THE UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO
TE WHARE WĀNANGA O WAIKATO
ACADEMIC BOARD: 18 June 2013
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 18 June 2013 in the Council Room
Present:
Professor R Crawford (Chair), Professor B Barton, Dr T Bowell,
Professor K Broughan, Dr K Bryan, Professor B Clarkson, Associate
Professor W Drewery, Mr S Fellows, Professor A Gillespie, Professor B
Grant, Ms S Gyde, Mr R Hallett, Dr D Johnson, Dr A Kingsbury, Mr R
Kyle, Mr A Letcher, Dr D Lumsden, Ms Sandy Morrison, Professor B
Morse, Ms P Ngatai, Ms S Nock, Professor D Penney, Ms K Ross, Dr M
Schoenberger-Orgad, Associate Professor J Tressler and Professor M
Wilson.
In Attendance:
Mrs A Drake, Ms D Fowler and Ms H Pridmore
Secretariat:
Ms M Jordan-Tong and Ms R Boyer-Willisson
13.30
APOLOGIES
Received
Apologies for absence from Ms C Blickem, Professor N Boister, Dr A Campbell, Ms B
Cooper, Professor D Hodgetts, Professor G Holmes, Professor Alister Jones, Professor P
Kamp, Mr T Maxwell, Professor R Moltzen, Associate Professor K Pavlovich, Professor L
Smith, Professor K Weaver and Associate Professor E Weymes.
13.31
CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 22 APRIL 2013
Confirmed
The minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2013 as set out in document 13/232a.
13.32
EXECUTIVE APPROVAL
Reported
That the following items had been approved executively by the Chair of the Academic
Board between 22 April and 18 June 2013:
1. The proposal to introduce a Bachelor of Business Analysis – Management Studies, for
submission to CUAP in Round One 2013, as set out in document 13/83e.
2. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Institute of Directors in
New Zealand (Inc) and the Centre for Corporate and Executive Education, Faculty of
Management, and Te Piringa-Faculty of Law as set out in document 13/71.
13.33
REORGANISATION OF THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Reported
That on 29 April 2013, having considered the advice of the Academic Board, the ViceChancellor had approved the Dean of Science and Engineering’s recommendation for the
reorganisation of the Faculty of Science and Engineering as set out in document 13/67.
Implementation of the new structure would be staged over the next few months.
13.34
REPORT OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR
Received
The report of the Vice-Chancellor as set out in document 13/253a.
Noted in discussion
That the Vice-Chancellor noted his thanks to all staff who had been involved with this
year’s Fieldays event.
13.35
REPORT OF COUNCIL
Received
The report from the 7 May 2013 meeting of Council as set out in document 13/247.
13.36
REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Considered
The report and recommendations of the Education Committee, as set out in document
13/233, in relation to the following items:
1. Constitution of the Education Committee
2. Prescriptions 2014
3. Significant Academic Developments
4. Academic Collaboration Agreement
Resolved
1. Approval of the amendment to the constitution of the Education Committee to
include the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Postgraduate) as an ex officio member.
2. Approval of the Guaranteed Credit Agreement between the University of Waikato
and Brigham Young University, Hawaii as set out in document 13/226.
13.37
REPORT OF THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Considered
The report of the Research Committee, as set out in document 13/234, in relation to the
following items:
1. Open Access Mandate Guidelines
2. Review of Research Centres and Institutes
3.
4.
Research Centre Proposal
Summer Research Scholarships
Resolved
Approval of the proposal for the establishment of the Relational Learning Centre, a new
research centre in the Faculty of Education, as set out in document 13/134.
13.38
ACADEMIC BOARD
COMMITTEE
APPOINTMENTS
TO
SPECIAL
CONSIDERATION
Reported
1. That the Special Consideration Committee had one vacancy for an academic staff
member under constitutional provision six, as detailed in document 13/246.
2. That nominations would be accepted prior to, or at the Academic Board meeting.
3. That any Academic Board member making a nomination needed to have ensured
that they had the consent of the nominee, preferably in writing.
4. That in the case of more than one nomination being received for a position,
appointment would be by way of a simple majority of votes by those Academic
Board members present at the meeting
Resolved
The appointment of Mrs Bev Cooper to the Special Consideration Committee for a term
until 31 December 2016.
13.39
REVIEW OF UNIVERSITY STRATEGY
Considered
The process and timeline for a review of the current University Strategy, and input into
the first stage of consultation, as set out in document 13/250.
Noted in discussion
1. That the aim was to provide the Strategy to Council in December 2013 for
consideration of its final approval. The Strategy was intended to cover the period
2014 – 2017.
2. That specific goals relating to student attainment were in the lower level plans, but
the University’s strategic focus on students could also be encapsulated at the high
level as part of the current goal one.
3. That the Universities of the Future discussion paper would feed into the Strategy
discussion. Academic Board would see a position paper on Universities of the Future
and the Strategy side by side as part of the consultation process.
4. That the secondary school sector was also considering its future direction and it
would be useful to take this into consideration to ensure synergies between the two
sectors.
5. That the current intention was not to review the University’s Vision unless the review
of the Strategy necessitated some change in this document as well.
6. That there was likely to be increased reliance on IT systems in the future, including a
need to build staff capability, and improve hardware and software. This may
necessitate the creation of an IT Plan.
13.40
RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR COUNCIL AND ITS COMMITTEES: PRELIMINARY
REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP
Reported
1. That at its meeting on 20 November 2012, the Academic Board had considered and
recommended to Council approval for changes to the University’s Rules of
Procedure for the Council and its Committees.
2. That as agreed by the Academic Board, the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Executive)
had subsequently convened a working group to develop a set of high-level principles
to underpin the Rules of Procedure and to consider any further changes to the Rules
of Procedure in support of those principles.
3. That the preliminary report by the working group focussed on issues and principles
that applied primarily (though not exclusively) to the Academic Board and Faculty
Boards; subject to the outcome of the Academic Board’s discussion, the working
group would continue to meet with a view to bringing back to a future meeting of
the Academic Board proposals for practical steps to address them.
Considered
The Preliminary Report of the Rules of Procedure Working Group as set out in document
13/254.
Noted in discussion
1. That the Group recognised a need to establish how the University committees could
contribute most effectively to University decision making by identifying the role of
committees and committee members and how these complemented managerial
structures.
2. That there was a sense of disengagement with committee processes, particularly for
Faculty Boards, resulting in problems with achieving quorum and the Group was
looking into why some academic staff were reluctant to attend these meetings.
3. That the Group was thinking about how democracy could work better in some
committees.
4. That point i) referred to “ascertaining a consensus”. It was queried whether this
would be better as “attaining a consensus”.
13.41
STUDY LEAVE REPORTING
Reported
That the University of Waikato Study Leave Policy stated that “The Dean (or equivalent)
sends study leave reports which he or she considers satisfactory to the Deputy ViceChancellor for final approval. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor makes regular reports to the
Academic Board regarding study leave activities and outcomes in terms of their
contribution to the University’s academic strategic goals.”
Received
A report from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in relation to study leave activities and
outcomes as set out in document 13/252.
Noted in discussion
That the statistics seemed to indicate that not all staff in all Faculties were taking the study
leave to which they were entitled.
13.42
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Reported
That the next meeting of the Academic Board will be held on 13 August 2013 at 2.10pm in
the Council Room.
13.43
PROCEEDINGS WITH THE PUBLIC EXCLUDED
Resolved
That the public be excluded from the meeting to allow consideration of the following
items:
1.
2.
Minutes (Part 2) of the Academic Board meeting of 22 April 2013
Report of the Vice-Chancellor (Part 2)
The interests protected under the Local Government Information and Meetings Act 1987
and/or the Official Information Act 1982 which would have been prejudiced by the public
conduct of these proceedings were:

Item 1 affected material previously dealt with in a meeting from which the public
was excluded.

Items 2 affected the disclosure or use of official information for improper gain or
advantage.
Michelle Jordan-Tong
Renée Boyer-Willisson
Student and Academic Services Division
30 June 2013