Issue 3, Tuesday 15 April 2003

Caulfield Campus Major Development

Information Bulletin Number 1

Academic Building

Construction of a new academic office building and multi deck car park will commence in late July 2003. The Academic building is 20,000 sq metres in area and will accommodate postgraduate functions, teaching spaces and Monash University companies. 5,000 sq metres of space have already been allocated to the faculty of Business and Economics (Accounting and Finance, and Economics) The car park has a capacity of 762 cars. Both buildings will be complete by mid 2005.

The site for the new project is north of the Central common adjacent to Dandenong Road.

Some early works to relocate existing underground services will commence in late April this year.

The construction of new premises for Community Services and the Childcare Centre is already underway. Both will be relocated to their new premises in late June. The Childcare centre will cater for 50 children and be located in Derby road. The new Community Services will be located in building “B”.

Child Care Centre

The new Monash University Child Care Centre is located in the Derby Rd shopping strip to the west of the Caulfield campus. The centre will be complete and operational by July of this year. The new location is close to Caulfield train station, the plaza shopping centre and has allocated parent drop off and pick up car spaces provided in Derby Rd. The Centre will provide services for 50 children, an increase of 20 from the existing centre on Dandenong Rd and will incorporate current best practice children's services space, furniture, landscaping and security design. It will operate between the hours of 7:30am and 5:30pm Monday to Friday all year round and is open to students, staff and the wider Caulfield Community.

 Community Services

The relocation of Community Services from the old house at 7 Princes Avenue to the south side of level 1 of Building B (on Sir John Monash Drive) is well underway.  The new fit out is progressing well with new purpose built facilities covering both the medical and counselling aspects of the service. 

A new campus prayer facility has also relocated from the old Flats building at the back of 7 Princes Avenue into level 1 of Building B providing for more usable and appropriate space for this function on the Caulfield campus.

Inaugural Caulfield Campus Social Tennis Tournament - Mixed Doubles

Grand Finalists in the inaugural John White Social Tennis Tournament were Lynne Macdonald  and Bradley Williamson  vs. Steve Worthington and Melissa Latu-Lutui.  Lynne Macdonald and Bradley Williamson were the eventual winners with a score of 6-2.

Grand Finalists: Lynne Macdonald & Bradley Williamson vs. Melissa Latu-Lutui.  

The event held over two weeks was a terrific success, which enabled staff and students to meet in a social (at and times competitive) environment.  

Special thanks to the sponsors for their support of the event: the  Campus Manager's Office, Facilities & Services and the Fitness Centre. 

Recently retired Campus Director, John White presents the runners-up with their trophies.  

 John White and the 2003 Winners - Lynne Macdonald & Bradley Williamson.  

The New Student Services Centre 

Over the past month you might have noticed a good deal of activity going on behind the large cyclone mesh fences in Queens Avenue.  There have been excavators, pile drilling rigs, concrete trucks, and lots and lots of construction workers.  The newly developed area is an extension to Building A and an internal refurbishment to the old student services area.

In Semester 2, 2003 the purpose-built Services Centre will be completed at the Caulfield Campus. The single level extension to the west side of Building A will provide the centre, and indeed the building, with a new modern and recognisable entrance.

The centre is intended to facilitate the integrated delivery of a variety of central and faculty student administration services at the campus. An integral component to the successful implementation of the project is the creation of a suitably modern customer service facility that will accommodate a range of services within a professional environment that will encourage improved and enhanced customer service. This Centre will also be an induction or orientation point for new students, a “one stop shop” for counter enquiries and systems helpdesk matters.

This facility will house a contact centre for the university for telephone and other electronic enquiries on a broad range of student matters from across the university as well as dealing with external enquiries.

The aim of the development is to radically improve the current student services offices and provide space for additional services. The focus of the building plan is to create a service centre that will be a dominant visual feature on the Caulfield Campus. The intention is to provide a high level of quality service in an environment, which will be accessed by a diverse client base. For many of these clients this will be the first impression of Monash University.

Key design features

A key design feature of the development is to create a modern facility with an emphasis on the visual impact and location of the service centre.

Lyons, the architects, intended the scale and image of the building to be both monumental and dynamic, a symbol of the University's established success and innovative approach to further education. Seen from the courtyard the highly detailed precast concrete facade forms an intriguing 'new-age' colonnade.

Access to the centre from the courtyard is via a gentle, wide flight of steps or ramp. Beneath the high ceiling of the Services Centre, the large covered outdoor meeting space leads to a foyer space able to hold a large number of people during enrolments and peak periods. Ten open-access computers are located in the foyer, whilst ten services counters are manned by skilled University staff able to answer a wide range of enquires. Four small meeting rooms are also located off the foyer area. The centre connects into Building A, with access to the library on the level above.

 Services Offered

·     Inquiry Counter

·     Interview rooms

·     Student PC terminals

·     Eftpos facilities

·     Facilities for the production of student identification cards

 Some Statistics

·     The new Services Centre extension is constructed on a concrete slab supported on 17 piles drilled to a depth of approximately 9 metres each.

·    The precast facade is composed of 12 uniquely formed panels that interlock to form the colonnade.

·   The precast is complemented by metallic sheet metal cladding matching the profile on the surface of the precast.

Completion Date

Scheduled for June 2003

Project Officers

Bradley Williamson – Project Manager

Contractor

Galvin Constructions

Architect

Lyons Architects

Relay for Life - 2003

Relay For Life is a 24-hour event that raises funds for the Cancer Council of Victoria.  In 2002 the organising committee consisting of Monash University Staff, Monyx Staff and members of the general public managed to raise $115,000.

2002 supporters of Relay For Life included MONSU, Monash University, Monyx, the Frankston City Council, Nova 100 FM, the Frankston Police and the Navy to name a few.

“Relay For Life at Ballam Park is one event where you really feel you are part of something special” said Chairmanager Ravi Chand.

Mr Chand went further to say “Being part of the organising committee is like being part of a family for me. You begin working on an event that takes close to a year to plan and by the time it comes around you form such a strong bond between each other,  that those attending the event can not help but notice”.

Ambassadors for the event include Frankston City Council Mayor Cathy Wilson and Frankston City Council Deputy Mayor Vicki McClelland, Olympian Debbie Flintoff-King, comedian Dave Grant and MLA for Frankston Andrea McCall.

The organising committee is now seeking expressions of interest for people wishing to join the Relay For Life committee in 2003.

Please forward all expressions of interest and queries to Chairmanager Ravi Chand on 0405 100 000 or Ravi.Chand@monyx.com by Friday 18th April 2003.

Is Flu a Risk in Your Work Place? 

What is the flu?

The flu, or influenza, is a highly contagious viral infection of the nose, throat and lungs.  Unlike the common cold, the complications of flu can be serious.

How is it transmitted?

The virus is easily passed from person to person via airborne droplets such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes.  Under the right conditions transmission can also occur by direct contact with an infected person or a contaminated surface.

 Flu can thrive in the workplace as the virus is easily transmitted from person to person in close proximity.  If a person becomes infected they may be sick in bed for several days and restricted in activity for longer.  Their performance at work may also be significantly reduced.

 Thus, getting the flu as a working adult may prove a costly exercise to both employer and employee.

 Vaccination is now available at Monash Caulfield Health Service (Community Services) a bulk billing medical clinic on campus.  Cost:  $15.00.  Please contact our reception on ext 32500 and arrange an appointment with one of our 6 Doctors at Community Services at 7 Princes Avenue (opposite Student Union Gym).

Evening Security Bus Free Service for Staff 

A free evening security bus is available for staff and students. The bus departs from the bus shelter near the gatehouse at half hourly intervals from 5.30pm (first departure time) with 10pm being the final departure
time. The bus operates Monday to Thursday from March to November. The first drop off point on each trip is the Caulfield Racecourse car park and the driver will then drop off passengers within a 1.5km radius of
the campus. Generally each trip takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Further details are available from the Gatehouse on x32211 or from Chris Riskas,
Facilities and Services, on x32212.

Copies of the campus Security/Parking/Transport brochure are available from the Switchboard in A Building, from Facilities and Services in T
Building and from the MONSU Service Desk in S Building.

Campus Social Event - Music Trivia Night

To encourage networking and social interaction with staff a Music Trivia night is planned for Friday 30 May.  

 The Trivia Night will be held in the Gryph Inn at a cost of $10.00 per head (including supper).  Drinks at bar prices.   Faculty and Administration areas are encouraged to get a group together. To register your interest in attending, please email Judy Wrenn judy.wrenn@its.monash.edu.au or Christel Kent christel.kent@adm.monash.edu.au

 Great prizes to be won!!

New Staff Computer Training Lab

There is a new staff computer training lab on the Caulfield campus and it is located on level 5 of 'F' block (F5.01). This staff training lab is a joint venture between the Faculty of Business and Economics and Information Technology Services (ITS), Client Services.

The lab has twelve computers, one of which is the trainer's computer and there is also a multi media projector.

The room can be booked for non-commercial staff training through Judy Wrenn on Ext 32056 (ITS) or Wendy Plones on Ext 32393 (BusEco) during
normal business hours. Booking preference will be given to the two primary stakeholders.

The key to the room can be obtained from the BusEco Technology Services Group Helpdesk.

The software on these systems is managed and licensed by the Faculty of Business and Economics and the installation and modification of the base images will be managed by the Faculty. Installation of other licensed
packages will be offered subject to reasonable lead times. The training lab will be based on a windows XP operating system and the latest versions of Office using Compaq Evos as the base hardware platforms.

Monash Postgraduate Association - AGM

The Monash Postgraduate Association 2003 AGM is to be held at 12.00 noon, on Thursday 1 May, in the Cinema, Campus centre, Clayton campus.

 
All motions to be put at this AGM are required to be displayed on the MPA notice board for a period of not less than 14 days prior to the AGM. 

Any postgraduate wishing to raise a motion at the AGM should submit it to the MPA office (preferably in electronic form) by 5.00pm, Wednesday 16 April, in order for the required notice to the postgraduate community to be given. Please include the names and ID numbers of the mover of the motion and seconder (if there is a seconder), and the contact details of the mover. 

Motions may be emailed to mpa@monash.edu.au
For further information call 9905 3198. 

Seminars 

The Library has arranged for Sue Brown, Manager Staff  Development Unit to present a lunchtime talk on the topic "Managing My Career"  in the Clayfield Room on 16 May at 12.00 p.m.

Staff from other departments are invited to Library staff, please register your interest or for further information please contact Winifred Hirst on 32830.

Department of Accounting & Finance  advise the following Research Seminar Programs:

The Department of Accounting & Finance  advise the following Research Seminar Programs:

16 May Professor Michael Bradbury UNITEC Institute of Technology

The impact of legislation changes on earnings management to avoid earnings declines and earnings losses. 

23 May Professor Stephen Taylor University of New South Wales

Author independence and earning management. 

Caulfield Campus Staff - Profiles for Offcourse

We'd like to profile a staff member on the campus in each edition of Offcourse.  If you're keen/willing to have a short blurb about yourself included in Offcourse please register your interest with Christel Kent and a short list of questions will be sent to you. 

Caulfield Moves

Are you or someone you know making a move this year either to a new job, a conference or through a collaborative venture? Please let Offcourse know. 

Authorised by the Office of the Campus Manager - Caulfield 

Contributions can be emailed to Christel.Kent@adm.monash.edu.au