Reports from the Vice-Chancellor, President of the Academic Board and key Senate Committees on happenings since the last Senate meeting. Management dashboard - a new and useful one page report providing an overview of the progress of key strategic initiatives, along with risks, opportunities and financial indicators.
Members were treated to an inspirational speech by student Kyle Mendezona, a beneficiary of a UQ Merit scholarship. Kyle is from a disadvantaged background in regional Queensland, and the Young Achievers scheme, funded by philanthropy, was the difference between Kyle getting to one of the world's top 50 universities (UQ) and not. The first in his family to go to university, Kyle is studying business management and intends to return to his community in western Qld to make a positive contribution and inspire other youth.
Senate, as a collective of individuals, has been considering doing something to help more students like Kyle to meet the costs of coming from a disadvantaged and/or regional/remote backgound to live on campus while studying at our great University. Showing leadership as donors for a specific cause has captured the imagination of Senators, and an announcement of a new initiative is likely in the coming weeks/months.
Members were updated on other aspects of philanthropy to the University.
The University's new advertising agency, Ogilivy, gave a presentation on its market research in the domestic student market and premiered advertising to be used in various media, including the new 'Always Find Your Way' TV commercial that has since hit the airwaves as part of the ongoing 'Create Change' campaign.
A number of proposals to make the transaction of Senate business more efficient, including new member induction, improved terms of reference for Senate Committees, structure of Senate meeting agendas, format of reports and submissions, etc were put forward. Most were uncontroversial. However there was debate about whether a proposed Senate Charter was needed (given an Act of Parliament states the role of Senate). It was argued that a Charter would augment the Act and give members the detail around their roles and responsibilities in a single document. Some members had no problem with an explanatory document to sit alongside the legally-enforceable Act, but not a Charter that itself could be seen to usurp the Act through being legally enforceable. Legal advice is being sought.
My own view of the draft Charter is that, under 'Duties of Senate Members', it is heavy on confidentiality and abiding by the UQ Code of Conduct for Staff, without any mention of transparency and accountability to stakeholders. The balance seems a little wrong to me. Hence the tension between what sometimes appears in this blog and the sensibilities of certain UQ executives. Oh well, only a few months to go - I am not standing for another term on Senate - time for some new blood. My blog will then stop.
