Provost’s Strategy Group
2.00-4.00p.m. 7thAugust 2009
Function Room Chancellery Building E11A
http://www.mq.edu.au/provost/governance/provosts-strategy-group.html
Members
Prof Judyth Sachs, DVC (Provost) (Chair)
Ms Maxine Brodie, University Librarian
Dr Julian De Meyrick, Dean of Students
Prof Julie Fitness, Vice-President, Academic Senate
Ms Ruth Freeman, Director Student Wellbeing
Prof Mark Gabbott, Exec Dean, Business & Economics
Prof Janet Greeley, Exec Dean, Human Sciences
Mr Colin Hawkins, Academic Registrar
Prof John Hooper, Dean Higher Degree Research
Ms Suzanne Kelly, Director Student Business and System
Solutions
A/Prof Bill McGaw, Interim Dean MGSM
Prof Michael Morgan, Dean, School of Advanced Medicine
Mr Lachlan Murdoch, Director Institutional Research
Dr Ian Solomonides, Director, LTC
Prof Mary Spongberg, Acting Exec Dean, Arts
Prof Stephen Thurgate, Exec Dean, Science
Ms Judith Trembath, General Counsel
Prof Gail Whiteford, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Social Inclusion)
Apologies
Prof Julie Fitness, Vice-President, Academic Senate
Mr Colin Hawkins, Academic Registrar
Prof Michael Morgan, Dean, School of Advanced Medicine
In Attendance
Mr Jason Elias, Manager Student Recruitment
Ms Barb McLean, Exec Officer, Office of the Provost
A/Prof Susan Page, Director Warawara
Prof Jim Piper, DVC (Research)
Ms Kathy Vozella, Director Marketing
Minutes
The Chair welcomed Mr Jason Elias, A/Prof Susan Page and Ms Kathy Vozella to the
meeting.
1. Indigenous Recruitment
SP, KV & JE
Prof Whiteford introduced the discussing by providing the background of the
Federal Government’s imperative to increase Indigenous participation in
Higher Education. The NSW Vice-Chancellor’s Committee is about to make
a statement in this area. There have been various Federal Government and
individual university schemes aimed at Indigenous/Equity group recruitment,
the most successful appeared to be an early offer of an assured place prior to
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) being known.
Mr Elias noted the public criticism of Macquarie due to its low admission rate
for Equity Groups. Macquarie is failing to enrol these students due to its offer
arriving ‘too late’. The University of Western Sydney has an Aboriginal
Liaison Officer that is building relationships with Indigenous students prior to
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them even thinking about Higher Education. Mr Elias felt that his Student
Recruitment Team was not the best team to turn-around Macquarie’s
recruitment of Indigenous students.
A/Prof Susan Page, noted that Indigenous students are placing Macquarie at
positions 2-4 in their tertiary preferences and provided a case study of an
Indigenous student that enrolled and was relatively successful in her first
semester but did not return in second semester, transferring instead to the
University of Newcastle. The student was offered a place at Macquarie
through a special entry scheme and was provided with an ITAS tutor for 2
hours per week for each unit she enrolled in. A/Prof Page built a relationship
with this student and her mother but despite this, she was lost to one of
Macquarie’s competitors.
Important variables in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous students
are:
 Address the low aspirations of Indigenous students through programs
such as Australian Indigenous Mentoring (AIM) prior to the drop-out
point at Year 10
 Early offer of an assured place to school leavers (this involves personal
contact and relationship building (preferably with an indigenous
member of staff, as well as brochures)
 Relationship building and support once Indigenous students have
arrived – ensure students do not feel isolated. Build Macquarie’s
reputation and profile as a good place to be
Macquarie should also be focussing on attracting P/G Coursework and HDR
students from professionally employed Indigenous Australians. It was noted
the impact of the first Indigenous Post-Doc student; and the fact that
Macquarie has a new Indigenous member of Council.
A/Prof McGaw informed the meeting of the Yalari Program which provides
full scholarships for indigenous youth in Australia’s private schools (such as
Abbotsleigh and Riverview). Macquarie may find that contact with these
students may be successful.
2. Minutes from Meeting 3rd July 2009 and Business Arising
2.1
2.2
Working Group to develop an evidence-based paper on the
Academic Year – for information
Ms McLean noted that while the membership of the Working
Group is large, the aim will be to break the Working Group up
to address sub-projects
2009 Study Periods at Macquarie – noted.
3. Report from Provost
3.1
JS
AUQA Report
The Provost informed the meeting that the AUQA Report on
the Review of Macquarie University would be available from
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3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
the AUQA Website at 12.01p.m. AEST. Macquarie has a
press release ready to go.
MQSIS – Teaching Infrastructure Fund 2010 Criteria
The Provost drew the meetings attention to the new Criteria for
the MQSIS Teaching Infrastructure Fund, noting the alignment
with the Federal Government’s Education Investment Fund
(EIF). Exec Deans to provide Ms Mclean with 5 ranked
projects by 14th December 2009.
Adopted
Learning Management System
The Provost informed the meeting that MACALT had been
concerned that the current arrangement with Blackboard
(Version 6.2.3) and NetSpot (hosting) would expire at the end
of the year. But Blackboard will allow at patch to Version 6.3
(for marketing reasons termed Version 8) to allow Macquarie
to continue until January 2013. In the interim there are pilots
of the open source system MOODLE being undertaken in
Education and Computing.
Review of P/G Coursework
The Provost informed the meeting that as the new U/G
curriculum is still being implemented, the Review of the P/G
Curriculum will be staged (as the Faculty of Business and
Economics is currently underway) allowing implementations in
2011 and 2012. The Review will look at both the current
offerings (for what could be removed) and also at what could
be added, for reasons of competitive advantage.
The Review of P/G Coursework will follow the same
consultative process used for the Review of the U/G
Curriculum, and will apply the same Principles – consistent
credit point value, flexibility, consistent workload and
assessment.
Diversity Week
The Provost thanked Prof Whiteford and her team for all the
planning that had gone into such a successful inaugural
Diversity Week; she had been particularly impressed with the
Living Library sessions.
4. Survey/Focus Groups to assess student demand for
alternative teaching patterns
JG & LM
Prof Greeley reported that there had been an attempt to include this survey
into the People/Planet Unit Survey (to avoid survey fatigue) but the instrument
became too complex. A/Prof Cynthia Webster had advised that focus group
methodology would not provide useful data for this area.
It was noted that MQC had offered to deliver People and Planet units as part
of their CSP places, thus providing some flexibility for students.
Data may be available from existing student choices – proportion of oncampus, off-campus and summer school options. Data may also be available
from universities such as Deakin.
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It was decided that Prof Greeley would provide the Provost with the
appropriate questions and she would arrange a Hanover Research project
providing North American data.
Adopted
5. Paper provided/sold to students – are there more sustainable
options?
Prof Greeley reported that experience at the University of Western Australia
showed that students are happy to receive online copies for additional
readings, but wanted paper copies of all Recommended Readings.
Prof Gabbott reported that the Faculty of Business and Economics is currently
undertaking a trial of USB use. He noted the importance of letting the
students know what was core to ensure that the students didn’t just print
everything off, and thus just transferring the printing from the University to
the student.
The Provost queried whether the focus should be on student learning rather
than sustainability.
It was noted that there were generational and disciplinary differences in this
issue and that there cannot be just one response. It was also noted that Dr
Gosper had undertaken research into the Impact of Web-based lecture
technologies on learning and teaching practices.
6. Research Strategic Plan, Research Strategic Implementation
Plan and Faculty Research Strategic Implementation Plans
Prof Piper spoke to his tabled paper. He noted that the 2006-2008 Research
Strategic Plan had been reviewed and revised in the light of the AUQA
Review visit. A new Research Strategy and Implementation Plan 2009-2011
had been developed as a result and then a new Research Strategic Plan. The
Implementation Plan has detailed sub-goals which act as a road map for the
Deans and Assoc Deans; he also noted that not all of these would be
applicable in every faculty.
The new Plan makes CORE recruitment and Internationalisation explicit.
CORE recruitment will assist Macquarie to overcome issues of scale and
profile (relating to underdeveloped programs in the area of medicine, health
and engineering). Prof Piper noted that a pervasive research culture was still
the first goal, as excellence changes over time and the University needs an
incubator plan to facilitate growth (these are goals 1 and 3 - pervasive research
culture and growth in HDR students and their success). Cotutelle agreements
with international research-intensive universities (above Macquarie in SJT),
and agreements with the China Council and more recently Pakistan, aim to
increase funding for HDR students.
Prof Piper noted the strategic importance of Macquarie’s research contributing
to nation-building, as Federal Government funding is increasingly directed in
this manner. In order to achieve this goal there are partnership officers in 3 of
the 4 faculties and it is anticipated that the Hospital and the Hearing Hub will
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bring further partners onto campus. Currently Engineering and Climate Risk
are being developed for future EIF applications. Prof Piper noted that the bulk
of the additional Federal Government money is being directed towards
research infrastructure.
Prof Piper informed the meeting that the current focus is on developing KPIs
and target for each of the Goals.
Prof Piper concluded with the presentation of a series of issues the University
should address; such as research-led teaching, the development of Workload
Models, communication and cultural change and the need for a unified
strategic direction to align strategy with resourcing.
7. Any Other Business
8. Next Meeting:
2.00-4.00p.m. Friday 4th September 2009, Function Room E11A
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