18 August 2009
New Monash University Vice-Chancellor Professor Edward Byrne has unveiled the first steps in his reform agenda, announcing a revamp of the University's faculty and administrative structures.
Professor Byrne said Monash was already a great institution - one of the youngest universities in The Times Higher Education Supplement's top 50 and a proud member of the Group of Eight research intensive Australian universities - which could be made even better.
"We have the potential to achieve a lot more. We already have the right foundations - leading researchers, outstanding research infrastructure and a presence on four continents. The time is right for Monash to become a leader in the region and beyond," Professor Byrne said.
"We need to build on our strengths and those foundations, establishing the best possible framework in which to operate, encouraging efficiency and clarity of direction. We need to work smarter and focus on what matters most - the highest academic quality - as well as taking a 'one university' approach to processes and administration."
Professor Byrne said by the end of 2010 he would complete a structural grouping of Monash University's 10 faculties into four thematic clusters to increase the opportunity for collaboration, create research synergies and introduce greater administrative efficiencies within and between faculties, and the central services areas of the University.
The four clusters are based around established University strengths:
- Biomedical cluster: Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
- Physical Sciences cluster: Engineering; Science; Information Technology
- Social Sciences cluster: Business and Economics; Law
- Humanities and Creative Arts cluster: Arts; Art and Design; Education.
Each faculty will remain a separate academic entity. Each Dean will continue to oversee all academic matters in their faculty. Students will continue to enrol in courses in the same faculty, but may well have access to greater subject choice within their cluster," Professor Byrne said.
Professor Byrne said he would also fine tune the function of the University's senior leadership team, fostering stronger links between the Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Vice-Presidents and Deans of Faculties.
"All great universities go through a regular process of self analysis, improvement and renewal. I am committed to working with professional and academic staff on a process of academic and administrative strengthening over the next couple of years.
"The result can only be a higher-quality teaching and research University, able to deliver solutions to some of the challenges facing our community in health, climate change, sustainability, innovation and social cohesion in the 21st century."
Media contact: Tim Mitchell +61 3 9903 4840 or +61 437 457 780.
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