Description
To enable the formation of a graduates association that would endure over time the University felt it should provide some administrative support. As early as 1964 Prof. Baxter stated: "My feeling is that the University should offer to provide the central administrative arrangements for a Graduates Association ..... This would not mean of course that the University would run the Association, only that it would help the graduates to run their own association." [Prof. Baxter in a letter 6/4/1964, File 22715] In November 1964 Prof. Baxter received a letter from W.E.F. Berry informing him that Mr. R.A. Corin had been invited as representative of the UNSW Graduate Body to an initial Conference of Graduate Associations to be held in Melbourne from 30 Jan-1 Feb 1965, copies of notice and agenda were attached. Prof. Baxter indicated in his reply that he thought it appropriate that Mr. Corin as Graduate Member on Council would represent UNSW and its Graduate members at the Conference and offered to Mr. Corin for the UNSW to pay for his return airfare to Melbourne. Consequently Mr. Corin attended the Conference as an observer representing UNSW. He also attended the next conference, held in Adelaide in January 1966, where the Australian Federation of University Graduates was established and Mr. Corin was elected Vice-President. In December 1965 Mr. Corin had urged the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Baxter, to establish an UNSW Graduate Body prior to the Adelaide meeting so that they could become a foundation member of the Federation. Prof. Baxter replied it would not be desirable to establish a graduate organisation for UNSW within the short time span available if the organisation was to be a lasting one. He indicated that the delay in time [establishing a graduate body] was `partly due to the fact that the University had difficulties finding a suitable person to appoint to the staff of the Division of the Registrar for this purpose'. He believed that the graduate organisation should have it basis within the University and must be backed by University secretarial assistance and University money to a certain extent. He invited Mr. Corin to attend the Adelaide conference as observer for UNSW and report to Council in due course, airfares and subsistence was to be paid by the University. [letter Baxter to Corin 22 Dec 1965] At its meeting on 24 January 1966, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Baxter, informed Council of the establishment of the Australian Federation of University Graduates and that Mr. R.A. Corin was one of the two Vice-Presidents of this organisation. Sir Philip Baxter said that Mr. Corin had attended the Conference, which formed the Federation, as a Graduate representative member of Council and that there was a good deal to be said for the formation of an association of Graduates at this University. Many thousands of the graduates were scattered all over Australia and quite a number in various parts of the Globe. It was therefore difficult for the Graduates to organise an association and this work might best be done by the University establishing a central secretariat. Sir Philip said he had in mind that an officer of the Registrar's Division be made available on a part time basis as the first secretary of a graduates association. On 14 September 1966 in his letter to Graduates about the establishment of a graduates association the Vice-Chancellor reported some "progress has been made, in that the University is now in a position to provide the secretarial service seen to be necessary in effectively launching such an organisation." The person he referred to was Mr. David Neilson. The provision of Mr. Neilson's services by the University for the purposes to assist in the formation of a graduates organisation for UNSW can therefore be deemed as the point of establishment of the Alumni Office. The Alumni Office on its own special letterhead sent out a general letter by the Chancellor to all graduates on 13 October 1967. The Alumni Office was definitely in existence under its own name prior to the establishment of the Alumni Association. On 13 October 1967 the Alumni Office, on its own letterhead, sent out a general letter to graduates by the Chancellor asking for support by Alumni in setting up an Alumni Association. [letterhead, Letter from Chancellor to Graduates re forming of Alumni Assoc, UNSW 13 October [File 00022716, CN925, Bx2] The role of the Alumni Office was carried out by the Division of the Registrar. Mr David Neilson joined the university as a staff member in the Registrar's Division in July 1966. Part of his position was especially concerned with Graduate affairs, namely maintaining and developing relationships with graduates and providing some secretarial support to an Alumni Association [Letter to Graduates April 1967 & letter to Graduates 14 September 1966, file 00022715]. The Alumni Office was to provide a contact point for graduates and post-graduate diplomats who constituted the alumni, and to encourage a continuing relationship among these members of the university. Each alumnus was welcome to contact the office, situated in the Chancellery, with any queries or problems concerning the university. From 1968 to 1975 the Alumni Office published the Letter to Alumni; the office also maintained close liaison with the UNSW Alumni Association for which it provided extensive support. By 1978 the office was known as the Alumni and Ceremonials Unit. In 1982 the then Vice-Chancellor Michael Birt flagged the need for a review of graduate relations and the Alumni Office at the university. At the Council meeting on 10 September 1984 Professor Birt outlined details of a proposal for the establishment of a university Graduate Office. The office would provide close support for the work of the Alumni Association (not replace it), be responsible for the maintenance of an accurate graduate role, be responsible for establishment and support of faculty and school graduate chapters, be responsible for the administration of the production of the graduate magazine and for the organisation of graduate activities on the university's behalf. The activities would be under the supervision of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor responsible for External Affairs. Council resolved 84/69 That Council strongly supports the principle of establishing a Graduate Office as outlined in the Vice-Chancellor's Report and, believing that the proposals should be implemented early in 1985, requests the Vice-Chancellor to allocate funds and to advise Council of progress at the November 1984 meeting. On 12 November 1984 [item 5(d)] the Vice-Chancellor reported that a Graduate Office would be established early in the New Year under general direction of P-V-C Prof. Chaikin. The Alumni and Ceremonials Office was disestablished upon the establishment of the new Graduate Office. Ceremonial matters continued to be handled by the Registrar's Department which in 1985 was part of the then recently restructured Division of the Deputy Principal (Administration). Mr Ian Way was appointed to the new post of Deputy Principal (Administration) as from February 1985. [Focus No. 2/85, 15 February 1985]. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - by 13/10/1967-
