Update from the Provost

A message from the Provost, Professor Pauline Nugent:

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to share with you some recent highlights from my Portfolio:

Expanding international collaboration in the USA

During my recent trip to the USA I met with several universities.

At Seton Hall University in New Jersey, I met with various representatives from their Senior Executive, School of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Diplomacy & International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences, Education & Human Services and Arts, Sciences and Communications. Together with Fr Casamento, Director, Identity and Mission, we also met with the Rector of the Immaculate Conception Seminary.  Discussions focused on points of alignment between our two universities and possibilities for collaboration in the areas.  The ACU Rome Campus provided a focus for further partnership in Rome. We also had discussions regarding student mobility, particularly in the areas of nursing, allied health, and education.

At the University of San Francisco (USF), Professor Michelle Campbell, Executive Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences and I held meetings with the School of Nursing and Health Professions representatives. In particular, we discussed options such as short (two-week) immersion and semester-long opportunities for our nursing students with USF, as ACU currently does with other Catholic partner universities in the USA.  Other topics included opportunities for students from both universities to meet at our Rome Campus, as well as possibilities for academic synergies in both universities’ Master of Public Health and Postgraduate degrees in Psychology and Counseling.  ACU currently has a Study Abroad agreement in place with USF.

I also met with the University of San Diego’s (USD) Dean of the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, Dr Sally Hardin and the Dean of the USD Business School, Professor Jaime Gomez, with Professor Campbell, FHS.  The Peter Faber Business School at ACU has an ongoing relationship with the USD Business School via its Dean and their Social Innovation Challenge.  See http://www.sandiegosocialinnovation.org/.   Dr Al Marshall from PFBS is moving this initiative forward as well as the Virtual Intercultural Program (VIP) with postgraduate students.

I will update you on the progress of these new collaborations as they continue to evolve across Faculties.

Enrolments

In a highly competitive market, ACU has achieved strong enrolments to date with a total load of 25,788 EFTSL or 1,089 EFTSL more than the same time last year. Work continues with the Faculties, Student Admissions and OPSM to manage commencing load across undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts.

Building educational capacity for Timor Leste

On Saturday 25 February, four staff members from the Instituto Católico para Formação de Professores (ICFP) graduated with a Master of Education from Australian Catholic University at a ceremony held in Baucau, Timor-Leste. Presenting their awards was ACU Emeritus Professor Tony d’Arbon.

In her occasional address, Ana Jaquleina da Silva, wife of the President of Timor-Leste, celebrated the graduate’s achievements and encouraged them to transform the lives of the children they teach.

ICFP is committed to the formation of primary school teachers for all 13 districts of Timor Leste. The Institute’s focus is in forming fully qualified professional teachers within an environment influenced by the values of Jesus and the gospels.

Together with the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement (IACE), the Faculty of Education & Arts have collaborated with the ICFP to focus on developing Timorese staff and students, and helping them re-shape the future of Timor-Leste. Since the program commenced, a total of 17 teachers have been awarded the postgraduate degree.