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Geordie Barker’s notes from the Curriculum Committee Meeting held on Thursday the 3rd of July at 10am in the J T Reid Room, Faculty of the VCA.

Academic Board Policies
The main content for the meeting surrounded a new series of policies approved by the Academic Board for implementation. Essentially these policies are University of Melbourne policies that will replace the current policies in place at the Faculty of the VCA.

The policies in question are named as follows:
Unsatisfactory Progress
Advanced Standing (Credit)
Deferment
Over-Enrollment
Course Duration
Leave of Absence
Breadth Study
Elite Athletes & Performers
Defense Reservists & Emergency Volunteers
Remission of Debt Policy

Su Baker submitted a memo stating that the “Unsatisfactory Progress Policy is deemed to be probelmatic, in particular for VCA Drama and therefore a decision must be made regarding course progression in this area.” The discussion relating to this topic centred around the lack of assesment at a mid year level and was not resolved due to the Drama Representative not being present. Su Baker is to set up a meeting with Drama relating to this policy and its implementation. I (Geordie) requested student involvement in this meeting.

The other policies were deemed to be suitable by the committee, excluding the Elite Athletes & Performers Policy. This policy essentially allowed special arrangements to be made for students who “by virtue of their sporting / performance endeavors, have extensive, yet inflexible outside commitments that may interfere with their study.” It was decided that a great deal of students at the college would fall into this category, and that it should not be included.

English Language Entry Requirements - Diagnostic English Language Assessment (DELA)
A Memo was submitted by Rebecca Bywater, for Associate Professor Su Baker, citing another memo by Pip Pattison (President, University of Melbourne Academic Board) regarding arrangements for English Language Entry Requirements, Diagnostic Testing and Support Programs for 2009.

Essentially the document spoke about the Universities committment to “ensuring that all its graduates are able to provide leadership at the professional and community level, to communicate effectively with people from fiverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and to have excellent English language skills.” According to the momo, careful analysis of student outcomes and approaches to English language support was undertaken and “it was agreed that”

“From 2009 all students with a VCE English, English Language or English Literature score in the 25-29 range or a VCE ESL score in the 30-34 range, as well as students with an overall IELTS score of less than 7 (or equivalent) be required to take the DELA test on enrolment at the University and to follow the recommendations for the language support.”

A discussion was held relating to the possible way that this testing could be undertaken, and the language support be carried out. It was suggested that the language support would need to be a non-assesed subject and that it could take place during the timetable block of the common curriculum subject, CFI. No decissions were made from these discussions but it was agreed that the VCA would need to shape a solution to this as 75% of the 1st year undergraduate students were straight out of school and breif analysis of their VTAC data showed that a significant amount of these students, almost half, would fall into this DELA test category.

Breadth Subjects offered by the VCA
A brief conversation was held regarding Breadth subjects that could be offered by the Faculty of the VCA. The subjects will be discussed in more detail at the next Curriculum Committee meeting in August. It was outlined that these subjects would be in addition to the subjects currently offered in undergraduate degrees at the VCA. It was also outlined that the management of these subjects in relation to use of VCA facilities, would have mininal impact on undergraduate students at the VCA Campus.

Undergraduate Report
A verbal report was given. The first item was relating to credit and the soon to be implemented Batchelor of Music Theatre. Students in the current foundation course had queried whether credit would be given to students who had attended past years of the program. The response was that because the course was a Foundation course, the University is unable to obtain credit from it in any form.

The second item was introducing the members of the Curriculum Committee to the new VCAstudents.com.au website and explaining its purpose. The members of the Committee agreed that it was a good resourse and that they would encourage its development.

Overall
There was not a great deal of new information discussed at this meeting. The Faculty of the VCA continues to have Melbourne University processes implemented into its day to day running, and steps more into line with other Faculties at the University. It should be noted that the University of Melbourne, at this stage, sees the VCA as a complex campus, with its own way of operating and it own set of management and staffing structures. Information so far has been given to the management of the VCA for consideration and no real decisions have been handed down without consultation.

The next meeting is Thursday the 28th of August at 10am in the J T Reid Room. I would encourage students with any curriculum related issues to please contact me so that I can raise these concerns at the next meeting. Please also feel free to email me with any questions about the meeting or past meetings, i can be contacted by emailing vca (at) geordiebarker.com

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