Dear Colleagues,
My last post for 2008. Last time, I commented on the challenges, activities and achievements of the year and promised that, this time, I’d look forward.
So, what are some of the ‘big ticket’ items for 2009?
The first is to work on the activities that we have already identified for the year. These are found in the University Plan (http://cms.jcu.edu.au/idc/groups/auth/documents/corporate_plan/jcuprd_025575.pdf) with Faculties and Divisions having derived their own priorities and agendas in this context, as agreed in October.
As part of our action for 2009, I highlighted three priorities:
student demand and retention, collaboration across boundaries, and building community. Each of these will receive particular attention during 2009, with faculties and Divisions already identifying how they will do this.
The above covers our core responsibilities of teaching, research and engagement. But there are some other issues that demand our attention next year too.
As I mentioned at the last staff forum, the only truly unique thing that we can do, that no one else can do, is to confer a JCU degree. Our degree needs to mean something. It should be distinctive as well as of high quality. So next year we will forge on with the work on the curriculum refresh, aided by almost $3m gratefully received from the Federal Government for this purpose. In a complementary way, we need to focus on the JCU student experience; what that is, how it is distinctive and how we can make this a valuable academic and personal experience.
We will continue to pursue improvements in light of the 2007 Climate Survey, preliminary to another survey to be conducted in late 2009. This happens at the Faculty/School, Division/Office level – as results were highly variable across the University.
The quality agenda will receive renewed attention with Kari Arbouin taking over the lead role in this area. We will have organizational unit reviews – two per year – at Faculty and Divisional level, with FLBCA and University Services to be reviewed during the year. There will also be a new approach to quality monitoring and enhancement of academic programs/courses starting in the first quarter of 2009. Faculties have been asked to prepare for delivery of a Faculty Academic Programs Report that will identify all courses offered by the Faculty and review their critical stats, CEQ/GDS outcomes, subjects established and disestablished and more. I’m sure these data are already reviewed on an annual basis within faculties, but to capture these in a Program Report and have this aired at Education Committee/Academic Board and VCAC as well as within faculties at faculty boards will enable lessons learned to be shared and decisions made about courses based on relevant, comparable data.
We will have some of our ‘tropical leader’ appointments being taken up from early 2009. There will be a focus on enhancing research competitiveness and a good look at the architecture of our approach to research support and activity.
We continue with our push as Australia’s University for the Tropics, through tropical leaders, the curriculum refresh, establishment of the Cairns Institute (with $5m assistance from the Federal Government – thank you), building ATSIP, commencement of the new Queensland Tropical Health Alliance infrastructure and the Biosecurity Institute (all three supported by the Queensland Government through Smart State, Innovation Funds and DPI&F - thank you), Discovery Rise and pursuit of capital monies to fund Zona Tropical. In keeping with this fresh and vital portrayal of who we are and what we do, we need to refresh the presentation of our University. The current turquoise block logo is dated, not meaningful outside of Queensland and, at a practical level, difficult to reproduce on our collateral. I think it is important to maintain the connection with our crest and colours – but our logo needs a revamp.
In other activities, we will look to developing a systematic strategic alliance with other universities and institutes around the tropical agenda. This is not something that can be rushed and we will wish to build on current relationships to make progress on this.
Alumni and engagement activities will continue to develop, with the positive outcomes for 2008 serving as the platform for 2009. We are planning a universities in regional Australia symposium and a very special, high level event – linked to Q150 (Queensland’s 150th birthday celebration) – exploring the critical issues of the tropical world.
Returning to our own operations for a moment, a new Staff Study Assistance program will be commenced in 2009, providing for payment of fees for staff who are undertaking approved study at JCU. Enterprise bargaining will continue and we are looking to trial a cohort approach to junior academic staff recruitment. The idea is to collect vacancies across the University and advertise them as a group. We can then welcome a cohort of new staff, providing them as a group with access to assistance to aid their settling in and other services, such as seminars on writing to get published, approaches to research and the like.
Of course, we will also be managing the outcomes of the Government White papers linked to the Cutler and Bradley Reviews. These are both good review reports and we will look to play a positive role in helping to inform how the final outcomes are shaped.
It is a challenging time to be a University in Australia – but we are in a strong position because of the work we have done over many years - and in 2008 - and because of our distinctiveness. It is a good time to be us.
Thank you for all your hard work and your positive contributions during the year. It has been a busy and rewarding year.
I hope you have a chance to have a break over the summer. I look forward to working with you during what is sure to be an even busier 2009.
Cheers,
Sandra
Wednesday 24 December 2008
Saturday 6 December 2008
Staff forums and approaching year-end.......
Dear Colleagues,
This week, at Staff Forums on Cairns and Townsville campuses, we had a look at the events, issues and activities in, and affecting, our community during 2008.
Years seem to fly by and time seems to speed up as we approach the Christmas/New Year break. Certainly, it is very busy as we conclude the year, with our first graduation of this round on December 20 in Townsville. And even as parts of the University are in wind-up and acquittal mode for 2008, other parts are getting into full swing around managing marketing, offers and enrolments. Many colleagues use some of summer to get stuck into research while others in our community are still involved in teaching. There really is no down-time in universities any more and it is always good to remember that while many of us will take some time for a break over summer many others are on campus hitting peak activity levels.
2008 has been a busy year. In addition to the important, everyday work – academic and professional – there have been considerable achievements following the ‘launch’ of the university’s refreshed Strategic Intent early in the year. These achievements cross all domains: teaching and learning, research and innovation, engagement, infrastructure, marketing and media, and campus development. I identified only some of these at this week’s Staff Forums (presentation is at http://www.jcu.edu.au/office/vc/staff_forums/JCUPRD_041762.html ).
The external world has been a hectic place for higher education with many reviews at the federal level – three with particular relevance to universities. The report of the Cutler review of Australia’s National Innovation System was released in September and incorporated special mention of “tropical solutions” as an "immediate national innovation priority”. The CRC Review, lead by Professor Mary O’Kane, was one part of the Innovation review. The Bradley Review of higher education in Australia is yet to report. I expect this will be Christmas reading for many of us. In respect of both major reports, the Federal Government has committed to release their white paper responses in February. It is sensible that the responses should align as research and teaching are, and must remain, integrally linked as part of the university enterprise. The impact of VSU was also reviewed, with a solution identified permitting universities to levy students up to $250 per annum from mid 2009, with those funds to be applied to enhancing the student experience. Students will be able to defer payment of the levy as part of a HECS-style loan arrangement. Universities that decide to introduce the levy will be required to meet certain benchmarks – but we know no details as yet. This will be a matter for consideration early in 2009.
At the State level, the announcement of the Queensland Government’s Q-Tropics strategy in October is both a potent demonstration of and support for the critical opportunity inherent in the growing global tropical knowledge economy. JCU will play a strong role, a “centre-stage” role according to Minister Desley Boyle, in pursuit of the research, teaching and innovation aspects of the strategy. This new initiative builds on the strong support of the Queensland Government through partnerships and funding applied to several significant initiatives and projects in northern Queensland, but in the south too.
Locally, I continue to be delighted by the support of Local Governments, business and our broader communities who see JCU as an important asset in the northern Queensland region, and who are willing to play a role to ensure the University thrives. No doubt about it: our futures and the prosperity of both JCU and our communities are intertwined. Place is so very powerful.
During the Staff Forums, I also spoke about the year ahead. More on that next time. I’ll make one more blog post before the Christmas/New Year shut down. In the meantime, best wishes for all year-end activities.
Cheers,
Sandra
PS: The new Discussion Forum site is almost ready for use. It has been tested and I expect it will be released this week. Once released, an email with the details and the link will be sent to all staff.
This week, at Staff Forums on Cairns and Townsville campuses, we had a look at the events, issues and activities in, and affecting, our community during 2008.
Years seem to fly by and time seems to speed up as we approach the Christmas/New Year break. Certainly, it is very busy as we conclude the year, with our first graduation of this round on December 20 in Townsville. And even as parts of the University are in wind-up and acquittal mode for 2008, other parts are getting into full swing around managing marketing, offers and enrolments. Many colleagues use some of summer to get stuck into research while others in our community are still involved in teaching. There really is no down-time in universities any more and it is always good to remember that while many of us will take some time for a break over summer many others are on campus hitting peak activity levels.
2008 has been a busy year. In addition to the important, everyday work – academic and professional – there have been considerable achievements following the ‘launch’ of the university’s refreshed Strategic Intent early in the year. These achievements cross all domains: teaching and learning, research and innovation, engagement, infrastructure, marketing and media, and campus development. I identified only some of these at this week’s Staff Forums (presentation is at http://www.jcu.edu.au/office/vc/staff_forums/JCUPRD_041762.html ).
The external world has been a hectic place for higher education with many reviews at the federal level – three with particular relevance to universities. The report of the Cutler review of Australia’s National Innovation System was released in September and incorporated special mention of “tropical solutions” as an "immediate national innovation priority”. The CRC Review, lead by Professor Mary O’Kane, was one part of the Innovation review. The Bradley Review of higher education in Australia is yet to report. I expect this will be Christmas reading for many of us. In respect of both major reports, the Federal Government has committed to release their white paper responses in February. It is sensible that the responses should align as research and teaching are, and must remain, integrally linked as part of the university enterprise. The impact of VSU was also reviewed, with a solution identified permitting universities to levy students up to $250 per annum from mid 2009, with those funds to be applied to enhancing the student experience. Students will be able to defer payment of the levy as part of a HECS-style loan arrangement. Universities that decide to introduce the levy will be required to meet certain benchmarks – but we know no details as yet. This will be a matter for consideration early in 2009.
At the State level, the announcement of the Queensland Government’s Q-Tropics strategy in October is both a potent demonstration of and support for the critical opportunity inherent in the growing global tropical knowledge economy. JCU will play a strong role, a “centre-stage” role according to Minister Desley Boyle, in pursuit of the research, teaching and innovation aspects of the strategy. This new initiative builds on the strong support of the Queensland Government through partnerships and funding applied to several significant initiatives and projects in northern Queensland, but in the south too.
Locally, I continue to be delighted by the support of Local Governments, business and our broader communities who see JCU as an important asset in the northern Queensland region, and who are willing to play a role to ensure the University thrives. No doubt about it: our futures and the prosperity of both JCU and our communities are intertwined. Place is so very powerful.
During the Staff Forums, I also spoke about the year ahead. More on that next time. I’ll make one more blog post before the Christmas/New Year shut down. In the meantime, best wishes for all year-end activities.
Cheers,
Sandra
PS: The new Discussion Forum site is almost ready for use. It has been tested and I expect it will be released this week. Once released, an email with the details and the link will be sent to all staff.
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