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Meeting 2, 3 April 2009
The University Council met at the Cradle Coast Campus, Burnie on Friday 3 April 2009.
Mayors of the North West Coast local government councils and other local stakeholders were invited to attend a dinner with the new and continuing UTAS Council members and to talk to them about UTAS. Professor Janelle Allison, Acting Director, Cradle Coast Campus, spoke at the dinner about the Unlocking Talent project, which will use $2 million in Federal Government funding for the Cradle Coast Campus to work with local partners to reflect the higher education needs of that community as well as attract students through innovative participation and undertake long term planning for the campus. Dr David Russell, National Director, Primary Industry Centre for Science Education, also spoke at the dinner about the PICSE program, which is also a Federal Government-funded strategy being run by UTAS to attract young people into careers in primary industry through tertiary science.
Council approved the 2008 Annual Report (with minor corrections as noted at the meeting) and authorised the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor to sign it, subject to there being no significant changes. Council expressed its appreciation to Ms Moya Fyfe for her work on the annual report, noting the significantly improved timeframe this year.
Council received the Vice-Chancellor’s report on Performance against Institutional Goals for 2008. The report includes key highlights for 2008 in the areas of Research, Teaching and Learning, International Rankings, Graduate Qualification Profile, Enrolment Growth and Finance.
Professor John Williamson, Chair of Academic Senate, reported that major items discussed at Academic Senate (other than those forwarded separately for approval or noting by Council) were –
Council noted advice from Professor Williamson that a formal review of the Academic Senate was to be undertaken and that he would be talking to the Chancellor about the composition of the review panel.
Council also received the draft Minutes of the Academic Senate meeting held on 6 March 2009.
Council received the 2008 Academic Senate Report. Clause 4.3 of the Ordinance of Academic Senate states Academic Senate is to report to Council once a year on the exercise of delegations under the Ordinance. Significant items considered-
Academic Senate received a discussion paper “University Charter” at its 31 October 2008 meeting as a response to the “Building on Strengths” initiative.
In discussing the paper, members indicated broad support for a University Charter. Members discussed the relationship of a Charter to the existing range of legislative, policy and procedural documents, noting a Charter may be a statement of values or an interpretative document. Members agreed that a number of questions would need to be addressed and considered in any consultation process:
- Does the University community believe we need a Charter?
- If so, what should it include?
- How would a Charter be operationalised?
- Should a Charter be interpretative or a statement of principles?
- Should the Charter be binding in relation to decisions and policies and if so, how?
Academic Senate endorsed the development of a University Charter at that meeting and established a University Charter Working Party to consider the issues raised.
At its 6 March 2009 meeting Academic Senate received a report of the University Charter Working Party which recommended that the main objective of the Working Party should be the facilitation of a process of consultation with the wider University community in relation to a University Charter. Draft Terms of Reference (attached) for the University Charter Working Party were considered. Academic Senate endorsed the structure recommended, and asked the Working Party to provide further advice on the possible development of a University Charter.
Council received the report on the establishment of an Academic Senate University Charter Working Party and the Terms of Reference for that Working Party.
Council approved the Summary Financial Management reports as at 31 December 2008, noting that the result was reasonable given the impact of negative investment returns.
Council noted the appointment of Professor Richard Turner to the position of Chair in Surgery from 1 June 2009.
Council approved the UTAS City Planning Guide as Volume 4 of the UTAS Master Planning exercise, to assist university planners in assessing development opportunities as they arise.
Council noted its appreciation of the work of the Built Environment Committee in initiating and overseeing the Master Planning exercise.
Council approved the revised Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee and its change of name to Audit & Risk Committee and requested the Legislation Committee to make the necessary amendments to Ordinance 5.
Council approved the revised Academic Promotions Policy and Promotions Procedures. The revisions clarify arrangements by which an alternate senior member of staff may assume the prescribed Head of School responsibilities and further address circumstances in which a conflict of interest may arise.
Council received the Vice-Chancellor's report on significant media activity during the past 6 weeks in relation to events at the University of Tasmania.
The majority of the formal submissions from Schools, Faculties, Institutes and Divisions has been received and feedback from students is currently being sought. The BOS Committee will now enter into a period of deliberation and further consultation with the university community.
A forum for Heads of School, Faculty, Institute and Division was held on 24 March with a focus on the reconsideration of boundary conditions.
Council also received the fourth Building on Strength article by the Vice-Chancellor on Shared Service Models.
The key recommendations from the Bradley review will produce a new higher education environment and it is important for the University to adapt in response to the proposed changes. It is evident from feedback and conversations with colleagues around the university that a degree of ‘fine tuning’ is required for our budget models, human resources policies and management of space.
The Education Minister, Julia Gillard and the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, have addressed key higher education conferences this year. They have signalled the government’s intention to support the key recommendations in the Bradley Review including: raising the proportion Australians aged 25-34 with a bachelor level degree to 40 per cent by 2025; moving to a student-demand driven model for funding from 2012; and establishing a national regulatory and quality agency for higher education.
The recommendations involving the removal of caps on student numbers and for funding to follow student movement and mobility are the other side of the Bradley ‘coin’. These recommendations will likely have a significant impact on regional universities and UTAS appears to be well positioned to deal with the proposed changes. Currently Tasmanian students do not flow through to interstate institutions in large numbers. UTAS will also need to focus on how to attract greater numbers of interstate students to study at UTAS.
The Vice-Chancellor attended the inaugural UA conference in March. The Education Minister, Julia Gillard, opened the conference and announced that the Government was committed to implementing key recommendations from the Bradley Review. It is important that the higher education sector now engages with government on the details of the proposed structural reforms.
The Working Party has met 5 times under the chairmanship of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) & Provost, to develop and make recommendations on options for the academic future of UTAS on the Cradle Coast and on appropriate governance arrangements that will ensure the sustainable development of the University in the region. It also considers and makes recommendations on the necessary support and enabling arrangements to underpin successful development, particularly those related to business and finance, academic staffing, administrative and support staffing, decision-making and consultation, and relations with Faculties, Schools, Academic Senate and other relevant UTAS bodies. The Working Party has submitted recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor’s Building on Strength Committee (BOSC) and to the North West Advisory Board (NWAB). Following discussion at both committees, agreed recommendations will then be taken to Senior Management Team before being reported to Council.
The Developing UTAS at Launceston (DUAL) Planning Group, chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) & Provost, has over several months been considering barriers, enablers and key opportunities for further developing the University in Launceston to enhance its contribution to the northern community and the State of Tasmania, and to provide better opportunities for local, interstate and international students. Following a consultation process the Planning Group has made recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor's Building on Strength Committee aimed at enhancing the sustainability and distinctiveness of UTAS at Launceston. As a first step, the group has made some recommendations around leadership, management and governance of the Launceston campus, and emphasised the need to develop a distinctive academic focus to enable Launceston to complement rather than compete with the focus elsewhere in UTAS. Following discussion through the BOS Committee, agreed recommendations will then go to Senior Management Team before being reported to Council.
The national Fulbright dinner was held in March in Hobart. The University co-hosted the event which was attended by the Premier, David Bartlett as well as Fulbright alumni and their families and members of the academic community. Once again, Tasmania has performed extremely well with 2 scholars who will continue their research in the United States this year. The State Government and UTAS have pledged to provide funding for the Scholarship for a further 3 years.
Minister Gillard recently announced the outcomes of the 2009 Learning and Teaching Performance Fund. UTAS has secured $2.235 million which is 3.1% of the $73 million funding distributed. UTAS' share of the national student population is 2.1% and in this context UTAS earned 1.5 times what we might have expected on a load share basis. The total distribution pool in 2009 was $10 million less than last year and the provision for funding for both excellence and improvement has spread the funding across 32 universities in 2009 compared with 23 in 2008. With these and other factors taken into account the underlying performance across UTAS has improved from 2008. It is proposed that $1 million will be allocated to Schools to recognise good teaching performance with the balance of funds to be available on a strategic competitive basis to fund teaching development and student support initiatives.
In his July 2008 presentation to Council, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) & Provost pointed to the need to understand staff attitudes to and engagement with the University, and to identify issues of concern to staff. In August 2008, Senior Management Team (SMT) considered a proposal to undertake a survey of staff attitudes (to give staff a 'voice'). Subsequently a scoping exercise was undertaken with the CEO of the Voice Project (a commercial offshoot of Macquarie University) with favourable results, and thus SMT has committed to deploying the Voice Project process and set up a small steering committee to guide the project. The overall intention is to monitor staff opinions, attitudes and beliefs in a way that will provide hard data to allow management to develop a rigorous dialogue around issues and institute appropriate actions. The Voice Project survey instrument also allows UTAS to benchmark against other universities. A survey will provide a baseline to allow us to track performance over time; subsequent surveys may evolve to encompass new issues while retaining a consistency of core questions to allow such tracking. The Voice Project is also potentially a mechanism to help develop a collective ownership of the University's direction. The survey is scheduled to be administered online from late April and will remain open for 2 weeks. All staff will be invited to participate. An initial aggregate report will be available in time for the annual SMT Retreat in late June, and more detailed reports, including specific reports for faculties and divisions, will be made available later.
The UTAS College Pilot Program commenced in winter semester 2008. Two models of delivery have been identified: first year units mapped against TCE subjects with an additional component provided by UTAS to meet unit requirements; and a complete UTAS unit offered contributing to students meeting the participation and achievement requirement for the award of the TCE. All units in the pilot offered are existing accredited units with approval for co-delivery granted by the Faculty Teaching and Learning Committee. Units have been offered in Languages, Music, Visual Arts and Performing Arts, and over 400 unit enrolments were achieved. The program will be considered a pilot until 2010 during which time full evaluation is proposed.
Some very good student results were achieved in the 2008 program and notably the program worked well where professional relationships had already been established (or were established during the program) with UTAS College staff. In these cases a team approach focussed on the best student outcomes. Where relationships had not existed previously and were not fostered during the program, outcomes were less favourable.
There has been significant learning on the part of university staff involved that has helped to shape continuation of the pilot in 2009. As a result of activities in 2008, the following co-ordination priorities have been established for 2009: quality assurance processes (including unit equivalence, delivery mode, timing, assessment, resources, student pre-requisites, student support, College Teacher recognition and involvement and evaluation); honing enrolment processes (including College Principal's and Dean's approvals and data capture); developing of an on-campus orientation program; Vice-Chancellor's recognition of involved University and College staff; working with the Academy and Colleges to address appropriate formal recognition of College staff, student selection, student support, optimum numbers of units to be undertaken and evaluation; and further development of underpinning research which will address longitudinal outcomes including those specifically for high achieving students and involve developing a research team with co-delivery lecturers and potentially teachers.
The Vice-Chancellor will be hosting 2 events for College Principals and teachers involved with the first stage of the co-delivery pilot in 2008 (March 27 in Launceston and April 23 In Hobart). The purpose of these events is to thank our partners in the secondary sector for their support, to provide feedback about progress and to discuss future directions for the remaining 2 years of the pilot project. This year, in addition to the Languages and Conservatorium programs, we have an expanded Visual and Performing Arts program and a Philosophy unit being trialled with one College
The Tasmanian Academy and Tasmanian Polytechnic are well into their first terms of teaching. It is understood that enrolment numbers in both are above expectations. Despite the inevitable teething troubles, both organisations appear to be settling into operations quite effectively. Both are in process of developing corporate plans to guide their development over the next 3 years. Both have been in negotiation with the University over a range of matters of common interest, including curriculum, student support and professional development issues.
This year UTAS trialled a central orientation event on the 3 main campuses to complement the academic program. The focal point in Launceston and Hobart was the Orientation marquee which provided:
an all weather space for providers of services to students to have an information booth;
an opportunity for UTAS service staff to introduce themselves to students in an informal way; and
The academic orientation program offered by Faculties and the generic session coordinated by Student Services were also offered with an approach similar to previous years. The 2-day intensive international orientation also followed a format similar to previous years.
Orientation activities, academic and social, were well attended and well received. Formal evaluation of the events is currently underway.
The Crisis Management and Recovery (formerly Critical Incident Management) Plan has been finalised and hard copies delivered to all members of the CMR Team. The UTAS CMR website is online at https://www.utas.edu.au/cmr/.
The University and the State Government have finalised arrangements for a conjoint appointment. Advertisements will appear in the local, national and international press beginning 21 March, with a closing date in early May. The conjoint appointment will see a full time appointment split 0.6 as Chief Scientist and 0.4 as a senior researcher at UTAS.
The ARC released the final Guidelines for the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) on Friday 13 March. The submission period for the Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences Cluster (PCE) is 1 June – 3 July 2009. For the Humanities and Creative Arts, the submission period is 3 – 21 August 2009.
The Peer Esteem indicators that were included in the earlier draft Guidelines have now been removed. In addition, the word ‘trial’ is now being used more prominently, showing a certain lack of confidence in the process. Our information indicates that the assessments of both the PCE and HCE clusters will be repeated next year.
Active Launceston is a community driven project, aiming to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Launceston through increased participation in physical activity, which has been in existence on a pilot basis since June 2008. The project resides in the Division of the PVC (Students & Education).
The University of Tasmania is leading the project with support from our partners: Launceston City Council; Education Department; Examiner Newspaper; and TAFISA (Trim and Fitness International Sport for All Association).
The Active Launceston project has 3 objectives;
More detailed information can be found at http://www.activelaunceston.com.au
UTAS is currently the lead institution on 2 Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) projects; ‘Embedding and Sustaining Leadership Development for Tailored Support during Curriculum Reviews (ESLD)’ and a ‘Multi-Campus Leadership Project (MCL)’. These projects were being led by Neil Trivett, who left the University in February to join the University of Ballarat. The ALTC deemed that despite this change the University of Tasmania would remain the lead institution and we are working with Neil Trivett on the details of how this will work as he has agreed to remain the project leader on the MCL project. Professor Robyn Lines has assumed leadership of the ESLD project.
The ESLD project, worth approximately $240,000, started in January 2009. Discussions over the past 6 weeks, have resulted in Dr Gary Williams and Dr Natalie Brown from the UTAS’ Centre for Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT) accepting the invitation to join the Project Team. This will result in the team having 3 UTAS representatives, and 2 representatives from each of the University of Ballarat and UTS. All CALT staff will be involved in this project – as a professional development activity – during Semester 1, 2009. A subset will continue to be involved in Semester 2 when course reviews are conducted.
Funding of approximately $220,000 was received for the MCL project which commenced in July 2008. This project brings together 4 core universities and up to 22 participating institutions. The University of Tasmania has a key role in this project undertaking to provide support, guidance and supervision of the project officer, under the general guidance of the project team, as well as providing financial management and monitoring the progress of the project. The steering committee met on 12 March and noted that due to the resignation of the project officer in November 2008 it is slightly behind schedule. Notwithstanding this the steering committee is comfortable with the current status of the project.
New Dean: The Faculty of Arts has a New Dean, Professor Susan Dodds, who took up her position formally on the 16 February. Professor Dodds is a philosopher who came to UTAS after holding the position of Head of the School of English Literatures, Philosophy and Languages at the University of Wollongong.
Research Grant Success: ARC Discovery ($109,000 2009-2011) ‘Traveling Home: A Study of Walkabout, Australia's Geographic Magazine (1934-74)’ Chief Investigators: Dr Mitchell Rolls and Dr Anna Johnston
Project Description: Walkabout was one of mid-twentieth century's most popular magazines with a focus on inland Australia, as well as the Pacific region. It graced suburban lounge rooms, doctors' and dentists' surgeries, railway waiting rooms, ministerial offices, and school libraries. Walkabout's mixture of entertainment and education ensured its influence across a spectrum of readers: across age, class, and educational boundaries. This project explores the role of Walkabout in the development of a modern national identity. Walkabout deliberately cultivated one of Australia's key modern economic foundations-the travel industry-and did so whilst also influencing knowledge formation and circulation.
Rising Stars: Dr Mike Davis (History and Classics, Cradle Coast Campus) and Dr Elizabeth Leane (School of English, Journalism and European Languages, Hobart) were awarded grants in the 2008 Rising Stars round as promising research leaders of the future.
Launch of a Major Publication: The second edition of George Augustus Robinson’s Friendly Mission was launched by Quintus Publishing on 27 November 2008. Friendly Mission is one of the most important documents of Australian colonial history. Quintus is a joint venture of UTAS and the State Government, run out of the School of English, Journalism and European Languages. To coincide with the publication, Quintus has also released Reading Robinson: Companion Essays to Friendly Mission, edited by Anna Johnston and Mitchell Rolls.
Tasmanian School of Art will be leading the successful Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund for an ‘Integrated Tasmanian Creative Arts Education’ which has received $2,520,000.
Project Description: This project proposal seeks to reform, integrate and co-locate creative arts education in southern Tasmania, encompassing TAFE and Higher Education programs with links to Year 11 and 12 programs as a core element of the Hobart waterfront cultural precinct. The concept complements the Tasmanian Government’s education reform policy, Tasmania Tomorrow, and lays the foundation for a cross-sector and state-wide 'Institute for the Creative Arts'. A nationally significant model, the project will articulate integrated learning pathways replacing the current fragmented structure – better reflecting the creative arts industry, increasingly characterised by life-long learning, interdisciplinary practice and rapid development of new technologies.
The School of Government is one step closer to offering a new Police Studies Program in partnership with the State Government. This new degree program will see the next generation of police recruits pursuing a University degree as part of their training. This program builds on the School’s research focus on law enforcement, through the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (TILES) and the School of Sociology and Social Work’s expertise in criminology and forensics. The Police Studies program has received approval by the Course Committee and will be discussed at the next University Teaching and Learning Committee.
During summer 2008-2009, 2 summer school programs have been particularly successful. The 2009 Tasmanian Creative Arts Summer School's program was better than ever with over 500 participants involved. The Summer School is run in partnership between the School of Visual and Performing Arts and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston City Council, Launceston College and the Tasmanian Polytechnic (Newstead Campus). The Australian International Summer Orchestra Institute (AISOI) ran successfully. For 2 intensive weeks from late November, it brought young musicians from around Australia and overseas to participate in a tremendous program of rehearsals, master-classes, orchestral sectionals and performances with international guest conductors, soloists and leading Australian tutors drawn from the major symphony orchestras of Australia.
Premier David Bartlett made extensive reference to the Tasmanian Innovation Strategy in his State of the State Address delivered to Parliament on 3 March 2009. The Premier noted “We have commissioned the Australian Innovation Research Centre (AIRC) to help us identify those ideas [i.e. new strategies] through the creation of the Tasmanian Innovation Strategy. This work, being led by Professor Jonathon West, has identified some potential areas in which Tasmania can make use of its natural advantages to lead the world.”
A/Prof Jack English (of the AIRC) and Babette Moate’s latest book, Discovering New Business Opportunities (Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2009), has been published, and is due to be launched at the AIRC offices in late March.
A/Prof Jack English and Colin Jones (of the School of Management and the AIRC) began teaching the Graduate Certificate in Commercialisation in-house program at CSIRO on 27 February 2009. The program will be presented at the premises of the Tasmanian ICT Centre in Salamanca.
The Faculty of Business will hold its Student Awards Night on 7 April at the University Club on the Sandy Bay Campus. On the night, 48 students will be awarded prizes for outstanding performance in their studies in the Faculty.
Dr Kim Lehman (of the School of Management) was one of the guest speakers at the recent launch on the Launceston campus of the Birchalls Tertiary Art Prize, along with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Daryl Le Grew, and the Dean of Education, Professor Ian Hay. The Birchalls Tertiary Art Prize is an initiative of the NEW Gallery, a contemporary art space funded by the University of Tasmania of which Dr Lehman is a board member
Professor Adams (of the School of Management) has been invited to address the OECD/World Bank Conference, to be held in Korea in July, on measuring the wellbeing of nations. Prof Adams has also been invited as a keynote speaker to the LGAT/LGMA Conferences in May and September to address the topic of partnership opportunities with UTAS.
Conference and Seminars
The Dean, Professor Ian Hay, delivered a keynote address at the 33rd Annual International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities (IARLD) Conference in January 2009. The conference was held at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand. Professor Hay’s paper was entitled ‘Exploring effective literacy: an Australian perspective,’ and overviewed his research pertaining to students’ literacy and reading development. As part of the address, student engagement, effective teacher practices as well as teacher dialogue and questioning strategies were reviewed.
The Associate Dean (Research) has established a series of research seminars and workshops for 2009 to enable the sharing of scholarship between staff and postgraduate students.
Research Higher Degree Success
The Faculty has recently been advised of the successful outcome from the examination of a PhD. Yasmine Howard, with supervisory guidance and support from Dr Thao Le, conducted research investigating ‘User-Friendly and Learner-Friendly Courseware Design, Development and Evaluation.’ Yasmine’s thesis was highly regarded by both examiners, who noted that the research and the practical outcomes of the work would be useful for e-learning designers.
Honours
The research of Honours graduate, Martin Beattie, sparked great media interest both nationally and internationally in February. His thesis explored the use of mobile phones in schools and the levels of effectiveness of preventative bans. Numerous articles and letters to the editor were published in all the Tasmanian papers, as well as The Australian, The Age and Times of India. The topic also featured on radio – 3BO (Bendigo Talkback) and ABC Riverland (SA) – and on websites, including Australian Online, IT Examiner.com (Bangalore, India) and MumbaiMirror.com (India).
Joshua Moore’s Honours research was also taken up by the media in February. His thesis examined what influenced the decisions made by Year 10 boys to undertake further education.
Faculty of Education Orientation 2009
In February, the Faculty hosted a series of Orientation sessions for new students at the Cradle Coast, Launceston and Hobart campuses, as well as interstate in Adelaide and Melbourne.
Across the 3-day (18-20 February) Bachelor of Education Orientation Program, approximately 220 students participated in sessions which included campus tours, course overviews and liberal studies options, IT essentials, preparation for study, academic expectations, and social networking activities with mentors. Feedback from students who participated in this program was positive, with a number reporting that the sessions were “fun and confidence building”, “a great way to meet new people”, and provided solid preparation for studies in the Faculty.
The Bachelor of Education (In-Service) Orientation Program was conducted in Adelaide and Melbourne (14-15 February) attracting student numbers of 10 and 80, respectively; and in Launceston (21-22 February) for approximately 60 students. Similar sessions to the BEd Orientation were held and, again, feedback generated was positive with students finding the program ‘really helpful’ and the Faculty itself a “friendly environment”. One student stated: “Knowing that we have that much support around us makes the transition to uni so much easier”.
Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Human Movement Orientations were also conducted in Hobart (16-17 February) and Launceston (19-20 February).
Ms Carolyn Abraham (Student Adviser) and her team are to be commended for preparing and delivering such a successful 2009 Orientation Program.
Building on Strength Faculty Forum and Vice-Chancellor visit
On Friday 27 February the Vice-Chancellor visited the Faculty of Education to discuss Building on Strength with staff members. The Faculty hosted a morning tea and a Faculty Forum was held at which the Vice-Chancellor spoke about his paper and responded to questions from staff members.
Launch of Birchalls’ Tertiary Art Prize
Following the Faculty Forum, the Vice-Chancellor and the NEW Gallery (based in the Faculty of Education) officially launched the Birchalls’ Tertiary Art Prize, a joint initiative of the NEW Gallery and Birchalls. The prize will be a significant event for tertiary students in the State with an interest in art and will culminate in a Finalists’ Exhibition of 2D works on paper or canvas in September, where the winning work will be awarded a $2000 prize and a People’s Choice award of $500 will also be presented. The announcement of the new art prize received positive coverage in all the Tasmanian papers and on local radio.
New Appointees
Ms Louise Reid Davies commenced the role of NEW Gallery Curator on Monday 2 February 2009. She has been employed on a part-time 2-year contract to work with the NEW Gallery Management Committee to revitalise the Gallery, which is situated within the Faculty of Education, and present an exciting and engaging exhibition program for 2009 and 2010.
Commencement of 2009 Academic Year
All Schools in the Faculty have been managing increased enrolments above 2008 at the commencement of first semester. The School of Nursing and Midwifery is already above its 2009 target with increased numbers in the Bachelor of Nursing programs in Sydney and Hobart.
Clinical Placement Planning
Staff of the Faculty, particularly through the Partners in Health Management Committee, have been involved with national consultations on the new Health Workforce Agency which will be created as a result of the November 2008 COAG commitment to provide $1.5 billion over four years to support health professional clinical placements. The Faculty, together with the Department of Health & Human Services, wishes to ensure that any national approach will build on existing local arrangements including the Partners in Health agreements and the Student Placement Management System.
Expanded Teaching Settings
The Tasmanian Health Plan and the Commonwealth commitments of funding to Super Clinics and Integrated Care Centres in Tasmania have provided for centres to be developed at Clarence and in Launceston in the first instance. Faculty staff have been involved in the planning of both service functions and facilities at Clarence which will accommodate an Integrated Care Centre ($13 million) and a Super Clinic ($5.5 million). The Commonwealth Government has allocated $15 million for an Integrated Care Centre in Launceston and this is being planned along with a University facility to augment the Launceston Clinical School and cope with increased numbers of medical and other health professional students in the Northern region.
Both facilities will provide an increased number of student places (as allocated in 2004 and 2006 by COAG) and provide facilities where multi-professional and inter-disciplinary learning can occur. Integrated Care Centres and Super Clinics are ideally suited for these forms of educational experience, as they will particularly manage conditions that are chronic and complex.
Conjoint Appointments
3 senior conjoint appointments have recently been made between the Faculty and Department of Health & Human Services. Professor Michael Ashby has been appointed Professor/Director of Palliative Care. He has a distinguished academic and clinical record having been involved in leading palliative care services in South Australia and Victoria where he was most recently Professor of Palliative Care at Monash University. Professor Ashby will lead the fourth theme of the new medical curriculum (Personal and Professional Development).
Professor Mark Oakley Browne was appointed Professor and Statewide Clinical Director of Mental Health in February 2009. He previously held appointments as Director, Department of Rural and Indigenous Health and Professor of Rural Psychiatry at Monash University and Clinical Director of Mental Health Services in Gippsland, Victoria.
Professor Mary Fitzgerald has been appointed Professor of Nursing Practice Development at Royal Hobart Hospital. She previously held positions as Professor of Nursing at James Cook University and the University of Newcastle associated with Central Coast Health NSW. She will play a major role in staff development and change management at the Royal Hobart Hospital as well as contributing to the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Hobart.
As part of the restructure of management at Royal Hobart Hospital, Clinical Professor Tony Bell, previously Director of Royal Hobart Hospital Intensive Care Unit, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer.
The Faculty’s Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning), Dr Justin Walls has recently been appointed Associate Professor in the School of Medicine.
Community Engagement
The Faculty of Health Science has developed new initiatives in community engagement to increase the profile of the Faculty and its Schools and to strengthen student recruitment. These initiatives include taster days which are discipline specific and provide detailed information and practical “hands-on” experience to prospective students. In November 2008 2 nursing taster days were held and 100 prospective students were able to live a day of a first year nursing student. The participants learnt how to take vital signs, how to put on sterile gloves without contamination, how to do CPR and interact with the manikins in the simulation centre. The School of Human Life Sciences also offered 3 taster days in 2008, and student feedback was very positive. Consequently, the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery and Human Life Sciences will be offering further taster days in 2009.
In April the School of Medicine is placing small groups of second year medical students into rural communities to obtain an understanding of existing health services in these communities and to visit local high and primary schools.
The Australian and New Zealand Association of Clerks at the Table (ANZACATT) have awarded a national tender for the education of clerks of the 11 parliaments of Australia, New Zealand and Norfolk Island to a team of legal and political academics at UTAS. Clerks are the most senior non-elected members of the houses of Parliament who facilitate the effective and lawful running of Parliament and provide advice on all rules and conventions of Parliament to elected members. The tendering process was extremely competitive and included bids from ANU and QUT. Once operational, the teaching program will run from the Faculty of Law and be directed by former Tasmanian Attorney General Dr Peter Patmore and Associate Professor Richard Herr from the School of Government.
Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC)
The ACE CRC was a significant and active collaborator in the International Polar Year (IPY) during 2007 and 2008. The IPY, which conducted the largest ever international collaboration in polar science, has highlighted the importance of climate change and its impacts in polar regions and globally, and shown that some of the most significant global changes are occurring near the poles.
Australia’s capacity to respond to climate change and to participate in international agenda setting relies on best possible scientific information to improve our understanding of global change and to underpin policy. ACE research Centre addresses the key role of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean in climate and ecosystem processes. The Board of the ACE CRC has approved the submission of a renewal application to the Australian Government Cooperative Research program.
School of Chemistry
Professor Allan Canty and Professor Paul Haddad were awarded UTAS Distinguished Professor Appointments in December 2008 in honour of their outstanding international research careers. In December 2008, Dr Michael Breadmore received two awards for his research: the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering China Exchange award, and the Australian Academy of Science G J Russell Award. Dr Greg Dicinoski also received two awards for teaching in December 2008: the Pearson Education RACI Chemistry Educator of the Year Award, and the RACI Chemical Education Division Citation. An international symposium on separation science was held in Hobart in December to celebrate Professor Paul Haddad's 60th birthday. Associate Professor Don McWilliam received a warm farewell on 20 February 2009 after 26 years of teaching chemistry in Launceston in the CAE, TSIT, and then University Of Tasmania.
School of Computing & Information Systems
The School has reviewed the overlap and duplication in teaching between Computing and Information Systems and identified the deletion of eleven units. In their place are five units that capture the middle ground between Computing and Information Systems which will be offered not as discipline-based units but as school-based units in an effort to reinforce the synergies of the disciplines and the unity of the amalgamated components.
The School also examined units that did not attract a viable number of students and cancelled seven units throughout the year. Working Parties looked at on majors and degrees in Multimedia and Games Technology — as suggested in the memorandum from the Vice-Chancellor that precipitated the creation of the School — and they produced completed syllabi for major creation and unitisation. The Games Technology major has approximately 40 students.
In addition, the HIT Lab’s creation is moving ever-nearer and syllabus work for units and courses has continued too. The first two units of the major are currently being offered with 40 students enrolled. The refurbishments of the School in Launceston for the HIT Lab are complete and equipment is installed. The appointment procedures for the Director and post doc/Level B lecturing staff are underway.
School of Engineering
The major achievement for the School of Engineering in 2008 was full accreditation of its flagship BEng degrees in Civil, Mechanical, Mechatronic, Electrical Power, Electronics and Communications, and Computer Systems Engineering, and provisional accreditation for the new Civil/Mining degree (soon to be renamed Geotechnical Engineering). Two and half academic staff positions fell vacant in 2008 and the opportunity was taken to advertise for three positions. One in Civil Engineering has been filled with the other positions in Mechanical and Geotechnical Engineering currently in search phases. 2008 also saw the consolidation of significant changes to first year programs that were coordinated with changes to the AMC first year in Launceston. These changes have incorporated enhanced industry linkages with site visits for first years to major civil, mechanical and electrical installations in and around Hobart. The School has worked closely with the Schools of Architecture & Design and Maths & Physics in running joint units and will teach a joint unit with Chemistry in 2009. The School now conducts exit interviews with graduating students which have proved very useful in gaining specific feedback on the engineering degree.
School of Plant Science
Prof Brad Potts, Professor of Forest Genetics in the School of Plant Science, has been awarded the prestigious Clarke Medal from the Royal Society of NSW for his research on the evolutionary biology and breeding of the genus Eucalyptus. The Clarke Medal is for distinguished work in the Natural Sciences carried out in Australia and previous recipients include Prof Thomas Huxley, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker and Sir Douglas Mawson. Dr Greg Jordan, a senior lecturer in the School of Plant Science, and international colleagues produced a research paper ‘Phylogenetic biome conservation on a global scale’ which has been accepted in the prestigious journal Nature. Prof David Bowman, Professor of Forest Ecology, and his international colleagues have had there research paper ‘Fire in the Earth System’ accepted in the prestigious journal Science. Professor Gustaaf Hallegraeff has produced a review on the ‘Impact of Climate Change on Algal Blooms and Seafood Quality’ for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation.
School of Zoology
Professor Mark Hindell was presented with a DSc at the December Graduation Ceremony in Hobart. This award recognized his outstanding and sustained contributions to Antarctic Biology. His thesis ‘The Biology of Southern Ocean Predators’ was comprised of 112 scientific papers or book chapters. At the same ceremony, PhDs were conferred on six Zoology graduates, two of whom had been supervised by Professor Hindell.
Professor Hamish McCallum, Senior Scientist with the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, hosted a Workshop on devil molecular genetics and immunology at the University in December. This workshop brought together experts from a number of Australian institutions who are, with Professor McCallum’s guidance, working cooperatively to ensure their research is well integrated to best support the needs of the program.
In the latest round of funding from FRDC, the TAFI project Rebuilding Ecosystem Resilience: Assessment of management options to minimise formation of barrens’ habitat by the long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) in Tasmania was awarded $430,000, bringing total funding for this important project over all sources to $950K over 4 years. Professor Craig Johnson is the Principal Investigator, with co-investigators Drs Caleb Gardner, Grant Pullen and Associate Professor Stewart Frusher of MRL.
Faculty Office
National Science Week grants for 2009 have been announced by the Minster for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr. The Young Tassie Scientists 2009 program, organised by Jeannie Marie Leroi, was one of just 40 events nationally to receive funding for National Science Week. The program incorporates Young Tassie scientists school visits state-wide, 90 Seconds of Fame and other public events, including at the Imaginarium Science Centre, QVMAG and Uni Open Days , Hands-on Minds-on Engineering activities (with the School of Engineering), Radiotelescope visits and activities (with the School of Maths & Physics) and the UTAS Science Fair (with the Faculty of Education ). Funding received was $24,490
At the recent national National Science Week Co-ordinators meeting held in Canberra the Tasmanian Science Week Co-ordinating Committee received recognition for being the first state to record 100 events on the 2008 National Science Week website; a trophy and $1,000 was awarded to Jeannie-Marie LeRoi as State Co-ordinator for Tasmania.
The ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits (CODES) was originally established in 1997 as one of 7 ARC Special Research Centres. This Centre has since become a Centre of Excellence funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) in its second Centres of Excellence round. As a Centre of Excellence the CODES is in its third year of funding with an ARC contribution of $3,248,088 (2008 dollars). Funding contributions from partner universities, industry, other grants and State and Commonwealth Governments have provided an additional $5.7 million in 2007. Total funding to the Centre in 2007 exceeds $8.9 million.
The primary node of the Centre is located at UTAS with 4 national nodes at collaborating institutions – the Australian National University (ANU), the University of Queensland (UQ), the University of Melbourne (UMelb) and CSIRO Exploration and Mining (CSIRO). The Centre has 2 international nodes, one at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, and the second at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), USA. The Director of the Centre is Professor Ross Large.
The ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits was established to undertake innovative, multidisciplinary research in ore deposit location, formation, discovery, recovery and technology. The Centre’s research program builds on that of the ARC Special Research Centre in Ore Deposits but has expanded into new disciplines including exploration geophysics and geometallurgy.
The 2008 review of the Centre took place at UTAS on 14 November 2008. The Review Panel comprised Emeritus Professor Mark Wainwright (Chair); Dr Ian Mackinnon (Executive Director, Engineering and Environmental Sciences, ARC); Professor Margaret Clayton (Executive Director, Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, ARC); Professor Nick Oliver (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University); and Professor Allan Chivas (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong).
Prior to the review, Panel members were provided with a submission and extension proposal from the Centre, the 2007 Centre Annual Report and the Centre’s agreed Key Performance Indicators. The Review Panel held informal, wide-ranging discussions with people directly involved with the Centre, senior management of the University, members of the Advisory Board, industry partners and Centre postdoctoral researchers and students.
Findings
The Review Panel found that since its establishment in 2005, the Centre has made world-leading advances in several areas. It has:
made a breakthrough in sulphur-isotope micro-mapping of trace-element chemistry and lead isotopes in pyrite, which has led to insights into both the time-scale of ore deposit formation and the genesis of shale-hosted gold deposits. This new technology has been implemented on rocks from Siberia and is currently being applied to the Victorian goldfields to assist ore discovery;
developed a strong geometallurgy initiative, enabling the cross-disciplinary collaboration of traditionally separate fields into one. This work has resulted from a successful outcome of the work with the UQ node and has attracted significant industry funding and support from 20 industry partners. The outcomes of this cross-disciplinary research have the potential to change industry practice for mine planning and resource evaluation including energy efficiency and mine or process design; and
developed a novel mathematical approach to 3D electromagnetic modelling using independent spheres. This new approach will enable rapid inversion modelling of large datasets and is being incorporated in CODES targeted software for the mining industry.
In addition, the Panel considered that the Centre had become a focal point for Australian research in economic geoscience and is providing a supportive and stimulating environment for the next generation of researchers.
Overall, the Review Panel believes that the Centre has made outstanding progress to date.
Recommendations
The Review Panel recommends that ARC funding for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits be continued at the current level of $3,248,088 (2008 dollars) per annum until the end of currently scheduled funding in 2010, indexed every year in accordance with normal ARC funding arrangements.
The Panel also recommends that the Centre:
The ARC Linkage Grant awarded to Roberta Julian (with Rob White from Sociology and Social Work and Hugh Sibly from Economics) has received approval for a deferred start and has formally begun this year ($890,000 over 5 years for the project ‘The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System’). Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS) are the Collaborating Organisations.
Jenny Fleming has been appointed by the ARC as a Chief Investigator on an ARC funded linkage project between the University of Melbourne, Edith Cowan University and Victoria Police. The project is entitled ‘Adult Sexual Assault: An evidence-based policy, practice and advocacy model for Victoria Police’.
Jenny Fleming’s report for the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has been published with the title Rules of Engagement: Policing anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related violence in and around licensed premises. The impact of the report has been evident in widespread media coverage (print, radio and television) and an invitation to be the keynote speaker, and participate in an Alcohol and other Drugs Key Stakeholders Prevention Workshop for the Alcohol and Drug Office, Government of Western Australia in Perth 11 to 13 March 2009.
Jenny Fleming will also present findings from the report to the Tasmanian Liquor Licensing Commission (Hobart and Launceston branches) on 26 March 2009 and at the Binge Drinking Summit to be held in Melbourne on 30 March 2009.
Jenny Fleming will present her paper, ‘Policing Indigenous people in the NPY lands’ to the Crossing Border conference being held at the Australian National University in Canberra in April 2009.
Jenny Fleming and Alison Wakefield (UNSW) have recently published the international Sage Dictionary of Policing which was formally launched by Professor Peter Grabosky at the Australasian Policing Symposium held in Sydney 10 and 11 March and co-hosted by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security (CEPS) and the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM).
Jenny Fleming was the invited keynote speaker at the AFP’s Pearls in Policing, International Action Learning Group meeting held on Thursday 5 March 2009 in Sydney. Her paper was entitled, Police Leadership and External Constituencies.
Roberta Julian and Clarissa Hughes (UDRH) are continuing their work applying the social norms methodology to alcohol misuse among young people. They have begun a project on ‘Social Norms’ Intervention at UTAS Residential Colleges and have received $73,899 UTAS pre-seed funding to explore the commercialisation of this work through the project ‘Social Norms work in the Australian education sector: Needs analysis and product refinement’.
TILES continues to work on collaborative projects with colleagues from other schools and faculties. Roberta Julian is currently collaborating on a review of the Road Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Amendment Act 2005 with Raimondo Bruno (Psychology) and Jeremy Prichard (Law) for the Minister of Police and Emergency Management.
Roberta Julian attended the Australian Institute of Police Management Board of Studies meeting on 2nd March followed by a full day workshop with representatives from all police jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand that focused on developing a Leadership Capabilities Framework for Australasian policing.
These students graduated in absentia at the meeting-
Kurt Gerner Lund |
Certificate in Commercial Marine Surveying |
Julie-Anne Tregloan |
Associate Degree in Arts |
Jeremy Andrew Walker |
Associate Degree in Aquaculture |
Nathan John Adamson |
Diploma of Applied Science (Deck Watchkeeper) |
Luke James Carberry |
Diploma of Applied Science (Deck Watchkeeper) |
Jimmy Wendler Johansen |
Diploma of Applied Science (Deck Watchkeeper) |
Lenard William Rosewarn Woodhead |
Diploma of Marine Engineering (Watchkeeper) |
Samuel Anthony Benson |
Advanced Diploma of Marine Engineering |
Charles Mark Cameron |
Advanced Diploma of Maritime and Logistics Management |
Wing Yee Erica Au |
Bachelor of Business |
Aidan Maxwell Dineen |
Bachelor of Commerce |
Richard Aciga Donato |
Bachelor of Arts |
Sarafino Wani Enadio |
Bachelor of Arts |
Elissa Meryl Ferguson |
Bachelor of Commerce |
Simon Andrew Foster |
Bachelor of Arts |
Louise Julianne Jennion |
Bachelor of Regional Resource Management |
David Charles Johnson |
Bachelor of Computing |
Lei Lei |
Bachelor of Information Systems |
Phoebe Renai Lian |
Bachelor of Laws |
Xueling Liu |
Bachelor of Commerce |
Daniel John Newbury |
Bachelor of Social Science (Police Studies) |
Eveleen Rao |
Bachelor of Business |
Darren Rexter |
Bachelor of Aquaculture |
Christian Wiriyanto Soesilo |
Bachelor of Business |
Thomas Edward Starr |
Bachelor of Music |
Jason Douglas Thornton |
Bachelor of Aquaculture |
Martin Vidensky |
Bachelor of Applied Science (Maritime Technology Management) |
Tie Liang Yan |
Bachelor of Information Systems |
Tianyang Yu |
Bachelor of Economics |
Melusine Alice Catherine Lefebvre |
Bachelor of Science with Honours |
Kim Leong Vincent Ong |
Bachelor of Aquaculture with Honours |
Ingrid Roberts |
Bachelor of Arts with Honours |
Natalie Jane Cooling |
Graduate Certificate in International Politics |
Dominic Robin Letts |
Graduate Certificate in Maritime and Logistics Management |
Natalie Claire Steers |
Graduate Certificate in Nursing |
Christine O'Brien |
Graduate Diploma of Nursing |
Renee Amanda Turner |
Graduate Diploma in Information Management |
Yi Chen |
Master of Professional Accounting (Business Management) |
Kai Tsang Alvin Kwok |
Master of Professional Accounting |
Rui Lin |
Master of Professional Accounting (Business Management) |
Jennen Ngiau-Keng |
Master of Music Studies |
Prince Ninan Philip |
Master of Pharmacy |
Sonia Raghav |
Master of Business Administration |
Raja Nur Ateeka Raja Othman |
Master of Applied Science |
Yang Song |
Master of Applied Science in Aquaculture |
Hao Wang |
Master of Business |
Elizabeth Anne Cummings |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Jane Alexandra Deeth |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Eric Gilman |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Hafez Abdelrazzek Hafez |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Jerome Andrew Staal |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Chanchai Thaijiam |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Megan Tierney |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Felipe Urzua |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Paul Benjamin Willis |
Doctor of Philosophy |
