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Interim Board of Undergraduate Studies

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Introduction

The Board of Undergraduate Studies is the mechanism for ensuring faculties act in concert to oversee the whole new generation undergraduate curriculum, and that proposals relating to individual courses are properly coordinated with others in order to realise the University’s expectations for the Melbourne Model. 

This Board is a high level committee intended to oversee the new undergraduate curriculum in accordance with the core principles for the new generation degrees and relevant University policies including the pedagogy (incorporating the University’s e-learning principles), the majors, the breadth components and the pathways to careers, professional postgraduate education, and research higher degrees.

It is the entity which interacts with the Academic Board via the relevant Academic Board committees such as Undergraduate Programs Committee and Selection Procedures Committee.

An interim group has operated since September 2006 to consider proposals from the Standing Committees, and consider and provide advice on further implementation issues for the new generation degrees until the Board is formally established.

Terms of reference

The Board of Undergraduate Studies provides university-wide leadership for undergraduate education and coordinates the development, academic management, monitoring, resourcing and continuous improvement of the new generation undergraduate degrees. The Board is a means for faculties to act together at a high level and exercises on behalf of faculties the academic accountabilities to the Academic Board and its committees in relation to new generation courses. Leadership is provided by a nominee of the Vice-Chancellor who chairs the Board, and the Dean of each faculty (or their nominee). Membership also includes the Chairs of the new generation course Standing Committees.

The roles of the Board are:

Policy matters

    1. To oversee the design, development and delivery of the new generation undergraduate degrees and ensure consistency with University policy on the overall rigour, quality and coherence of the courses and identify new areas of policy development
    2. To make recommendations to the Academic Board, with advice from course Standing Committees, on matters affecting undergraduate study in the University including academic and administrative arrangements and strategic considerations
    3. To facilitate and monitor the application of the strategies of the University’s Learning and Teaching Management Plan across the new generation undergraduate degrees
    4. To consider and make recommendations to Academic Board, through the relevant Academic Board committee, on all matters affecting undergraduate admissions practices and policy
    5. To liaise with course Standing Committees to clarify and implement pathways into graduate programs and ensure that accreditation matters are identified and managed
    6. Advise Academic Board on policy matters which affect undergraduate programs outside the Melbourne Model
    7. To consider and report on any matter concerning undergraduate studies referred to it by Academic Board or the Vice-Chancellor

Courses

  1. Receive and consider recommendations on new generation undergraduate degrees from course Standing Committees, and make recommendations on course proposals to the Academic Board via its sub-committees
  2. Approve University-wide subjects which are not associated with particular faculties and are available to students enrolled in any new generation degree
  3. Work with course Standing Committees to ensure that the core principles of the Melbourne Model are incorporated into the new degrees
  4. Determine criteria, after consultation with course Standing Committees, for development of proposals for new courses, majors, streams and subjects within new undergraduate degrees, taking into account national and international best practice in order to ensure that academic programs are of the highest quality and standards
  5. Monitor compliance with the core principles of the Melbourne Model and where appropriate make recommendations to Academic Board via its sub-committees
  6. To develop and maintain processes and structures for inter-faculty teaching
  7. To consider and monitor all major course changes to the new generation undergraduate degrees and make recommendations to Academic Board, via Undergraduate Programs Committee and Selection Procedures Committee, on such proposals
  8. To consider reports from the course Standing Committees on periodic reviews of the new generation undergraduate degrees, including minor changes to courses made under delegated authority
  9. To address and resolve academic, resource or marketing issues that may arise in the joint teaching of new generation undergraduate degrees

Students

    1. To advise on the actions that might be taken to improve the delivery of academic and  support services to students enrolling in new generation undergraduate degrees
    2. To ensure consistency with University policy on the provision of consistent and accurate student-centred course advice and support services for students
    3. To monitor and report on student outcomes and uptake of graduate attributes

    Continuous improvement

    1. To monitor the quality of undergraduate teaching and support provided for students and make recommendations to Deans for appropriate action when required
    2. To provide an annual report to the Vice-Chancellor and the Academic Board on quality and performance of the new generation undergraduate degrees and students
    3. To liaise with the Academic Board and relevant committees on enhancing and ensuring the quality of undergraduate education
    4. To foster academic programs and services in support of diversity
    5. To monitor the success of the new generation undergraduate degrees in meeting equity and access targets
    6. To develop and facilitate the quality of the Melbourne Experience for students enrolled in the new generation undergraduate degrees, in collaboration with the Melbourne Experience Committee and other appropriate committees
    7. To encourage and support innovation in approaches to undergraduate learning and teaching and curriculum design
    8. To consider and respond to other issues relating to teaching and learning

Membership

Professor Loane Skene, Melbourne Law School (Chair)

Professor Pip Pattison, President of Academic Board

Ms Joan Reese, Director, Melbourne Model Implementation

Ms Gillian Luck, Vice-Principal and Academic Registrar

Ms Linda O'Brien, Vice-Principal (Information Services)

Professor Tom Kvan, Dean, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

Professor Belinda Probert, Dean, Faculty of Arts

Professor Margaret Abernethy, Dean, Faculty of Economics & Commerce

Associate Professor Christine Ure, Associate Dean, Teacher Education, Faculty of Education

Professor Alistair Moffat, Head of Department, Computer Science and Software Engineering

Professor Richard Roush, Dean, Faculty of Land and Food Resources

Associate Professor Ian Malkin, Associate Dean (Undergraduate), Faculty of Law

Professor James Angus, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Professor Cathy Falk, Dean, Faculty of Music

Professor Peter Rathjen, Dean, Faculty of Science

Professor Glenn Browning, Acting Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Science

Professor Jonty Stockdale, Head, School of Music, Victorian College of the Arts (co-optee)

Associate Professor Steve James, Chair, Bachelor or Arts Standing Committee

Professor Greg Whitwell, Chair, Bachelor of Commerce Standing Committee

Professor Ruth Fincher, Chair, Bachelor of Environments Standing Committee

Associate Professor Michelle Livett, Chair, Bachelor of Science Standing Committee

Professor Mark Hargreaves, Chair, Bachelor of Biomedicine Standing Committee

Ms Bree Ahrens, President, University of Melbourne Student Union

Proposed meeting dates for 2007

Meetings are held in the Jim Potter Conference Room, Old Physics Building.

February 2007

March 2007

From April 2007, meetings will be held on the second Friday of every Month at 2.15-4.15pm.

2006 Meetings

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