It was noted that Mr.Simon Lee had been granted leave of absence from the meeting.

It was noted that the Deputy of the Governor had appointed the Headmaster of Hale School. Mr. John lnverarity MBE, to the Senate under the provisions of section 12(1)(g) of the Murdoch University Act.

The Senate was informed that Mr. Inverarity’s term of office would expire on 14 September  1996.

It was noted that Ms. Marlene Jackamarra had been elected to the Senate by the members of the academic staff for a term of office expiring on 9 November 1996.

On behalf of members the Chancellor welcomed Ms. Jackamarra to her first meeting.

It was noted that Mr. Adam Bandt was attending his first meeting since his election as President of the Guild of Students. It was reported that Mr. Bandt’s term of office would end on 25 November 1994.

On behalf of members the Chancellor congratulated Mr.Bandt on his election and welcomed him to the Senate.

It was noted that Mr.Robert Jansen and Mr.Sean Smith were attending their final meeting of the Senate before their terms of office ended on 31 December 1993. The Chancellor thanked them on behalf of members for their contributions to the Senate’s activities and extended to them best wishes for the future.

It was reported that Mr.Anthony Jarvis and Mr.Jim Meckelburg had been elected to the Senate by the students for terms of office ending on 31 December 1994.

It was reported that a letter had been received from Emeritus Professor Jack Loneragan AM consenting to the naming of the new Science building as the ‘ Loneragan Building".

The minutes of the meeting of the Senate held on 11 October 1993 were confirmed.

The Senate was reminded that at its meeting on 11 October 1993 it had resolved by an absolute majority of its members (R 140/93) that section 1(a)(ii) of Statute No.4 - Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates be amended by the insertion of the words ‘Doctor of Letters (DLitt)".

It was reported that notice of the proposed amendment had been displayed within the University for a period of not less than three weeks and that no objection to it had been received by the Registrar.

The Chancellor declared that, as required by section 25 (1 )(b) of the Murdoch University Act. Resolution 147/93 had been passed by an absolute majority of members.

It was noted that the committee established under the terms of Resolution 146/93 had resolved, inter a/ia, to confirm the decision of the Senate that the Honorary Fellowship conferred on Professor Jevons be withdrawn with effect from 16 November 1993.

The report of the Vice-Chancellor (Appendix A) was received. The following matters required consideration by the Senate.

The Senate noted with deep regret the death on 22 November 1993 of Mrs. Sandy Nairn. the wife of Professor Mal Nairn. former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of this University and currently Vice-Chancellor of Northern Territory University and

Copies of the University’s submission for the establishment of a regional campus were tabled and the Vice-Chancellor reported that an announcement on possible Commonwealth funding for this development was expected in the near future.

It was reported that 

Professor Ian Ritchie, Director of the A.J.Parker Cooperative Research Centre for Hydrometallurgy, had recently been elected to a Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 

and that Associate Professor Walter Bloom, Dean of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, had been awarded a Doctorate of Science by the University of Tasmania.

On the Vice-Chancellor’s recommendation, it was

On the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor. it was

There was some discussion of the desirability of including a postgraduate student on this committee. It was agreed not to make such an appointment in this instance, but to ask the General Purposes Committee to consider and report to the Senate’s next meeting on the issue of student participation in professorial selection committees.

(Secretary’s note: Comment was made by some Senators that the proposed committee was larger than usual. The Vice-Chancellor subsequently deleted the last name from the list which he had recommended and which was approved by the Senate.)

On the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor. it was

The report of the Academic Council from its meeting on 3 November 1993 was received, It was noted that the following matters required consideration by the Senate.

(Secretary’s note: The Senate considered the matters recorded in minutes 7.3 and 7.4 In conjunction with recommendations arising from a meeting of the Legislation Committee on 25 November 1993. In each case it was noted that the Legislation Committee had endorsed the form of the Council’s recommendations.)

Having noted that the sponsor had discontinued funding these prizes, the Senate

It was noted that the Schools of Study Regulations presently restricted the number of successive terms of office which could be served by Deans to two three-year terms. It was reported that the question of whether this limitation should be varied or removed had been discussed by School Boards and the Academic Council.

On the Council’s recommendation, it was

It was noted that the Academic Council had agreed that the existing ground for appeal against the results of thesis examination, which was limited to procedural failure, should be expanded to include such matters as demonstrable prejudice or bias.

It was reported that, in endorsing the form of the Academic Council’s recommendation on this matter, the Legislation Committee had drawn attention to the fact that procedures for consideration of appeals had not been recommended for inclusion in the Regulations for the Degrees of PhD and MPhii and that this was inconsistent with the approach adopted in respect of the Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor.

A report of the Academic Council’s discussion on a draft Strategic Plan for the University was noted. Copies of the Strategic Plan, which had been amended in the light of comments made at the meeting of the Council, had been circulated to members of the Senate.

It was noted that the Strategic Plan had been prepared following widespread discussion within the University. which had commenced with the distribution of a discussion paper in March 1993. The Senate was informed that a number of submissions were received in response to that paper and matters arising from them were then incorporated in the draft Strategic Plan which had been discussed by the Academic Council.

On the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor, it was

It was noted that the Strategic Plan would provide the framework for strategic planning in the University and that in 1994 it would be updated to include the plans of schools, offices and units.

The Report of the Property Committee from its meeting on 17 November 1993 was received and it was noted that there were no matters requiring decision by the Senate.

It was noted in respect of the Worship Centre and theological library appeal that sufficient funds might not be raised to complete both aspects of the project and there was some discussion of the University’s fund raising capacity. it was noted, however, that the appeal for the Worship Centre and theological library was being conducted by the Perth College of Divinity, not the University.

The Senate was informed that the Vice-Chancellor’s Fundraising Committee was giving consideration to the establishment of a Murdoch University Trust, which would be the vehicle for the University’s fundraising activities.

In discussion of this item it was noted that there was to be reciprocal access between the University library and the University of Notre Dame Australia library and the Vice-Chancellor was asked to report to the next meeting on links with that University. The Vice-Chancellor informed the Senate that the overseas governors of the University of Notre Dame Australia would be visiting the campus early in 1994.

The report of the Finance and Staffing Committee from Its meetng on 19 November 1993 was received. The following matters required consideration by the Senate.

It was reported that the Vice-Chancellor supported a proposal of the Planning and Management Committee that a Research Applications Fund be established to provide cash contributions which would assist in attracting external grants for major new research facilities.

It was noted that it was proposed that one million dollars be set aside In the capital works budget within the 1995-1999 quinquennium for this purpose.

The Senate noted details of the proposed Operating Budget for 1994 and proposed changes to the staffing establishment, it was noted that the proposed establishment of the South-West Regional Campus would not impact on the 1994 budget, as Commonwealth funding for the project, if it was to proceed, was expected in 1996 -1998.

In response to a comment about there being some dissatisfaction on campus with the relative funding model upon which the budget was based, the Vice-Chancellor said that substantial refinements had been made to the model during 1993. He said that he believed that it was now generally accepted as providing a degree of certainty about the funding of Schools. Offices and Units over a period of time.

It was noted that the Vice-Chancellor had established a committee to evaluate and recommend on proposals for the establishment of new Chairs. On the advice ot that committee the Vice-Chancellor had recommended the establishment of a second Chair of Environmental Science.

It was reported that the Finance and Staffing Committee had considered this proposal and had noted that the costs ot this position and support had been included within the 1994 budget of the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences.

The Chancellor reported on the deliberations of the Honorary Degrees and Ceremonial Committee at its meeting on 7 October 1993 and it was

It was noted that the degree of Doctor of Science would be conferred on Dr.Wasi at the Degree Ceremony on 23 March 1994 and the degree of Doctor of Letters conferred on Ms.Durack at the Ceremony on 30 March 1994.

The Chancellor informed the Senate that The Hon. Mr.Justice Robert Nicholson had accepted an invitation to present the Occasional Address at the Degree Ceremony on 23 March 1994, which would be the first occasion on which graduates from the School ot Law would be presented for the conferment ot degrees. An invitation had been extended to another person to present the Address at fihe Ceremony on 30 March 1994.

The Report of the General Purposes Committee from its meeting on 8 November 1993 was received. The following matters required consideration by the Senate.

The Senate was informed that the General Purposes Committee had considered the establishment of procedures for the naming of parts of the campus in accordance with the "Guidelines for the Naming of Facilities or Chairs", which had been adopted by the Senate on 13 August 1990 (R104/90). It was noted that in doing so the Committee had also considered some amendments to those Guidelines.

It was noted that the current conditions of award of the first-established Convocation Prize were -

"An annual prize of a certificate and a shield awarded by the Standing Committee of Convocation to a graduate…" .

It was reported that when the conditions of award were amended in 1992 to remove the requirement that the recipient be a person graduating in the year in which they were awarded the prize, the amended conditions did not reflect the intention of the Standing Committee that the prize should be available to students who were not necessarily graduates.

It was reported that the General Purposes Committee had considered a recommendation from the Vice-Chancellor that the policy established by Senate Resolution 80/88, that all students enrolling in the University for the first time should be exempt from any charge for a copy ot the Handbook and Calendar, should be varied.

It was noted that the practical consequence of this policy was that the University provided free copies of Handbooks to all new students receiving offers of places, not only those who actually enrolled, and that the cost to the University in 1993 was approximately $22.000.

Concern was expressed by a member about any change to the established policy which would limit the information provided to students about the range of courses available to them and the programme options which were available.

It was pointed out that copies of Handbooks would be readily available for consultation at enrolment sessions and in the Library. New students would be encouraged to purchase Handbooks from the University Bookshop and the Registrar would ensure that students were provided with information in an alternative form to assist them to complete enrolment.

It was noted that in the implementation of this policy special consideration would be given to instances in which metropolitan students were unable to attend enrolment sessions on campus.

It was noted that two recommendations arising from the meeting of the Legislation Committee on 25 November 1993 had been considered in conjunction with recommendations arising from the meeting of the Academic Council on 3 November 1993.

(Secretary’s note: These matters are reported in items 7.3 and 7.4 ot these Minutes.)

It was reported that the Equal Opportunity Committee had not met since the last meeting of the Senate.

It was reported that the Superannuation Committee had not met since the fast meeting of the Senate.

The Report of the Audit Committee from its meeting on 8 October 1993 was received. The following matter required the attention of the Senate.

It was noted that the Audit Committee had considered amendments to the Internal Audit Charter previously approved by the Senate and on the Committee’s recommendation it was

It was noted that the provisions of Statute No.23 - Discipline required the Senate to appoint annually the Chair of the Board of Discipline.

On the VIce-Chancellor’s recommendation it was

In accordance with previous practice it was

On the recommendation of the Chancellor, it was

In accordance with the terms of Resolution 90/85, it was reported that the Official Seal of the University had been applied to the following document -

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