Postgraduate Strategy

A message from the Provost Professor Pauline Nugent

Dear colleagues,

Some highlights from my portfolio include:

Postgraduate Strategy

The importance of the Postgraduate Strategy to grow our postgraduate full fee paying enrolments has continued to be in the spotlight in 2016, with important academic foundations being developed across my portfolio.

In a highly competitive domestic postgraduate education market, opportunities to grow international postgraduate student enrolments have been pursued that leverage areas of ACU strength and address market gaps. Some examples of 2016 funded initiatives include course, curriculum development and scholarships for new programs in Public Health, Finance, Enhancing Catholic School Identity, Global Politics and Religion, and Creative Practice. In addition, the School of Exercise Science has developed the innovative and successful High Performance Sport Suite for new overseas markets.  Partnerships and virtual classroom models are also under development with the Catholic University of America and KU Leuven Belgium and the development of intensives focused on Catholic Identities in Asian Contexts are to commence in 2017, as important pipelines into masters programs.

A major focus of this work has been on supporting ACU’s role as a Catholic University globally and in the Asia-Pacific, with ACU International to play a stronger coordinating role in 2017.

In the domestic context, ACU’s new Graduate Certificate in Safeguarding Children and Young People that was also developed using 2016 Postgraduate Strategy funding. This was launched by Catholic Education Melbourne and has had strong interest in Australia and internationally. The Graduate Certificate Management in Not-for-Profit for clergy and the renewal of the Master of Educational Leadership through a collaborative co-creation process with partners are also important developments for ACU.

In 2017, a more targeted approach will be implemented as part of Phase 2 of the Strategy and this will reflect a strong evidence-base and alignment of course and research areas to maximise impact. At the same time more choice, flexibility and global experiences will be progressed to enable students to choose their degree elements and preferred international study destinations through further collaborations with Catholic partners.

Canberra and Ballarat Academic Renewal

It was great to see the energy and focused consideration being given to developing strategies as part of the recent Canberra Academic Renewal/Ballarat Academic Renewal (CARBAR) Workshop. The session really highlighted the value in engaging a broad range of staff across ACU to refresh our academic planning for the Campuses. A number of academic program developments were identified by Faculties, supported by market analysis by Marketing and External Relations and these confirmed directions, as well as flagged some different and new ways of working and creating or reframing offerings to increase enrolments.

To integrate these new and important developments, my Office has been working with Faculties to progress these plans for the CARBAR Steering Committee to be held 6 December, so that there is a focus on refreshing and strengthening our efforts and outcomes throughout 2017 and 2018.

I would like to thank all staff who participated on the day and look forward to their continued input into the academic planning for the Campuses.

From L-R: Professor Geraldine Castleton, Deputy Dean Faculty of Education and Arts; Professor Justin Kemp, National Head of School of Exercise Science; Professor Elizabeth Labone, National Head of School of Education; Professor Tania Aspland, Executive Dean of Faculty of Education and Arts; Professor Susan Dann, National Head of School of Business.

Professor Pauline Nugent
Provost