MONASH UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC BOARD Meeting No. 3/2015 held on 3 June 2015 CHAIR’S REPORT TO COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS BY ACADEMIC BOARD 1. Monash University Academic Plan (2015‐2020) Recommendation: That Council note Academic Board endorsement of the Monash Academic Plan (2015‐2020). 2. Monash University International Plan (2015‐2020) Recommendations: That Council note Academic Board endorsement of the Monash International Plan (2015‐2020). 3. Exclusion for Safety Reasons Recommendation: That Council note Academic Board endorsement of the changes proposed to the process for exclusion of students for safety reasons. In recommending that Council approve the proposed changes, Academic Board noted that the University is obliged to provide a safe campus, which obligation it discharges, inter alia, by implementing an appropriate regulatory framework. The proposed amendments (consolidation of two existing regulations into a single process) include improvements to this framework to better protect campus safety and the affected student/person, and respond to recent court decisions that emphasise the fundamental nature of procedural fairness in the exclusion process. 4. Revision to wording of University Testamur Recommendation: That Council: 1. Note Academic Board endorsement of the revised testamur wording. 2. Approve the revised testamur wording. MATTERS CONSIDERED BY ACADEMIC BOARD Specific matters dealt with by Academic Board Meeting 3/2015 are highlighted below for Council to note, as necessary. 5. Student Voice in Learning and Teaching The new Student Voice in Learning and Teaching Policy approved by Academic Board makes explicit the University’s commitment to providing students with opportunities to communicate feedback on their learning and teaching experience. The new Policy replaces the Student Evaluation Policy, which was, together with its associated procedural documents, last reviewed in 2011. A range of changes to survey instruments in use at Monash, in addition to the changing external survey landscape, prompted the review of the policy architecture relating to student contribution and feedback, with a view to developing an approach that better communicates the University’s position on and commitment to the student voice. The new Policy therefore sets out the University’s commitment to providing students with opportunities to communicate feedback on their learning and teaching experience, but also specifies the expectations of students when providing feedback and commits to communicating to students the actions taken in response to their feedback. 1
6. 7. English Language Proficiency (ELP) Support Availability of services and support to students to enable them to develop proficiency in English has been an issue ‘on the radar’ of Academic Board for several years, with developmental work being carried out under the auspices of the Learning and Teaching Committee. The Board received a presentation from Professor David Paganin, Chair of the English Language Working Party, which emphasised the key nature of ELP development to students’ success at and beyond Monash, and reported on a number of Monash cross‐portfolio and organisational projects designed to foster ELP in all students, supported by significant funding from the Campus Community Division and the Strategic Initiatives budget. These projects included: website ‐ “one stop shop” for all student‐focussed ELP resources; conversational English programs; academic English online; post‐
entry ELP pilot in the Faculty of Education; development of an appropriate ELP policy and procedures; orientation‐week module on ELP (mixed online and face‐to‐face components), and Continuing Education Excellence Development (CEED) module on ELP which forms part of the ongoing professional development of educators at Monash. Members noted that: 
The key deliverables for 2015 are anticipated to have a four‐fold impact ‐ substantial increase in annual revenue (via reduced student attrition rates), significant reputational enhancement of the Monash brand, improved employability of graduates and improved realisation of the Monash graduate attributes. 
Feedback indicated that key stakeholders in the international student space were advocating for programs of this nature. 
All of the projects contain inbuilt evaluation tools to facilitate data analysis at the end of the year and support the case for further developmental work. 
Out of current scope/longer terms projects included development of curriculum‐embedded ELP strategies and development of a student self‐diagnostic tool. Academic Reviews An important mechanism for ensuring the quality of Monash’s academic endeavours is by undertaking academic reviews of all academic areas on all campuses of the University, including academic organisational units, disciplines and cross‐disciplinary areas. Academic Board considered a report on Academic Reviews undertaken in 2014 and 2015 in addition to minor amendments proposed to the Academic Review Procedures. In so doing, the Board noted, in particular: 
The range of developments in the monitoring and support of reviews and maintenance of the central register. 
Amendment (approved in 2013) to the Academic Review Policy, which enabled reviews to be more targeted and ‘fit for purpose.’ 
Work being undertaken to ensure that faculties were aware of the academic review process and their consequent responsibilities. 
Although recent review activity had largely been confined to the course level, it was anticipated that larger‐scale strategic reviews would follow as a consequence of recent procedural amendments that mandate course‐level reviews. Professor Ben Canny Chair, Academic Board 2