Confirmed Minutes
MEETING
College of Science Executive Committee Meeting
MEET NO.
9/2024
PRESENT
Prof Kiaran Kirk (Dean, CoS and Chair)
Dr Kate Bisshop-Witting (College GM)
Prof Joan Leach (CPAS)
Prof Saul Cunningham (FSES)
Prof Lilia Ferrario (MSI)
Prof Stuart Wyithe (RSAA)
Prof Craig Moritz (RSB)
Prof Alison Rodger (RSC)
Prof Dorrit Jacob (RSES)
Prof Cedric Simenel (RSPhys)
alternate
Prof Adrienne Nicotra (Assoc. Dean Research)
A/Prof Tony Travouillon (Assoc. Dean HDR)
A/Prof Pierre Portal (Assoc. Dean IDEA)
Prof Sasha Mikheyev (Assoc. Dean International)
A/Prof Merryn McKinnon (Assoc. Dean Education)
APOLOGIES
Prof Tim Senden (RSPhys)
IN ATTENDANCE
Ms Nancy Richardson (Manager, Executive Support, CoS) – Committee secretary
Ms Kylie Barnes (Executive Officer)
Ms Angela Ryan (Executive Assistant)
VENUE
Science Conference Room
DATE/TIME
Wednesday 2 October 2024 / 9.30 am
CONTACT
Nancy Richardson (xx.xxx@xxx.xxx.xx), ext. 59515
The meeting commenced at 9:30am
1.
Welcome, Apologies and Announcements
Apologies were noted from Tim Senden. Cedric Simenel was welcomed as Tim’s alternate for the
meeting.
2.
Guests
There were no guests at this meeting.
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3.
Matters for discussion
3.1. Future Research Talent program for 2025 –
for decision
Sasha provided his perspective on the matters raised in the paper and emphasised that the
FRT program allows us to tap into the selection process of the top Indian institutions, noting
that these are ‘harder to get into than Harvard’. A decision on whether, or to what extent,
FRT is run in 2025 needs to be made within the next few months before offers go out.
The Committee agreed that the program offers benefits including a boost to our reputation
in India and the ability to engage with potential PhD candidates in a low-risk manner.
The Committee postponed deciding on 2025 but expressed strong support for the FRT
program continuing in some form. Funding for, and cost/benefit of, the program will be
assessed in comparison with other initiatives requiring funding.
Sasha left the meeting temporarily
3.2. HDR Scholarships Equity Extensions proposal –
for decision
Pierre noted that the changes that had been requested by the Executive Committee at its
last meeting have been incorporated, the most important of which being that it has been
made more explicit that the ‘long’ extensions will not be granted automatically.
The Committee endorsed the proposal for immediate implementation.
3.3. Future Fellows salary savings
The Committee discussed the various practices at Schools and agreed to leave the decision
as to what to do with salary savings from Future Fellowships in each School to School
Directors, whilst noting that a maximum return of 50% of salary saving might be considered
an appropriate benchmark maximum in those cases in which a staff member on a continuing
recurrently-funded position is successful in gaining a fellowship.
3.4. CoS Service Awards
The Committee agreed to offer Service Awards again this year, with awards for Leadership,
I.D.E.A., Individual Performance and Team Performance, however, without an ‘experience’
being offered as a prize as has been the practice over the last few years.
4.
Minutes
The unconfirmed minutes of the 10 September 2024 meeting were endorsed without change.
Sasha returned to the meeting
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Ml NUTES I COS EXEC
8.
Report from College General Manager
•
Excess leave: Kate asked Directors to continue to work with staff who have excess leave and
who do not have a plan in place to reduce it, both to encourage better work-life balance and to
assist with the University's financial situation. Kate will seek clarity on the mechanism by
which excess leave will affect our budgets.
•
Invoices awaiting approval: There are many invoices waiting for approval across our Schools
and this affects our ability to understand our financial situation at any point in time. Directors
were asked to encourage School Managers to do the approvals without delay.
•
Student administration update: At the August professional staff forum on 'Stream 3'
realignments, Kate discussed an initial proposal to bring the reporting lines of School staff
working in student administration / HOR into the College. This proposal has been put on hold
pending advice from the DVCA on her approach to the realignment.
ACTION ITEM
DETAILS
WHO
Status
ID
9/2024
Report from College Seek clarity on the
Kate Bisshop-
NEW
8.0.
GM - Excess leave
mechanism by
Witting
which LSL will
affect our budgets
from 2026
9.
Report from Associate Dean (Education)
•
Student caps: the caps on international student entries are still not confirmed but indicative
numbers are 300 - 400 students fewer than we were allowed to enrol in 2024. Merryn will
hold a planning session with the Associate Deans Science Education to explore ways to
market the vertical doubles, which will help us retain students for longer. Our programs also
offer unique combinations not available in other universities, giving us a useful selling-point.
•
Transition to Canvas: Moodie will still be available into 2026 so content will still be available
and accessible. However, there is a cost associated with retaining this access so it may not be
available for the full year. Accordingly, conveners are encouraged to download what they want
to keep
now. Early-access users are getting training in using Canvas, starting this week. A lot
more will be happening in this space in October/November as the transition ramps up.
•
Deferred exams: Cos and CHM are running a pilot deferred examination session immediately
following the scheduled examination weeks in November. This is to enable more rapid
resolution of results, particularly for any potential graduands, but also to inform and facilitate
changes to timing of academic progress processes in the future. Deferred exams will be held
19-29 November in Haydon Allen with Schools collaborating to ensure sessions are invigilated.
Communication will be sent to CoS/CHM students by Science Enquiries to make them aware
of this. There will be another deferred examination in February for those who miss the
November make-ups.
•
Extenuating Circumstances Applications (ECA): In line with upcoming exams, we are expecting
a commensurate uptick in the number of ECAs submitted. Convenors are asked to familiarise
themselves with the new platform and to respond to emails from ECA notifications as soon as
possible. Dealing with these quickly will limit the stress and anxiety for students and the
number of emails conveners will receive. The SharePoint site with instructions for staff (text
and short video) is found here:
https://anu365.sharepoint.com/sites/ExtenuatingCircumstancesApplication
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10.
Report from Associate Dean (HDR)
•
International scholarships: Allocation of international scholarships was completed this month
using the new model developed by Tony, and it appears to have gone well with Schools
expressing satisfaction with the process.
•
Documents out for feedback: Two documents have been circulated to the Associate Directors
(HDR) asking for feedback by 20 November: (a) proposed changes to milestones and (b) an
update of the research rules of award. Directors were asked to look at these documents.
11.
Report from Associate Dean (Research)
A peer review session will be held on 14 October for the ARC Industry and Future Fellowships.
A workshop will be held on 31 October to assist those planning to submit an Expression of Interest
for the next ARC Discovery Projects round. The first hour will entail strategy advice from different
perspectives – experience with the NZ Marsden scheme; College Research Office; ARC College of
Experts; and a ‘pitch’ writing lesson from Business Development. The second hour will see
participants looking at past successful EoIs and draft EoIs to try and apply the lessons learned
from the first hour.
12.
Report from Associate Dean (I.D.E.A)
Pierre reminded Directors that their initial report on progress on the Equitable and Diverse Hiring
strategies is due to him prior to the November Executive Committee meeting. These initial reports
should focus on qualitative measures as the HR data is not yet available.
In 2025, Pierre will work with his counterpart in CASS on two community events – one on
neurodiversity and one on menopause.
13.
Report from Associate Dean (International)
The uncertainty on international student caps and potential exemptions, e.g. on agreements in
which students do part of their degree in another country, continues to make strategic planning
difficult. The reality, however, is that we are under enrolled in relationship to our cap.
Dorrit left the meeting at 10:55 am
14.
School Reports
14.1. CPAS
Professor As agreed: s 47F - Public Interest Condi ga ve a k
eynot
e address in Addis Ababa to the annual meeting of
UNESCO chairs.
The CPAS Responsible Innovation Lab is running a symposium on large language models and
science communication on 4 October.
14.2. FSES
Saul noted that course convenors who regularly use the Kioloa Coastal Campus want better
communication about changes to the campus induction process. There is a feeling that the
changes have left visitors more exposed to risks involved when swimming at the beach near
the campus. Kiaran agreed to raise the matter for discussion at the next Kioloa Management
Committee.
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14.3. MSI
The new ANU-CNRS agreement, discussed in detail at item 14 of the September meeting of
the CoS Executive Committee, has been endorsed by both sides. The signing ceremony will
take place on 5 November with the Vice-Chancellor and a delegation from CNRS.
14.4. RSAA
The last month has been busy preparing for and holding events for various anniversaries,
including a Symposium celebrating Mt Stromlo’s 100th anniversary on 18 September and the
Siding Spring Observatory’s 50th anniversary today.
Stuart celebrated the first four successful technical specialist stream promotions in the
School.
RSAA researchers are involved in five applications in the Expression of Interest round for
ARC Centres of Excellence 2026, with one being led from RSAA.
14.5. RSB
As agreed: s 47F - Public Inter le d a b
id in the Expression of Interest round for ARC Centres of Excellence 2026.
Adrienne Nicotra has been appointed to the ARC College of Experts.
14.6. RSC
The ACT branch of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute has established an annual award
to recognise the student with the most outstanding PhD thesis in the ACT, honouring the
interdisciplinary work of
,
As agreed: s 47F - Public Intere fo
rm er dire
cto r of RSC.
As agreed: s 47F - Public Intere h as b een s elec ted as a finalist in the 2024 Young Tall Poppy Awards ACT.
14.7. RSES
As agreed: s 47F - Public Interest Co has rece ived funding from the Minderoo Foundation to create a global early
warning system for deadly humid heatwaves.
As agreed: s 47F - Public Interest Co and
As agreed: s 47F - Public Interest Co have
been
in vited to contribute to drafting the IPCC’s
seventh assessment report.
14.8. RSPhys
September saw the School run a number of events including:
•
The Physics Education Centre planning day
•
The Physics Project Market Day
•
The John Carver seminar series
As agreed: s 47F - Public Interes wa
s p resen
ted with the Australian Academy of Science’s 2023 Thomas Ranken
Lyle Medal.
As agreed: s 47F - Public Interest Conditio h as been
s elected as a finalist in the 2024 Young Tall Poppy Awards ACT.
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15. Other Business
Nil to report.
Next CoS Executive Committee meeting: 2.00 – 4.30 pm, 6 November 2024
The meeting concluded at 11.21 am
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