After seven and a half years as Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Nick Bisley will soon move into a new role as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research with responsibility for global engagement and partnerships.
Reflecting on his tenure as Dean, Professor Bisley says there have been many highlights.
“The biggest thing we did, both in terms of scale and impact, was the overhaul of the undergraduate curriculum and especially the refurbishment of the Bachelor of Arts,” he says. “We completely revamped the course from scratch, based on student input and external research, and produced a degree that had been in decline to one that is now growing in student enrolments,” he says.
“More importantly, students really enjoy the flexibility and choice that we created as the centrepiece of the degree.”
He also points to efforts to foster interdisciplinary research across the School.
“Another initiative that worked well was the creation of interdisciplinary research flagship areas. These brought together academic expertise across a range of disciplines in the School in Cultures of Health and Wellbeing, Environmental and Social Change, First Nations, Human Origins and Migration, and Security and Governance in Asia and the Pacific.”
“This really energised connections within the School and raised our visibility outside the University,” he adds.
Professor Bisley says what he is most proud of, however, are his successful efforts to foster staff development.
“During my time as Dean, ten people were appointed as professors, mostly through internal promotion. Beyond that, witnessing a shift in morale and supporting staff to do their best has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.”
“Seeing people develop as teachers, researchers and scholars has been incredibly gratifying.”
Looking ahead to his next challenge, Professor Bisley will focus on broadening La Trobe’s research reach and engagement.
“In my new role, I’ll be focusing on global engagement, international reputation, partnerships and community engagement, particularly supporting Indigenous research and grassroots community groups.”
