2014 Annual Report
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ANNUAL REPORT 2014 TOP 50 POSITIONED FOR SUCCESS Table of Contents Chancellor’s letter 03 The Melbourne Operating Model 60 The Melbourne vision 04 Sustainability 64 The year in review 06 Council membership 72 Positioned for success: Senior leadership 74 world ranking performance 08 University governance 76 Five-year statistics 11 Statutory reporting 84 Our people 14 Disclosure index 102 Research 20 Index 106 Students and learning 30 Engagement 46 For full financial statements see Volume 2 Front cover image: Brian Lewis Atrium, Melbourne School of Design. Photo by John Gollings Elizabeth Alexander AM Chancellor The Hon Steven Herbert, MP Minister for Training and Skills 2 Treasury Place EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002 20 March 2015 Dear Minister In accordance with the requirements of regulations under the Financial Management Act 1994, it gives me great pleasure to submit for your information and presentation to Parliament the Annual Report of the University of Melbourne for the year ending 31 December 2014. The Annual Report was approved by the University of Melbourne Council at its meeting on Monday 16 March 2015. For the University of Melbourne, 2014 marked another strong year. Demand for undergraduate places at the University continued, with the median undergraduate ATAR remaining steady at 94.25. Graduate offerings saw impressive growth, with a significant increase in demand for graduate coursework and research programs. Research strength was reflected in the University ranking 44th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the highest ever for an Australian University; 33rd in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings; and 33rd in the Times Higher Education University World Rankings (THES). To maintain or indeed to improve these rankings will require adroit and careful management of resources, both intellectual and financial, and in the current circumstances this is going to be a significant challenge. Continuing to strengthen and develop relationships and partnerships with industry and the Parkville medical precinct in particular, is a continuing priority. Council continued to work hard in 2014, and will continue to do so in 2015. In my fourth year as Chancellor it was my pleasure to again lead the Council in its work. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute further to the University’s challenges and successes in 2015. Yours sincerely Elizabeth Alexander AM Chancellor 004 The Melbourne vision The University of Melbourne is committed to being one of the finest universities in the world. As a fine academic institution, Melbourne honours its traditional promise to uphold the scholarly values of intellectual freedom, honesty, openness and rigour. As a fine research institution, Melbourne seeks to harness the strength, breadth and depth of its research to help meet global challenges. As a fine teaching institution, Melbourne aims to attract the brightest student cohorts from the widest range of backgrounds, offering an outstanding educational experience. As a public-spirited institution, Melbourne declares its intention to make research, student learning, and engagement serve public ends. This includes taking up pressing societal problems in research, producing graduates prepared for responsibility, and promoting inquiry and open debate based on evidence and reason. As an internationally engaged institution, Melbourne undertakes to work with overseas colleagues and students to meet global challenges with intelligence, ingenuity, and respect for humanity. As a university with a strong sense of place, Melbourne reaffirms the unique virtues of its campus locale, where face-to-face teaching remains the norm, where scholars gather from across the globe, and where learning communities embrace evolving technologies. Melbourne is a place where great teachers lead talented students to open their minds, share wisdom and face the great unknowns; a place where each new generation can define a future that it values. 005 SCHOLARLY VALUES » intellectual freedom » honesty » openness EXPERIENCE » rigour Providing students with learning experiences to challenge, expand and enrich lives and propel social equity. INTERNATIONALLY ENGAGED Working with overseas colleagues and students to meet global challenges RESEARCH Our vision for research is to ensure excellence that drives impact. 006 THE YEAR ANNUAL IN REVIEW REPORT 2014 This is the first time an Australian institution The year has been ranked in the Top 50 of the in review best research universities in the world. An uncertain public funding and regulatory environment affected all Australian universities in 2014. With major change proposals from the federal government stalled in the Senate, the University focused on maintaining standards of excellence amid the prospect of further externally imposed change. Research Page 20 Ranked 44th in the Academic Hallmark Research Initiatives Research, Innovation and Rankings of World Universities for Ageing Research + Commercialisation (RIC) structure The University of Melbourne was ranked Computational Biology Research As part of the Business Improvement 44th in the Academic Rankings of World Testimony to the University’s collaborative Program, the University implemented Universities (ARWU) from Shanghai research capacity, 2014 also saw the a new professional structure, Research, Jiao Tong University, the first time an establishment of another portfolio of Innovation and Commercialisation (RIC), Australian institution has been ranked mid-sized research networks, ‘Hallmark designed to identify and support opportunities in the top 50 on the ARWU list of best Research Initiatives’, in areas including for researchers to engage more closely research universities in the world. Ageing Research, and Computational with industry and business partners. Biology Research. Students and Learning Page 30 Increase in the demand Increase in Revised faculty structure for undergraduate courses enrolments in MOOCs A review of the Melbourne School of + graduate programs Enrolment in Melbourne’s Massive Open Land and Environment (MSLE), paved the way for a revised faculty structure The University again experienced strong Online Courses (MOOCs) also continued to grow in 2014. The Coursera relationship with the establishment of the Faculty of demand for undergraduate courses with Veterinary and Agricultural Science. increases in the ‘clearly-in’ ATAR scores continues to be a strong part of the online across almost all bachelor degrees. learning strategy. Work during 2014 saw Similarly, there was a significant increase ten MOOCs delivered and a further seven in demand for graduate programs. in production. There were over 640,000 expressions of interest (enrolments). 007 TOP 50 POSITIONED FOR SUCCESS The Outlook In 2015, we will once again strive to be a public-spirited institution, ranked among the finest universities in the world. Engagement Page 46 Boosting philanthropic support Major projects Scholarships The University’s first sustained effort Important construction initiatives were The University was also a founding partner to boost philanthropic support in half heralded in 2014, including the completion with the Westpac Bicentennial Foundation a century, Believe – the Campaign for of the state-of-the-art Melbourne School in establishing the largest private education the University of Melbourne, raised over of Design; a project with the Victorian State scholarship program in Australian history. $103.9 million in 2014, bringing the total Government and private philanthropy worth The $100 million fund will provide to $401.9 million. A number of major gifts more than $40 million to redevelop the Dodds approximately 100 scholarships every year were announced, including a $10 million Street stables into a visual arts wing; and in perpetuity at universities across the nation. donation to develop the Wade Institute the $6.7 million facelift of the University’s of Entrepreneurship at Ormond College; Sports Pavilion, in collaboration with AFL a $10 million donation to establish the Victoria and the Blackwood Trust, and University of Melbourne Poche Centre for significant philanthropic support. Indigenous Health; and a donation valued at over $26 million of the Michael Buxton Collection of Contemporary Australian Art. Business Improvement Program Page 61 At the end of 2014 the Business This Program follows the University’s Improvement Program had completed firm decision in 2013 to respond to a volatile foundations for the transformation of the funding and regulatory environment by University’s administration to a shared reviewing its operating model. The focus services approach. New organisational has also been on improving the quality structures were in place across Chancellery, and effectiveness of support systems Academic divisions and University Services, and processes. with the University on track to realise significant cost savings for reinvestment in research, teaching and engagement. Professor Glyn Davis AC Vice-Chancellor GLOBAL IMPACT IN Positioned WORLD RANKINGS Melbourne’s international student profile of 31% in for success 2014 helped strengthen Global Impact in world rankings. WORLD RANKING PERFORMANCE The University of Melbourne welcomed the release of the 2014 academic rankings POSTGRADUATE of world universities from 49% Shanghai Jiao Tong University, UNDERGRADUATE placed at number 44. 51% RHD LOAD INCREASE 42,653 STUDENT ENROLMENTS RHD load has grown by 9% in the last 5 years contributing 13,193 INTERNATIONAL