ANNUAL REPORT The University of Newcastle Report of Operations 2018 NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU REPORT OBJECTIVES This Annual Report provides information for Government, students, staff and the local and international communities we support. The Report summarises The University of Newcastle’s achievements in 2018 and outlines our financial position as at 31 December 2018. It reviews activity against our strategic objectives and highlights key milestones reached and immediate priorities for 2019. Our Annual Report is also available on our website at: newcastle.edu.au/about-uon/our-university/annual-report LETTER OF SUBMISSION On behalf of the University, we submit our Annual Report for presentation to Parliament, following a resolution of the Council on 29 March 2019. The Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with relevant legislation including the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983 (NSW). Mr P.E. (Paul) Jeans Professor Alex Zelinsky AO Chancellor Vice-Chancellor and President TRADITIONAL OWNERS We acknowledge and respect the Awabakal, Darkinjung and Birapai peoples, traditional custodians of the lands where our main campuses are located. COVER PHOTO Associate Professor Kym Rae founded the Gomeroi gaaynggal project, a long-term study of Indigenous babies’ and mothers’ health starting before birth and continuing for years into a child’s development, to ensure better outcomes. The Arts Health Program is another of Kym’s projects, providing a culturally safe place to transfer knowledge from Elders and health professionals alike. This new approach sees the past inform the present, and the future preserve the past. 2019 1000 | CRICOS Provider 00109J 00109J Provider 1000 | CRICOS 2019 RANKED 214 in the world1 TOP 200 10 subjects ranked in the top 200 globally2 TOP 8 in Australia for research ‘well-above world standard’3 OVER 90% of our research is ‘at’ or ‘above world standard’3 TOP 9 in Australia for research income (HERDC), $100.8M in total4 1 QS World University Rankings 2018 2 QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018 3 Excellence in Research Australia 2015 4 The Audited Higher Education Research Data Collection Returns 2017 3 OVERVIEW PART 1: OVERVIEW THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE BY NUMBERS 6 CHANCELLOR’S AND VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE 8 ABOUT US 10 CELEBRATING OUR 7TH VICE-CHANCELLOR 13 KEY STATISTICS 14 YEAR IN REVIEW 16 AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS 20 PART 2: CONNECTING - INNOVATING - TRANSFORMING EXPLORING NEW IDEAS – OUR STUDENTS 28 TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING 38 INNOVATION AND WORLD-LEADING RESEARCH 46 ENGAGING GLOBALLY 54 CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES 64 SUPPORTING AND CELEBRATING OUR PEOPLE 72 WORKING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE 76 MANAGING AND GOVERNING 82 PART 3: FINANCIALS FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 100 SUBSIDIARIES 106 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 108 INCOME STATEMENT 109 STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 110 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 111 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY 112 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 114 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 115 STATEMENT BY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL 185 INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 186 PART 4: COMPLIANCE REPORT A. FIVE YEAR STATISTICS 192 B. ACADEMIC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT 193 AND ASSURANCE C. STUDENT STATISTICS 195 D. EQUITY AND DIVERSITY 196 E. HUMAN RESOURCES 202 F. EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION 208 G. RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 209 H. DIGITAL INFORMATION SECURITY ANNUAL ATTESTATION 210 STATEMENT I. ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING 210 J. ACCESS TO INFORMATION 212 K. CONSUMER RESPONSE 215 L. REVIEWS 216 M. LEGAL MATTERS 217 N. MAJOR WORKS 218 GLOSSARY 222 INDEX 224 PART 1 OVERVIEW The University has made significant progress in its fifty-three year history. As we plan for the future, we will work to maintain our positive local and global presence and to provide our talented students with an enabling and challenging education experience.” 4 | The University of Newcastle 5 OVERVIEW newcastle.edu.au | 5 6 OVERVIEW THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE BY NUMBERS THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE BY NUMBERS No.1 7,221 university in Australia for international 300+ Innovation Connections for enrolments from industry partners ‘industry collaboration’¹ over 114 countries2 2,521 postgraduate students by coursework 1,428 postgraduate students by research $90K median salary ALTERNATIVE for postgraduate ENTRY PROGRAMS employment4 WGEA largest provider of Employer of Choice alternate entry programs for Gender Equality, in Australia 4 years in a row 1. League table 2017, Innovation Connections program, AusIndustry. 2. UON Data Warehouse 7 February 2019 3. Overall Employment - postgraduate coursework Graduate Destination Survey 2018, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018 (qilt.edu.au) 4. UON Data Warehouse 7 February 2019 5. 2019 Good Universities Guide 6. UON Data Warehouse, as at 7 February 2019 7. Excellence in Research Australia, 2015 8. UON Data Warehouse 7 February 2019 6 | The University of Newcastle 7 OVERVIEW THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE BY NUMBERS FACULTIESFIVE Engineering and Built Environment, Health and Medicine, 5-STAR Science, Business and Law and maximum rating for overall experience 5 Education and Arts and social equity 36,677 students from more than 114 nations educated and supported 95%+ TOP 8 by 2,680 staff6 postgraduate in Australia for research ‘well employment rate3 above world standard’7 OVER 142,000 1,000 alumni based in Indigenous enrolments - 145 countries across the globe the University of Newcastle being the first Australian university to achieve this8 newcastle.edu.au | 7 8 OVERVIEW CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGEAND VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT PROFESSOR ALEX ZELINSKY AO AND CHANCELLOR MR P.E. (PAUL) JEANS CHANCELLOR’S AND VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE “We work to support students, at every level of study and from all backgrounds, to achieve and to make a real contribution to society.” This report provides an opportunity to reflect on a significant The University is home to some of the world’s best thinkers year for The University of Newcastle. We have operated in who, through inter-disciplinary research, are addressing the an environment that is increasingly global, complex and major challenges of our time. Our research is enriching our competitive with technological change and constrained student experience and changing lives, with trailblazers like resourcing. Despite an uncertain environment, 2018 was a year Professor Darren Shafren, whose research into the common of growth and planning for the future. cold virus has led to a major cancer treatment breakthrough This year marked a change in leadership with Professor and one of the largest biotech acquisitions in Australian Caroline McMillen departing and the appointment of history.¹ Our Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) program, Professor Alex Zelinsky AO, our eighth Vice-Chancellor and designed by Laureate Professor Jenny Gore, Dr Julie Bowe and President. Caroline’s contribution to the University during her colleagues, continues to support teaching quality and positive seven-year tenure is celebrated within the body of this Report student interactions in the classroom. A $16.4 million grant (see page 13). from the Paul Ramsay Foundation (the largest philanthropic investment for research in the University’s history), will allow Professor Zelinsky’s appointment marks an important juncture the QTR team, the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the NSW in the history of the institution, and highlights our readiness Department of Education to expand the program to cater for to continually renew ourselves, to provide relevant, student- an additional 30,000 Australian teachers over the next five centred education for our students, and deliver world-class years.² Research income is supporting these efforts. We are research with positive community and commercial outcomes. one of only six universities to experience four successive years The financial performance of the University in 2018 remained of Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC) income strong and we continued to strategically invest so that our growth, to be ranked in the top 9 of all Australian universities students and staff can excel. This year, we strengthened and to have earned over $100m in HERDC research income for our approach to responsible investment, including the the first time this year.³ consideration of environmental, social and governance Our teaching programs focus on real-world experience, strong (ESG) issues in our portfolios, while meeting core investment connections to industry and entrepreneurial opportunities. requirements such as risk and return. We continued to capitalise on the opportunities of digital 8 | The University of Newcastle 9 OVERVIEW CHANCELLOR’S AND VICE-CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE innovation, with new teaching tools making learning more accessible, engaging and relevant. The launch of our learner centred, Education Framework, embodies our commitment to the student experience. It supports our students to develop OUR NEW VICE-CHANCELLOR the academic and skills portfolio they need to thrive in PROFESSOR ALEX ZELINSKY AO our workplaces and communities of the future. Our Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) Doctoral Training Professor Zelinsky was born in Wollongong and started Centre is fostering meaningful collaboration with industry and his working life as a cadet engineer at BHP in Port supporting tomorrow’s industry innovators. Kembla and completed undergraduate study at the University of Wollongong (UOW). This year a number of successful initiatives were rolled-out to support the employment