annual report/2006 - University of Melbourne

Business Planning during 2006 was also
supported by a WPP grant of $1.5 million
which funded two important projects:
• the first iteration of a student scenario
modelling tool, designed to improve
the University’s capacity to forecast
the financial and other impacts of
changes in student demand and
shifts in the student profile under
the Melbourne Model, and
• a critical path plan for the
Melbourne Model developed by
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in
consultation with the University.
9. Managing
Administration,
Planning Process
and Compliance
Implementation of
Growing Esteem
During 2006 the University responded
quickly to design and establish the
governance structures necessary for
implementation of Growing Esteem.
A Growing Esteem Strategy Office
(GESO) was set up early in the year
as part of the Vice-Chancellor’s office
to manage the Growing Esteem
process across the University. Its
role was to support the five Growing
Esteem taskforces and committees,
departments and faculties as they
implemented the strategy. Managing
internal and external communications
is one of GESO’s primary and ongoing
functions. GESO has provided regular
updates to staff throughout the year and
has coordinated an extensive program
of briefings by senior University staff to
explain the Growing Esteem strategy
to the University’s many communities.
Discrete briefings have targeted staff,
schools, alumni, industry and business
groups. In particular, an extensive
web site has communicated details
of the Melbourne Model as they have
developed during the year.
Introduction of the Melbourne Model
undergraduate degrees requires a fresh
approach to administration of academic
programs. To assist faculties with the
complex task of restructuring courses
in collaboration with each other, Course
Standing Committees (CSCs) have
been created for each of the six new
degrees. The role of the CSCs is to
oversee the development and design of
the new generation degrees, including
breadth subjects, majors, capstone
subjects, research and knowledge
transfer components, pathways to
further study and employment. The
CSC are coordinated by a new Board of
Undergraduate Studies (BUGS).
An interim BUGS has been established,
ensuring faculties act in concert to
oversee the whole new generation
undergraduate curriculum, and that
proposals relating to individual courses
are properly coordinated.
Finally, a Melbourne Model 08 (MM08)
taskforce set up in November 2006
will oversee implementation of the
Melbourne Model in accordance with
the BCG critical path. Chaired jointly by
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
and the Senior Vice-Principal, the
taskforce has established working
groups in particular areas to undertake
the detailed work necessary ahead
of the launch in 2008.
Reshaping
Several other areas of the University
have been reshaped during the year.
The Faculty of Arts has been
restructured to promote greater
interdisciplinary collaboration in teaching
and research and more streamlined and
effective administrative and decisionmaking
processes. From 1 January 2007
the Faculty will be reshaped into seven
new Schools – the Asia Institute,
Culture and Communication, Historical
Studies, Languages and Linguistics,
Philosophy, Political Science,
Criminology and Sociology and Social
and Environmental Inquiry.
The Academic Services Division has
worked with the Victorian College of
the Arts to identify the best partnership
arrangement to provide student service
delivery to the College, following its
integration as a faculty of the University
from 1 January 2007.
Following a review of marketing and
international student recruitment, the
University has restructured provision
of those services, adopting a ‘hub
and spoke’ approach. University
Administration will have responsibility
for overall coordination, with service
delivery and recruitment undertaken
at Faculty level.
An extensive review of business
education during the year has resulted
in recommendations for closer working
relationships across the business
education entities at the University.
The Melbourne Business School and
the Faculty of Economics and
Commerce will meet regularly on a
new Business@Melbourne Coordinating
Committee, develop a joint portal
detailing the University’s business
education offerings, and work towards
creation of a world-class business/law
precinct in University Square.
Shared Services
In 2005, the University embarked on
a series of reforms of administrative
service delivery known as the Shared
Services Initiatives, focussing on five
areas – information technology, financial
operations, marketing, international and
academic support services – with the
aim of identifying the optimal structures
for service delivery. During 2006, the
Shared Service Review Implementation
Group chaired by the Senior Vice-
Principal commenced the process
of actioning the recommendations,
laying the foundations for a ‘whole of
University’ approach to administration
which ensures alignment between
administrative capacities and Growing
Esteem priorities.
The first stage of the Information
Technology Shared Services Project,
the completion of a common IT support
infrastructure for the Administration,
was completed. Valuable lessons learnt
from the exercise will be used in the
further roll out of the project in 2007.
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The University of Melbourne Annual Report 2006