmental).
• Slade School of Fine Art, UK - Faculty of the VCA.
• Korea National University of the Arts – Faculty of the VCA

Renewal of University Level Agreements

• Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
• Humboldt University , Berlin
• Peking University , China
• Technical University of Munich and University of Freiburg , Germany
• University of Oslo , Norway
• Shantou University , China (subject to funding from 2008)

Non Renewal of Agreements

• Veterinary University Hannover - Faculty of Veterinary Science
• Ecole d'Architecture Paris-Val de Seine - Faculty of Architecture , Building and Planning
• European Business School , Germany - Faculty of Economics and Commerce

Course Changes

The following courses are to be discontinued from 2008

Faculty of Arts

• Master of Arts (Geography)
• Master of Arts (Environmental Studies)

Faculty of Land and Food Resources

• Associate Degree in Forestry Management
• Associate Degree in Agriculture

Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs ( School of Enterprise)

• Professional Certificate in Local Government Enterprise
• Professional Certificate in Leadership and Management
• Professional Certificate in Commercialisation (Brisbane)
• Professional Certificate in Commercialisation (Sydney)

Melbourne Graduate School of Education

• Graduate Diploma in Education
• Bachelor of Teaching

The following new courses have been established:

Faculty of Arts

• Master of Arts – Spanish (Thesis Only)

Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs ( School of Enterprise)

• Postgraduate Certificate in Literacy Leadership and Specialist Certificate in Literacy Leadership

Melbourne Business School

• Professional Certificate in Management and Graduate Certificate in Management

Student Awards

The following prize was established:

• The Denise Spencer Prize ( Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences)