<
BackUniversity
Council HomeUniversity
Council |
<
BackUniversity
Council Home |
|
| University
Council |
||
|
Meeting 7, 18 November 2005 The University Council met in Launceston on Friday 18 November 2005. This is a report from that meeting. Agenda items included:
Presentation on Finance and Risk ManagementCouncil received a presentation of the Executive Director Finance and Administration on finance and risk management. Nominations CommitteeCouncil appointed Dr Peter Davis to the Built Environment Committee for a term ending 31 December 2006. Governance FrameworkCouncil receid a status report on the governance framework. Council also approved the delegations to the Executive Director Planning and Development and the Deans. National Governance ProtocolsCouncil received the Chancellor's report on National Governance Protocols (NGPs) noting that the UTAS response on the NGP's was submitted before the closing date of 14 October, with no changes since the draft response which had received favourable verdict from DEST before final submission. DEST has advised that no confirmation of compliance will be forthcoming until after consideration of the Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs) compliance report (which is due on 5 December for compliance as at 30 November 2005). Financial Management report - 30 September 2005Council received the summary financial management reports as at 30 September 2005. Strategic Asset Management PlanCouncil approved the Strategic Asset Management Plan ICT Strategic PlanCouncil approved the 2005-2007 Information Communication Technology Strategic Plan, noting that to achieve the aims of the plan there will need to be acceptance of University-wide policies and standards. Council requested the circulation out of session of a framework document setting out reporting responsibilities against the ICT strategic plan, and queried whether the Audit committee should be given responsibility for the oversight of IT policies in future. Community Engagement PolicyCouncil endorsed the policy on Community Engagement, amended to resolve the inconsistency between the community focus of the UTAS mission statement and the University focus of clause 6.1. Roles of Vice-Chancellor’s Executive and Senior Management TeamCouncil received the Vice-Chancellor's report that, after consultation, he has decided to give more explicit recognition to the fact that the University is being managed by the team of people that includes members of the Senior Executive and the Deans. Therefore, commencing 2006, there will be more frequent meetings of the UTAS Senior Management Team (SMT). The SMT has evolved as a key body for discussion of strategic and policy issues and for the wide range of issues associated with the implementation and future improvements of the University Plan. It is intended that this forum continue to encourage free flow of discussion and exchange of views in a collegial manner. As a consequence, it is envisaged the Vice-Chancellor's Executive (VCE) will be meeting less frequently, and will continue to deal with ad hoc matters or matters that require urgent consideration and advice. The Planning & Resources Committee will remain the body that provides formal advice to the Vice-Chancellor on planning and resource issues and will continue to work with a detailed and structured agenda. Strategic Response to the Learning & Teaching Performance Fund OutcomesCouncil received the report of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning) that the University Teaching and Learning Committee conducted a workshop on 7 October 2005 to consider the recent outcomes of the Commonwealth’s Learning & Teaching Performance Fund for UTAS. The workshop was held to develop a preliminary response to a reference from the Vice-Chancellor to the Committee seeking advice on the steps necessary to achieve a significant improvement in UTAS’s teaching and learning performance and ranking within the next 3 years, including diagnosis of key issues and priorities for action. The Committee agreed on 5 focus areas for intervention to significantly improve UTAS teaching & learning performance outcomes. Those areas, subsequently endorsed by Senate on 21 October, are –
Strategies addressing the 5 areas will be incorporated in the draft Teaching and Learning Development Plan for 2006-2008, to be considered at the Committee’s Planning Day on 25 November. Open forums will also be held in Launceston and Hobart (on 21 and 22 November) to discuss strategies in these priority areas, providing UTAS staff with the opportunity to ask questions and share their own ideas for improved performance. Internal Audit CharterCouncil approved the changes to the Audit Committee's terms of reference, to clarify that the Director Risk Management and Audit Assurance has an additional reporting line, direct to the Chair of the Audit Committee. Risk ManagementCouncil received the Vice-Chancellor's progress report on risk management and noted that progress will be monitored against this paper. Entities ReviewA Working Party was established sometime ago to identify and review the University’s involvement with other entities and to develop assessment criteria for the establishment of any new entities. Recently the Directors of Governance and Legal and Audit and Risk Management have taken responsibility for finalising the review as part of National Governance Protocols requirements. The project is continuing and a database will be established and maintained on an on-going basis detailing the University’s involvement with other entities. The focus to-date has been on high level monitoring of risk (mainly financial and reputational risk) associated with consolidated entities under the entities framework, which has been assessed as being compliant with the National Governance Protocols. Mercer Quarterly Investment ReportCouncil noted Finance Committee's advice that returns for the investment fund were 4.9%, or 0.4% above benchmark, for the quarter and 14.1% and 0.6% for the 12 months and returns for the trust fund were 3.2%, or 0.3% above benchmark, for the quarter and 10.1% and 1.2% for the 12 months. Master Planning ConsultancyCouncil received the report from the Vice-Chancellor that the Built Environment Committee has been working with Lyons Architecture on the Master Planning Consultancy and will be assessing the options against agreed criteria early in December. It is then intended that Council, together with the Built Environment Committee members, will confirm the assessment criteria and refine the assessment of options against them as part of its planning conference in February 2006. Capital Management Plan UpdateCouncil received the Capital Management Plan update and approved these 2 projects to proceed-
Heads of School Policy: Role, Responsibilities, Rewards and SupportAs the result of a recommendation from the 2004 Heads of School retreat, the Vice-Chancellor convened a working party to consider the role of a Head of School at UTAS. The working party produced a draft which had input from the Senior Management Team. Academic Senate endorsed the Policy at its 9 September 2005 meeting. Council approved the Heads of School Policy: Role, Responsibilities, Rewards and Support. Recommendations will be brought back to Council to make changes to Ordinance 99 Academic Structure and the Heads of School Appointment Policy attached to it, to ensure consistency between the documents. APPOINTMENTSChair in AccountingCouncil received the report on the appointment of Professor Gary O’Donovan to the position of Chair in Accounting from 24 October 2005. Professor O’Donovan has also accepted appointment as Acting Dean of Commerce until 10 February 2006 during Professor Carroll’s absence on leave. Adjunct ProfessorCouncil received the report on the appointment of Professor Henry Reynolds as Adjunct Professor in Riawunna for a 2-year period. Honorary AppointmentsCouncil received the Vice-Chancellor's report on honorary appointments. LEGISLATIONLibrary Rules (Fine Amendment Rule)Council made the Rule amending Rule 101 (Library Rules) to reduce grace periods prior to fines being imposed, and to standardise the accumulation of fines under the rules. Rules of Awards amendmentCouncil made the Rule amending Rule 98 (Rules of Awards) to update the list of awards in the Table. This includes the addition of new awards and the implementation of changes consequential to the change in the name of the Faculty of Commerce, to the ‘Faculty of Business’, which have been approved in principle by Council during 2005. Ordinance 8 (Student Complaints) AmendmentCouncil made the Ordinance amending the membership of the Board of Graduate Research Complaints Committee in clause 3.1.1(b). The main change is the removal of the Deputy Dean of Graduate Research (or nominee) from the Committee. At the 30 September 2005 Council meeting, the Ordinance was amended to correct the composition of the Board of Graduate Research Complaints Panel (from which the membership of the Complaints Committee draws). In the 30 September amendment, the members of the Board of Graduate Research were removed from the membership of the Panel to avoid perceptions of a conflict of interest. The current amendment removes the Deputy Dean from the Committee for the same reason. Changes have also been made to make the clause consistent with that for the student complaints tribunal in clause 3.1.1(a). This includes reducing the membership of the Committee to three members by removing the research higher degree candidate nominated by the Chair or Deputy Chair of Academic Senate. All three members will therefore be appointed from the Panel, and consistently with the composition of the student complaints tribunal, one of those three members will be a student (graduate research candidate in this case). Significant achievementsCouncil received the report on significant achievements by the University, its staff and students. Public Relations & Communications PrincipleCouncil received the report on the Public Relations and Communications Principle. Academic Senate meeting –21 October 2005Council received the report on the Academic Senate meeting of 21 October 2005. The major items discussed at Academic Senate were –
Minutes of Academic Senate and Council CommitteesCouncil received the minutes of Academic Senate and the non-confidential minutes of these committees-
2004 Annual ReportsCouncil noted that Audit Committee had received the 2004 annual reports of-
In closing the meeting, the Chancellor farewelled Ms Emma Catchpole and thanked her for her contribution to the University Council over the past year. The Chancellor also thanked members for their contributions.
Last Modified: 14-Dec-2005 |
