Update from the Provost

Caption: The Provost visited a number of Chinese universities this month, including the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to be able to share with you some recent highlights from the work of my Portfolio:

Portfolio Planning Day

My Portfolio Planning Day was held last month to discuss strategic objectives, key priorities and targets for 2016. The workshop was attended by representatives from my office, the Executive Deans, the Chair Academic Board, Executive Directors and Directors within my portfolio.

The Vice-Chancellor’s 2016 key priorities were central to the discussion, including enrolment pathways and alternative entries, internationalisation, strategic partnerships, engagement with Catholic partners, academic workforce management, as well as developments in the learning and teaching agenda. It was a very productive session which will guide the work of the Portfolio as we continue to strive for academic excellence and to strengthen ACU’s academic profile both domestically and internationally.

Core Curriculum

The academic renewal of the Core Curriculum is progressing well with development work for the UNCC100, including refreshed content, pedagogy and assessment nearing completion. Dr Christian Lorenzen was recently appointed as Lead Academic, Core Curriculum to oversee the implementation, evaluation, and oversight of the academic quality of the Core.

Alongside the academic renewal work, we also continue to expand the number of overseas destinations for the delivery of the Core Curriculum. UNCC300 will be offered for the first time in China at The Beijing Centre in June this year. This is an exciting new opportunity for students to study in an international setting, complementing the Core offerings currently in place in Paris, London, Florence and Rome. Plans for another offering of the Core Curriculum at ACU’s Rome Centre continue to progress well, with places on offer to ACU’s partners, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

Postgraduate Workshop

Forty-eight staff from Faculties, Student Administration, International and other areas across the University participated in the annual Postgraduate Strategy Workshop held in North Sydney on 22 March to discuss developments, challenges and opportunities for ACU’s postgraduate offerings.

China Visit

I will be in China this week with Professor Michelle Campbell, Executive Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences. We are scheduled to visit several partner universities including Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (HUTCM), Tongji University, Peking University and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM). The visits aim to strengthen existing partnerships and discuss potential collaboration in student and faculty mobility, curriculum exchange and research.

Professor Pauline Nugent, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)