5 September 2012

The Board of Trustees met on Wednesday 5 September 2012 in the Boardroom, Building AD, Werrington North campus. A summary of matters discussed in the open session at the Board meeting is provided below.

Confirmation of Minutes

The minutes of the 7 June 2012 (opens in a new window) (PDF, 34Kb) meeting of the Board of Trustees were confirmed and can be downloaded from this page.

Main Items Considered by the Board

Chancellor’s Report

The report from Professor Peter Shergold listed his recent functions undertaken as the Chancellor of UWS. These included:

Participant

  • at the Prime Minister’s Economic Forum in Brisbane
  • in the Australian Financial Review Magazine Power Panel Selection Process, Sydney

Meetings with:

  • Department of Industry, Innovation and Science on the future of the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education;
  • James Arvanitakis, Senior Lecturer, Cultural and Social Analysis, School of Humanities and Communication Arts on using the media as an academic

Speaking Engagements:

  • at the GWS Aboriginal Staff Career Development Forum, Rosehill Gardens (Guest Speaker)
  • IQ2 Debate in Adelaide on the topic Having a university degree is grossly overrated. The debate was broadcast on ABC1 and ABCNEWS24 on 22 August and 26 August respectively
  • at Australian Economic Forum in Sydney on “How Economists Succeed (and Fail) to Influence Policy”
  • UWS Men’s Health Symposium, Parramatta Campus (opening address)
  • UWS Internship Awards, Riverside Theatre, Parramatta (closing address)
  • on “Arts Organisation as Social Enterprises” at an Australia Business Arts Foundationbreakfast, Sydney
  • on “Social Finance” at a Canadian Australian Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Sydney (hosted by PwC)
  • at a Property Council event on “Women on Boards”, Sydney
  • on behalf of the Bridges to Higher Education partnership universities at the Bridges to Higher Education Launch, Fairfield High School (with Minister Chris Evans)
  • UWS Student Representative Council (SRC) Photography Competition, Parramatta campus (speaker and presenter)
  • Whitlam Institute event, “What Matters?” Award Ceremony, Parramatta Campus (welcome and presenter)

Interviews:

  • by journalist Callan Lawrence for an article A Life in Academia in Parramatta Sun newspaper
  • of Phillip Blond (the ‘Red Tory) for the Menzies Research Centre Breakfast, Sydney

Attendee at:

  • Sydney Jewish Museum event for the General Sir John Monash Foundation
  • the UWS Open Fora event organised by Equity and Diversity entitled Reflections on Government, Now and Then, Parramatta campus

Visits to:

  • UWS Riverfarm, Hawkesbury Campus
  • UWS EarthCare Centre Hawkesbury Campus

Presenter at the Yarramundi Lecture given by Warren Mundine, Hawkesbury Campus.

Guest at CEDA lunch with Jillian Skinner, NSW Minister for Health

Chair, Board Standing and Remuneration and Nominations Committee meeting

Meeting, UWS Foundation Board.

Some of the Chancellor’s speeches are available on his website.

Vice-Chancellor’s Report

The Vice-Chancellor's regular report to the Board of Trustees included the following items:

  • Prime Minister’s announcement that the Government will contribute $7m towards the cost of completing the restoration of the Female Orphan School
  • 2012 Gough Whitlam Oration given by the former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser AC CH
  • Vice-Chancellor’s professional development activities
  • Meeting of the Talloires Network Steering Committee
  • Vice-Chancellor’s external appointments
  • Universities Australia
  • UWS Open Day
  • UWS research success
  • Australasian Law Teachers’ Association Award: Dr Susan Armstrong
  • Bridges to Higher Education
  • Foundational Processes of Behaviour Research Laboratories
  • Olympic athletes: UWS students James Clarke, Dani Samuels, Hannah Dodds and Michael Auprince
  • Melissa Williams, Director of the UWS Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment and Engagement: Recipient of the Inaugural Australian Business School Scholarship
  • 2012 Yarramundi Lecture delivered by Warren Mundine
  • Endorsement for Higher Education Treaty on Education for Sustainability
  • Youth Alive! Initiative: World Environment Day
  • UWS Strengthens Ties to China
  • International Relations
  • What Matters? Competition

Departure of Professor Wayne McKenna

The Vice-Chancellor advised the Board that Professor Wayne McKenna, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research), was unfortunately leaving UWS to take a position with Australian Catholic University. She congratulated Professor McKenna and expressed her heartfelt thanks for his strategic vision for UWS, placing on the record that he has been an exceptional Deputy Vice-Chancellor. He will leave UWS at the end of 2012 and interim arrangements have been made to cover the areas of his portfolio for 2013.

Student Representative Council

Mr Luke Lau, SRC President, spoke to a brief presentation which included a summary of the SRC’s structure; representation and liaison; growth and student culture; campaigns and actions; strengths and challenges. The Board noted the SRC’s achievements, the renewal of student representation and the improvement in student participation outlined by Mr Lau. The Board acknowledged the extraordinary achievement of the SRC in its first year and asked that Mr Lau convey its unanimous thanks to the student members. The recommendations outlined in Mr Lau’s presentation will be considered in the review of the SRC, which is scheduled to occur a year after the new structure has been in place (later in 2012).

Student Services and Amenities Fee

Mr Angelo Kourtis, PVC Students, spoke to the agenda paper, outlining the proposed allocation of $3.5m of the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). The Board considered the funding amounts identified in the report, and the tiers into which they are allocated. Other than those for infrastructure, the funding allocations are for a 12 month period. All proposals outlined in the paper comply with the Student Services, Amenities, Representation and Advocacy Guidelines.

The Board of Trustees endorsed the final annual funding amount for each identified tier for 2012 and 2013 and the priorities for the use of the funds as outlined in the agenda paper.

Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology, Herb Marsh

Distinguished Professor Marsh attended the meeting and spoke briefly about his research and how it aligns with the University’s Strategy. The Board was very pleased to note the extensive research being undertaken by Distinguished Professor Marsh and his colleagues and applauded his extraordinary achievements and contributions to UWS.

MyVoice Staff Engagement Survey

Mr Peter Langford, Director of the Voice Project, attended the meeting to speak to the outcomes of this survey. He noted the strong engagement of UWS in the survey process.

The Board noted the recommendations for actions contained in the MyVoice report and discussed the ways in which some universities successfully build a strong relationship between management and staff; the challenges of implementing some of these methods in a multi-campus environment; the different participation rates of professional and academic staff in campus forums and the possible dissatisfaction of academic staff in some Schools because they are not consulted about senior appointments.

Agriculture Education at UWS

Emeritus Professor Richard Bawden attended the meeting to speak to his report “Agriculture at the University of Western Sydney: A Systemic Appraisal of Past, Present and Potential Future”.

The Board discussed the five options outlined in the report and agreed that Option Five (Sustainable Development/Sustainable Wellbeing) holds the best prospect of a strategic agenda for development of academic programs and research. The Board also agreed that Option 1 (The Present Augmented) could continue to be pursued in the short to medium term and that Options 1 and 5 are not mutually exclusive.

This matter will come back to the Board following further examination of how Option 5 might best be addressed.

Board of Trustees Strategy Day 2012

Resolutions

The Board approved the final version of these resolutions. They will be released to the University community in the near future.

Action Plan

Dr Paul Rowland, Executive Director Strategy and Quality spoke to the report which set out timelines for implementing the resolutions of the 2012 Strategy Day. He supplemented this with a presentation on the Our Future Action Program, focussing on:

  • Modes of delivery and student choice
  • Marketing the University – branding and identity
  • Academic program review
  • Financial sustainability

The Board noted that the success of the Our Future Action Program can be assessed by 3 tests: improved student learning; better flexibility; financial sustainability.

2013 Parking Strategy

The Board discussed the parking strategy and approved:

  1. Increasing parking permits for 2012 to a CPI (2% ) price increase;
  2. Increasing the daily parking rate for 2013 by $1,
  3. Creating an off-peak (Orange) parking permit;
  4. Creating a $12 flat rate for Westmead commercial parking and;
  5. Allowing parking in designated Red parking bays by Blue and Orange permit holders outside peak hours.

Board Committee Membership Reappointments

The Board of Trustees resolved that:

  • The following external members of the Campus Development Committee and the Finance and Investment Committee be re-appointed for further terms of office ending on 31 December 2014 in each case:

Campus Development Committee:

  • Mr Peter Graham
  • Mr Stuart Nisbett
  • Mr Lee Pinder
  • Ms Janet Sayer
  • Ms Michelle Tredenick

Finance and Investment Committee:

  • Ms Genevieve Gregor
  • Mr Graham Horrocks
  • Ms Vivienne James
  • Ms Kerry Stubbs
  • Kim Yeadon and Glen Sanford be re-appointed by the Board respectively as members and chairs of the Campus Development Committee and the Finance and Investment Committee for terms of office ending on 31 December 2013.
  • The following external members of the Audit and Risk Management Committee be re-appointed for further terms of office on the ARMC from their current expiry dates of October 2012 (Fehon) and April 2013 (Hartigan) and ending on 31 December 2014 in each case:

Audit and Risk Management Committee:

  • Mr John Fehon
  • Ms Susan Hartigan

The Board formally acknowledged and thanked Ms Margaret Smylie for her considerable contribution to the work of the ARMC and to the University.

Indemnity for University Staff and Office Holders

After consideration of legal advice, the Board resolved that the current form of indemnity be discontinued and that it be replaced with the Discretionary Scheme for Provision of Legal Assistance and Indemnities for University Officers and Employees.

Other Reports and Items Considered by the Board

  • 16 August 2012 meeting of Finance and Investment Committee
  • 24 July 2012 meeting of Audit and Risk Management Committee
  • Report from the Chair of Academic Senate
  • 10 July 2012 meeting of Board Standing Committee and Remunerations and Nominations Committee
  • 10 August 2012 meeting of the Campus Development Committee
  • 28 June and 22 August 2012 meeting of the Indigenous Advisory Council
  • 1 August 2012 meeting of the UWS Foundation Ltd
  • Staffing Matters
  • Gender and Diversity of UWS Staff
  • Western Sydney Initiative: the UWS Gateway
  • UWS Medical Program Accreditation

Date of Next Meeting

The Board’s next meeting will be held at 9.00am on Wednesday 21 November 2012 in the Boardroom, Building AD, Werrington North.