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Beginning the New Year as we mean to go on
News 5 FebruaryA message from the Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy, Professor Richard Colledge: A new year provides opportunities to nurture what has been planted, and bring buds to bloom.
A message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Learning and Teaching) Professor Anne Cummins:
Dear Colleagues,
As we go into a new Commonwealth funding cycle on the back of the new Higher Education Reform Package which seeks to drive better outcomes for both students and taxpayers, I’m pleased to say that as a University we have had our eye on this and I’m confident that we will be able to meet these requirements.
Much of the funding provided by the Australian Government is directed to learning and teaching in higher education through a range of initiatives. These initiatives assist with infrastructure, student support, increasing equity and improving quality in higher education.
ACU is tracking well to meet this challenge as we are a student-centric University which focuses on allowing our students to pursue their personal interests while achieving their academic goals. Our academic and professional staff strengthen the quality of our student experiences.
Renewing our approach to quality
Excellence in educational delivery is found in universities where the dialogue around learning and teaching is strong. ACU programs like Peer Observation and Review of Teaching (PORT) enable that dialogue and help in maintaining the University’s alignment to be student-centric.
The Learning and Teaching Centre continues to facilitate development of initiatives like PORT through the Learning for Life framework in order to further improve learning and teaching practices at ACU. Academic staff are encouraged to participate in reflective teaching practices through the PORT program.
PORT is a voluntary program designed to be developmental for staff. PORT has been implemented across the faculties with over 100 academics taking part. Resources are available on the Learning and Teaching website as well as a case study on how colleagues in the School of Exercise Science have used PORT.
ACU sports stars awarded Order of Australia Medal
Two of our elite athletes recently received one of the highest accolades in Australia.
North Sydney student Ms Emma Tonegato and Melbourne student Mr Mack Horton were each awarded the Medal of The Order of Australia (OAM) for their outstanding performances at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last year.
We congratulate these students who have been honored for this great achievement. The University is proud to have Emma and Mack as part of the Elite Athlete and Performer Program which promotes the achievement of students’ academic goals alongside their sporting goals.
Students from Catholic University in Erbil, Iraq
At the 2015 International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) Conference in Melbourne, ACU and several other Catholic universities made a commitment to the Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, Archbishop Basha Warda, to assist with the establishment of the Catholic University in Erbil (CUE) Iraq.
This year we welcomed an initial cohort of six Masters students from CUE to study at ACU, supported by tuition scholarships. These students will be the new academic leaders of CUE and will teach Business, Education, Public Health, Nursing and IT. I am pleased to report that all the students are doing well in their studies and are enjoying the Australian culture.
As the CUE’s curriculum, infrastructure and resources evolve over time, ACU will continue to provide tuition scholarships for further Masters students who will join CUE’s academic staff. In the future we anticipate that our faculties will begin to partner with CUE to help develop curriculum and set up academic structures.
Students, Learning and Teaching Conference
If you are in a student facing role, don’t miss out on this year’s conference. To be held on Friday 14 July, the conference will provide a refresher on our Students, Learning and Teaching services and will also provide insight and new ideas on how to engage students in the wake of the Higher Education Reform Package. Visit the Conference website here for registration details and more information.
With best wishes,
Professor Anne Cummins
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Learning and Teaching)
A message from the Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy, Professor Richard Colledge: A new year provides opportunities to nurture what has been planted, and bring buds to bloom.
Congratulations to ACU Honorary Professor David Runia who was named a Member of the Order of Australia in this year’s Australia Day honours.
During the first week of February every year we celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week.
The Centre for Education and Innovation (CEI) is offering six one-hour professional development sessions to prepare academics for the start of Semester 1. Register for the webinars here.
The library has expanded its support for affordable learning.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council has been established to guide ACU’s adoption of AI in its teaching, research and engagement, and to influence good practice with university partners and stakeh...
ACU Co-Lab has proudly secured its inaugural NSW TechVoucher grant. This grant will support a cutting-edge study led by ACU researchers in partnership with Peak Medical Pty Ltd.
The Student Experience team invites all members of staff to welcome new students to their campus and into the ACU community at the start of semester one 2025.
We’d love to hear from you. Learn how to submit a Staff Bulletin story, as well as some changes to our Staff Communications Policy.
A message from Vice President Fr Anthony Casamento csma: January offers us a fresh start and the hope of a brighter future.
The Office of the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director, Campus Leadership, is seeking expressions of interest for male staff members, both professional and academic, to be on the staff panel fo...
Lock in your professional development for the 2025 year.
Changes to the Academic Regulations were approved by Academic Board and take effect in 2025.
A new Authority to Act Policy and Authority to Act Procedure were approved by Academic Board and take effect in 2025.
Congratulations to Professor Bryan Turner from ACU’s Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences who celebrates his 80th birthday this month.
ACU will move to the new EBSCOhost user interface on 4 February 2025. Find out what you need to do to prepare.
Please note the digests from Academic Board meetings 06/2024 held on 14 November 2024 and via circular resolution from 15-19 November 2024.
The 2025 Academic Timeline interactions and focus zones are now available to help prioritise the planning and delivery of learning and teaching. Sync the focus zones to your Outlook calendar now.
The 2024 Showcase of Teaching and Learning brought staff and students together to share innovations and collaborations from across the university. An online edition will be hosted in early 2025.
It has been a big year, and we understand that the festive season can be a different experience for each of us. Access a new resource from our employee assistance program, designed to help you prepare...
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.