annual report 2011 Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Australia QUEENSLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2011 QUT CAMPUSES Gardens Point 2 George Street GPO Box 2434 Brisbane Qld 4001 Australia Phone +61 7 3138 2000 Kelvin Grove Victoria Park Road Kelvin Grove Qld 4059 Australia Phone +61 7 3138 2000 Caboolture Cnr Manley and Tallon Streets PO Box 1376 Caboolture Qld 4510 Australia Phone +61 7 5316 7400 ISSN 0819-209X ABN 83 791 724 622 CRICOS No. 00213J www.qut.edu.au © 2012 QUT 118223 1 March 2012 The Honourable Cameron Dick MP Minister for Education and Industrial Relations 30 Mary Street Brisbane Qld 4000 Dear Minister I am pleased to present the Annual Report 2011 for Queensland University of Technology. I certify that this Annual Report complies with: • the prescribed requirements of the Financial Accountability Act 2009 and the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009, and • the detailed requirements set out in the Annual report requirements for Queensland Government agencies. A checklist outlining the annual reporting requirements can be accessed at www.qut.edu.au/about/the-university/annual-report. Yours sincerely Major General (Ret’d) Peter Arnison AC, CVO Chancellor Contents REPORT OF THE QUT COUNCIL FOR 2011 2 INTRODUCTION 3 QUT’S VISION AND VALUES 4 COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE 2011 5 GOVERNANCE 6 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 14 OrgANISATIONAL STrucTurE 2011 16 REALIGNING STUDENT COMPOSITION 18 STRENGTHENING TEACHING AND LEARNING 21 BuILDING QUT’S RESEARCH REPUTATION 25 DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE WOrkFOrcE 29 BuILDING FurTHER QUT’S COMMUNITY 32 FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY 36 FuNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE UNIVERSITY 39 2011 SuMMARY OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 41 QUT AND CONTROLLED ENTITIES—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2011 Income statement 43 Statement of comprehensive income 44 Statement of financial position 45 Statement of changes in equity 46 Statement of cash flows 47 Notes to the financial statements 48 Certificate of the Queensland University of Technology 110 CONTROLLED ENTITIES–FuNCTIONS AND REPORTING ArrANGEMENTS 113 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL REPORT 114 COUNCIL COMMITTEES–MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE IN 2011 173 ADDITIONAL REPORTING INFORMATION Corporate information systems 180 Consultancy expenditure 180 Compliance with Carers (Recognition) Act 2008 181 University policies and programs to support students with a disability or who require care 181 Queensland University Administration Published by The QUT 2011 Annual Report of Technology 2 George Street QUT Marketing and can be downloaded for printing GPO Box 2334 Communication from www.qut.edu.au/about/ Brisbane Qld 4001 the-university/annual-report Australia ISSN 0819-209X Phone +61 7 3138 2000 Website qut.edu.au QUT ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Report of the QUT Council for 2011 Major General (Ret’d) Peter Arnison AC CVO Chancellor I have great pleasure in presenting this report for the year ending December 31, 2011 to the Honourable Cameron Dick MP, Queensland Minister for Education and Industrial Relations, as required by the Financial Accountability Act 2009, the Financial and Performance Management Standard 2009 and the Annual report requirements for Queensland Government agencies. The report also addresses the requirements of the Australian Government’s Financial Statement Guidelines for Australian Higher Education Providers for the 2011 Reporting Period. A checklist outlining the annual reporting requirements can be accessed at www.qut.edu.au/about/the- university/annual-report. QUT experienced strong demand for courses in 2011 and a significant improvement in entry standards. In pursuit of its strategic goal to become a selectively research-intensive university, QUT was greatly encouraged this year by the results of a national research evaluation exercise in which the University was acknowledged for its world-class research across a wide range of disciplines. A solid performance in the major national competitive grant rounds and the attraction of several key research fellowships and awards, including a prestigious Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council to Professor Peter Bartlett, strengthened QUT’s position in the research sector. Success again in national teaching awards and programs and the completion of an extensive refurbishment program that supplied more high-quality, technologically advanced social learning spaces for students meant QUT continued to deliver quality teaching and learning outcomes. The redevelopment this year of the University’s website, incorporating student and staff gateways, provides improved accessibility to online services and information. Efforts to encourage interest in tertiary study as a way of widening the participation of low-income and Indigenous people were rewarded at Caboolture campus where a 29 per cent increase in commencing students from low socioeconomic backgrounds was achieved. Development of research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields became a catalyst for change in 2011, with work undertaken to disband two faculties to make way for a new Science and Engineering Faculty from 2012, and a themed institute in the new $230 million Science and Engineering Centre, which is due for completion at QUT’s Gardens Point campus also in 2012. These ambitions and achievements were underpinned by the University’s strong financial performance and a commitment to best practice in governance and management, for which I acknowledge the contribution of QUT Council members. With diligence and openness, Council members have worked with the Vice-Chancellor and University staff to further QUT’s outstanding higher education and research agenda, and I thank them for their efforts. I commend this report to all our partners and stakeholders, including staff, students, alumni, donors, the professions, the business community, government, the media, and colleagues in the education and research sectors. Major General (Ret’d) Peter Arnison AC, CVO Chancellor PAGE 2 | QUT ANNUAL REPORT 2011 Introduction Professor Peter Coaldrake AO Vice-Chancellor The volatility experienced over recent years in national and international circumstances continued to affect Australian higher education in 2011, and QUT experienced its share of challenges in this eventful year. These began with the Brisbane floods, and included downturns in international student demand, ongoing development of national policy, a comprehensive quality external audit and wild swings in investment returns. While rising to meet such external tests, the University continued its outstanding progress in working towards the goals outlined in the QUT Blueprint. To take just a sample of this progress, in 2011 QUT recorded a significant improvement in the percentage of graduating students who have had an international study experience. We also: • exceeded our targets for research students, with very strong growth in the international research cohort • achieved a strong showing in national competitive research grants • continued to dominate national teaching grants and awards • made substantial progress in redeveloping our programs in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics domains. At the beginning of the year the results of the 2010 national research quality assessment exercise (ERA) were published, verifying QUT’s growing strength with more than 70 per cent of our assessable research ranked world standard or above. Later in 2011 QUT underwent its national quality audit by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) with preliminary feedback being very positive. Both exercises provided clear and independent confirmation that our efforts to focus on quality are on track. On the infrastructure front, the University bedded in a new student administration system, restructured its website, and completed major improvements to the library at Kelvin Grove. The most visible change was the progress made with the new $230 million Science and Engineering development at Gardens Point. This major new set of facilities will be completed in 2012 and will not only transform our efforts in the science, engineering and technology-related fields but also reconfigure the way students, staff and the public interact with the campus. Most importantly, QUT made great advances in strengthening the human dimension of its work. The program of regeneration of the academic workforce continued in 2011, with new high-quality staff joining the University at various levels. Significantly, QUT had a greatly improved result in national research career awards, with Professor Peter Bartlett securing an ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship, and four Future Fellowships and 10 Discovery Early Career Research Awards also being granted to QUT researchers. In 2011 we conducted our fifth climate survey of staff opinion, and the results showed that overall satisfaction is very strong and continues to improve although there are areas that need some attention and improvement. Among the many achievements of our students and alumni, mention must be made of our fifth Rhodes Scholar, Amanda Rojek. This is the second consecutive year that a QUT graduate has been named as Rhodes Scholar, following on from engineering graduate James Tilbury. Once again I thank the many people within and outside the University who have contributed to QUT’s performance throughout 2011, and I acknowledge in particular the leadership and guidance of QUT Council, and the great efforts of all our academic and professional staff. Professor Peter Coaldrake AO Vice-Chancellor