Academic board
July 2006
by Peter Cardwell
Corporate Performance Report 2005
The Pro Vice Chancellor (Organisational Strategy and Change), Prof Hilary Winchester, gave a special presentation on the Corporate Performance Report 2005.
In relation to its Key Performance Indicator targets for 2005, the University had performed well. The University maintained its proportionate share of first preferences for undergraduate places in the state at 44 per cent, and was well ahead of the other South Australian universities.
There were 3,033 international onshore students in 2005, which represented an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year and was well above target. Over the same period, trans-national student numbers declined by 25 per cent to 3,180.
The percentage agreement on the good teaching scale increased to 44 per cent in 2005. The University also improved its position on students’ overall satisfaction with their programs, with an increase of 3 per cent on the previous year to 65 per cent.
Graduate employment outcomes remained steady at 75 per cent, and improvements had been made to the Careers Service.
Equity indicators were good, with a continued increase in the percentage of students from designated equity groups.
During 2005 the University increased its research degree target load to 699, and there were 144 research degree completions. Total research income rose by 14 per cent and research income per capita reached $39,501.
The University’s proportion of gross income from non Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) sources in 2005 was 62.5 per cent. Commercialisation revenue rose to $7.3 million, and international student revenue rose to $57.7 million.
The University achieved a total of 43 per cent female academic staff for 2005, which was well above the national average. Staff holding a doctorate degree rose to 46 per cent from 41 per cent in 2003.
Senior Management Group identified a number of major issues arising from the 2005 review. The main characteristic of today’s environment in relation to staff was the competition for high performing research staff, particularly as universities prepared for the implementation of the Research Quality Framework, and for younger staff in response to the changing demographic profile.
In this context, research workforce planning was seen as particularly important. The University already had around 300 supported researchers, which would expand. A decision needed to be made on what would be a reasonable number of supported researchers in five years time, and what it would take to get there. It was clear that recruitment at the local level was vital to support research activity.
Relationship management was another imperative, and the University needed a clear strategy on how it managed major external relationships such as that with the South Australian State Government.
In addition, there was the need for building capacity for process improvement in a multi-campus institution. The question was whether the University needed a team to manage this process.
The review process had identified some areas for immediate action in 2006. Service teaching was one such area, which had not been addressed for a number of years.
There was a need to achieve the most effective use of resources in student administration.
Indigenous student support for commencing students in the University Foundation program needed to be looked at closely.
Teaching and learning governance structures, and more effective library structures were other important areas needing attention. The Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) would look at these matters.
The Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) would investigate the teaching and research nexus, the level of support provided to research students, professional development for research leaders, and progress with the University’s approach to E-research.
The Executive Director: International and Development would concentrate her efforts on extending the focus of the International Strategy Group from teaching and learning into research, looking at the role of marketing and alumni coordinators, and developing a more holistic approach to scholarships management.
The Pro Vice Chancellor (Organisational Strategy and Change) would look at the pattern of employment of Indigenous staff, patterns of professional development uptake, lost time through injury targets, and how business intelligence might be used more effectively at the local level.
The Executive Director: Finance and Resources had security arrangements in University buildings, and the role of the Student and Academic Services and Finance units in dealing with student debtors as part of his brief.
UniSA response to SACE review
Academic Board unanimously endorsed a response to the report Success for All: South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Review released earlier in 2006.
This followed an extensive consultation process with the University community, and consideration of the Review Report at three successive meetings of the Board. The process included a special presentation by Prof Alan Reid, a member of the SACE Review Panel, at the May Board meeting, which all University staff were invited to attend.