| This series includes minutes and papers for council spanning 1971-1989. The folders are arranged chronologically according to meeting date. There is also one folder from the 1970s that holds personal and biographical information on Council committee members, along with a note regarding the expiration of their on the committee. Information includes a "personal" section (name, address, phone number, marital status, qualifications and date of birth), "occupation" (position, firm, address, phone and business), "college", "committees", "other organizations" and "other interests". Committee members include prominent individuals, for instance, George Logie-Smith, Sidney Baillieu Myer, John Raymond Hopkins etc. For that reason, the folder may prove of interest to researchers as it includes summary information on prominent musicians and various other distinguished individuals. The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) was established in 1972 by a government order under the Victorian Institute of Colleges Act 1955, initiated by the Premier of Victoria and Minister for the Arts Rupert Hamer. In March 1981, the Minister for the Arts, Norman Lacy, had the Victorian College of the Arts Act passed through the Victorian Parliament. In the Explanatory Second Reading Speech by The Hon. Norman Lacy, M.P. it was noted that the purpose of the Act was the reconstitution of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) made necessary by the repeal in 1980 of the Victorian Institute of Colleges Act and to make it "better able to provide for the preparation of young people to enter upon careers as professional artists" (Legislative Assembly on 19 March 1981). Lacy went on to note that the adjacent location of the VCA campus to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Victorian Arts Centre was well suited to artists achieving ".. their ambitions in a milieu of continuous artistic activity". Lacy further noted that "the college's students will be and feel themselves to be participants in the much wider artistic environment of the greater Arts Centre". Key aspects of the Victorian College of the Arts Act 1981, mentioning Council and its powers, are as follows: Clause 7 specifies the Constitution of the council, providing for 18 members as follows: (a) the President of the College; (b) the Director of the College; (c) the Chairperson of the Board of Studies of the College; (d) the Vice-Chancellor of the University; (e) 2 people elected by and from the staff of the College in accordance with the Statutes; (f) 2 people elected by and from the students of the College in accordance with the Statutes; (g) 1 person appointed by the Minister; (h) 1 person appointed by the Minister administering the Arts Victoria Act 1972; (i) 4 people appointed by the Governor in Council; (j) 4 people appointed by the Council. Clauses 8 to 13 are machinery provisions for the council (term of office; Removal of appointed members and vacation of office; elections; vacancies); Clauses 14, 15 and 16 relate to the election of the president and deputy president and their roles (Election of President by members of Council; Election of Deputy President; Chairman of meetings); Clause 17 covers the declaration of pecuniary interest by Council members and ineligibility to vote on related matters; Clause 18 covers Council meetings (frequency, quorum and voting); Clause 19 provides for the council to appoint a Director (and/or Acting Director) of the college on such terms and conditions as the council determines and outlines the role and responsibilities of the director; Clause 20 covers Staff of the College (appointment and termination); Clause 21 empowers the college to confer degrees, certificates or other awards etc. ; Clause 22 provides for Committees and delegations of power by the council, and; Clauses 23 and 24 are standard provisions regarding the validity of decisions of council and the liability of council members. |