Advisory Committee

Mazenod College is operated and governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS), the Board of which has the responsibility for the strategic direction and oversight of College operations and management. The role of the College Advisory Council is to support the governance of the school and to “give consideration to, and advice on, important matters in order to support the principal and the strategic interest of the school” (School Advisory Council Terms of Reference – Secondary Schools – v1.0 – 2021, pg1).

The members of the Advisory Council for 2022 were: Michael Curtis (Deputy Chair), Jane Cowan, Herb Fischbacher, Laurie Langford, and Brendan Welsford, who brought vast experience across education, finance, law, engineering, construction, OH&S, risk and compliance, and project management. The ex officio Council members were Dr Paul Shannon (Principal), Rev Fr Harry Dyer (Rector), June Stewart (Finance Manager), Michelle Symss (Development Manager), Joanne Noone (Dean of Staff), and in the Executive Assistant role this year were Aylene Robinson and Kate Oberg. Providing wise counsel to the Council in 2022 was Fr Christian Fini, who in his role as Provincial represented the Oblates. We also welcomed Fr David Raj (St John Vianney’s) as the Canonical Representative. I thank all members of the Council for their hard work, dedication, and support this year. The Council enjoyed working with Dr Shannon in his first year at the helm of the College and went to work on providing support and advice on several new MACS documents and policies including: a Communications Policy, Child Safe Standards Policy, School Fee Collection Policy, and Staff Diversity and Inclusion Policy. In July, the new National Child Safe Standards came into effect, with 11 new standards replacing the previous seven Victorian standards and principles. These impart new requirements: • To involve families and communities in organisations’ efforts to keep children and young people safe • For a greater focus on safety for

Aboriginal children and young people • To manage the risk of child abuse in online environments • For greater clarity on the governance, systems, and processes to keep children and young people safe

The new Standards provide greater clarity for organisations on the actions required to meet minimum standards. The Council provided feedback to consultants from Moore Australia who are assisting the College with developing policies to meet these new compliance standards. These and other policies are all now available on the new College website. In addition, Moore Australia conducted National Child Safe Standards Awareness and Training for Council members during the year. For much of the year, parts of the College have been construction sites due to the commencement of Building Works Stage 1 and 2. This includes works for new RE Classrooms, new Canteen, Dining Hall, Staff Lounge, Work Area and Deck, and a footbridge. Stages 3 to 6 are also in development, so the College is being renewed and refreshed before our very eyes. It is a worthwhile and necessary investment that will help the College maintain its current high standards for both students and staff. The College Council has been engaged with many aspects of the capital works program, from the development last year to the commencement of construction this year.

Although 2022 was only the second year of operation for the revamped College Advisory Council, it was important for the further development of the Council’s team dynamics. Working together now for two years has allowed the Council to better provide the College with the different perspectives that we bring as Mazenod parents, community members, and professionals from a variety of disciplines and industries. This is important because the Council provides a forum where parent voice and community perspective are available to inform and support the decisions made by the Principal and College leadership team.

Dr Eugene B. Fredericks