A shared purpose

A message from Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis:

I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I appreciate the warm and generous welcome you have given me as Vice-Chancellor. I am truly humbled by the level of support that has been extended to me.

Thanks to everyone who has attended one of the welcome events marking the start of my term. Such occasions do not materialise by magic. An enormous amount of effort and care has gone into organising such occasions, and I thank everyone who has been involved in making these happen.

Over the last three months, I have had the pleasure of visiting each campus and meeting staff, students, stakeholders, and friends of the university. What has become so clear to me is the strength and depth of the ACU community.

Two weeks ago, I delivered my inaugural lecture. Titled 'The Purpose of an Australian Catholic University', I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect on how we, as an institution, express our mission and values in the current social and economic context.

To achieve this goal, I argued that we must harness our skills and nurture our capabilities in three key areas: Catholic scholarship, global citizenship, and service leadership.

This is what I believe is our shared purpose.

These three key areas are reflected in the VC annual priorities for 2021.

For these priorities to come to life, however, staff need to be engaged at every level. Your input is invaluable, and I am eager to hear what you have to say.

There will be many opportunities for you to do so. To start with, I am holding a virtual lunchbox session next Friday 14 May at 12.30pm where I will outline the challenges and opportunities before us. To attend the Teams Live session, please add this link to your calendar. Later in the year, I will also visit campuses to talk more with you.

This is just the beginning of the conversation. I look forward to continuing it with you.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Zlatko Skrbis
Vice-Chancellor and President