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A Meeting of the Committee of Convocation was held in the Council Chamber, Old Quadrangle, University of Melbourne, on Wednesday 16 June 2004 at 5.45pm.
PRESENT
Dr RJ Condron in the Chair,
Mr AW Abbott,
Ms AM Ada, Mr MJ Anderson, Dr C Close, Ms HM Cohn, Mr BFB Dance, Mr DM Dodd, Mr AT Douglas, Ms HM Fitzpatrick, Mr MW Gorton, Mr AG Handberg, Dr JK Harcourt, Mr PR Hirst, Mr J Humphrey, Ms L Juracich, Mr FAM Lees, Dr DA McCann, Mr JG Meehan, Mrs AM Neal-Adam, Dr JR Nelson, Mr JF Nicholas, Dr DG Parbery, Dr NMcH Ramsey, Dr B-A Rodan, Miss AS Rusden, Dr S Sahhar, Dr L Simpson, Dr J Stillman, Mr GH Thomas,
Ms MA Weston.
Ms E Baré, Vice-Principal (Human Resources), Mr LN Currie, University Secretary, Mr JM Green, Assistant University Secretary and Miss HA Davies, were in attendance.
BUSINESS
0. Preliminary Matters
In the absence of the President Mr AG Handberg, Deputy President, assumed the Chair.
0.0 Welcome to Ms Liz Baré
The Deputy President welcomed to the meeting Ms Liz Baré, Vice-Principal (Human Resources), and advised she would speak on the appointment of deans.
1. Apologies and Leave of Absence
Apologies
were received from Ms JM Crowe, Mr R Hardcastle, Dr L McKenzie, and Ms E Parker for this
meeting.
Leave of Absence
previously had been granted to Mr G Bartle for this and the July meetings, Ms LJ Boston, Ms JH Elton Brown, Ms HM Fitzpatrick, Mr JC Jones and Dr PA Lowe for this meeting, and Ms JM Crowe for the July
meeting.
Leave of absence
was granted to Ms A Ada, Mr PR Hirst and Mr F Lees for the July meeting and to Mr DG Parbery for the September and October
meetings.
2. Starring of Additional Items
Item 7.1 was starred to receive an oral report.
3. Minutes of Meeting
3/04 (19/5/2004 )
Subject to an amendment to item 4.2(e), that after the words ‘number of dentists’ the words ‘in government funded places’ be added, the minutes were adopted.
4. Matters Arising
4.1 Appointment of Deans
Ms Liz Baré, Vice-Principal (Human Resources) spoke to this item. She referred to Statute 5.3 which regulated the appointment of deans. Ms Baré described the various options available to faculties to manage these appointments. In addition, she outlined that the University had reasonably recently examined the remuneration of deans and had engaged an external consultant to provide expert advice which resulted in the determination and implementation of new salary levels.
4.2
Appointment of Faculty Committees
Mr Len Currie, the University Secretary, spoke to this item. He drew the members’ attention to the tabled document which contained advice from all faculties on how their faculty committees were established and the procedures in place for selection of members to those committees. He also noted that it could be seen from the document that there was a variation in practice from faculty to faculty.
A member reminded the meeting of the suggestion of the previous Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert, that the Committee invite deans to meetings of the Committee and be engaged in dialogue of how graduates may be better represented and what deans are doing to maintain links with their graduates. It was suggested that the President’s Advisory Group might be an appropriate vehicle in which to discuss and formulate a plan of action.
After discussion, it was agreed that the document be digested and discussed at a later meeting of the Committee.
At this stage, the Deputy President vacated the Chair and was replaced by the President, Dr Robin Condron, on his arrival at the meeting.
5. Report 3/04 to be submitted to July 2004 Council
The report was received for information
6. Report of Council Briefing 1/04 (7/6/04)
6.1 Oral report on Council Briefing
The President, Dr Robin Condron, gave an oral report of the June Council Briefing. The main topic on the agenda was the Nelson reforms and steps taken by the University to meet the National Governance Protocols as well as other associated matters which would impact on the University which had been outlined by the Vice-Chancellor. Dr Robin Batterham had also spoken and gave a presentation entitled Inventing the Future.
In addition, Dr Condron advised that the August Council Briefing would be conducted in Shepparton. As the Committee of Convocation in recent years had been invited to the August
Council Briefings at which the Vice-Chancellor gives a presentation on ‘Taking Stock’, and would be unable to attend the Shepparton event, Professor Lee Dow had kindly agreed to give a special presentation at the meeting of the Committee of Convocation to be held on 18 August.
6.2 Proposed Statutes to be made or amended
Members were referred to the tabled document of proposed amendments of statutes that was referred to at the June Council Briefing. Mr Green, the Assistant University Secretary, explained the background to the amendments.
6.3 Proposed Standing Resolution to be amended - Subsidiaries Sub-Committee
Mr Green referred to the tabled document which contained proposed amendments to the Subsidiaries Sub-Committee Standing Resolution. As the Secretary to that Committee, he spoke to this item, which also had been considered at the Council Briefing.
7. Reports of Faculty Meetings and Committee Meetings
7.1 Finance Committee 4/04
As the Report to Council had not received the approval of the Chair to Finance Committee, the Assistant University Secretary, Mr John Green , gave an oral report.
A member questioned the success of Universitas21 Global MBA program and Mr Green agreed to seek additional information and report back to the next meeting of the Committee.
7.2 Student Support Committee 3/04
The Committee received the report for information.
7.3 Theatre Board 4/04
The Committee received the report for information.
7.4 Libraries Committee
- Meeting 1/04
The Committee received the report for information.
- Meeting 2/04
The Committee received the report for information.
8. Alumni Relations Report
Ms Sarah Walls, the Alumni Relations Manager, gave an oral report on the Alumni Relations Program. She reported that the feedback on Melbourne University Magazine, which had been circulated recently, was favourable and that the Unifund material had been circulated and currently approx. $10,000 per day is being received. Ms Walls reported that the Alumni Relations website is still underground development and that GradNet is now being managed by an external company. Ms Walls’ announced that she had resigned her position as Alumni Relations Manager and the President thanked her for her work on behalf of the Committee of Convocation and wished her all the best in her future endeavours.
9. Guest Speaker
Dr Ross McMullin, Senior Fellow, Department of History was guest after-dinner-speaker. The subject of his address was the biography of Pompey Elliott which he had authored. As well as outlining biographical details of this World War One veteran, the monograph also recorded the impact on Australian society of the Great War and the economic Depression.
10. President's Report
10.1 President’s Advisory Group
The President advised members that his Advisory Group would be meeting at the end of July and that Minutes of that meeting would be circulated with the August meeting papers.
10.2 Minute of Appreciation
The President advised that Dr Sophie Ducker passed away recently, just as she wished – at home with her family by her bedside. A memorial service was conducted in Trinity Chapel shortly afterwards on 24 May, which many members of the Committee had attended.
The members agreed that a minute of appreciation be voted, noting Sophie’s long-term membership of the Committee of Convocation, her unique form of contribution and her intense interest in a wide range of subjects such as the distinguished portraits exercise. Everybody appreciated the privilege of sharing the membership of this Committee with as distinct, intelligent and unique a person as Dr Sophie Ducker.
11. Any Other Business
11.1 Membership of the Committee of Convocation
The Committee received the report for information.
11.2 Email Addresses of Members
The President drew to the attention of members the Membership and Email Address lists of the Committee of Convocation, and requested members who wished to add to or revise their entries to advise Ms Davies.
11.3 National Governance Protocols for Public Higher Education
Institutions
Dr Condron alerted members to the tabled document which contained National Governance Protocols for Public Higher Education Institutions that also was considered at the Council Briefing and referred to previously in Item 6.1.
12. Receipt of Unstarred Items
The unstarred items were received.
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