James Cook University

James Cook University

"The University acknowledges that in order to flourish it must anticipate, meet and master the challenges of its environment. Critical assessment of performance against clear intentions and aspirations will be a feature of all aspects of our affairs."

"We are committed to the view that the pursuit of excellence is a good in itself, and that we should judge all of our activities against the highest ethical and intellectual standards."

(JCU: Into the Third Millennium)

Teaching and learning

Priority objective To consolidate the position of James Cook University as a university of international standing, committed to excellence in teaching, research and scholarship with a clear regional focus
Strategy	Performance to date
Refocus course offerings, enhance the availability of high demand programs and withdraw poorly-patronised courses	Introduction of new allied health programs Elimination of low demand/high cost of delivery programs in Indonesian and Italian Withdrawal of construction management
Use Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) data to examine trends in student satisfaction and to identify courses needing attention: circulate to all Deans and Heads of School CEQ summary data seek advice from Heads of poorly-scoring discipline areas on strategies for improving student experience and/or perceptions	Over the period 1995-98, most poorly-scoring areas in the University have shown significant improvement. James Cook University is also particularly pleased with the data for postgraduate programs, provided by the CEQ for the first time this year. See Table 1 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes
Implement JCET (see Endnote 1) regularly across the University	Summary JCET data for each semester since Semester 2, 1995 show consistently high institutional teaching performance. See Table 2 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes

Strategy	Performance to date
Provide the Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching - a course leading to a formal tertiary teaching qualification	Academic staff receive encouragement and funding to participate and, to date, almost 10 per cent of the University’s academic staff are either currently enrolled in the course or have successfully completed the program.

Priority objective To consolidate the position of James Cook University as a university of international standing, committed to excellence in teaching, research and scholarship with a clear regional focus
Strategy	Performance to date
Identify factors impacting on student retention and graduation rates and implement appropriate interventions: provision of study skills support to over 1500 students on the Townsville and Cairns campuses in the first six months of 1998 organisation of a student mentor program for new students in both Townsville and Cairns exit interviews with students who drop out of their courses	See Table 3 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes
Use Graduate Destinations Survey (GDS) data of the Graduate Careers Council of Australia (GCCA), supplemented by local data, to establish employment benchmarks: undertake surveys of community perceptions, including substantial input from actual and potential employers of JCU graduates, on a three-year cycle establish Advisory Committees at Cairns and Townsville, specifically including employer representatives	Using the weighted scores developed and circulated by DETYA in its report Characteristics and Performance of Higher Education Institutions, which estimate the expected graduate outcomes given the student population and regional employment attributes, JCU scores four per cent above the national mean, lying tenth among Australian universities.
include regional representatives of the professions in relevant faculty or school-level advisory committees establish desired attributes of a JCU graduate	See Table 4 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes See A JCU graduate below

Table 1: Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) Outcomes and Targets

Indicator *	1995	1996	1997	Target (2003)
Good teaching 3-5 4-5	75.6 41.3	75.6 43.1	77.7 46.4	above national means
Generic skills 3-5 4-5	84.9 59.5	86.1 60.3	85.9 62.9	above national means
Overall satisfaction 3-5 4-5	84.5 59.3	85.3 60.0	86.5 67.8	above national means

*Percentages of respondent questions answered in categories 3-5 or 4-5 (that is, in the three or two most positive categories) of CEQ surveys

Table 2: Student Evaluation of Teaching*

Indicator	Sem 2 1995	Sem 1 1996	Sem 2 1996	Sem 1 1997	Sem 2 1997	Sem 1 1998
JCET workload fairness items	3.88	3.89	3.87	3.9	3.94	3.88
JCET teaching quality items	4.53	4.56	4.54	4.60	4.54	4.59
JCET assessment quality items	4.32	4.30	4.31	4.35	4.32	4.39

*Questions relating to workload, teaching quality and assessment quality are scored on a six-point scale as follows:

Workload	1 = too low	6 = too high
Teaching quality	1 = very poor	6 = excellent
Assessment quality	1 = very poor	6 = excellent

Table 3: Student Retention Rates

Indicator	1996	1997	1998	2002 Target
Student retention rates - first-to-second year	72%	72%	73%	75%

Table 4: Employment Outcomes for JCU Graduates

Indicator	1995	1996	1997
Percentage in full-time study *	20.5	21.3	25.0
Percentage in full-time employment (as a proportion of those available for full-time employment) *	80.9	78.2	78.4
Percentage available for full-time employment *	70.2	68.4	65.9
Median starting salary ($’000) *	27.0	28.0	29.0

* as reported in the Graduate Destination Survey

A JCU graduate

Our aim is that JCU graduates should be appropriately equipped to take their place in the world as informed and responsible citizens. We will assist them to gain the experience and skills that will enable them to become valuable members of society, and to take a rewarding place in the workforce. Our graduates will demonstrably possess:

a coherent and disciplined body of skills, knowledge and values in one or more discipline areas
the ability to think, speak and write logically, clearly and creatively
numeracy skills appropriate to the discipline studied
information technology skills and the ability to apply those skills in the acquisition, organisation and presentation of information
capacity for critical thinking and analysis

We will foster in our graduates:

leadership skills
interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in teams
the ability to adapt knowledge to new situations
the skills and motivation to pursue lifelong learning
social and environmental responsibility
an understanding of Indigenous issues and history as they relate to specific disciplines

Research

Priority objective To consolidate the position of James Cook University as a University of international standing, committed to excellence in teaching, research and scholarship with a clear regional focus The University’s Research Management Plan provides a framework for assessing research performance against national and international criteria of excellence. The University’s goal is to consolidate its place in the top 12 research universities in Australia on a per capita basis by 2003
Strategy	Performance to date
Research concentration: identification by a competitive process of up to eight areas of research excellence or potential excellence funding selectivity, so that the identified areas receive substantially increased discretionary research funding, including targeted funding for research infrastructure	See Table 5 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes
Research improvement: staff development in grant proposal and publication preparation peer review of grants prior to submission seminars from representatives from the ARC and other research bodies funding mechanisms to facilitate progressive transition from internal to external funding targeted funding for early career researchers advice on funding opportunities monitoring of contractual compliance assistance on development of collaborations with industry, including commercialisation	See Table 5 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes

Table 5: James Cook University Research Outcomes and Targets

Indicator	Per capita ranking
	1995	1996	1997	1998	2000	2003
External Comparisons
Australian Research Council (ARC) large grants	12	9	8	9	9	8
ARC fellowships	7	5	3	na	5	5
ARC total funding	12	13	10	10	12	10
Research quantum (RQ)	15	15	15	15	15	14
Income	$ million
ARC large grants	1.86	2.14	2.47	2.3	2.5	3
ARC total funding	6.84	8.13	9.41	8.86	9	9.8
National competitive grants (CGs)	4.61	5.26	6.15	6	6.5	7.6
RQ - total research income (see Endnote 2)	9.24	8.69	9.08	8.9	10	10.5
Cooperative research centre (CRC) income	2.08	2.92	3.73	3.8	2.9	3.5
Other	percentage
RQ as % of operating grant	5	4.5	4.9	5.2	5.1	5.5

Management

Priority objectives

To foster an organisational environment which supports and values the work of all members of the University community as we seek to achieve our shared goals

To diversify the sources and expand the scale of the University’s income, and strategically manage expenditure, to increase our independent ability to pursue our priorities

Strategy

Performance to date

Commission and implement findings of management review

Critical outcomes of the management and organisational reforms over the period 1996 to 1998 include:

the appointment or replacement of most of the university’s senior management
aggregation of some 38 independent academic units (not including CRCs) into 17 schools and one centre
aggregation of schools into five faculties (a reduction from the previous seven), each led by a Dean with executive responsibilities
devolution of a range of management and resource allocation responsibilities from the centre to the faculties

Strategy

Performance to date

aggregation of the administrative and support functions of the University into three divisions, each led by a Pro-Vice-Chancellor or Vice-President
redefinition of the role and composition of the Academic Board.
decoupling the link between professorial appointments and the role of Head of School

reduction in the number of Deputy Vice-Chancellors from four to one

Constantly review and improve budget allocation processes

Linkage of resource allocation to performance and strategic direction; balanced budget position; integration of key financial drivers (students, staffing, finance) into management reporting; increased emphasis on resource management against budget and on long-range forecasting of results

See Table 6 for performance indicators and quantitative outcomes

Table 6: James Cook University Sources of Income

Indicator	1995	1996	1997
Total income ($000’s)	123 573	125 446	119 593
% of income generated through research activity	12.2	12.7	14.6
% of income from non-government sources	18.0	18.4	17.8

Community service

Priority objectives

To engage with our region so that the University becomes an integral and inseparable element of the economic, cultural and intellectual life of northern Queensland

To develop fully the potential of the Cairns and Townsville campuses within a unified James Cook University identity, and to foster in both Mackay and Mt Isa an increasing sense of being integral parts of the JCU community

Strategy

Performance to date

Establish strategic alliances with key individuals, communities, organisations and industries in the region

Appointment of Deputy President (Community Liaison)
Establishment of two Vice-Chancellor’s External Advisory Committees - one in Cairns and one in Townsville
Establishment of Indigenous Australian Reference Committee; extend committee advisory to Vice-Chancellor

The Vice-Chancellor has become a member of Cairns and Townsville Chambers of Commerce

Strategy	Performance to date
Offer intellectual and cultural leadership to the region	Sponsorship of (for example): the Australian Festival of Chamber Music Theatre Up North North Queensland Concerto Competition local history photographic archive the establishment of a sports foundation Development of a permanent community orchestra
Assess, support and enhance the level of University input into the community through both work-related and private activity conduct internal surveys of University staff; survey and evaluate community perceptions of the University and its graduates	27 per cent of staff respondents to internal survey perform volunteer community work 22 per cent of staff respondents have had University work supported by community contributions of cash, goods or services 75 per cent of staff respondents reported interaction with the community on University business involving service provision See Table 7
Develop closer, formal linkages with regional TAFE colleges and with selected private providers	Extension of TAFE credit transfer and articulation arrangements. Establishment of JCU/TAFE 2*2 (see Endnote 3) degree structures

Table 7: Community Perceptions of James Cook University and its Graduates

In 1998, under the auspices of the newly-appointed Deputy President (Community Liaison), the University recommenced an annual survey of community perceptions and expectations of JCU. The surveys will be conducted alternately in Cairns and Townsville, and will explore a range of issues and responses from identified core groups such as schools, employers and community service organisations. Key indicators to be monitored are as indicated below.
Indicator	2000 (Cairns)	1999 (Townsville)
JCU graduate’s preparedness for work	available 07/2000	available 12/1999
JCU graduate’s level of academic knowledge	available 07/2000	available 12/1999
JCU graduate’s ability to apply his/her knowledge in the workplace	available 07/2000	available 12/1999
JCU graduate’s interpersonal skills	available 07/2000	available 12/1999
% of respondents indicating that JCU meets community expectations	available 07/2000	available 12/1999

Contact

Professor Rhondda Jones, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Ph: (07) 4781 5451
Fax: (07) 4781 5452
Email: rhondda.jones@jcu.edu.au

^Endnotes

1. James Cook Evaluation of Teaching - a program through which all subjects are evaluated by students at least once every three years, or more frequently at the request of either students or staff

^{2. Total competitive research grants income
for JCU is national competitive grants, other public sector research income, industry and
other research funding. Cooperative Research Centres are not included
3. Two-year TAFE diploma course followed by
two-year JCU degree course}

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