Reflections on Agriculture and Related Disciplines by Professor Emeritus Frank Larkins

Reflections on Agriculture and Related Disciplines

Professor Emeritus Frank Larkins

Former Deputy Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Institute of Land and Food Resources in 2005

My association with the Faculty commenced when I was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor Research in 1990. I worked with several Deans and Heads of Schools to develop research programs, identify funding sources and promote research achievements. These were indirect engagement with my direct involvement coming in 2005 after Dean Professor Bob Richardson had resigned and the Institute of Land and Food Resources, as it was then known, was in financial difficulty. I concurrently held the positions of Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Dean of the Institute/Faculty. The dual responsibility did assist me in the restructuring tasks that I was commissioned to undertake on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and the University Council.

The brief I had from the University Council was to reposition the university contribution to Land and Food Resources to be academically sound, regionally acceptable and financially sustainable. In February 2005 I identified the following principal activities to progress the issues of concern.

  • Familiarise myself with current Institute structures, understand the present financial situation, evaluate details of a proposed VET review, prepare a strategic planning proposal and undertake stakeholder consultations.
  • Develop profiles of regional activities and strategies for consultations.
  • Identify key external stakeholders by industry and region.
  • Understand current income and expenditure patterns especially the main contributions to the deficit.
  • Develop and evaluate school and campus management plans and their capacity to conduct activities within a new budget model.
  • Develop a plan for improved communications via a newsletter, Dean’s lectures, and centenary celebrations.
  • Establish and re-energise committee structures.
  • Build commitment among staff and raise morale about the future.
  • Produce financially sustainable solutions to deliver world-class academic outcomes.

At that time the Institute had a very broad remit with:

  • Eight campuses
    • Glenormiston (VET, Research)
    • Gilbert Chandler (Higher Education, Research, VET)
    • Longerenong (VET)
    • Burnley (HE, Research, VET)
    • McMillan (VET)
    • Dookie (HE, Research, VET)
    • Creswick (HE, Research, VET)
    • Parkville (HE, Research)
    • Four schools
      • Agriculture & Food Systems, Resource Management, Forest & Ecosystem Science, Vocational Education & Training
    • Three farms with more than 3500 hectares of land
      • Dookie – 2247 hectares, Longerenong – 1,089 hectares, Glenormiston – 281 hectares
    • Five residential accommodation sites.
      • Creswick, Dookie, Gilbert Chandler, Glenormiston, Longerenong, McMillan.

The total operating budgets for these activities were $46.4 million (LFR).  The Institute had accumulated losses of $15 million over the previous five years and the estimated annual deficit for 2005 was between one and two million dollars.

The teaching and research programs were extensive, ranging from Certificate Level 1 Vocational Education Training (VET) programs, diplomas, bachelor and research training degrees to advanced agricultural biotechnology research programs.

I consulted widely with affected parties and the community more broadly and reported regularly to the University Executive and the University Council. At the June 2005 Council meeting I presented a paper that included a number of in-principle recommendations and a framework for repositioning the faculty. My advice was that the university needed a Faculty of Land and Food Resources that was recognised internationally for its leadership in the delivery of quality agricultural-related education and research with a long term financially sustainable future. I considered that it was in the National interest to secure this outcome within a very competitive international environment. To achieve this outcome the faculty needed to narrow its strategic priorities and focus its limited resources on higher education and research programs.  The provision of quality VET programs was a specialist activity more appropriately delivered by dedicated TAFE providers many of whom were able offer students a broader choice of TAFE subjects than those available at the University of Melbourne.  The timeline for an implementation plan to restructure the faculty was expected to cover the period June 2005 to December 2007.

The principles adopted by Council for engagement in agriculture-related education as the basis for repositioning the responsibilities of the LFR can be summarised as follows:

  • A commitment to quality higher education and research outcomes in agriculture, food science, forestry and horticulture that drives strategic priority setting and resource allocations.

 

  • Development of a framework for contributing to agriculture-related disciplines having regard to regional differences, government, industry and community expectations.

 

  • Disengagement from the delivery of VET programs in favour of specialist TAFE providers, while ensuring that VET opportunities for students in the various regions of Victoria are preserved and where possible enhanced.

 

  • In regions where infrastructure resources are surplus to immediate agricultural-related educational needs alternative uses for those resources to be sought.

 

  • The University will ensure that as a consequence of changes made opportunities will be available for enrolled students to complete their courses and staff employment entitlements will be managed consistently with industrial award provisions.

 

Within this framework it was proposed that the University would seek immediately expressions of interest from other providers to deliver TAFE programs with a target transition period from January 2006 through to December 2007. The repositioning of the faculty was to enable the university to focus its scarce human and physical resources on contributing to improving the international competitiveness of Australia’s agricultural industries. It was in this area that I assessed that Melbourne could return the best dividend to industry for the investment being made.

In the period June to December 2005 extensive negotiation were undertaken with staff and students with the assistance of personnel within the university, with representatives of the State and Federal Government, with TAFE providers and community leaders. The outcome was that the University transferred all VET programs to other providers along with some staff. The campuses at Longerenong, Glenormiston, Gilbert Chandler and McMillan were transfer to the State for ongoing management with Dookie, Creswick, Burnley and Parkville being retained by the university to enable higher education and research program delivery.

I completed my term as Dean in December 2005 with the appointment of Professor Rick Roush as the incoming Dean of the restructured faculty.

Frank P. Larkins

August 2016.