AnnRpt2000. book

 
Review of 2000
 
9
However, total student load declined slightly on the previ-
ous year. Work is being undertaken to identify the causes
of the decline.
 
Summary Total Annual Student Load, 1995–2000
 
ANU’s first Pre-Enrolment Advice Day, in January de-
signed to help students make the transition from universi-
ty offer to enrolment, was a major success.
Two new ‘hands on’ science degrees attracted strong inter-
est in December. They are the Bachelor of Biotechnology
and the Bachelor of Medical Science.
Other new courses to be introduced in 2000 and 2001 in-
cluded a Masters of Management and Masters of Manage-
ment (Technology); Graduate Certificate in Dispute
Management; Graduate Diploma in Dispute Manage-
ment; Bachelor of Science (Science Communication);
Bachelor of Arts (Visual); Master of Public Policy (Execu-
tive); Master of Commerce by coursework; Bachelor of
Computational Science; Master of Actuarial Studies;
Graduate Certificate in Actuarial Studies; Bachelor of Bi-
otechnology; Bachelor of Arts (Digital Arts); Master of
Arts in Translation Studies and Graduate Diploma in
Translation Studies; Graduate Diploma in Information
Technology (eScience); Master of Arts by coursework and
research in Aboriginal Studies, Anthropology, Archaeolo-
gy, Biological Anthropology, Art History, Art History and
Curatorship, Classics and History; Master of International
Affairs; Graduate Diploma in International Affairs and
Master of Arts (International Relations); Master of Teach-
ing English as a Foreign Language; Graduate Diploma in
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; and
Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Devel-
opment.
 
Resources
 
Under a deficit reduction strategy implemented in 2000,
The Faculties reduced their deficit by $700,000. The
ANU Council recognised the difficulties facing The Fac-
ulties which were coping with further reductions after
struggling with significant Commonwealth funding cut-
backs. The Council recognised particularly concerns in-
cluding the provision of future equipment and asset
maintenance; fluctuating student enrolments; the high
proportion of fixed costs, difficulties in obtaining equip-
ment donations for teaching and the needs of an increas-
ing number of postgraduate students.
In January, ANU announced a $97.5 million two-part
funding package to boost its strategic plans for growth.
This included $11 million towards information technolo-
gy systems development , a one-off $5 million reduction
in the Faculties’ debt and $10 million for restructuring
and staff development and boosting provisions to meet fu-
ture staff entitlements for long service leave. About $13
million was allocated to establish the ANU Commerciali-
sation (Venture Capital) Fund with $8 million held in the
Endowment for Excellence. A further $5 million was held
for one-off investments and the interest on this helped
fund salary increases.
Staff in August voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new
enterprise bargaining agreement that includes a 12.5% sal-
ary increase over three years. A total of 1382 staff voted for
the proposal. Fifty staff voted against. Voting was con-
ducted electronically and results were finalised in less than
two hours after voting closed. The offer included a 3 per
cent increase paid in July last year (1999) and increases of
2 per cent in September 2000, 3 per cent in September
2001 and 4.5 per cent in September 2002 for a total of
12.5 per cent, or 13.1 per cent compounded.
The University’s Equity and Diversity Unit purchased a
new on-line training program for all staff. The program
takes three hours with a test at the end, and gives users a
better understanding of their rights and responsibilities in
the workplace. It also covers current laws and the Univer-
sity’s equal opportunity policies and procedures.
An innovative poster, designed to highlight the diversity of
people at university, was launched during the year. The
poster, designed by University of Canberra graphic design
student, Amy Jepson, was one of a number of joint initia-
tives between the ANU, University of Canberra, Austral-
ian Catholic University and the Australian Defence Force
Academy.
In September, the ANU Council noted two significant
government reports related to research funding. The re-
ports, The Batterham Discussion Paper and the Innova-
tion Summit Implementation Group Report, both called
for increased government support for a range of initiates
across research, science and education. They included in-
creases in funding for the Australian Research Council
(consistent with the recent doubling of funding for health
and medical research), an additional 2000 undergraduate
student places in areas of skills shortage, and doubling the
number of Australian Postdoctoral Fellowships.
The University’s Council resolved in September 2000 to
take a further $4.7 million equity in ANUTECH. The fi-
nance for this was drawn from “other earnings” and will
not directly impact on the University’s teaching and re-
search programs. It follows a preliminary report from a
five-member management group that is examining re-
alignments of the ANUTECH business plan.
New operating arrangements for the Noel Butlin Archives
Centre were announced in September. Under the new ar-
rangements researchers would continue to have access to
the records held by the Centre, but support services would
be moved to the RG Menzies Library Building. The Cen-
tre holds significant business and labour collections built
up during the past 47 years. It has been operating in the
last three years on $750,000 bridging finance provided by
the University. The University set aside $1 million in the
Endowment for Excellence to match funds raised by the
Friends of the Archive. The decline in academic interest in
the archive’s collections and the low level of sponsorship
led the University to re-assess the level of support.
 
Year
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
Total
Load
 
8818.9
8586.6
8714.7
8318.8
8372.5
8205.0

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