Annual Report
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ANNUAL REPORT Report on the proceedings of the University for the year ended 31 December 1972. His Excellency, Major-General Sir Rohan Delacombe, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., K.St.J., Governor of Victoria. Your Excellency, The Council of the University of Melbourne has the honour, in accordance with Section 46 of the University Act 1958, to present the first part of its report on the proceedings of the University during the year 1972. In addition to a general account of University activities Part One of the Annual Report includes a statement of income and expenditure in respect of the General Fund as submitted for audit. Part Two of the Annual Report, which will be issued later, will be the audited financial statements. I have the honour to be. Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, LEONARD WEICKHARDT Chancello INTRODUCTION In many ways 1972 was a special year in the history of the University of Mel bourne, not so much because of special achievements during the year but because of certain events which mark the passage of an era, because of a change of fashion and climate in students' political activities, and because of decisions made which affect the future. After five years as Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, the Right Honour able Sir Robert Menzies, K.T., C.H., Q.C., resigned from that office and L W. Weickhardt, Esq., M.Sc, was elected to succeed him. Sir Robert had presided as Chancellor during a period of great financial difficulties, of rapid and some times strenuously resisted re-organization, and of some domestic turbulence. The University owes him a debt of gratitude which will be long remembered. Early in the first academic term there were several attempts made by small groups (some of whom were not members of this University) to disrupt the University's affairs by the use of force and violence and by the threat of violence. After those attempts failed, the comparative quiet which followed enabled many members of the University to make progress with the work needed to change and to develop the University which had been delayed by the earlier fashion for public turbulence. This year was the third year of a triennium in the Australian Universities Com mission's calendar, and, so far as financial planning was concerned, much attention was given to consolidating the financial reforms carried out in previous years and to preparing to meet the demands of a new triennium in 1973-75. As was stressed in the Annual Report for 1971, the capacity of the Students' Loan Fund to continue to assist students in need was dependent on additional capital. With approval of the State Government $250,000 was added to the capital of the Fund from moneys saved at the expense of other University activities during 1970,1971 and 1972. In August 1972, the Fifth Report of the Australian Universities Commission was published and the Commonwealth and State Government's support for its recommendations were made known. Certainly so far as recurrent, as contrasted with capital, grants were concerned, that Fifth Report provided a new and greatly improved basis for the understanding of university affairs and of their management. Apart from the changes and improvements which it made for all Australian universities, it introduced a new factor into the policies of these universities. The older universities, which have little or no growth factor to affect their planning and development, face special problems if they are to avoid stag nation. The Commission was moved to recommend a new kind of grant called a 'General Development Grant". In the events which followed, this University was the only recipient of such a grant supported by both of the Governments involved. In essence this new 'grant' earmarks a part of the University's recurrent moneys to be used only to start approved new developments on the basis that they will be carried on if at all after three, or at the most five years, from other sources so that the amount 'earmarked' will always be available for innovation. In the closing months of the year much of the University's planning attention was given to the devising of means to use this fund in the best interests of the University. COUNCIL Following the resignation of Sir Robert Menzies after a severe illness, Mr L. W Weickhardt was elected as Chancellor for 1972 and Sir William Upjohn and Professor Emeritus R. D. Wright were elected Deputy Chancellors. Professor D. E. Caro was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the beginning of the year. Professor P. W. Whitton was elected to succeed him as one of the representatives of the professors on the Council. Mr D. Wimpole as President of the Students' Representative Council succeeded Mr N. K. McLean as an ex officio member. The term of office of Mr T. G. Brosnan as one of the members of Council elected by the undergraduates expired and Mr S. Ricketson was elected in his place. CONVOCATION AND THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF CONVOCATION In May 1972, Mr S. A. F. Pond was re-elected Warden of Convocation. In September 1972 because of ill health Mr Pond retired as Warden. Mr R. M. Northrop, Q.C., was elected Warden of Convocation in October 1972. The Annual Meeting of Convocation for 1972 was held on Friday 7 April 1972 in the Public Lecture Theatre, Old Arts Building. It was preceded by a buffet dinner for members and their guests in the Union House. After presentation of the Annual Report, the Honourable K. E. Beazley, M.H.R., M.A., addressed the meeting. His subject was 'Universities, Critics, Students, Protest and other Problems'. The Standing Committee of Convocation met nine times during the year and considered 119 items of legislation. In some cases legislation was amended by the Standing Committee. These items were subsequently accepted by the Council. The Standing Committee has continued to nominate one of its members to each of the Faculties in the University. The Council has enlarged the number of its Standing Committees to which a member of the Standing Committee is elected and these representatives have from time to time reported to the Standing Committee on the matters considered by Faculties and Standing Committees of which they were members. During the year elections were held to fill casual representation for represent atives on the Graduate and Standing Committee of Convocation, and the following were elected: In November, Mr D. Dawson, Q.C., LL.B., LL.M.(Yale), was elected as a representative of graduates in Law to fill the position formerly held by Mr R. M. Northrop. In December, MrG. N. Smith, B.Sc, A.M.I.E.(Aust), was elected as a represent ative of graduates in Science to fill the position formerly held by Miss P. G. Ashworth. THE PROFESSORS Professor M. E. Hargreaves, Professor J. R. Poynter and Professor A. Heron were Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Deputy Vice-Chairman of the Board respectively in 1972 and at the end of the year were re-elected for 1973. Professor N. D. Harper (History) retired at the end of February and Professor W. Prest (Economics) retired at the end of the year. Professor F. J. Willett (Commerce and Business Administration) resigned in March to accept appoint ment as Vice-Chancellor of the new Griffith University in Queensland, and Professor R. N. Coe (French) resigned in February. The following Professors took up duty in 1972: Professor D. B. Cheek (Royal Children's Hospital Research Foundation Professor of Paediatrics), Professor I. Darian-Smith (Physiology), Professor B. H.J. McKellar (Theoretical Physics), Professor C. A. Ramm (Dean of the Faculty of Science), Professor C. Robertson (Architecture), Professor S. Rosenblat (Mathematics), Professor C. J. Thompson (Mathematics) and Professor A. J. Wearing (Psychology). Professor J. B. Brown (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and Professor P. N. Joubert (Mechanical Engineering) were appointed to Personal Chairs. ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING Dean: Professor F. W. Ledger The most important event during the year was the arrival of Professor Charles Robertson from Edinburgh University to take up his appointment to the Age Chair of Architecture. The year was one of consolidation and adjustment to the new course structure devised by the Course Revision Committee under the chairmanship of Dr G. Block, assisted, in particular, by Mrs Helen Tippett. Staff and student response to the new course, which involves a wider range of electives and a changed weighting of subjects, was favourable. First indications are that if the basic concepts of the new course are to be adhered to either additional staff will be needed or the range of subjects taught will have to be narrowed. The quota of admissions to the first year of the degree courses in Architecture and Building remained at 75 and 25 respectively. However, during 1972, it was agreed to transfer 10 places from the Architecture course quota to the quota for admissions to the first year of the degree course in Town and Regional Planning. This transfer will take effect for the 1973 academic year. Total enrolments in the School of Architecture and Building in 1972 were 457. Discussions and consideration of the recommendations of the Council Com mittee to Consider all Aspects of Teaching in the School of Architecture and Building were held on a limited scale pending the arrival of Professor Robertson. It is expected that steps will be taken to implement the main recommendations of the Report during 1973 and 1974. In particular it was decided to move towards the incorporation of the department of Town and Regional Planning and the department of Architecture and Building into a new Faculty.