Our human connection

A message from the Interim Provost Professor Meg Stuart:

Your efforts are appreciated

Last month I spent some time visiting our Melbourne and Ballarat campuses. As part of my visit, I was privileged to attend four graduation ceremonies. Traditionally, at each of our ceremonies, a graduand gives a vote of thanks to the university, on behalf of their peers. Without exception each vote of thanks acknowledged the exceptional effort of ACU staff to ensure learning continued throughout COVID lockdowns.

Of course, many staff don’t attend graduation, and therefore will never hear our graduands expressing their gratitude and appreciation. But it is important for you to know that this gratitude is real and sincerely expressed.

We are not back to normal. Life continues to be disrupted. Staff still need to isolate or care for others who are isolating. This places an increased burden on all of us, including those directly affected and those holding things together back on campus (real or virtual). It’s tough. I want you to know that I see you. I know the effort it took to keep learning progressing and to learn new ways of working. To have to be the one that pushed and encouraged and cajoled students to keep going. To be the one who cancelled practicum in response to changing public health orders, only to have to turn around and reinstate them as orders changed again. To be the one that supported your colleagues and jumped in when needed.

An enduring character of our university is our mission to have impact through empathy. We saw explicit demonstrations of this throughout the turmoil of 2020 and 2021, in the way we cared for students and the way we cared for each other. It was noticed. My call out to you today is to keep going. To acknowledge life is still disrupted, to be kind to yourself and be kind to your colleagues. Let’s continue to care for one another, to look out for each other, to hold each other up. Our human connection is what makes us different in the sector. Let’s not lose sight of that.

Canvas Implementation Project

ACU is set to introduce a new and improved Learning Management System (LMS). Canvas is already being used successfully by ACU Online and will be rolled out university-wide by March 2024, replacing our existing LMS, Moodle. The LMS is a major component of LEO (Learning Environment On-Line).

Canvas is designed to provide an improved user experience for both students and staff. You will find that processes such as unit rollovers, site design and content management are intuitive and simple.

The project will include the migration of current content from Moodle and staff will have access to training and support to aid the transition to Canvas.

Please visit the Canvas Implementation Project webpage for more information about the project. You can also view the project timeline below and contact LMSProject@acu.edu.au with any questions.