![](/-/media/feature/micrositesnewsandevents/staffnews/suzanne-chambers-460px.jpg)
Innovation in practice
News 24 JulyA message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
29 July 2020
Share
Understanding that disputes can be about more than just money has helped ACU law students Chris Gardner and Eve Van Rhine seal victory in the Australian Law Students’ Association Negotiation Competition grand final.
Borrowing a concept from the Jessie J hit song, Price Tag, the undergraduates booked tickets to the international competition after convincing the judges they had mastered the art of principled or interest-based negotiation.
After six days of competition, the St Patrick’s Campus duo fashioned a settlement in a fictitious dispute over a commercial lease. The ACU team, representing the lessor, compromised on the $660,000 owed in rental arrears to focus on future opportunities between their client and the lessee, represented by the Australian National University Law School.
“There’s more to be achieved through negotiation than by heading off to court,” second-year Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Commerce student Chris said.
“There is often a non-monetary solution to problems once you can uncover some one’s interests behind their position. Ask questions and be willing to listen before you attempt to solve a problem, and when attempting to solve the problem be creative, create options not solutions, be adaptive, and think differently.”
Dozens of teams from across the nation, including representatives from Sydney University, Queensland University of Technology, and Macquarie University, participated in the prestigious competition which was this year held via Zoom due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
After experiencing face-to-face negotiation as part of an internal TMLS competition last year, Eve can now compare that process with online negotiation.
“It’s a different dynamic,” she said. “Sometimes the audio drops out, so you end up talking over the top of each other.
“And when you’re in different locations there’s another level of complexity. You can’t always pass notes or documents easily.
“The emotion card is another point of difference. Online you can only see someone’s head and shoulders and can’t convey some of the more emotive things. It’s just a lot more effort.”
Only two points out of 100 separated the grand finalists after an hour of negotiation, during which time the ACU team negotiated their way around diversions concerning monetary and legal issues by adopting an interest-based approach.
“It’s been an unreal experience,” second-year Bachelor of Laws student Eve said. “The ANU team was terrific and we congratulate them for getting to the grand final.”
“The judges watched us grow as each round passed, taking onboard their feedback to perfect our skills. We also adapted to the teams that we competed against, highlighting strengths that we could use ourselves into future rounds. The level of the competition was incredibly high with little room for mistake.”
Chris graduated from St Helena Secondary College in 2018 and arrived at ACU via the Community Achievers Program (CAP). He quickly formed a cohesive unit with his Assumption College alumna teammate when they commenced study together at ACU’s Thomas More Law School.
“They worked so hard and they’re really quiet achievers,” TMLS senior lecturer David Spencer said. “They understood you don’t need to be the dominant face on the screen, and that was something the judges recognised.”
The national champion ACU team will now represent Australia at the next International Negotiation Competition to be held in Montana, USA, in July 2021.
A message from Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers: Winter has so far been a season of future-thinking and action for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
From Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August, Service Central will be available for extended hours to support staff.
A message from Vice President Father Anthony Casamento csma: From 5 – 9 August we will celebrate Mission Week across our campuses. This is an opportunity for us to come together as a community to cele...
Are you going to be a grandparent soon? Did you know ACU offers personal leave for staff to care for their child or grandchild after birth or adoption?
Discover the learning and career development opportunities that are available online, including the brand-new leadership development program, 'The Edge Series'.
Join ASCILITE and become a member of one of Australasia’s most vibrant professional technology enhanced learning communities, with more than 2200 members from tertiary institutions across Australia an...
Phones will be removed from all classrooms over the mid-semester break, from 23 September to 27 September.
Include an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in Professional Term 5 (202455).
Australia’s first five-time diving Olympian, a Kiwi gymnast and the woman who taught actor Chris Hemsworth to row will be among 15 ACU students and alumni to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Para...
A message from acting Executive Dean of Theology and Philosophy Associate Professor Richard Colledge: Recently, the faculty has hosted opportunities for reflection on the possibilities for reconcilia...
Are you on your parenthood journey? A practical guide is now available to support staff, and their supervisors, through the stages of becoming a parent and transitioning back to work.
Embark on an exhilarating journey into the mysterious world of enrolments. Register to attend an enrolment information session for Semester 2, 2024.
Join upcoming online workshops in preparation for Semester 2. Secure your spot today to learn how you can utilise Canvas and its features to enhance your teaching practices.
A limitless professional horizon awaits ACU students after its three IT programs were awarded certification by the nation’s most trustworthy player in the tech sector, the Australian Computer Society.
Following evaluation and voting by a panel of ACU judges, Co-Lab is delighted to announce Thomas Clark and Xavier Chalkley as the winners of the $1000 prize for the ACU Co-Lab Social Enterprise Pitch ...
ACU Library staff will participate in professional development activities on Thursday 18 July. While away from their usual posts, they'll be working together across three locations to plan our future ...
Applications for 2024 Teaching Development Grants, Citations and Awards are open. Explore guidelines and resources to enhance your teaching project’s impact or gain recognition for your contributions.
As we sit in this small window of the winter break gearing up for Semester 2, it's important to recognise that not everyone experiences this period as downtime. For many, workloads and busy lifestyles...
This week is NAIDOC Week, an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
ACU staff who are also members with UniSuper can now access free expert medical advice and services to support their health and wellbeing through MetLife 360Health.
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.