Faculty of Science

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

SCIENCE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Members
Dean / W/Prof Tony O’Donnell
Deputy Dean / W/Prof Brendan Waddell
General Manager & Executive Officer (Chair) / Ms Christine Richardson
Faculty Managers / Ms Jan Taylor
Ms Abbe Rorrison
Heads of Schools
Agricultural & Resource Economics / W/Prof David Pannell
Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology / W/Prof Linc Schmitt
Animal Biology / W/Prof Sarah Dunlop
Chemistry & Biochemistry / W/Prof Mark Spackman
Earth & Environment / Prof Matthew Tonts
Physics / W/Prof Ian McArthur
Plant Biology / W/Prof Tim Colmer
Psychology / Prof Murray Maybery
Sports Science & Exercise Health / W/Prof Tim Ackland
Up to 2 representatives of Institutes and Centres
W/Prof Shaun Collin
W/Prof Ian Small
Associate Deans
Associate Dean Teaching and Learning / A/Prof Peter Hammond
Associate Dean Research / TBC
Co-opted members
By Invitation

The next meeting of the Science Executive Committee is scheduled for 3:00 pm on Tuesday 16 July 2013 in the Science Library Meeting Room (Rm B446 on the 3rd floor of the Science Library).

Christine Richardson, Executive Officer

1. WELCOME

The Chair welcomes Members to the meeting.

2. APOLOGIES

Members are advised that membership of this committee is as listed above and that a deputy is not required should a member be unavailable to attend a meeting.

3. DECLARATIONS OF POTENTIAL OR PERCEIVED CONFLICTS OF INTEREST - REF: F45668

4. CHECK IN

5. IDENTIFY TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION IN PART IV

Meetings will be structured so that ample time is made available for robust discussion about strategic issues. Members can put forward items for discussion in advance of the meeting. In addition, members will be invited at the start of each meeting to identify items for discussion at Part IV of the Agenda.

6. MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The Minutes of the Science Executive Committee meeting held on 18 June are presented as Attachment A. Members are asked to confirm that those minutes are a true and correct record of that meeting.

For resolution

7. UPDATE ON ACTION ITEMS

ITEM / DUE DATE / RESPONSIBILITY / STATUS
International recruitment in the Sciences / Dean / The VC has asked that the Faculty develop a strategy for increasing its Postgraduate Fee-Paying Overseas Student enrolments. The Faculty’s Internationalisation Plan will be discussed at a future Science Exec.
Associate Dean Research / Dean, Faculty Manager (Academic) / Appointment process is continuing.
Follow up from Science Exec planning session / All members, with timelines as indicated / Update at each meeting
Five Year Staffing Plans / Dean / A summary document has been developed and circulated to Heads of School for feedback regarding accuracy of coding. The Dean will discuss further with each Head of School.
School IT Services / Faculty Managers / Faculty to survey Schools regarding their current handling of IT services.
Faculty Workshop Services / Heads, Faculty Managers / Heads to provide feedback regarding areas of unmet demand in their current workshop support.
Funding of Study Leave / Faculty Manager (Business) / Will be part of wider discussion on strategic funding.
Indonesia Strategy / Tony O’Donnell / To brief members of Science Exec.

ITEMS FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE SECRETARIAT: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

PART I – ITEMS FOR COMMUNICATION TO BE DEALT WITH EN BLOC

8. CENTENARY PROFESSORSHIPS

The revised timeline for the review of the Centenary Professorships is as follows:

Friday 19th July (by 5.00pm) / Submit revised proposals to Christine Richardson
Monday 22nd July / Revised proposals will be circulated to Science Executive for comments
Monday 29th July (by 5.00 pm) / Submit comments on the proposals to Christine Richardson
Wednesday 31st July / Comments on Proposals will be circulated to Science Executive
Tuesday 6th August / Final decision to be made in the meeting of Science Executive

For information

9. MINUTES OF THE SCIENCE TEACHING & LEARNING COMMITTEE

The Minutes of the Science Teaching & learning Committee held on 27 June 2013 are attached for the information of members. Those items requiring endorsement by Science Executive Committee are included separately in this agenda. Attachment B.

Please note that all the Attachments for that meeting , and that are referred to in subsequent Agenda items are available online at http://pacman.fnas.uwa.edu.au/teaching/ and can be accessed via the following directory information.

For information

PART II – ITEMS FOR DECISION TO BE DEALT WITH EN BLOC

10. Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science (coursework and dissertation) (72530)

Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science (72330)

Graduate Certificate in Environmental Science (72230)

The following item was discussed at the Science Teaching and Learning Committee meeting held on 27 June 2013 and was referred to the Science Executive Committee for approval and forward transmission to Academic Policy Services.

Members were provided with the rules for the Master of Environmental Science (coursework and dissertation) (72530) (see http://pacman.fnas.uwa.edu.au/teaching/). which reflected the changes approved by the Teaching and Learning Committee meeting held on 28th March 2013. In summary, a new specialisation in Geographic Information Science and Environmental Management had been added, incorporating two new units, and aligning the new specialisation with the existing specialisations in Environmental Management, Land and Water Management and Marine and Coastal Management.

The School of Earth and Environment proposed changes to the rules for the Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science and Graduate Certificate in Environmental Science to ensure consistency between the three courses.

Students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate will take four of the five core units offered in the Graduate Diploma and the Masters Degree.

Students in the Graduate Diploma will take all of the core units and select three options, in line with the specialisations contained in the Masters.

As a result there is a clear progression between the Certificate and the Diploma and the Diploma and the Masters. Students may still change direction between the Diploma and the Masters however this will entail taking additional units.

It was RESOLVED 37/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the proposed changes to the rules for the Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science and Graduate Certificate in Environmental Science be approved.

11. Geoscience

Master of Geoscience (coursework) (72550)

Graduate Diploma in Geoscience (72350)

Graduate Certificate in Geoscience (72250)

Members were advised the School of Earth and Environment proposed the following changes:

Admission requirements

The admission for all three Geoscience degrees is amended to specify that students must have a geology major or equivalent that aligns with the academic requirement for the UWA Geology major, effective immediately.

Unit Name Change

Amend the name of GEOS4415 from Mineral Geoscience Special Topics to Applied Geoscience Topics. This unit is based on UWA students completing two short courses on offer through the national Minerals Geoscience Honours program (of which UWA is a partner), administered by the Minerals Tertiary Education Council. The short courses are now broader than topics in mineral exploration and include coal basins (taught by University of Newcastle) which are more aligned with petroleum geoscience.

There is no other change to the content, assessment mechanisms or outcomes of the unit. Attachment E to that Agenda refers (see http://pacman.fnas.uwa.edu.au/teaching/).

It was RESOLVED 38/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the proposed changes to the admission requirements be approved.

And

It was RESOLVED 39/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the unit name change from GEOS4415 Mineral Geoscience Special Topics to Applied Geoscience Topics be approved.

12. Master of Ore Deposit Geology (70590)

Members were advised the School of Earth and Environment proposed the following:

Change to rules

The 24 point research project MING5521/5522/5523/5524 Minerals Geoscience Project Parts 1 to 4 be removed as optional units from the degree. Subject to approval from the Course Coordinator/Head of School, students admitted to the degree with a completed Honours or Graduate diploma which included a research component, will be permitted to substitute four coursework units with the project units MING5521/5522/5523/5524.

Course availability

Due to the availability of coursework units, course availability will be amended from fulltime/part time to part time only.

Addition to Group A Options

That the new unit MING5505 Mineral Exploration and Data Analysis is added to Group A Options.

Attachment G to that Agenda refers (see http://pacman.fnas.uwa.edu.au/teaching/).

It was RESOLVED 40/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that approval be given to remove the 24 point research project MING5521/5522/5523/5524 Minerals Geoscience Project Parts 1 to 4 as optional units from the degree

And

It was RESOLVED 41/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the course availability be amended from fulltime/part-time to part-time only

And

It was RESOLVED 42/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the unit MING5505 Mineral Exploration and Data Analysis is added to Group A options.

13. URBAN AND REGIONAL Planning

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (72560)

Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning (72360)

Graduate Certificate in Urban and Regional Planning (72260)

Change to rules

The Graduate Certificate in Urban and Regional Planning currently contains the Unit PLNG4410 Geography and Planning Practicum however the pre requisites is 24 points at level 4 or 5, thus making students enrolled in the certificate ineligible. The School of Earth and Environment proposes that this unit is removed from the certificate rules.

Attachment H to that Agenda refers (see http://pacman.fnas.uwa.edu.au/teaching/).

It was RESOLVED 43/2013 To recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the unit PLNG4410 Geography and Planning Practicum be removed from certificate rules.

14. Sport Science, Exercise AND Health

Master of Exercise Science (thesis and coursework) (52510)

Master of Exercise Science (coursework) (52510)

Graduate Diploma in Exercise Rehabilitation (50380)

Graduate Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management (51390)

Graduate Diploma in Work Health and Safety (52330)

New unit SSEH5678 Sport and Recreation Management - from 2014

Members were advised that a recent School review had concluded that there was too much choice at level three and the School should be strengthening the Graduate program. As a result, a new unit was proposed for the Master of Exercise Science as an option in specialisation in Behavioural Science and as a core unit in the Graduate Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management. The proposal is to replace the Level 3 unit SSEH3377 Management in Sport Health and Recreation with SSEH5678 Sport and Recreation Management; and that the unit SSEH3377 Management in Sport Health and Recreation is made NA in 2014.

As a consequence of including SSEH5678 as a core unit, the number of points taken as Group B optional units in the Graduate Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management is reduced from 12 to 6.

Changes to units from 2013 - SSEH5689 Physical Development Movement and Health

The School has requested that this unit is offered from the Albany Campus during Semester 2, but in a non-standard teaching period from November 2. The unit is a core unit in the Master of Teaching, in the Early Childhood Specialisation. The Faculty of Education have decided to deliver the degree through the Albany Campus and requested that the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health deliver this unit in November, over three days at 10 hours per day. The contact hours will be the same as for the unit delivered in Crawley from 2014 and comprises a combination of seminars, practical sessions and lectures.

Proposed dates: Start date: 2 – 4 November 2013

End date for final assessments: Monday 2nd December 2013.

SSEH5569 Physical Development Movement and Health (Crawley); new contact hours 10 x 3hrs per week.

Change of unit name from 2014 - SSEH5634 Advanced Neuromuscular Biomechanics

The School proposes changing the name of SSEH5634 to Principles of Musculoskeletal and Locomotor Biomechanics to better reflect the unit content and unit outcomes.

Units to be deleted from 2014

SSEH9601/0 MEd Thesis (Sport Science, Exercise and Health) Parts 1 and 2

SSEH3337/8 Practical Aspects of Movement Part 1/2.

Units to be made available from 2014

SSEH3333 Practical Aspects of Movement (6 pts) available in Semester One

Changes to Rules

SSEH5692 Research Practicum II and SSEH5694 Research Colloquium appear in the Graduate Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management and the Graduate Diploma in Work Health and Safety are both options. However, students without prior professional experience must take SSEH5692 Research Practicum II, and those with professional experience and who are currently employed in sport and recreational management must take SSEH5694 Research Colloquium.

Attachment I to that Agenda refers (see http://pacman.fnas.uwa.edu.au/teaching/).

It was RESOLVED 44/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the unit SSEH5678 Sport and Recreation Management be approved and SSEH3377 Management in Sport Health and Recreation be made NA in 2014

And

It was RESOLVED 45/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the unit SSEH5689 Physical Development Movement and Health be offered from Albany campus during Semester 2 in the non-standard teaching period ie 2-4 November 2013 with the end date for final assessment being Monday 2 December 2013

And

It was RESOLVED 46/2013 to recommend to the Science Executive Committee that the new contact hours of 10 x 3 hrs per week for the unit SSEH5569 Physical Development Movement and Health (Crawley campus) be approved