
A message from Professor Andrew O’Neil
News 28 MayAn update from the Executive Dean of Law and Business Professor Andrew O'Neil.
15 February 2023
Share
ACU will establish a leading STEM Centre of Education Excellence at the Strathfield campus after securing a $45 million New South Wales Government grant.
The innovative purpose-built centre will provide a suite of educational opportunities to boost in-demand STEM skills among students of all ages, community groups, residents, and a wide range of industries in Strathfield and Western Sydney.
ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis welcomed the $45,170,849 WestInvest Community Projects grant and said the unique centre would further cement the university’s role of upskilling the community in vital STEM areas of learning.
“This grant is wonderful recognition of our strategic role in innovation in the field of education,” Professor Skrbis said.
“The ACU STEM Centre of Education Excellence will spearhead our reputation as strategic leaders in STEM teaching and learning.
“It will help meet national STEM priorities, engage young people in this exciting area of learning, and prepare members of the local community to respond to changing workforce demands.”
ACU Executive Dean of Education and Arts Professor Mary Ryan said the STEM centre would complement the work of ACU’s recently announced Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy.
“These two pioneering centres will put ACU further on the map as world leaders in educational excellence,” Professor Ryan said.
Professor Skrbis said the centre was the result of great energy and teamwork among ACU staff, committed to advancing the university’s role as a leader in pursuit of educational excellence.
“This centre will help us to make our mark in this exciting and dynamic field of teaching and learning,” he said.
The centre will offer pre-school programs designed to pique interest in STEM among young children, and a raft of courses for junior school students including robotics, coding, entrepreneurial thinking, and Girls in STEM, as well as homework and tutoring clubs.
ACU will also support senior school students by working with Western Sydney schools to increase subject offerings in STEM areas of learning impacted by teacher shortages through a blended mode of program delivery.
School teachers are also set to benefit from the new centre with professional development opportunities in areas including maths, science, technology, and literacy designed to ensure they have the cutting-edge skills, knowledge and experiences required to support students to learn skills of the future.
The centre will offer short courses and microcredentials covering general STEM skills for learners of all ages, supporting personal interests and changes in career.
It will also include new industry training opportunities harnessing Metaverse to enable ACU to work with industry partners to provide immersive virtual training to upskill workers and meet shortages, as well as support researchers to collaborate on STEM projects nationally and internationally. Makerspace will also provide access to innovative and emerging technologies for the local community to explore.
An update from the Executive Dean of Law and Business Professor Andrew O'Neil.
Expect a few email notifications as we prepare to welcome you to Viva Engage next week.
ACU is developing a new Education and Student Success Plan to ensure our university continues to provide a high-quality, student-centred learning experience. Find out how you can contribute to the pla...
A reminder to all academic staff that the mandatory Notice of Intent, for those intending to apply for promotion in the 2025 round, must be submitted by 11.59pm this Friday (30 May).
Include an additional survey item in the Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) survey for units that are offered in Professional Term 4 (202547).
Register for these 15-minute sessions to learn more about the variety of online researcher profile platforms and what is involved in setting up, linking and updating your profile.
Lecturers-in-charge can make a direct determination of Poor Academic Practice (PAP) for students who engage in minor forms of academic misconduct. Learn why they can be valuable to staff and students.
You're invited to join your Campus Community of Learning Advancement - a professional learning community focused on collaborative workplace learning.
A message from the Executive Dean Faculty of Education and Arts Professor Mary Ryan.
The Semester 1 2025 Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys will close on 29 June. Students say they are more likely to complete the surveys if they are reminded in class and unders...
ACU librarians have recently begun using Rayyan for screening and collaboration. It is a free alternative to Covidence that can assist with systematic review workflows. Read more about Rayyan and othe...
The Academic Board Digest from meeting 02/2025 held on 15 April 2025 is now available.
Tomorrow, 15 May, is International Day of Families. To celebrate, let’s hear from ACU staff member Martina Donaghy about how flexible working has helped her manage care for her young daughter after re...
Student Advocacy Service is running an information session designed to provide staff with a clearer understanding of the scope of support available to students.
Explore the future of assessment with Interactive Orals. We’ll be joined by expert, Danielle Logan-Fleming to share valuable insights into this transformative model and its impact across disciplines.
A message from the Executive Dean of Health Sciences Professor Suzanne Chambers.
Academic promotions provides an opportunity to recognise and reward your achievements at your current level of appointment that warrant promotion to the next academic level. Register to attend an info...
Advance HE is offering free webinars on Student Success and Advance HE Fellowships in May and June as part of their Australasian Member Benefit Series.
Recent cyber-attacks on Australian organisations have highlighted the need to protect yourself online. Learn more about infostealers and what you can do to stay safe.
As artificial intelligence tools become part of everyday academic work, questions around copyright are more important than ever. This workshop on 22 May will focus on the copyright implications of usi...
Visit Service Central to access Corporate Services.