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  Meeting 4, 14 July 2006

The University Council met at the Newnham Campus on Friday 14 July 2006. This is a report from that meeting.

Agenda items included-

 

Presentation

Council received a presentation from the Deputy Academic Registrar on the redevelopment of the University's Student Lifecycle Information System.

Chancellor Search

Council unanimously declared Mr Damian Bugg elected Chancellor for a 4-year term commencing 1 October 2006.

Council recorded its appreciation of the exemplary and effective manner in which Dr Vertigan has led the UTAS Council, noting that there will be opportunities to farewell Dr Vertigan appropriately.

Nominations Committee

Council appointed Mrs Yvonne Rundle as Chair of Audit committee until the first Council meeting in 2007.

Governance Framework

Council received a report showing the current status of the governance framework.

Future Carriage of Project-

  • The short-term contract of the full-time Project Officer, Policy Framework has not been extended past the termination date of 30 June 2006 due to the lack of available funding.
  • Tasks previously undertaken by the Project Officer will be redistributed amongst the remaining Governance staff in addition to their existing workload.
  • As a consequence, the Policy Framework will now be implemented incrementally.
  • Additional funding for the project is under active consideration.

Committee for University Structures & Processes (CUSP) Terms of Reference and Membership

Council noted that Planning and Resources Committee had endorsed the Terms of Reference and Membership for the Committee for University Structures and Processes (CUSP) at its meeting on 15 June. CUSP will be charged with ensuring, through continual review, that UTAS has optimal structures and processes. CUSP will both receive suggestions about and initiate examinations into structures and processes that may be in need of review.As a result of recent discussions about restructuring the senior executive, a number of issues are already on the CUSP agenda.

Teaching and Learning Priorities

Council received a report that t he University Teaching and Learning Committee met on 9 June 2006 to review progress on the Teaching and Learning Development Plan and focus efforts for the remainder of the year. The priority areas identified overlap with the issues identified through the academic planning process.

Strategic Review of Course Profile, Structure and Quality

The rationalisation of UTAS course offering could reduce staff workloads and improve course quality, timetabling and the use of space. UTAS should consider a budgetary process that encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration rather than the current EFTSL based model that generates competition between Schools and encourages new course development within Schools. Any proposal for a new course should be driven by strategic orientation that links products to markets. The introduction of a new unit should be balanced with the deletion of an existing unit. In 2003 UT&LC, Senate and P&RC endorsed “guidelines for minimum unit enrolments for undergraduate courses (excluding honours) with faculties being required to explain to P&RC why units with enrolments below the suggested minimum (20 for first year units and 10 for other units, averaged over three years) should be continued”. The implementation of this guideline should be monitored each semester.
A uniform course structure across the University (e.g. 8 x 12.5% units per year; one major studied to 3rd year, one minor studied to 2nd year, plus electives that can be selected from anywhere in the University – noting that there will need to flexibility for professional courses) should be agreed, implemented and monitored. This will facilitate portability of relevant units between courses and will allow students to manage their own enrolment and identification of graduation.
Instilling a strong culture of quality in teaching and learning is necessary to improve courses. Those courses that were flagged in early 2005 as having performed poorly on selected performance indicators – including attrition rates, student satisfaction (measure through CEQ), student progression rates and graduate employment and/or further study (measured through GDS) – will be revisited.
As a strategy to better prepare students for first year, the funding implications of expanding foundation programs and making more offers of a UTAS place conditional on the passing of the foundation program will be explored.

Leadership of Teaching and Learning

Accountability for teaching and learning issues will be highlighted in the annual performance management of Deans, Heads of Schools and Course Coordinators.
A systematic approach to identifying and supporting staff for teaching awards and teaching development grants (UTAS and Carrick) will be established.
Models for teaching and learning will be developed that address the distinctive nature of the campuses (e.g. multidisciplinary approach to honours courses on Launceston and first year teaching at Cradle Coast Campus).

State Budget

In the recently announced Budget 2006-2007, the State Government:

  • Provided $1.5 million to establish an Australian Innovation and Research Centre at the University of Tasmania to foster leading-edge industry development to help continue resurgence of the State's economy;
  • Through the SMART Farming (Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources in Tasmania) initiative, included $6.0 million over four years to re-establish, in partnership with the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, the research and demonstration centres at Elliot and Forthside as state-of-the-art research centres for the dairy and vegetable sectors.

International Antarctic Institute

The Preliminary Meeting to establish the International Antarctic Institute is scheduled to be held in Hobart on 8 July 2006, with an IAI Council meeting to follow immediately.
Inaugural members and associated members presently include institutes from: Australia, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States of America. The International Antarctic Institute is open to institutes who presently or potentially have an Antarctic educational mandate.
The International Antarctic Institute will work towards establishing multi-institute degrees, in which students will enrol in their home institutions (International Antarctic Institute -affiliated universities) and take up to an agreed proportion of their course units at other member institutions. The units taken during this exchange will be credited through their home university. The International Antarctic Institute, in consultation with the Graduate School, is currently developing its first course, a Masters in Antarctic Science, which will be available in 2008.
UTAS has offered to resource and administer a secretariat, directed by Professor Andrew McMinn, to provide administrative support for the Institute for three years (plus an additional two years subject to review).

Fulbright Symposium and Scholarship

The School of Government hosted the 2006 Fulbright Symposium 28 - 29 June. The theme was 'Maritime Governance and Security: Australian and American Perspectives'. A number of international experts, Australian academics and policy professionals presented on topics ranging from examining marine terrorism and the role of intelligence, to achieving sustainability in U.S. and Australian fisheries.
Paul Hubbard, a graduate recruit with the Commonwealth Government, Department of Treasury, has won a Fulbright Postgraduate Award to undertake a Masters of Arts in International Relations at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, University of Syracuse. Paul is a first class honours graduate in Arts/Law from the University of Tasmania with a major in Chinese. Through his Fulbright Award Paul will pursue his interest in the economy, politics and international relations of China.

Strategic Staffing Plan 2006 - 2007

The Strategic Human Resources (HR) Sub-Committee has identified five priority areas to effectively position the University’s workforce to meet future demand – Leadership Capacity & Development, Strategic Appointments, Succession Planning, Reward & Recognition and Workforce Alignment. These key areas will highlight the distinctiveness of UTAS from its competitors and position UTAS as an employer of choice in a competitive and increasingly international employment market.

Marketing Plan – Full Fee Paying Overseas Students 2006

Council received the latest version of the International Marketing Plan, recently approved by the International Committee. The Plan includes some useful national data, detailed analysis by source country and strategies and activities to continue the successful growth path for international students.
Each year the International Committee approves an annual International Marketing Plan after consultation between the International Services section of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s Division and Faculties and Schools. This year the Plan was presented to Academic Senate and Council with the objective of increasing knowledge of the Plan and improving understanding of the drivers behind international activities.

Report from Equal Opportunity Committee

Council received a report from the Equal Opportunity Committee meeting of 22 March 2006. The report covers Aboriginal Employment Strategy, Students with a Disability, Equity Plan and Focus Groups.

2005 UTAS Annual Report

Council noted that the Vice-Chancellor presented the 2005 University of Tasmania Annual Report to the Governor on Thursday 30 June, as required under the University of Tasmania Act 1992.

2005 Complaints Commissioners’ Annual Report

Council received the 2005 Annual Report of the University Complaints Commissioners, together with a management response prepared by the Assistant Director, Governance.

Building Regulations

Council received a report on UTAS’ state of preparation for meeting the requirements of the Building Regulations for signage to be erected by 1 July 2006.

Appointments

Council noted the appointments of-

  • Professor Victoria Wise to the position of Professor in Accounting & Corporate Governance
  • Profesor Tony Norton to the position of Professor in Agricultrual Ecology

Council received the Vice-Chancellor's report on honorary appointments .

Legislation

Council approved in principle the changesto Rule 113 (Higher Degrees by Research) and to Rule 127 (Registration of Graduate Research Supervisors) and asked the Legislation Committee to make any necessary changes.

Academic Senate meeting - 16 June 2006

The major items discussed at Academic Senate (other than those forwarded separately for approval or receiving by Council) were -

  • The Vice-Chancellor’s reports on-
    • Health Science/Menzies Co-location Project:
    • Proposed Changes in the University Executive and Structures
    • Budget Processes
    • Senior Management Group Retreat
  • Board of Graduate Research report
  • New Course Proposals and Significant Amendments
  • Suspension of the English Honours program in Launceston
  • Practicum Placement of Students Policy

Council received the draft minutes of the Academic Senate meeting held on 16 June 2006.

Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Council noted that this was the last Council meeting that Professor Andrew Glenn would attend, and thanked him for his significant contribution to the research profile of UTAS.


 

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