MONASH UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC BOARD Meeting No. 7/2015 held on 18 November 2015 CHAIR’S REPORT TO COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS BY ACADEMIC BOARD 1.
Monash‐South East University (SEU) Joint PhD Council previously (Meeting 8/2009) approved the issue of a single dual badged testamur for joint award research programs where it is agreed to by the partner university. Monash’s Dual Award and Joint Degree Procedures require that certification documentation for the award of a joint degree may take the form of a single testamur or two separate testamurs each recognising that the degree was undertaken through a joint program. Whilst Monash's policy is generally to confer a single testamur (the Guidelines for negotiating joint award programs with prospective partner institutions are relevant), Council has also approved the issue of two testamurs in the case of the joint PhD program with Fudan University and Lulea University of Technology (Meeting 7/2011). Council is also invited to note that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has indicated that joint awards “may…involve two separate testamurs, each recognising that the qualification was undertaken through a joint program.” Feedback from Monash’s South‐East University colleagues indicates that in the Chinese context, it is preferable that two testamurs be issued. Recommendation: That Council approve execution of the addendum to the Monash‐SEU Joint PhD Agreement, to allow receipt by students successfully completing the joint Monash‐SEU PhD program of two separate testamurs, each recognising that the degree was undertaken through a joint PhD program. MATTERS CONSIDERED BY ACADEMIC BOARD Specific matters dealt with by Academic Board Meeting 7/2015 are highlighted below for Council to note, as necessary. 2. Graduate Coursework Portfolio The last report from Academic Board indicated that, to facilitate continued high‐level oversight of graduate coursework, the Vice Provost (Graduate Education) would present the Graduate Coursework Portfolio to the Board’s November meeting each year. Academic Board Meeting 7/2015 therefore noted the Portfolio of graduate coursework courses planned to be available for 2017 commencing students. In receiving the Portfolio, the Board noted that the level of engagement by faculties with each other and the centre in reforming graduate coursework at Monash had been instrumental in the steady growth of Monash’s graduate coursework cohort over the past few years and that work was ongoing, particularly in relation to course viability and the quality of the student experience, to ensure the suite of graduate coursework offerings was well‐placed to continue this growth trajectory. The Board also noted the introduction of two vertical double degrees into the Portfolio ‐ the Bachelor of Medical Science/Doctor of Medicine (reported to Council by Academic Board meeting 5/2015) and the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) / Master of Pharmacy, considered by this meeting of the Board. 3. Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) Academic Board has previously reported on SETU, emphasising its role in feeding student perceptions of their units and teachers into Monash’s quality cycle, and the review commissioned 1
by Academic Board’s Learning and Teaching Committee (LTC), focusing on issues around the effectiveness and appropriateness of the evaluation instrument. In particular, Council may recall that Academic Board Meeting 7/2014 gave in principle approval to a set of high‐level recommendations resulting from the review. Academic Board Meeting 7/2015 received a report on implementation of the recommendations of the SETU Review, which focused on the first two phases of the three phase process ‐ improved communication (Semester 1/2015) and revised screening and distribution processes (Semester 2/2015). The Board was pleased to note the progress made in both implementation phases, although acknowledged there were still challenges in, for example, increasing the student survey response rate. Of particular interest was development of a robust process around screening and distribution of student qualitative data emerging from discussions at Academic Board, at LTC and with the NTEU. The Board noted that the revised Item Bank (the third implementation phase) would be piloted in Semester 1/2016, and will report to Council at the conclusion of that process. 4. Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) / Master of Pharmacy Academic Board has previously reported to Council on accreditation of the Bachelor of Medical Science/Doctor of Medicine, Monash’s first vertical double degree. The second such degree – the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons)/Master of Pharmacy ‐ was accredited by Academic Board Meeting 7/2015. The Board noted that this degree represents an innovative way of joining two previously separate qualifications (the existing Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) and the Graduate Certificate in Pharmacy Practice (Internship)), taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Course Architecture Framework to leverage and build on the leading reputation of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and offer an improved option for students, who will be able to commence Masters study in their final undergraduate year. 5. Budget Presentation 6. Academic Board received and noted the high‐level overview of the 2016 Budget presented by Ms Jessica Lightfoot, Executive Director, Financial Resources Management. University Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Academic Board received and commended the Report on the 2015 KPIs as an exceptionally useful way of visibly highlighting good performance, identifying areas for improvement, and evaluating performance relative to other institutions in the Go8. Professor Ben Canny Chair, Academic Board 2