T&L, research, external matters and farewell Scott Bowman

Dear Colleagues,

It is difficult to know where to start for this post. So much has happened in recent weeks. Here is a sample.

Outstanding teaching and learning at JCU was recognized at functions in Townsville and Cairns. The broad range of activities covered in citations for these awards for excellence represent terrific exemplars for our community and beyond. Helen McDonald of FAESS was acknowledged as the JCU Citation winner for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for sustained research informed and imaginative curricula design, assessment and teaching resources. She was acknowledged among a strong field of academics, all of whom were recognized for their excellence in teaching and learning. Other faculty based winners are: Robyn Lunn, Peter Jones, Dr Anne Swinbourne, Dr Tracey Walker, Aileen Sorohan (FAESS); Kate Galloway, Katja Fleischmann, Dr Janelle Rose (FLBCA); Dr Suzanne Munns, Dr Marion Gray, A/Prof Tarun Sen Gupta, A/Prof Linda Crane, Ray Park, Florence Schaeffer, Yasmin Panache (FMHMS); Dr Shaun Bellwood, Dr D’Arcy Mullamphy, Dr Ronald White, Patrick Higgins, Dr Ickjai Lee (FSE).

On the research front, Prof Jon Gollege won a substantial NIRAP grant to support his leading edge work on AAA biomarkers, in collaboration with colleagues at a number of Australian universities and Stanford University. Dr Rob Beaman and Dr Nick Graham, have each received Smart Futures Fellowships. The total won for these fellowships is around $1.2m and the grants will enable high level coral reef research, in one case utilizing contemporary technologies to prepare a 3-D model of the GBR to a much greater depth and in the other to drive better understanding of reef resilience, particularly promoting reef recovery after disturbance.

Prof John Tomany and Prof Simon Marginson both visited JCU to deliver seminars to staff. John works at the Newcastle University (UK) and spends time at Monash University too. He is a specialist in regional development and provided terrific insight into the roles universities play in their regions. Simon is a very well known University of Melbourne-based expert in higher education policy. His address provided insight into the contemporary environment. A critical observation that is well worth thinking through is the likely public policy shift towards supporting more discovery-based research after a focus over the past 15 years or more on more applied research. With JCU’s particular profile, we would welcome greater balance and a focus on funding for more discovery-based research endeavours.

At the recent VCAC retreat, a wide range of issues were considered. These included, progress on the curriculum refresh, JCU’s risk management process, taking JCU’s tropical agenda forward, internal communications, future EIF bids and more. We also focused on refreshing the University Plan 2010-2012. You’ll recall that the plan was developed last year in response to the Strategic Intent. The idea is that this plan has a 3-5 year outlook. Therefore, we didn’t expect to make any significant changes to the plan for the next triennium – rather elaborating and filling in some gaps in light of its first year of operation. The 2010-2012 Plan will be signed off by VCAC on July 1 before forwarding to Council on July 9. There is no change in direction – the plan aims to give continuing effect to JCU as Australia’s University of the Tropics.

As far as some external activities are concerned, in mid-May, a JCU delegation attended the Queensland-Washington State meeting in Seattle. Participants and speakers were Prof Chris Cocklin, Dr David Ireland, Prof Alan Nimmo, Dr Patrick Schaeffer, Prof Rocky De Nys and I. All JCU presentations were well received. A few of us continued onto a meeting at Boeing in Seattle, followed by attendance for varying lengths of time at meetings associated with the BIO International meeting in Atlanta. The real work happens now, with follow up on various research and commercial opportunities. We expect a series of visitors to our campuses alongside the AusBiotech meeting in Melbourne in October.

Last week, I attended the Vice-Chancellors’ Forum organized alongside the 17th Commonwealth Education Minister’s Meeting in Malaysia as an invited speaker on the business of higher education (as opposed to higher education as a business). The presentation was well received and is available at http://www.jcu.edu.au/office/vc/presentations/index.htm . I took the opportunity to spend two days at our Singapore campus on my way home, with a number of meetings internally as well as external to campus. The campus serves JCU very well as a physical presence in Singapore and in SE Asia.

We continue to be actively involved in local, state and national developments are far as higher education and research are concerned, with a number of us involved in meetings, briefings and policy discussions in recent weeks.

Finally, this week heralds the departure of Prof Scott Bowman from JCU. He is the VC-designate of Central Queensland University and will take up his appointment on August 1. Scott has made a fantastic contribution to JCU since joining the University in 2004. He has had a variety of senior management roles and has been the University’s senior executive in Cairns. His activities resulted in a far closer and more positive set of relationships between the University and the Cairns community. Certainly, many of us will miss him, his contribution - and his wry sense of humour. Scott, all the very best for your time as VC of CQU.

Cheers,
Sandra