12 October 2016

The Board of Trustees met on 12 October 2016 in the Chancellery Boardroom, EB 2.23, Parramatta Campus. A summary of matters discussed in the open session of the Board meeting is provided below.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 August 2016 (PDF, 1131.05 KB) were confirmed at the meeting.

Main Items Considered by the Board

Chancellor's Report

The Chancellor spoke to some highlights in his report. He thanked Board members for the additional work they do for the University, such as attending the professoriate dinner and participating in the upcoming down and gown event. The Board acknowledged the recent passing, and the distinguished career, of the University's Foundation Chancellor, Sir Ian Turbott AO CMG CVO.

A number of Board members attended the National Conference on University Governance (NCUG), held in Sydney on 5 and 6 October.  In addition to conference sessions covering philanthropic fundraising, social media, business engagement and governance, attendees also heard the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, The Hon Greg Hunt MP, speak about his portfolio, and the Minister for Education and Training, Senator The Hon Simon Birmingham, speak about future directions in higher education policy.

In his role as Convenor of the University Chancellors Council, the Chancellor chaired a meeting of the UCC immediately following the NCUG.  The UCC is funding the development of a short course on university governance, specifically designed for members of Australian universities' governing bodies.

Vice-Chancellor's Report

The Vice-Chancellor provided an update on the current higher education policy environment and the particular impact that the cuts in HEPPP funding will have on the University. The Vice-Chancellor also provided an update on campus development across the University's footprint and the Board commended the imminent completion of 1PSQ and the School of Business Curriculum Renewal project.

The University's Open Day 2017 was a great success, and registrations for Open Day 2017 increased by 37%. The acceptance, enrolment and orientation experience for new students in 2017 will be greatly improved by new systems currently under development in the Student Experience Office. 

The Australian Taxation Office has approved the Early Voluntary Retirement Scheme (EVRS).  Comprehensive information has been made available to all staff and applications for eligible staff close on 27 October.

Australian universities have experienced significant delays in student visa processing due to technical errors associated with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's transition to the new simplified student visa framework. The Department is working to resolve the issue.

On 29 August 2016, the Vice-Chancellor provided the keynote address to the NTEU national workshop on university councils. On 9 October 2016, the Vice-Chancellor was interviewed by the Sunday Night TV program about the Respect. Now. Always. campaign. The full transcript of the interview will be made available shortly.

Western Sydney University By-Law Revision

The Board approved changes to the University's By-Law and Rules, including that future graduate members of the Board will be appointed, rather than elected. The elected academic staff member, Dr Etherington, expressed opposition to the change.

People and Advancement – Presentations

Angelo Kourtis, Vice-President (People and Advancement) presented on his portfolio area which consists of Marketing, Human Resources, Student Experience, Equity & Diversity, Advancement & Alumni and University Secretary and General Counsel. These offices support the three stages of the student and staff lifecycle:  Engage, Empower and Advance. 

Michael Burgess, Chief Student Experience Officer, presented on Project Lumbar, which is a digital platform to improve both engagement with prospective students and the enrolment experience.

Helen Fleming
University Secretary