ACADEMIC BOARD REPORT - 3 June 1998

A truncated report this time, as I had to sneak out after two hours, but
before I get to details.....

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APOLOGY

In the last edition of Academic Board Report it was stated that "Rob
Willis ... was gossiping with Merran Evans". ABR has been assured that
this was untrue, and in fact it was Associate Professor Evans that was
doing the gossiping. Given the known state of garrulousness in the Evans
household, ABR abjectly and humbly apologises to Professor Willis for
this lapse, which was made by a junior reporter.
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The agenda paper for yesterday's meeting, a mere 392 pages this time, 
were filled with portents of a lengthy meeting. Leading the starred
items were not just the 1998 edition of Leading The Way, but also the
draft of the Learning and Teaching Operational Plan, the Research
Management Plan, a proposal for revising the composition of the Board
itself, and five (5) annual reports from faculties, etc. As if to rub it
in, Alan Lindsay started the meeting by telling us that in anticipation
of a long meeting, he had scheduled a "tea break" for 3:45pm. Muted
groans.

First though, we had a quick run of the Admissions Committee, in which
Robert Pargetter, now an observer where he once used to cut such a
swell, told us about UG fee outcomes, plans for maybe more scholarships,
etc. There was a bit of stirring from a very articulate student rep. who
drew attention to the "abject failure" of the attempt to get fee-paying
undergraduates. Needless to say the VC disagreed with him totally, and
said it was all as expected. We clapped as Robert left, heading to his
new career as Headmaster of Hailebury.

Then on to The Monash Plan. Most of the words were the same as last
year, so the discussion was on the seven or so spreadsheets. These
covered the key items such as dollars, EFTSUs, loads by campus, broad
expenditure, etc. They ranged from the depressing (DEETYA funding)
through the highly optimistic (overseas student load) to sheer fantasy
(target percentages of female staff in senior positions.)

Discussion on the plan was relatively subdued, although understandably
it went on for some time. The points that came out to me were:

(a) the situation with DEETYA funding is abysmal, being effectively
cut then frozen for the foreseeable future. To this decline in the relative
importance in government funds the VC said "thank God!". This concerns
me greatly. It is one thing to plan to manage a situation of adversity,
but there is no need to praise it.

(b) for growth, nay survival, we are highly dependent on maintenance of
overseas student numbers. Clearly offshore campuses are going to
contribute little in net dollars to Monash, and I can't see how the
numbers coming to Australia can hold up as we internationalize. (The
predicted net income from Sunway was buried in a line with other items,
and the VC and GM were unhappy with the suggestion it be exhumed. Maybe
a "footnote" they said.)

(c) basic services are going to be very constrained: no new building
starts at Clayton in the next 5 years; nothing to refurbish Ming Wing;
etc.

(d) numbers kept down at Gippsland and Peninsula, and declining at
Clayton and Caulfield. The only local growth is at Berwick (still
ramping up) and Parkville (4-year degree plus new programs.)

(e) the *real* plan only covered the 1999-2000; the remaining years were
just figures filled in by the projection algorithms.

Anyway, Board members have until tomorrow to make further comments
before The Plan goes to Council. Then we can all read it in a nice blue
cover.

During the tea break, several readers of ABR made a point of telling
me how they were looking forward to seeing if I could make the meeting
thus far appear interesting. I could but grind my teeth.

Then on to the draft LTOP. As I have remarked before, DVC Lindsay does a
good line in monotonous droning, and by the time I crept out the door at
4:15 he had mesmerised the remaining Board members (down to about 70% of
starters at this stage), and had not even got into the Plan proper, all
28 pages of bullet-pointed Strategies, Actions and Target Timelines. (I
don't want to belittle either the Plan itself, which on my reading looks
excellent, or the effort that went into it. It should be read by
everyone, especially course coordinators and members of the FEC and
SECs.)

So that's all I can say at this stage. I asked Chris Avram if he could
perhaps report on the rest of the meeting (hint, Chris, hint.) From the
papers dealing with the AB restructure there were two points I would
like to comment on in absentia:

(a) the proposal to establish a position of "Associate Chair of the
Academic Board." This had me slightly mystified, until I got the part
where it said that Merran Evans had the nod for it, and the penny
dropped. Shows how far the Academic Board has been moved since Mal's
day, and how indispensable the Redoubtable Merran has made herself.

(b) the restructure included having two voting members from Monash Mt
Eliza (Ltd). Since the Board does not play a role in reviewing &
approving MME's programs; they bypass it and go to Council, I thought it
pretty inappropriate that they get to vote on matters concerning fully
integrated academic units. I would have said so if I had lasted the
distance.

So, over to Chris for the rest. Maybe a pen portriat next time.

Jim Breen
4 June 1998