2.

ACTION ON SENATE RESOLUTIONS

LAST SENATE MEETING – 16 August 2004
Resolution / Action taken since last Senate meeting / Action outstanding
S/81/2004: request the WA Government to amend section 12 of the Murdoch University Act to reduce the maximum size of Senate from 25 to 19 members. Authorise the Returning Officer to re-open nominations for the elected academic position that falls vacant on 28 October and hold a ballot for that vacancy only. Invite the student and Convocation Senators to form a working party to advise Senate on how the 2 student and 2 alumni Senators should be elected, incl. whether one of these positions should be for a research postgraduate. / Request for legislative changes transmitted to the Minister for Education on 20 August. On 30 August State Cabinet approved the drafting of legislative amendments to comply with the National Governance Protocols, as per the joint request submitted by the universities.
Nominations for the one academic member of Senate were invited on 26 August. Four nominations were received, and voting is now underway.
The Working Party met on 7 September. Its report is included in these agenda papers. / Liaison during the legislative drafting process.
Voting to be counted and result declared on 27 September.
S/82/2004: recommend to the State Government that the Murdoch University Act be amended as set out in the Joint Request for Legislative Amendments. / Request transmitted to the Minister for Education on 20 August. On 30 August State Cabinet approved the drafting of legislative amendments to comply with the National Governance Protocols, as per Part A of the joint request submitted by the universities. Parts B and C have been deferred for consideration next year: these contained requests for legislative amendments that were not required by the Protocols, some of which are common to all universities (Part B) and others which were requested by individual universities (Part C). / Liaison during the legislative drafting process.
S/87/2004: Senate hold a retreat on the weekend of 12 and 13 March 2005 or 2 and 3 April 2005. / All Senators were emailed on 18 August about their availability on these two weekends. A recommendation from the Chancellor is included in these agenda papers. / Senate to approve the date, and Governance Working Party to plan the retreat.
S/91/2004: approve the Statement of Governance Principles. / A printed copy was sent to each Senator on 31 August. / -

è

ITEMS OUTSTANDING FROM PREVIOUS SENATE MEETINGS
S/48/2004: to appoint Mr Malcolm Macpherson as chair of a working party to review the use of revenue from endowment funds generated by commercial activities. / Due to the need to co-opt other independent members on the Working Party, no further meetings have yet been held. A new member has now been identified and it is hoped that the Working Party will resume work in late September. / Working parties to meet and to report to Senate.
S/25/2004: to revive the working party on University companies, to review University policy in this area.
S/2/2004: request the External Chairs Working Party to review and recommend on changes to the Guidelines for the Naming of Chairs; request Director of Development, with OFM, to review and recommend on changes to Guidelines on Naming of Buildings and Facilities. / Recommendations included in the agenda papers for this meeting of Senate. / -
S/28/2003: a series of measures stemming from the Cox review of Senate. / - / Nominations Committee to identify what particular skills and expertise should be sought when elections are held for Convocation Senators. Senate Committee Chairs to meet to consider whether it would be useful to have a session on chairing skills and, if so, what form that should take.