Minutes - Meeting 1/07

A Meeting of the Committee of Convocation was held on Wednesday 21 March at 5.30pm in the Jim Potter Conference Room, Old Physics Building, University of Melbourne.

PRESENT:

Ms L Boston (Chair), Mr AW Abbott, Mr E Bellchambers, Dr CE Close, Ms H Cohn, Mr R Cook, Mr M Corrigan, Ms JM Crowe, Mr BFB Dance, Mr DM Dodd, Mr AT Douglas, Ms J Elton Brown, Dr A Gibbs, Mr PR Hirst, Mr J Humphrey, Mr GLE Israel, Mr FAM Lees, Dr P Lowe, Mr RA McGauran, Dr R McMillan, Mr J Meehan, Mrs AM Neal-Adam, Dr JR Nelson, Mr JF Nicholas, Dr R Otzen, Dr DG Parbery, Dr N McH Ramsey, Dr B-A Rodan, Mr BN Southern, Dr J Stillman, Mr GH Thomas, Ms MA Weston, and Mr NJ Whiting.

IN ATTENDANCE:

Mr L Currie, the University Secretary and Ms E Koch, Committee Secretary.

BUSINESS

*0. Preliminary Matters

0.1 Report of Returning Officer

The University Secretary advised that Council at its meeting on Monday would consider many aspects of the Melbourne Model. It was anticipated that Council would recommend that the University proceed with the Melbourne Model and would approve its launch in April. Committee of Convocation members would receive invitations to the launch, which would be held at 10.30am on Tuesday 17 April at the Bio21 Building.

The Returning Officer noted that the next meeting of the Committee would be a special meeting for the election of the Deputy President of the Committee of Convocation. The Chair asked that members of the Committee put forward nominations at the next meeting.

0.1.1 Committee of Convocation Elections 2007

The Returning Officer clarified that the University updates its roll of graduates at regular intervals and, using the formula outlined in University Statute 3.1, recalculates the number of representatives on the Committee based on the proportion of graduates in each faculty. Elections to the Committee and a recalculation of the number of representatives on the Committee both occur in 2007. The University Secretary presented a paper outlining the calculations for 2007, noting changes in the number of representatives in various faculties. He noted that all graduates of the Victorian College of the Arts were now included in the calculations, since the College’s amalgamation with the University in January this year. The paper outlined proposed changes to groupings of faculties in order to facilitate the best representation for the Committee, including grouping the VCA with Music, and Social Work with Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Committee members put forward their concerns that the calculations for 2007 involve a drop in the number of representatives for various faculties, notably Law, Arts, and Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, when compared with 2006 representation.

0.1.2 Grouping by Faculties & Term Considerations

It was discussed that the statutes dictate that if representation in a particular faculty increases once recalculations have been made, half of the additional representatives must have a four-year term and half a two-year term. If representation demands, the number of positions available to be contested may be reduced. The Length of Service Subcommittee voiced its concern about the impact of continuity on the Committee in light of the fact that many current Committee of Convocation representatives were affected by the 12-year rule, meaning that they would be ineligible to stand for re-election. The University Secretary affirmed that he had contacted all retiring members of the Committee of Convocation particularly affected by the recalculated representation. In most cases, the number of current representatives eligible to stand would equal the number of representative places under the new groupings.

0.1.3 Quotas for Elections

The Committee received a paper from Mr Richard Cook proposing a different method of calculating the number of representatives per faculty which would try to preserve representation in Law and increase the representation on the Committee of Convocation generally. The Committee discussed the proposals put forward by the University Secretary and Mr Cook and their implications. It was noted that Mr Cook’s proposal will require a change to the University statute to be passed by the Minister for Education and that it would be unlikely that this could be finalised before the elections are due to be held. It was proposed that the changes to the statute could include a provisional clause that further elections are held to elect the additional members as calculated by the changes to the statue.

The University Secretary clarified that it is not possible to separate Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences into two classes, although the statute does allow the allocation of representatives between the various professional streams. He foreshadowed that Council at its meeting on Monday would move Social Work from Arts to Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, but that this would not alter the figures enough to alter the representation as outlined in Item 0.1.1.

A motion was carried recommending to University Council that:

• Statute 3.1 be amended to change the divisor for calculations from 40 to 46, as set out in Item 0.1.3;
• the amendment include provision for a new calculation to be made for the first election called following Ministerial approval of the amendment; and
• section 8(2) of the Statute be amended as set out in Item 0.1.1.

A summary of the proposal was presented to Council at its March meeting.

0.2 Committee of Convocation Representatives to University Committees

The Committee received the paper outlining nominations for Committee of Convocation representatives to University committees. The Chair called for nominations for the positions still unfilled. Positions were filled as follows:

• Land & Food Resources Faculty Board: Ms AM Ada
• Law Faculty Board: Mr MW Gorton
• Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences Faculty Board – representative of medical graduates: Dr L Simpson was nominated in his absence (nomination to be confirmed)
• Veterinary Science Faculty Board: Dr J Stillman
• Library Committee: Dr C Close.

*1. Apologies and Leave of Absence

Apologies were received from Dr B Fary, Ms HM Fitzpatrick, Mr AG Handberg, Dr JK Harcourt, Mr L Rowe, Miss AS Rusden, Dr S Sahhar and Dr L Simpson.

Leave of absence was granted to:

• Ms JH Elton Brown for the April meeting;
• Dr A Gibbs for the April and May meetings;
• Dr DG Parbery for the April, May and June meetings;
• Mr NJ Whiting for the May and June meetings;
• Ms L Boston for the June meeting;
• Mr AT Douglas for the June meeting;
• Mr GH Thomas for the June and July meetings;
• Dr CE Close for the July meeting; and
• Mr J Meehan for the July meeting.

*2. Starring of Additional Items

No additional items were starred.

*3. Receipt of Unstarred Items

Unstarred items were received.

*4. Minutes of Meeting No. 10/06 (20 December 2006)

Subject to an amendment to record the attendance of Dr R McMillan and Mr AW Abbott, the minutes were adopted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

*5. Action Sheet

Committee members received and noted the action sheet. The Chair noted that all items on the Action Sheet had either been dealt with or carried forward for a future meeting.

*6. Matters Arising

Mr Frank Lees brought the updated University of Melbourne Voice (previously UniNews) to the attention of the Committee. He proposed that the Committee of Convocation compliment the editors of the Voice on its new format. He also asked what brief was given for the map of Australia on the cover, which he noted was very dramatic. The University Secretary agreed to report back at the next meeting.

7. Reports to Council

7.1 Report 10/06 – 21 December 2006 to March Council

The Committee received the report for information.

*8. Legislation, Regulations and Standing Resolutions

Nil.

*9. Issues of Concern to Members

The Committee received the report for information.

*10. Report of Council Planning Conference

The President reported on a number of matters discussed at the Council Planning Conference in February, including the Minister for Education’s plan to reduce the size of University Councils and the University’s subsequent proposal for the appointment of Honorary Council Fellows, Council’s in-principle endorsement of Universities Australia, the successor to the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee, and the Vice-Chancellor’s report on the implementation of the Melbourne Model. The Vice-Chancellor outlined his vision for the University for 2011.

The Chair noted that one of the new generation undergraduate degrees would be a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and thanked Dr Simpson and Dr Ramsey for their persistence in pursuing this matter.

Dr Lowe noted that the cap for the Bachelor of Biomedical Science had been moved and the degree would now perform the function of a pre-medical degree, although the Committee was assured by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) that this would not happen.

Dr Lowe asked from what faculty graduates of the new generation degrees would be recognised as graduating. The University Secretary informed the Committee that he and the Vice Principal and General Counsel, Mr Chris Penman, were currently examining the University statutes in order to identify necessary amendments and noted that the statutes make the assumption that undergraduates belong to a faculty. This would not be the case under the Melbourne Model and it would be difficult to allocate faculties for graduates of the cross-faculty new generation degrees. This would in turn have implications for graduate representation on the Committee of Convocation.

10.1 Council Fellow Proposal

The Committee received the paper for information. Mr Hirst requested that the Committee have access to the Minister’s letter to the University regarding the reduction of the size of University Councils. The University Secretary noted that this matter was in fact announced in a speech the Minister delivered at a recent conference and can be accessed through the DEST website. He will also provide Committee members with a copy at the next meeting.

10.2 Follow -Up Actions from Council Planning Conference 2007

The Committee received the paper for information.

10.3 Messages from Lorne

The Committee received the paper for information.

10.4 The Melbourne Model – Critical Decisions and Key Dates

The Committee received the paper for information.

10.5 Fostering and Measuring Knowledge Transfer

The Committee received the paper for information.

10.6 Operation Performance Report – Summary of Key Outcomes

The Committee received the paper for information.

10.7 Governance Reforms

The Committee received the paper for information.

11. Reports of Committee Meetings and Faculty Meetings

11.1 Buildings and Estates Committee Extract of Minutes of Meeting 07/06 (14/12/06)

The Committee received the minutes for information.

11.2 Theatre Board Minutes Meeting 01/07 (24 January 2007)

The Committee received the minutes for information.

11.3 Arts Faculty Board Report March 2007

The Committee received the minutes for information.

11.4 University Foundation Stone Project & 140th Anniversary of Convocation Report

The Committee received the report for information.

11.5 Report of Building & Estates Committee Meeting 8 March 2007

The Committee received the report for information.

11.6 Report to Chairperson, Building & Estates Committee

The Committee received the report for information.

*12. Guest Speaker

Professor Jannie van Deventer, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, addressed the Committee, speaking about the Faculty’s strategic direction. He reported that an independent review of the faculty was conducted in 2006 and the faculty had either fully implemented or was in the process of implementing all of the recommendations coming out of the review. Key changes have included an altered management structure, a more collaborative culture and coordinated research themes across the faculty.

He also reported that the Faculty of Engineering had fully adopted the Melbourne Model and would contain the first accredited Graduate School of Engineering in Australia. By 2015, the Faculty aimed to be ranked in the top 10 engineering faculties in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement, and in the top 20 by the Shanghai Jiao Tong index.

13. Alumni Relations Report (February 2007)

The Committee received the report for information.

13.1 Alumni Resource Guide

The Committee received the tabled Alumni Resource Guide and noted that it contained an entry about the Committee of Convocation and its role.

*14. President’s Report

The President announced the resignation from the Committee of Convocation of Mr Noel Ramsey and thanked him for his outstanding contribution over the past 13 years.

14.1 Criteria for Award of Silver Medal

The Committee received the tabled paper outlining the criteria and process for the awarding of a University Silver Medal.

*15. Any Other Business

15.1 Committee of Convocation Draft Annual Report

The Committee received the tabled draft of the Committee of Convocation Annual report 2006. Committee members were invited to send any comments or amendments through to Ms Koch as soon as possible.

15.2 Speakers at Conferrings March 2007

The Committee received the paper for information.

15.3 Committee of Convocation Members Directory

Committee members were requested to fill out the tabled form and to return it to Ms Koch by Friday 30 March for inclusion in the Committee of Convocation members directory.

15.4 ‘Lost’ Foundation Stone

The Foundation Stone Subcommittee presented a life-size mock up of the replacement Foundation Stone. Mr David Dodd reported that the Latin inscription was reproduced from a report in the Argus in 1854, and included a line originally omitted from the Argus report. It was reported that the original University crest and the title ‘University of Melbourne Foundation Stone’ would also be added to the replacement Foundation Stone. The typeface was yet to be finalised.

*16. Items for Future Discussion

Nil.

The next meeting of the Committee of Convocation was scheduled to be held on Wednesday 18 April from 5.30pm in the Council Chambers, University of Melbourne. The Annual Ordinary Meeting would be held from 7.00pm in the Council Chambers and would be followed by a cocktail reception at the Ian Potter Museum of Art where Convocation members would be addressed by the curator of the Discovering Egypt exhibition.

The meeting closed at 7.26pm after an extension to the normal meeting closure.