Bulletin

Issue: January/February 2006

News

Appointment of Vice-Chancellor

La Trobe University has appointed Professor Brian Stoddart as interim Vice-Chancellor, following a decision by Professor Michael Osborne to bring forward his retirement after 15 years as Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Stoddart, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), came to La Trobe from Victoria University in November 2004 where he was substantively Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) but worked mainly as Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Prior to that he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and International) at the University of New England.

Professor Stoddart holds two degrees in modern history from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and a PhD in the modern history of India from the University of Western Australia.

An internationally acknowledged authority in sports history and sociology and a pioneer in the study of Australian sports culture, he is also well-known as a media commentator.

Professor Stoddart’s best-known works include Saturday Afternoon Fever: Sport in the Australian Culture, and several works on the cultural history of Caribbean cricket.

He said he was ‘delighted to join La Trobe not that long ago because it has an outstanding reputation internationally, a product of Michael Osborne’s long and productive term.’

‘The University is in excellent health. Our finances are extremely sound, and major prospects like the medical school and the National Biosecurity Centre show that La Trobe has a fine future.

‘We have made a strong start on getting a tighter research focus, culminating in an additional $15 million for research over the next three years. The final pattern for investing that money will be shaped by the Research Quality Framework, but there will be additional support for research development, scholarships, attracting new staff and seeding initiatives.’

Professor Stoddart said teaching and learning was another ‘prime goal’ this year.

‘This will involve creating and approving new courses, enhancing support for instructional methodologies and infrastructure, and rewarding excellent teachers.’

He said La Trobe has an important regional dimension and that will figure strongly in debates about the University’s direction-setting.

‘The University’s new Strategic Plan will be driven by the determination that research, teaching and learning are our “core” business, and by the principle that strategies supporting that business will drive the budget, and not the other way round.

‘La Trobe has a strong reputation nationally and internationally. Like other Australian universities we have matters to deal with in the current climate of rapid change in higher education if we are to strengthen that reputation.’