Meet the Executive: Parramatta campus

Monday, 22 July 2013

A summary of matters discussed at ‘Meet the Executive’ is provided below:

 

Recruitment of the new Vice-Chancellor

The Chancellor is going to make a presentation on the preferred candidate to a special meeting of the Board of Trustees on Monday, 29 July 2013.  It is anticipated that an announcement regarding the new Vice-Chancellor will be made shortly after this meeting.

Universities Australia meeting with Senator Kim Carr

The Acting Vice-Chancellor, along with other Australian Vice-Chancellors, met with Senator Carr, Minister for Higher Education, last week.  The key issues discussed were uncapped undergraduate places in Australian universities, ‘quality’, the efficiency dividend, and the $2,000 limit on self-education expenses.  The Coalition has recently affirmed that it does not intend to bring back the ‘caps’.

International Students

Australia’s Autonomous Sanctions Regime, including the Defence Trade Controls Act, was discussed following a comment about UWS’s efforts to increase international student enrolments.  The autonomous sanctions only apply to international postgraduate research students from certain countries listed on the DFAT Sanctions website, and will not impact the recruitment of international undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students.

Postgraduate Research Student Scholarships

The number of Australian Postgraduate Awards offered by the University has increased in recent years, due to growth in its Australian Competitive Grant income; however, UWS has cut back the number of funded postgraduate scholarships it offers.  UWS currently receives only a handful of International Postgraduate Research Scholarships.

UWS researchers are including scholarships in their grant applications and UWS is exploring other ways to increase the number of scholarships it offers to postgraduate research students, both domestic and international.

Accommodation on the Parramatta Campus

The Parramatta CBD location should be ‘open for business’ from the start of Quarter 1, 2014.  Council approvals will shortly be sought to undertake building works and the academic planning for the campus is progressing.

The University is seeking funds to build a new Science building on the Parramatta campus.

UWS Summer and Progression Rules

The Chair of Academic Senate is leading a review of the Progression and Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Policy, particularly as it relates to UWS Summer.  The outcomes of the review will be communicated clearly to students.

Students participating in UWS Summer will have access to academic advisors.  Assessment planning for the three Summer sessions is being carried out by the Schools.

Office of Advancement

Recruitment activity is underway for an Executive Director, Advancement to expand the University’s capability and performance in attracting philanthropic funds.

The Board of Trustees recently established a new Foundation Council.

Campus Life

The University is looking to create low-cost ways for students, including international students, to connect socially with each other both on- and off-campus.

A recent survey conducted by Universities Australia has found that two-thirds of Australian university students have reported incomes below the poverty line, and that student debt levels have soared by 30% in the previous six years.

UWS Sport Strategy

Western Sydney Wanderers FC has expressed an interest in developing a partnership with UWS.