10 April 2013

The Board of Trustees met on Wednesday 10 April 2013 in the Boardroom, Building AD, Werrington North campus. A summary of matters discussed in the open session of the Board meeting is provided below.

Confirmation of Minutes
The minutes  of the 27 February 2013 (PDF, 157.51 KB)  (opens in a new window) 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 Chancellor reported on the progress being made to finalise the Board’s ministerial appointments in time for the Board’s Strategy Day in June. The Vice Chancellor’s Selection Committee has met has been considering the qualities required in the new Vice Chancellor. Valuable input has been provided by the UWS professoriate. The search process is widespread and has identified a number of high calibre candidates.

Vice-Chancellor’s Report

The Vice Chancellor briefed the Board on the University’s strategy for communication and engagement with GWS Federal members and candidates in the context of the upcoming election. She advised the Board that the Senior Managers’ Conference this week would focus on the major changes in higher education internationally to set the plans and strategic issues for the agenda of the Board Strategy Day in June. 

Plans to open teaching space in the Parramatta CBD are progressing well, with centrally located accommodation being identified and scoping for the refit underway.

Red Tape Taskforce

The Red Tape Taskforce has been established to review a range of administrative tasks required in support of teaching and research programs. The project is being lead by the DVC Academic Planning. The Board commended this initiative, noting that this is an opportunity to free up academic time currently spent on administration, while improving efficiencies and processes. The final report will be provided to Academic Senate and the Audit and Risk Management Committee and then to the Board of Trustees in December 2013.

Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended
31 December 2012

Representatives from the Audit Office of NSW were in attendance for the adoption of the audited 2012 Financial Statements. The CFO presented a detailed account of the annual accounts, noting that the University is in a growth phase and achieved an underlying surplus of $11m. While this is below the 5% target (surplus 1.6% of revenue from continuing operations) the University continues to invest in strategic initiatives in line with the University’s mission. The representatives of the Audit Office commended the Finance team on the quality of the financial statements and for their cooperation and willingness to assist the audit process.

2012 Annual Report and Board Report

The Board signed off on the University’s Annual Report for 2012, for tabling Parliament by the end of April, subject to minor editorial changes

The Academy

The Board was briefed by the PVC Students, Mr Angelo Kourtis and Professor James Arvanitakis on the establishment of the University’s Academy prior to the public announcement. The Academy is a key strategic priority for the University and aims to create an environment where academic excellence and leadership are recognized and developed, creating a “community of citizen scholars”. The Board applauded this initiative and looks forward to regular updates as the Academy grows and flourishes.

Student Services and Amenities Fee

The Board supported the 2013 priorities for the use of the Student Services and Amenities Fee ($4.2m in 2013). The priorities have been developed through consultation with the elected Student Representative Council and the broader student body, and collaboration is ongoing to identify other projects to improve student services and amenities at UWS.

Outcome of Graduate Member Election

Following the close of the ballot on 27 March 2013 Mr Tim Ferraro was declared as the new graduate member on the Board of Trustees. His term of office is four years and commences on 1 July 2013. Tim has a long association with the University and is a member of the Uwsconnect Board. He replaces Dr Ken Langford.

Delegations

The Board approved recommendations to amend Schedule A (Financial) and Schedule B (Human Resources). These will be available on the University’s website.

Other Reports and Items Considered by the Board

  • Our Future Action Program – Status Report
  • Reports from Committees and Advisory Council of the Board

The Board’s next meeting including the annual Strategy Day will be held on Wednesday/Thursday 5 & 6 June 2013.