VCC key decisions and deliberations

The Vice-Chancellor’s Committee (VCC) is a key advisory committee to the Vice-Chancellor on all matters relating to the management of the University; on the setting of strategic directions and the development of policy.

VCC meets each fortnight and has been quite active in this first half of the year. Here is an overview of some of the key decisions and/or deliberations of VCC over the past six months:

• Approval of the Social Justice Plan
• Endorsing the Faculty of Business name change to the Faculty of Business and Law
• During 2010 VCC agreed to open up the Dean/PVC portfolios in 2011 to allow changes of portfolios in some cases. Over the course of the first few VCC meetings in 2011, the new PVC portfolios were confirmed and advice has subsequently been provided to all staff informing the community of the new appointment arrangements.
• VCC decided that it would be most beneficial for the university community to be made aware of activities and associated progress with the three 2011 Strategic Priority areas. Since this decision, the three Priority Leaders have presented at either VCC, Senior Leadership Forum or UR USQ informing staff of their action plans for 2011.
• The Retention Action Plan was endorsed by VCC noting that the Plan was the culmination of work undertaken in 2010. The purpose of the Action Plan is to improve Retention within USQ. Work continues to be undertaken across a range of Retention activities.
•  ERA outcomes were discussed and noted
• The 2011 Action Plan for International Partners arising from the USQ International Action Plan developed in 2010 was endorsed by VCC. The Action Plan outlined strategies to better leverage the partner channel more effectively.
• Each year the annual Fee Setting process is undertaken by SMD. VCC plays an important role in endorsing the Fees to Council for their approval. This was undertaken in a February meeting of VCC.
• The University’s Structural Adjustment Fund (SAF) Bid has been discussed at a number of VCC meetings.
• The Capital Asset Management Plan 2010-2014 was noted.
• VCC has considered at a number of its meetings in 2011 issues around updating the Fraud Risk Management process and the Strategic Risk Register.
• Professor Gilly Salmon, Executive Director of the Australian Digital Futures Institute (ADFI) provided a very informative presentation to VCC on the strategic directions of the Institute.
• VCC noted that seven regional universities had recently established an informal alliance to work together on common issues and to promote the value of regional universities as a major vehicle for regional development. The first initiative of the Group of seven was to develop a joint Base Funding Review submission for consideration by the federal government.
• Considerations have been given to the development of the Springfield campus as one of the key strategic initiatives of the University.
• Routinely VCC considers a report on the USQ/ANU Alliance to keep abreast of proposed initiatives and their associated progress. At the time of the last report to VCC, it was agreed that further discussions with the relatively new VC of ANU would be arranged to re-establish the commitment to the Alliance.
• Early February there was a Joint VCC/Council Forum where a number of strategic issues were canvassed. VCC has recently considered the Implementation Plan associated with a number of Actions arising from the Joint Forum.
  
  Information will continue to be provided on the business of the Vice Chancellor’s Committee over the next 6 months. In the meantime, should you have any queries concerning the Vice Chancellor’s Committee, please feel free to contact Karen Robertson, Secretary to VCC on extension 5738.