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Education |
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Faculty of EducationJune 2009 'ED NEWS'As you will know, the higher education system is in for major changes over the next several years following the “Bradley” review. The Vice Chancellor in his meeting with you recently outlined some of the imperatives that we face coming up to 2012 when the university system is deregulated. At this time, programs which are attractive to the market and which thus attract a viable cohort will survive, whilst those that do not will not continue. The Vice Chancellor has charged me with developing an undergraduate teacher education program to be offered at Bundoora as a means to gain some market share in the undergraduate education area in the metropolitan area. It is important that any new program serves some specific needs of the community in which the Bundoora campus is placed and thus I have at this stage canvassed local schools, department of education representatives, principals’ associations and some of our own staff, about how best to create a course which is pertinent especially to the northern and western suburbs which we serve. The option which is gaining significant support is a Bachelor of Outreach and Community Education (or some similar nomenclature). This would of course, be of a four year duration and would result in registration with the VIT. It would probably involve generalist primary training along with 2 specialist areas which would be secondary methods taken by all students. The thinking at the moment revolves around the students undertaking a sub-major in psychology and a sub major in student welfare the latter of which would involve some units from social work and also from counseling. Preliminary discussions are in train with the other Faculties concerned in providing the discipline content for these sub-majors. Graduates from this course would be able to teach across the schools system but would be specifically trained to undertake teaching and student welfare co-ordination roles in disadvantaged schools and in schools in the northern and western suburbs where higher student participation and retention rates are sought than those which are currently being experienced. In addition to being trained as teachers however, the graduates from this course would also be appropriate as staff in outreach and community education facilities where educational expertise is required – these may include drug rehabilitation programs, detention facilities for youth, council outreach programs, centres and programs for disengaged youth etc. Obviously this is in the very embryonic stages of development and I intend to put together a course development team consisting of local education personnel from schools and the region, a VIT representative, staff representatives from this Faculty and from Health Sciences and Science Technology and Engineering. A representative from a principals’ association is also to be invited to join this team. The aim is to develop the structure of this course for internal university accreditation in order to be in the VTAC guide and University Handbook in 2010 ready for implementation in 2011. Following university accreditation it will then move through the VIT accreditation processes. I would welcome input and suggestion regarding this possibility and any others which may position us to withstand the changing times and the market forces which will prevail from 2012. At the Bendigo campus it has been decided to bid for a number of the Early Childhood Education places which the government has made available to universities over the past year or so. Again, in light of the situation in 2012, having a broad yet consistent suite of programs in Bendigo is critical and an early childhood program would serve the needs of the local community there and would also provide a means to work closely with the childcare facility and kindergarten which is on the Bendigo campus, as well as producing collaborative opportunities for the Faculty and other child care agencies in the region. Depending upon whether the bid for these places is successful, another course development team will be put into place to design this program ready for offering in 2011. In Albury-Wodonga the Graduate Diploma in Education (P-12) will next year be replaced by a Master of Teaching (P-12). It is envisaged that this 2 year program will be undertaken in 18 months of study with the year broken into 4 terms. This program has been accredited at university level and is now about to go to VIT to seek accreditation. Mr Rob Lawrence has been working with staff in the Centre for Excellence in Outdoor and Environmental Education in terms of addressing the recommendations of the review of courses which was undertaken last year by Prof Richard Tinning. Following this work Rob will undertake a review of the Centre for Regional Education in line with the commitment made in the Organizational Change Impact Statement for the restructure of the Faculty. In the OCIS a commitment was made to conduct reviews within the Faculty after the first twelve months of operation. Other reviews which are underway pertain to coursework programs, and at this stage this is being undertaken as a staged internal process across the Faculty. The university as a whole is to undergo review of all coursework programs and thus we will be attempting to keep our review in line with the university processes. Initially an audit of all coursework units is being conducted to look at their ongoing sustainability in light of enrolment trends over the past several years. Pre-service courses apart from the Bachelor of Education (which was reviewed recently and also re-accredited in its new form) and the Graduate Diploma in Education (Middle Years) (which was reviewed at the end of 2008 after its first year of operation – report available) are all being prepared for re-accreditation through VIT and will be submitted around the end of July. Thank you to all staff who have been so heavily involved in preparation of documentation for accreditation purposes and also to staff involved in the review of coursework units. This activity is always critical but at this stage and in light of the deregulated market from 2012 our offerings must be as attractive and contemporary in content and delivery as we can make them. Another revamped course which I commend to all staff is the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Curriculum, Teaching and Learning. This program is “housed” within this Faculty but is offered through the Curriculum Teaching and Learning Centre predominantly, though elective units from this Faculty may also be undertaken. The DVC has recently alerted staff to the fact that if they are intending to apply for promotion under the new promotion guidelines, evidence of some formal study of higher education will be required unless the dean has give special dispensation for a staff member not to undertake such study. This program will be undertaken on Commonwealth Supported Places and upon successful completion of the program the fees will be paid through the University as a means to encourage staff to undertake this course. This is an entirely new program and follows the recommendations of a review of this program undertaken last year by internal and external panel members and which I chaired. I am sure that Academic Unit and Centre Directors will support staff in undertaking this program as it can only strengthen the quality of our teaching and learning. The three day workshop for all new staff and all casual staff is being heavily promoted and recommended and while not yet mandatory across the university as a whole, is being required by some faculties already. The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) will undertake the audit of this university in semester 2 with an initial site visit occurring on July 21. During the initial visit the VC and DVCs will be speaking with the panel prior to the full audit between September 21 and 24. The timelines as they appear on the University website are:
It is most important that all staff read the University Performance Portfolio prior to the audit visit as the panel will be meeting with staff across the university and may at any time seek to speak with any member of staff at any level across the university. All staff will need to understand and be familiar with the information in the portfolio. As you can see there is a great deal happening at all levels across the University and I thank you all for your ongoing commitment and support to this Faculty and to assisting to implement the changes which are occurring and which will continue to occur into the near future. Content Approved by: Registrar, Faculty of Education
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