Collaboration lessons we can learn

The most significant achievements of the ACU community often happen as a result of collaboration, whether it be on a small or large scale.

Collaboration allows us to draw upon the wide range of skills, knowledge and experience that ACU staff and students possess, and to use this collective strength to our best advantage. Collaborative projects also connect people - building and reinforcing professional relationships and enhancing collegiality and cross-team morale.

Last week the Brisbane Campus hosted the Indigenous University Games, which saw over 400 students from 25 Australian universities congregate in Brisbane for a week of sporting competition and social events. This major event was supported by the First Peoples & Equity Pathways Directorate, Students, Student engagement and Services, Properties, the Brisbane Associate Vice-Chancellor and Marketing & External Relations. The combined contributions of all these areas of the University resulted in a spectacularly successful and memorable Games week.

The upcoming Learning & Teaching Conference is a great example of cross-organisational unit collaboration. Students, Learning & Teaching, in particular the Learning & Teaching Centre, has partnered with the Faculties to create a comprehensive one-day conference program open to ACU staff responsible for delivering and supporting teaching at ACU. The input of both areas of the University has been critical to planning an engaging experience that is reflective of the latest technology, curriculum design, research and teaching methods.

Within the digital sphere there is currently a major collaborative project underway to develop the new student website personalised hub. This will provide students with a single sign-on, single-destination digital platform for access to their most-used online university tools and applications. The project involves staff from Information Technology, Marketing and External Relations and Students, Learning & Teaching working in conjunction to significantly progress students’ digital experience at ACU. Great things can be achieved when we bridge organisational structure and campus divides and work together. When embarking on projects or tasks I encourage you to habitually think beyond your immediate work teams or locations and call upon the vast pool of talent and expertise that exists within our ACU community.