MONASH UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC BOARD
Meeting No. 2/2015 held on 22 April 2015
CHAIR’S REPORT TO COUNCIL
RECOMMENDATIONS BY ACADEMIC BOARD
There are no matters arising from this meeting of the Academic Board requiring adoption or approval by
Council.
MATTERS CONSIDERED BY ACADEMIC BOARD
Specific matters dealt with by Academic Board Meeting 2/2015 are highlighted below for Council to note,
as necessary.
1.
Question on Notice
Academic Board considered the following Question on Notice:
What steps have been taken by the University to ensure that academic standards at Monash
University have not been negatively affected by behaviours similar to those reported by ABC Four
Corners on 20 April, 2015 (http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/04/20/4217741.htm)?
Prof Abid Khan (Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement)) responded outlining the stringent
agent recruitment regime adopted by Monash and the associated procedures in place to manage
the risk of corruption. The Board was informed of the independent audits that are conducted of
our recruitment processes, and the extremely low rate of fraudulent applications that are detected.
Nonetheless, in response to 4 Corners allegations, Monash is carefully reviewing its relationships
with all the recruitment agencies it uses. With respect to the academic performance of
international students while at Monash, members were reminded and reassured that their principal
responsibility was the maintenance of academic standards and these will be fiercely defended and
supported.
2.
Monash Strategic Plan Monash Focus and Draft Academic Plan
The Academic Board received a presentation from the Vice-Chancellor regarding the recently
approved Monash Strategic Plan Monash Focus. In addition the Provost introduced the draft
Academic Plan that will go much of the way to ensuring the Strategic Plan is achieved. Features of
the Academic Plan included specific interventions to address the core objectives of Excellence,
International, Enterprising and Innovative in both Education and Research. Members commented
positively on the quality of the draft Academic Plan, and a suggestion was put forward to address
issues of governance and academic integrity in the overall schema. Prof Cornish invited input from
members of the Academic Board as the Plan was being further developed and refined over the next
four to six weeks.
3.
Caulfield Library
Academic Board received a presentation from Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree (University Librarian) and Ms
Meaghan Dwyer (John Wardle Architects) regarding the redevelopment of the Caulfield Library
complex. Features of the redevelopment include a more than doubling of study seats (from 764 to
1572), with over one half of those seats comprising collaborative working spaces. Some interruption
to Library opening times was anticipated during the renovation (expected to last up to 21 months),
but it is hoped these can be restricted to out-of-term times. Academic Board was impressed by the
planned developments that ought dramatically improve the work and study environment for
students at the second most populous campus of Monash University.
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4. Faculty Presentation – Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
In keeping with Academic Board’s desire to receive and share information from across the University,
Professor Bill Charman, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, provided a
presentation on recent developments in the Faculty. Prof Charman highlighted a co-ordinated
faculty-wide approach to innovative practice in education and research. He also emphasised the
utility of establishing the Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS) as a externally
focussed arm of the faculty, able to nimbly engage with Industry and Government. He highlighted
discoveries that have been made by the Faculty and also the success of collaborative activities,
including PharmAlliance (as mentioned at the previous meeting of Council and collaboration with the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University College London). Prof Charman
emphasised the critical role played by establishing appropriate governance structures to allow
innovation to develop and the importance of choosing partners carefully when establishing alliances.
It was generally agreed that there were important learnings for the rest of the university from the
experiences of the Faculty. Additional Faculty presentations are planned for the future.
5.
Altered Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) Bonus
Professor Sue Willis (Vice-Provost (Academic Programs) presented data to Academic Board
supporting the rationale behind a change to the application of the SEAS bonus to applicants to
Monash University. Improved analysis of Socio-Economic Status (SES) data reveals that when the
relatively precise measure of the Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas Index of Education and
Occupation was applied to Monash University entrants, it is clear that we have significant underrepresentation of entrants from the third and fourth quartile (lowest) groups. These students were
not necessarily being detected or appropriately advantaged in our previous methodology that
involved the identification of under-represented schools. Academic Board accordingly approved
the following variation in the administration of Monash University admission processes:
1. Introduce bonus points based on students’ home location by applying Socio-Economic Indexes
for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Education and Occupation (IEO) ranking to the Australian Bureau of
Statistics Statistical Area 1 data as follows:
1-25th percentile rank – 10 points
26-50th percentile rank – 8 points
2. Remove Monash listed under-represented schools from the SEAS bonus.
It is hoped that this change will increase the ease of access of capable students with whom Monash
has made a commitment to engage.
4.
Legislation
Academic Board made the Monash University (Academic Board) (Amendment No. 1 of 2015)
Regulations.
Professor Ben Canny
Chair, Academic Board
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