
Celebrating the Jubilee Year for Pilgrims of Hope
News 19 MarchA message from the Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers.
16 May 2018
Share
A message from Canberra Campus Dean, Associate Professor Patrick McArdle.
As a person with a PhD, I know a great deal about some really focused areas of knowledge; fortunately, I also have broader undergraduate and postgraduate studies to give me a sense that I have learned both vertically and horizontally. I have experienced education move from very teacher intensive to very student intensive but the last decade has given me some new experiences of what it really means to be student focused and I believe that ACU is making great strides in weaving this into the very fabric of our existence.
Nearly a decade ago, in response to the Global Financial Crisis, the Federal Government poured large sums of money into Building the Education Revolution with the intent of re-developing primary schools (and keeping people employed). This was later derided as ‘billions for school halls’ but I have witnessed that in many primary schools educators were empowered to take up the student focused approaches to learning that they were leading, and with the extra money developed classrooms suited for the 21st century precisely to enhance that model of learning and to encourage the students to see themselves as the centre of learning too.
More recently in ACU’s building and re-development projects, this is also the case. My own experience has been centred on the construction of Veritas and the redevelopment of the historic Signadou and Blackfriars facilities.
In each of these projects the intention was to make students, their learning and their discovery of Truth the heart of the enterprise. In this way we sought to give substance to the University’s core mission and values – to transform lives through self-discovery, development of skills and creating knowledge, and to do so to improve our communities.
The last few months, as people have discovered the varied nature and the depths of our developments, we have all found that it is possible to create spaces within and around the buildings that provide for contemplation – intellectual and spiritual; it is possible for architecture to enhance learning in specific ways – whether tutorial spaces that facilitate dialogue or nursing labs that centre on patient care or a large lecture space to make transmission of knowledge efficient and pleasant. We have found that new constructions do not need to imply a criticism of the established or that the past was somehow a failure.
What we (students and staff) have learned is that when students are the centre of our planning and optimal, diverse, creative and innovative learning is what we are seeking to achieve, then the message can be communicated so effectively that it becomes part of the fabric of who we are and that the fabric itself becomes more lustrous in the process. In turn this is not only about discovery of learning and how to learn, it is also a discovery of Truth. The whole building works and now the experience of using new and enhanced spaces has been a reminder of the capacity of this University to ensure that human beings and the human project is at the heart of who we are and what we do.
A message from the Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers.
Want to experience all the excitement and atmosphere of the Jubilee Year in Rome? Register for the 2025 Staff Pilgrimage.
CEI and HELTA are pleased to invite you to join your Campus Community of Learning Advancement (CCoLA). CCoLA is a professional learning community focused on collaborative workplace learning.
Same day access to most newspapers from Australia and overseas. This comprehensive collection of full-text newspapers (text and image versions) encompasses more than 7,000 global news sources from 200...
ACU Co-Lab, in partnership with StartSomeGood, is launching its comprehensive Social Enterprise Series 2025, an eight-week program designed to equip aspiring changemakers with essential skills for est...
Staff are invited to request an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in ACU Online Term 1 (202516) and Professional Term 2...
A message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education Professor Tania Broadley: I would like to thank everyone across ACU who has welcomed me so warmly over the past few months.
Will you be leading or participating in an ACU recruitment process this year? Enrol in our new mandatory training module today to better understand ACU’s hiring practices.
The Higher Education Learning and Teaching Academy is hosting an online showcase featuring the most popular papers from our 2024 Showcase of Teaching and Learning event. Join us on Wednesday 26 March ...
In honour of Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17 - 23 March) the Access and Disability Service is proud to announce the launch of low sensory retreats across our campuses.
ACU will pilot disabling the Turnitin Artificial Intelligence (AI) Indicator tool. Read about the decision and how to provide sufficient evidence in cases of suspected academic misconduct.
The Library's AI Hub provides resources to build your confidence in using AI in an effective, ethical and responsible way.
A message from the Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Woods: As I approach my fourth month at ACU, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the warm welcome I’ve received.
Harmony Week (17 - 23 March) is an annual celebration that recognises Australia’s diversity and brings together people from all different backgrounds.
All staff need to be aware of the University's responsibilities under the Educational Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and the accompanying National Code.
Congratulations to Associate Professor Jessica Russ-Smith who has been honoured with the 2024 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning – the Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Educa...
Beginning Thursday, 6 March these 15-minute power sessions will get you thinking about a range of contemporary topics and tools in higher education.
Join the Work-Integrated Learning Australia (WILA) conversation to explore how financial literacy impacts wellbeing and participation in unpaid WIL. Discover how placement design and delivery can maxi...
We offer a range of support programs and activities to ensure all students can make the most of their time at ACU. The student referral guide to support services outlines all our available student ser...
Changes to the process for casual staff to apply for conversion to ongoing employment took effect on Wednesday 26 February 2025, as a result of legislative changes.
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.