Get ready for Semester 1

A message from the Interim Provost Professor Meg Stuart

We are in the middle of an eventful week across ACU as we welcome our new students to campus for Orientation Week and prepare for the start of Semester 1. Thank you to the Orientation, Transition, Student Success and International teams for all they have done to welcome new students to campus. Thanks also to those of you in faculties and directorates who have contributed to Orientation. Making our students feel welcome is just as important as our own preparations for the start of the new academic year.

Continuing students will be back with us again soon too and, with more than 75 per cent of classes timetabled for face-to-face delivery in Semester 1, we look forward to resuming many of our on-campus activities this year.

ACU Online

We reached an exciting milestone for ACU Online recently when our first group of students commenced their studies with us. It has been wonderful to welcome this initial cohort, who are studying the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Nursing. We look forward to more ACU Online students joining us later this year as we introduce further courses.

Development work is underway with our academic staff for the Term 2 units that will commence on 26 April. Likewise, we are focused on planning for the 2023 ACU Online courses.

You may also have seen our latest marketing campaign promoting ACU Online, and our sales team has been busy supporting prospective students with enquiries and enrolments for Terms 2, 3 and 4.

New Academic Promotions process

Ahead of the 2022 Academic Promotions round we plan to introduce several changes following a review of the Academic Promotions Policy and Procedures. These changes are aimed at ensuring the promotions process is implemented transparently, with consideration for achievement relative to opportunity and aligned with ACU’s mission and strategy.

We plan to introduce:

• a revised, principles-based Academic Promotions Policy
• a new Achievement Relative to Opportunity Guide
• revised procedures that will reduce the influence of bias in decision-making and increase transparency for both
• members of the Promotions Committee and applicants.

We will be running staff consultation workshops in March, in conjunction with HR, to gather feedback on the proposed changes. Further information about these workshops will be shared via the Staff Bulletin and on Workplace in the coming weeks.

Further, more extensive changes will be introduced in 2023 but these require more lead time both for consultation and for implementation. More news on these changes will follow.

Looking forward

Thank you to staff across the university who have supported me during my recent transition into the role of Interim Provost.

I would also like to acknowledge former Provost Professor Belinda Tynan for the significant contributions she made during her time with ACU, including leading the introduction of ACU Online.

Likewise, I look forward to working with many of you to further the strategic priorities of the Provost Portfolio over the next two years.