Board of Trustees 3 December meeting summary

The Board of Trustees met on 3 December 2014 in the Board of Trustees Room, EZ Parramatta campus.  A summary of matters discussed in the open session of the Board meeting is provided below.

Confirmation of Minutes

The minutes (PDF, 198.04 KB) (opens in a new window) of the 10 September 2014 meeting of the Board of Trustees were confirmed and can be downloaded from this page.

MAIN ITEMS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD

Chancellor's Report

Professor Shergold reported on his activities undertaken as Chancellor since the last meeting of the Board in September. The Chancellor officiated at offshore graduation  ceremonies and was a guest at an alumni dinner of UWS graduates in Ho Chi Minh City. He was impressed seeing firsthand how the students' lives in Vietnam have been transformed by their UWS education. The Chancellor attended a dinner with a delegation from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and UWS' Professor Alan Bensoussan and noted the great potential of this alliance. Finally, the Chancellor noted the retirement of Rhonda Hawkins, reflecting upon the amazing contribution Ms Hawkins has made to UWS, its predecessor institutions and to Western Sydney.

Vice-Chancellor's Report

Professor Glover reported that the Higher Education Reform Bill has been voted down in the Senate and will be re-drafted and presented to Parliament early in 2015. Growth corridor universities like UWS may benefit if structural adjustment support is introduced but savings in the form of cuts to research funding or the re-introduction of caps are possible. The Vice-Chancellor expanded upon the agreement with the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and the potential for a joint campus at the Westmead site.

Redesigning the UWS Organisational Structure

The Board endorsed a restructure of the University's senior Executive to come into effect in January 2015. The major changes include the disestablishment of the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor and University Provost, and the establishment of Vice-President (People and Advancement). The role of the Chief Financial Officer will be augmented and the title changed to Vice-President (Finance and Resources). Consistent with practice in the sector and internationally the title of Vice-President has been introduced. These changes are designed to support the key imperatives of the next period of institutional development and position the University in a rapidly changing higher education landscape, including possible de-regulation and certainly increased competition.

2015-2020 Securing Success

The Board was presented with the revised the strategic plan. The plan has been redrafted following a lengthy and extensive consultation period. The working draft will be made available to staff for comment and the final version of the strategic plan will be presented to the Board for endorsement at its first meeting in 2015.

Parramatta CBD

The Board was presented with the concept designs for the new building. The plans have been modified to provide an additional lift and an improved air-conditioning system.

 

2015 Budget

The Board endorsed the 2015 budget. In the context of the continuing policy and funding uncertainty facing the Higher Education sector, a conservative approach has been taken in developing the budget for 2015-2017. The key features of the budget include:

  • A reduction in the capital spend
  • Increased resources to Schools, to be funded by savings out of the Divisional Review.

UWS Online

The Board noted the progress report on the UWS Online initiative. The academic programs will be managed and operated by the Schools and this will help to facilitate the distinctively student-centred approach which underpins the strategic plan.

 

OTHER REPORTS AND ITEMS CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD

  • Our Future Action Program
  • Staffing Matters
  • Divisional Services and Processes Assessment
  • The Academy
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership and Engagement UWS
  • UWS Maldives Contract

The Board's next meeting will be held on Wednesday 25 February 2015.