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Agenda
8.00
Registration and coffee
8.50
Opening remarks from the Chair
Dr. Susan King, Executive Director (Governance & Planning) / Council Secretary, Edith Cowan University
Dr. Susan King, Executive Director (Governance & Planning) / Council Secretary, Edith Cowan University
NATIONAL REVIEW AND REFORM
9.00
After the Bradley & Cutler Reviews
Prof. Ian Chubb AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, Australian National University
- The big changes to the governance and regulatory landscape –the student voucher system; accreditation of higher education providers; establishing a national regulatory and quality agency and streamlining current regulatory arrangements
- How do the reforms impact the way universities operate? How are universities responding?
- Implications for the functioning and work load of councils/senates and university management
Prof. Ian Chubb AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, Australian National University
9.40
IP practice, policy and reform - issues for Universities
Philip Crisp, Special Counsel, Australian Government Solicitor
Philip Crisp, Special Counsel, Australian Government Solicitor
10.20
Morning tea
CONNECTING UNIVERSITIES WITH VET
10.40
Remodelling VET governance: towards a National Training System
Philip Bullock, Chair, Skills Australia
- The Skills Australia Discussion Paper on governance, VET system architecture and market reform – should we have a single Tertiary/Higher Education system?
- From design to implementation of a new governance framework for the National Training System – hurdles and opportunities
- The involvement of states, industry, government and peak bodies in making a system that is agile and responsive to change and allows for inform decision-making
- What will the National Training System look like? How will it work? How can we ensure that the new system is sustainable?
Philip Bullock, Chair, Skills Australia
11.20
Governing the bridge between University and VET
Linda Brown, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Director TAFE, Swinburne University of Technology
- Effective governance models for pathway programs
- Harmonising to reporting and managing dual sector programs
- Governing the mixture of competency-based units with the VET System as a part of higher education degrees
Linda Brown, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Director TAFE, Swinburne University of Technology
12.00
Developing cross-sector qualifications linkages
Di Booker, Principal Policy Officer, Australian Qualifications Framework Council Secretariat
- AQF’s role in connecting VET and university qualifications models
- Creating student focused competency-based and meritbased systems
- New national policy/guidelines on credit arrangements
Di Booker, Principal Policy Officer, Australian Qualifications Framework Council Secretariat
12.40
Luncheon
COMMONWEALTH AND STATE POWERS
1.40
Finding a way to deliver tertiary education reform
Dr. Steven Stern, University General Counsel and Professorial Associate, Victoria Law School, Victoria University
- The power divisions between Commonwealth and State
- What additional specific issues are relevant to Commonwealth regulation of TAFE Institutes established under State Acts, given implications of Bradley Review recommendations?
- Why a national framework is desirable
- Proposing a national framework implemented by agreement between the Commonwealth and the States
- What conditions would need to be in place to convince States to relinquish their powers? What might the final framework look like and how might it operate?
Dr. Steven Stern, University General Counsel and Professorial Associate, Victoria Law School, Victoria University
2.20
Assessing the possible effects of reform on State Governments
Catherine Vandermark, Branch Manager, Quality Branch, Higher Education Group, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Andrew Rolfe, Director, Higher Education, Department of Education and Training, NSW
Ian Kimber, Executive Director, Office of Higher Education, Department of Education and Training, QLD
Brendan Sheehan, Director Higher Education, Governance, Department of Industry Innovation and Regional Development, VIC
- What the States currently do and what might a new and different regulatory system mean for States Governments?
- The concept of cooperative federalism in relation to sovereignty entitlements
- Effective regulation vs. the dangers of over regulation
Catherine Vandermark, Branch Manager, Quality Branch, Higher Education Group, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Andrew Rolfe, Director, Higher Education, Department of Education and Training, NSW
Ian Kimber, Executive Director, Office of Higher Education, Department of Education and Training, QLD
Brendan Sheehan, Director Higher Education, Governance, Department of Industry Innovation and Regional Development, VIC
3.10
Afternoon tea
MINIMISING LEGAL RISK
3.30
Competition law and regulation in higher education
Wendy Peter, Partner, Allens Arthur Robinson Former member, Monash University Council
- Competition law in the higher education sector
- Universities and VET in the area of trade and commerce
- Areas where competition laws are applicable, the pricing of student fees, IP, mergers and in exclusive dealings
- Identifying when Competitive Neutrality is applied and cases where certain activities should be exempt from competition policy
- Financial and public accountability
- Penalties for non-compliance of competition law
- Non-compliance case studies - lessons and advice
Wendy Peter, Partner, Allens Arthur Robinson Former member, Monash University Council
4.10
Ensuring effective governance and minimising legal risk
Dr. Steven Stern, University General Counsel and Professorial Associate, Victoria Law School, Victoria University
Richard Fisher AM, General Counsel, The University of Sydney
Dorothy Collins, University Secretary and General Counsel, The University of Queensland
- What are the major risks facing governing Senates/Councils and their advisers?
- What are the personal liabilities of Senate/Council members, their advisers and senior management?
- What policy and procedural principles should be established to ensure effective governance?
- Other key measures available to minimise risks
- To what extent may GCs safely perform non-legal roles?
Dr. Steven Stern, University General Counsel and Professorial Associate, Victoria Law School, Victoria University
Richard Fisher AM, General Counsel, The University of Sydney
Dorothy Collins, University Secretary and General Counsel, The University of Queensland
5.00
Closing remarks from the Chair
5.10
End of day one
8.30
Coffee and networking
8.50
Opening remarks from the Chair
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
9.00
Developing an effective quality standards approach
Dr Stephen Jackson, Director of Reviews, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK
- The history of developing the QAA
- Features of the QAA processes, such as the external and internal audit approaches to handling investigations into institutional non-compliance with academic standards
- Comparing the QAA to the rise of the Tuning Process in the EU – what are the weaknesses and strengths of the different systems?
- How does the QAA compare to other systems?
- Eeatures of a good academic quality assurance system
Dr Stephen Jackson, Director of Reviews, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK
9.40
The future of quality management in Australia
Dr. David Woodhouse, Executive Director, AUQA Prof. William Lovegrove, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Southern Queensland
Prof. Graham Webb, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of New England
- Views on AUQA and the future of audit quality and enhancement in Australia
- The Higher Education Review and towards a new national quality agency that encompasses vocational training and higher education – discussing the features of this system as set out in the Bradley Review – how will this system work?
- Ideas for improving university audits
Dr. David Woodhouse, Executive Director, AUQA Prof. William Lovegrove, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Southern Queensland
Prof. Graham Webb, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of New England
10.30
Morning tea
EXPLORING GOOD GOVERNANCE
10.50
Understanding the ABC of University Governance - seeking a balanced focus on:
Prof. Garry Carnegie, Professor of Accounting, University of Ballarat
- Scholarship (Academic governance)
- Performance (Business governance)
- Conformance (Corporate governance
Prof. Garry Carnegie, Professor of Accounting, University of Ballarat
11.25
Governance issues for controlled entities and joint ventures
Ian Yates AM, Deputy Chancellor, Flinders University
- Management structures, appointing boards and the allocation of resources
- Application of corporations laws to university entities
- Identifying operational and performance risk, including investment decisions
- The monitoring of staff behaviour and time through the control entity, including activities outside their research and teaching - the ethical issues attached
Ian Yates AM, Deputy Chancellor, Flinders University
12.00
Student /staff relations in tertiary governance
David Barrow, President, National Union of Students
- Working with students on governance matters
- Features of good student/staff relationships
- Case studies showing effective student/staff relations on university boards and councils
David Barrow, President, National Union of Students
12.30
Luncheon
1.30
Good governance and decision-making processes
Prof. Trevor Waring AM, Chancellor, The University of Newcastle
Prof. Stephen Parker, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Canberra
Anne Cusick Deputy Chair of the Committee of Chairs NSW/ACT & Provost, The University of Western Sydney
- Are personality clashes inevitable or inevitably bad for decision-making?
- Decision-focussed negotiation
- Decision or death by-committee? How to make or break good governance
- Collaboration or consultation - what works for university decisions?
- Stakeholders, regulators and managers: the university decision triangle
Prof. Trevor Waring AM, Chancellor, The University of Newcastle
Prof. Stephen Parker, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Canberra
Anne Cusick Deputy Chair of the Committee of Chairs NSW/ACT & Provost, The University of Western Sydney
GLOBAL CHALLENGES
2.20
The implications of ratification of the Bologna Process for university governance in Australia
Prof. Sue Elliott, Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching, Learning and Equity, The University of Melbourne
- The move towards the harmonisation of international standards and requirements
- Australia’s response to the EU push to make the Bologna Process global
- The future of global harmonisation processes in higher education and the implications for Australia
- Governance issues in relation to the Bologna Process
Prof. Sue Elliott, Pro Vice-Chancellor Teaching, Learning and Equity, The University of Melbourne
2.55
Effective sustainability reporting
Leanne Denby, Director of Sustainability, Macquarie University
- Issues with applying the Global Reporting Initiative
- Assessing alternative, university specific sustainability reporting systems
- Effectively implementing a university-wide sustainability programme
- Successfully measuring, recording, monitoring and reporting sustainability
Leanne Denby, Director of Sustainability, Macquarie University
3.30
Afternoon tea
RISK MANAGEMENT
3.45
Implementing and maintaining first-class risk management practices within a University
Michael Schmidt-Liermann, Director Risk Management & Audit Office, Australian National University
- Becoming a first-class provider of audit assurance, risk management and management consulting and advisory services
- But,what is first class? Defining our terms
- Measuring and benchmarking risk management
- Reviewing, recording and reporting risk management
- Assessing the adequacy of management information
- Evaluating effectiveness and adequacy of compliance programmes
Michael Schmidt-Liermann, Director Risk Management & Audit Office, Australian National University
4.20
Risk Management - The TAFE perspective
Peter Kowald, Deputy Chief Executive, Operations, Canberra Institute of Technology
- Views on risk management principals and practices – how might these differ from the university approach?
- Strategic risk and issues for TAFE institutes
- Controlling, monitoring, mitigating and reporting risk
- Council/Board members and their responsibilities in terms of managing risk
Peter Kowald, Deputy Chief Executive, Operations, Canberra Institute of Technology
4.55
Closing remarks from the Chair
5.00
End of conference
