When Monash began in 1961 it was hailed as the first Australian university to be founded on the belief that higher education should be open to every qualified person.
In little more than thirty years, Monash has achieved an international reputation for its teaching and research.
From an initial enrolment of 363 in 1961, the university's student population grew rapidly. By 1966, it had reached 6000, and by 1973, 12,000.
Today, Monash has 40,000 students and 7000 staff. The six main campuses are at Berwick, Caulfield, Clayton, Gippsland, Parkville and Peninsula; overseas there are twelve campus locations in four countries.
Monash is a diverse, multicultural community serving students from seventy countries. In fact, international students make up more than 10 per cent of the university's total student enrolment. Most come from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, but Monash also attracts students from Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Brunei, India, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the United States of America.
The policy of educational opportunity for all extends also to age groups: in 1994 there were some 9700 students aged between seventeen and nineteen, and some 18,500 students aged between twenty and twenty-nine, but an increasing number of professionals in their thirties, forties and fifties (11,700) returned to study, and there were ninety students aged sixty and over.
Monash University has emerged as one of Australia's most important centres of research and scholarship.
It is perhaps most widely known for its research into reproductive biology. The Centre for Early Human Development and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology are generally acknowledged as world leaders in the field of in vitro fertilisation.
The university has become the focus for the discussion of the ethical issues surrounding some of these discoveries. The Centre for Human Bioethics was the first of its kind in Australia and is involved in important public debates on issues like euthanasia, animal experimentation and in vitro fertilisation.
Monash is also known world wide for its research into new materials, telecommunications, and pulp and paper technology.
The university has nine faculties: Arts, Business and Economics, Computing and Information Technology, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Science.
Each faculty is headed by a dean who chairs the faculty board and is responsible for overseeing academic and administrative affairs.
In addition to the faculties, numerous specialist centres cater for the research interests of particular groups of staff, providing a nucleus for postgraduate and undergraduate studies.
Monash University is an autonomous institution funded mainly by the federal government. Research is also supported by the Australian Research Council, the Australian Research Grants Scheme, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Victorian Government and several private charitable foundations.
The university's supreme governing body is the Council, which represents groups outside and within the university, including students, staff and graduates, professional, commercial and industrial interests, and members of parliament. At present, Council has fifty-five members.
The vice-chancellor is the university's chief executive officer, and is appointed by Council.
The Academic Board is responsible for all academic matters. Membership includes all professors, the university librarian, the directors of some of the university's research and service centres, and representatives elected by non-professorial teaching staff and students. The vice-chancellor chairs the board.
The Committee of Deans is also chaired by the vice-chancellor and comprises deans and deputy vice-chancellors. It advises the vice-chancellor on aspects of university policy and management.
The Central Budgets Committee advises the vice-chancellor on the framing of the university's annual operating budget. The deans are responsible for expenditure within the faculties.
The handbook and its companion faculty handbooks contain information about the operation and government of the university, and details on courses and subjects. The Calendar, the Annual report and the Research publications report (published annually) provide further information about the running of the university and its various research programs. Copies of the faculty handbooks are available from the Monash University Bookshop, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, and the CITSU Bookshop, Monash University, Caulfield East, Victoria 3145.
| Published by Monash University, Clayton, Victoria
3168 Copyright © Monash University 1996 - All Rights Reserved - Caution Authorised by the Academic Registrar December 1996 |