THE UNIVERSITY

You would all have seen the recent media coverage of attacks against Indian students in Australia. As far as I am aware, there have been no reports of such incidents on university campuses, and certainly none that I am aware of at UNSW. However, we have all been distressed by these reports, and I have been asked by the Academic Board to bring the following resolution to your attention. It was passed unanimously at a recent meeting of the Board.

"That the Academic Board deplores recently reported acts of violence against Indian students, and affirms that our Indian and other international students are valued members of the University, and that we are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all our students."

The University places the highest priority on the safety and welfare of our students and staff and I take this opportunity to urge you all to be aware of the security measures we have in place on campus. They include 24 hour access to University Security, as well as "Unibeat", a safety escort service available around campus and to areas close by, such as bus and taxi ranks. This operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is also a mini-bus service operating across campus and to areas close by at night and we have emergency help points across the campus. Students are also asked to heed our electronic safety alerts, which urge them to be vigilant as they leave the campus. A reminder that the emergency security number is 9385 6666.

UNSW has a proud tradition of welcoming international students as an integral part of our community and I know all of us are dedicated to ensuring this continues.


Regards

Professor Fred Hilmer
Vice-Chancellor

Professor Mike Archer has today announced his intention to step down as Dean of Science.

Mike informed Faculty staff this morning that he wishes to concentrate on his research career. He has explained that, with the international science review panel set to make its recommendations on implementing a long-term strategy for the Faculty, he feels this is the right time to hand over to a successor.

Mike and I are working together on the specific timing of his resignation, in light of the search and selection processes that will need to be undertaken.

I am very pleased that he plans to remain at UNSW to continue his teaching and innovative research.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Mike's leadership and achievements as Dean. In the six years since he took up the post he has significantly strengthened the Faculty, and in particular has been outstanding in his ability to communicate to the broader community the importance and excitement of science.

On behalf of all of us, I express sincere thanks for his very valuable contribution to the University.


Regards

Fred Hilmer
Vice-Chancellor

I am writing to update you on negotiations for the new enterprise bargaining agreements for academic and professional and technical staff.

As you may be aware, the current agreements nominally expired on 31 March 2009. However they continue to remain in force until new agreements have been put in place.

Uncertainty surrounding the new industrial legislation and the funding situation for the higher education sector has delayed negotiations on replacement agreements.

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), has advised that a general meeting of members was held on Friday 3 April to discuss EBA claims, and we expect to receive feedback from that meeting soon.

The National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU) has provided the University with its bargaining claims. They include a claim for a 20% salary increase over the next 2 years and 3 months - essentially a 9% per year increase. There is no possibility that the University will be able to meet this claim. It is completely out of step with the current economic climate and the University's financial situation.

Given this, and other claims put forward by the NTEU, I am not hopeful that discussions can be concluded in the near future. In order to ensure that staff are not disadvantaged while the negotiations continue, and to provide financial certainty, we have decided that all staff normally covered by the enterprise agreements will receive a 2% salary increase effective from 10 July 2009.

When added to the 2.5% increase paid from the end of December 2008, this means a total salary increase of 4.5% for the 12 month period to the end of 2009. This compares to a 4% increase for senior staff for 2009 recently approved by the UNSW Council.

Increases beyond 2009 will depend on the outcome and status of the negotiations. The University will keep you updated on any further developments.


Regards

Fred Hilmer
Vice-Chancellor

I am delighted to advise that we have been assessed as the top university in the country for the quality of our learning and teaching, under the 2009 Learning and Teaching Performance Fund.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the results for the 2009 Fund last week. UNSW achieved top overall scores for both excellence and improvement.

This is the first year that improvement has been included as a performance measure.

We will receive a total of $6.9 million from the Fund, the highest allocation of any university, and $1.4 million above the next ranked institution.

As you would be aware, institutions are assessed on graduate surveys measuring levels of satisfaction and employability or progress to further study, as well as DEEWR data on retention and progression rates.

We achieved the top score for excellence in two of the four discipline groups - business, law and economics; and science, engineering, computing and architecture. We also rated in the A1 band for humanities, arts and education, and achieved an A2 ranking for health. This is the third consecutive year we have been number one in the country for business, law and economics.

Our results for improvement, where we ranked in the top band for all four discipline groups, are significant. We did very well in 2008, being assessed as one of the top three universities and gaining the second highest funding allocation. To substantially improve from such a high base is a real achievement.

I believe these results show that the emphasis we have been placing on research performance, far from being at the expense of learning and teaching, has paid considerable dividends in that area, confirming the importance of the research-teaching nexus.

Congratulations to all those who have worked so hard to achieve this great outcome.