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Institutional mission To be one of the finest and most innovative modern universities in the world and to lead the way in higher education in Australia [The Monash Plan 1998–2002]. Statement of commitment to quality assurance and improvement Monash is committed to the highest quality outcomes in teaching, learning, research, management and student support, as well as a wide range of professional and community activities, both nationally and internationally, and across all of its diverse campuses. It is committed to an over-arching culture of quality based on explicitly defined responsibilities in the pursuit of continuous improvement in all of its activities and the scrutiny of its standards, processes and systems. The University’s rigorous approach to quality assurance and enhancement is encapsulated in the Monash planning and review cycle. Achievements in the area of quality assurance The high quality of our activities has been recognised nationally by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (CQAHE) which placed Monash in the top band for all three main strands of University endeavour: teaching and learning, research outcomes and community service, and internationally by the Global Alliance for Transnational Education and in both the 1997 and 1998 Asiaweek surveys of Asia’s top universities. In late 1997 the University’s Distance Education Centre was awarded quality certification under the International Organisation for Standardization’s ISO 9001 standard on quality management systems. In The Good Universities Guide Monash has been consistently rated as a prestigious university, acknowledged for its high standard of programs and educational quality assurance. Monash planning and review cycle The Monash Plan 1999–2003 sets clear goals and future directions for the University and continues a rolling five-year process of robust institutional planning and development which ensures that strategic decision making is linked to budget allocations and informed by sound monitoring and scheduled reviews. The Monash Plan, and the suite of rolling three year operational plans which support it, are key elements in the University’s quality assurance strategy. During the coming years, the University will refine the Monash planning and review cycle to more closely integrate quality improvement and enhancement processes with strategic planning, thereby featuring quality assessment and improvement more formally in the day-to-day activities of the University. Monash already has in place a wide range of quality assurance activities, described fully in the 1993, 1994 and 1995 submissions to the national CQAHE and the 1997 matrix prepared for the Higher Education Council. Information derived from a more comprehensive and systematic University quality assurance framework will be fed into the annual updating of the Monash Plan, especially its targets and strategies, and the revision of the operational plans which underpin it. The Vice-Chancellor has executive responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of the Monash Plan and reports directly to the University Council via its Corporate Planning Committee. Monash has adopted a coordinated approach to both the devolution of responsibility and monitoring of progress to faculties, relevant administrative units and committees, particularly the Academic Board, the Education Committee and the Off-shore Quality Assurance Committee which are largely assigned the remit for quality assurance. In relation to research the University has established the Committee of Associate Deans (Research) and the PhD and Scholarships Committee. This system of accountability is designed to instil confidence in the quality of Monash programs and services. University-wide performance indicators form part of Monash’s overall strategic monitoring and review process. The data below have been collected for the period 1996-98 and highlight the University’s performance in respect of quality assurance against each of its core activities. Monash uses both qualitative and quantitative measures of performance which, when taken together, provide a more balanced assessment of the quality of the University’s activities. 1. Major goals for educating scholars and professionals Monash seeks to develop and maintain a flexible teaching and learning environment which embodies three key themes – innovation, engagement and internationalisation – and which provides undergraduate and postgraduate education of the highest quality.
The following key strategies are designed to pursue the above objectives.
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| Performance in learning and teaching activities against objectives The University’s ability to attract high quality school leavers to its undergraduate programs continues to improve. The number of students enrolled at Monash University has increased over the period 1996 to 1998, from 41 543 to 42 207. The University continues to attract a large number of international students, with a 22 per cent increase in the number of enrolments over the three years. Median TER scores for Monash have steadily increased from 77.8 in 1996 to 79.3 in 1998. Although there are variations across campuses, at its largest campus, Clayton, the median TER score has been consistently high - 82.9 in 1996 and 83.9 in 1998. Monash’s share of school leaver’s first and second VTAC preferences, as at May of each year, has been maintained over the period 1996-98 at around 18 per cent. Data are still being further developed on these indicators. Monash graduates’ attributes A goal of the Monash Plan is that courses will enable graduates to: enhance their intellectual and cultural curiosity as a preparation for autonomous, self-directed, life-long learning; seek the imaginative approach to problems and to attempt always to set the agenda rather than follow the well trodden path; have the knowledge, competence, skills and attitudes that will enable them to lead and accomplish in their chosen employment fields in Australia or overseas; have a broad and critical understanding of knowledge in order to encourage and enable a continuing professional approach to work, community responsibilities and personal development; and have an understanding of different cultures that enriches experience and challenges assumptions. [The Monash Plan 1999-2003] Monash has set in place a number of key strategies in its Learning and Teaching Operational Plan to ensure the development and maintenance of these attributes in courses; course monitoring, course reviews; course and subject approval forms; award specifications; enhancement plans and assessment policies. Monash will continue to regularly assess the quality of its teaching activities by: undertaking annual peer review of programs; establishing appropriate benchmarks for its programs; establishing course advisory committees with both external academic and industry membership; closely liaising with professional bodies, including those which offer professional membership through external accreditation processes; and, tracking student entry and exit attributes. Graduate destination survey (GDS) Monash continues to successfully provide high quality and relevant undergraduate and postgraduate education.
#Source: GCCA, 1997 Graduate Destination Survey (April 1998) The outcomes of the Graduate Destination Survey showed that over the 1996-97 period Monash graduates under 25 were pursuing their studies at a considerably higher rate than elsewhere in Australia. Monash graduates have continued to be in high demand by employers, once again holding a labour market share well above the national and Victorian norm. In part this attests to the quality of Monash programs, in that Monash graduates under 25 in some fields of study enter employment at a higher rate than their counterparts elsewhere in Australia. The proportion of Monash graduates seeking full-time employment has fallen significantly relative to the rest of Australia. The trend to lower unemployment rates for Monash graduates is a welcome improvement and further attests to the relevance and attractiveness of the University’s programs and the esteem in which it is regarded by employers of skilled professionals. Course experience questionnaire (CEQ) Overall, the low institutional response rate (1995:58.9 per cent, 1996:58.2 per cent), coupled with the small size of the samples used in the analysis of the fields of study, generated data from the CEQ which was unreliable in terms of deriving valid conclusions about students’ perceptions about the quality of Monash teaching. The University notes that doubt remains as to the validity of the CEQ as an instrument for use in institutional-level performance indicators. Monash supports improvement to the CEQ and in that context will be making strenuous efforts to improve the overall response rate and those achieved in specific fields. Monash outcomes in relation to the CEQ scales "good teaching", "generic skills" and "overall satisfaction" showed the high percentage of students who were broadly satisfied with the quality of Monash teaching over the 1995-96 period. The overall student satisfaction indicator for this period showed that Monash was slightly higher than the system-wide percentage and actually performed as expected given the University’s subject and student mix.
#Source: DETYA CEQ outcomes data (18 June 1998) *Percentage of students across all Australian universities The University’s provision of high quality outcomes for its graduates is also reflected in its consistently higher than the national average retention rates and its maintenance of the national norm in student progression rates.
#Source: The Characteristics and Performance of Higher Education Institutions (DETYA Occasional Paper Series, November 1998) *Percentage of students across all Australian universities 2. Major goals for advancing and applying knowledge Monash seeks to: advance and apply knowledge across all academic disciplines; maintain a vigorous postgraduate program in which new scholars and researchers learn the principles of quality scholarship and research; and to collaborate nationally and internationally in the pursuit and application of knowledge.
The following strategies are designed to achieve the above objectives.
Performance in research activities against objectives The value of the University’s total research income increased from 1996 to 1998, from $49.9m to $51.3m (estimated). The total level of competitive grants income rose between 1996 and 1997, from $26.4m to $26.6m. However it slightly declined in 1998 to an estimated $24.8m. The number of higher degree research completions at Monash rose between 1996 and 1997, from 409 to 443. The proportion of teaching and research and research only staff who have published in at least one of the priority categories increased between 1996 and 1997 from 48.8 per cent to 53.6 per cent. 3. Major goals for becoming global Monash seeks to become a global university in a way which broadens the opportunities available to Australian based students and staff, strengthens its capacity to perform its national and international roles and reinforces the resource base of the University.
The following strategies are aimed at moving Monash towards the above objectives.
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| Performance in international activities against objectives Monash has steadily increased the number of international students enrolled between 1996 and 31 March 1998 (from 5795 in 1996 to 7099 in 1998). The University continues to attract international students to a range of levels of study such as postgraduate coursework degrees and undergraduate courses (from 5144 in 1996 to 6381 in 1998). There has also been a large increase in the number of international students studying in the off-shore/distance education modes. Over 1996-98, there has been a steady increase in the number of Australian students studying a semester overseas (from 178 in 1996 to 193 in 1997 and 238 in 1998). 4. Major goals for enhancing infrastructure and support Monash seeks to:
The following strategies are intended to achieve these objectives.
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| Performance in enhancing infrastructure and support against objectives Monash continues to ensure that staff numbers are consistent with the University’s strategic plan and promoting the advancement of women within the University. Over the period 1996-98 academic staff have constituted around 47 per cent of all University staff. Of these, 36 per cent are women. In 1998, 19 per cent of the University’s academic staff are at level D and above. Around 10 per cent are women. In 1998, four per cent of the University’s general staff are at level 10 or above. Of these, one third are women - an improvement from 30 per cent in 1997. Monash continues to increase the diversity of its income sources. In 1996, Monash received 47.4 per cent of total income from government grants, in 1997, 43.9 per cent and it is anticipated that in 1998 only 38.1 per cent of total income will be sourced from government grants. Monash continues to maintain its capital stock. There has been a considerable shift in emphasis of capital expenditure in recent years. In 1996, a quarter of the budget was allocated to maintenance and refurbishment. In 1997, 40.7 per cent was spent in this manner and it is planned to at least maintain this level over 1998. Monash continues to effectively serve and support its students. In early 1998, a University-wide survey examining satisfaction with the enrolment process showed that approximately three-quarters of respondents found the enrolment services within the faculties to be good or excellent. Ninety per cent found the Student Services’ enrolment process to be either good or excellent. These findings are consistent with performance in other years. Monash continues to be a community resource, committed to participating in the intellectual life of the wider community and to contributing to public debate. These values are reflected in its community service policy and demonstrated in the activities of its External Relations and Community Services Task Force. Monash initiatives during 1998 include extending the schools’ Transitions Program, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) joint venture to deliver educational services to the Asia-Pacific region, the strengthening of links with the vocational education and training (VET) sector, the establishment of the Green Inc new technology and business centre at Gippsland, engaging in further co-operative projects with the City of Monash, planning for expansion of performing arts activities, developing strategies to increase alumni involvement and the establishment of its first full off-shore campus, Sunway Malaysia.
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