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ACU National Update - Issue 3
ACU National Update is produced fortnightly for staff, students and friends of Australian Catholic University (ACU National). To submit a news article or event, please email editor@acu.edu.au or call 02 9739 2514.
• Partnerships through education in the Solomon Islands
• Ethics alert
• Tips for new students
• Murray to Moyne Cycle Relay to raise funds for East Timor
• New student leaders plan exciting year
• Love and Lent
• Perspectives on peace
• Orientation Week welcome by honoured graduate
• Role and future of the Church discussed
• Grant to enhance financial literacy
• Winning design
• Service continues
• Redesigning Healthcare for the Ageing Population Summit 2007
• Using blogs as teaching tools
• A healthy degree of collaboration
• Upcoming Events
Partnerships through education in the Solomon Islands
ACU National senior lecturer in the School of Education (Victoria) Dr Caroline Smith and Diocese of Sale Catholic Education Office (CEO) colleagues including ACU National Bachelor of Education graduate Diana Jans have been exploring ways of supporting teacher education in the Solomon Islands.
Dr Smith recently participated in a conference at St Joseph’s Catholic School, Tenaru, which explored what it means to be a Catholic teacher in the Solomon Islands today, as well as learning strategies in diverse curriculum areas using readily available materials from the environment.
At the conference, a Catholic Teachers’ Sodality was created within the Archdiocese of Honiara.
Dr Smith believes there are a number of ways that ACU National can assist the Solomon Islanders to build capacity in education. “These include upgrading of teacher qualifications, in-service professional learning, research, student teacher placements and teacher exchanges,” Dr Smith said.
In 2007 Dr Smith will work with the University’s Mathematics Literacy Education Research Flagship Professor Philip Clarkson, who has considerable experience working in education in Melanesian cultures in PNG, the Sale CEO and the Archdiocese of Honiara to further explore a role for ACU National in culturally appropriate education in the Solomon Islands.
ACU National graduate Diana Jans of Trinity Primary School, Narre Warren, with Honiara’s Bishop Epalle Community School Principal Mr Jackson Meke and students.
Ethics alert
Entries and nominations are invited for the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, which include the $10,000 Australian Catholic University Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics.
The ethics award is for the investigation of theoretical or practical ethical issues that contribute to the understanding and development of ethical standards.
Entries close on Friday 4 May. For entry forms and more information, visit www.australianmuseum.net.au/eureka.
Academics are invited to alert their new students to a web site set up at http://my.acu.edu.au/4756. It features answers to frequently asked questions prepared by Student Services, tips on navigating myACU and WebCT and an introduction to timetabling and tutorial allocations.
ACU National First Year Experience Coordinator Theda Thomas also suggests staff include in their classes some welcoming activities which help new students meet and interact with each other, and become aware of the need to balance their work, studies and social life.
Theda asks that staff and students be particularly aware of the feelings of international students who will be doing their best to cope with language challenges, homesickness and coping with new surroundings and attitudes as they settle into University life.
For further information, please visit the Orientation Week page and First Year Experience page.
Murray to Moyne Cycle Relay to raise funds for East Timor
An ACU National cycling team will participate in the Murray to Moyne Cycle relay from 23 to 25 March, helping raise funds for the University’s support of communities in East Timor. The cycling team will be fielded by the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Melbourne Campus (St Patrick's), incorporating the School of Exercise Science and the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Melbourne Campus (St Patrick’s).
This annual team event involves cycling more than 500 km from the Murray River to Port Fairy within 24 hours. The ACU National team will begin in Mildura and the tour will then track through Victorian rural towns including Horsham and Hamilton before reaching Port Fairy. The event is not a race and aims to include people of different fitness levels and abilities united by a common goal.
Proceeds from ACU National’s involvement this year will be donated to the medical centre attached to ACU National's partner institution, Instituto Católico para Formaçâo de Professores Baucau, East Timor.
For more information, or to make a donation, contact Joe Perry on (03) 9953 3190 or at joe.perry@acu.edu.au.
2006 Murray to Moyne Cycle relay team
New student leaders plan exciting year
National leaders of Australian Catholic University National Student Association (ACUNSA) leaders met last week at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) nationally to discuss finance, student wellbeing and the year ahead.
The inaugural ACU National Games, to be held in Canberra in April, and ACU Alive, to be held at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) in September, are expected to involve some 500 students from all six campuses.
“Lots of hard work and preparation has already gone into organising these events, by the students for the students, with the support of the University,” said Canberra Campus Student Association President Kathleen Dixon. “It’s a great time to be a student at ACU National!”
ACUNSA representatives at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary)
Love and Lent
The Archbishop of Adelaide, Most Rev. Philip Wilson will deliver a free public lecture at the North Sydney Campus (MacKillop) on Ash Wednesday 21 February at 7.15pm.
Archbishop Wilson will discuss Love and Lent at the University’s Lenten Lecture, now in its ninth year. Each year’s lecture addresses the general theme of theology and its relationship to Australian culture and marks the beginning of Lent.
Archbishop Wilson’s address is open to the public and the University extends a warm invitation to all who are interested in attending.
For more information and to RSVP please contact Cynthia Donald on (02) 9739 2943 or cynthia.donald@acu.edu.au
The topic Gospel of Non-violence for Today’s World will be explored in a public lecture by renowned international peace activist Fr. John Dear SJ at the North Sydney Campus (MacKillop) on Thursday 22 February at 7pm for 7.30pm.
Fr. Dear is a Jesuit priest has braved war zones, been arrested 75 times while promoting peace and written more than 20 books, including most recently, You Will Be My Witnesses, Living Peace, The Questions of Jesus and Mohandas Gandhi.
Retired Uniting Church minister Rev Dr Dorothy McRae McMahon, also a long time activist for peace, justice and minority groups, will respond to Fr. Dear's address.
Attendance is $20 or $10 concession. To register, contact Justin Whelan on 02 8267 4241 or by email at justinw@nsw.uca.org.au, or contact Gill Burrows on 02 9922 2927 or by email at gill.burrows@madtechnology.net.
Orientation Week welcome by honoured graduate
Orientation Week at the Canberra Campus (Signadou) will feature a presentation by School of Social Work first PhD graduate Dr Ros Hughes who will discuss her work in the fields of social security, defence and immigration.
In her address, How on earth can you work in that organisation as a social worker? Reflections on how social workers can contribute to social policy, a personal story, Ros will also speak about how postgraduate study has informed her practice.
All are welcome at the address being held on Tuesday 20 February from 4.30pm to 6pm in room B10 in the Blackfriars Building. Parking is available off 223 Antill St, Watson and 127 Phillip Avenue. Enter the Blackfriars Building near the Phillip Ave car park and follow signs to lecture room B10.
The School of Social Work first PhD graduate Dr Ros Hughes
Role and future of the Church discussed
Theologians from nine countries and four continents gathered at the recent inaugural international Conference of the Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network, held in Wales.
Among them was ACU National Professor of Theology and Director of the University’s Institute of Theology, Philosophy and Religious Education at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) Professor Neil Ormerod.
Attendees were united by a passion for the power of Churches and for frank discussion. The future of the Church and its crucial importance for the well-being of all human society were on the agenda, as well as planning for the future.
Grant to enhance financial literacy
Congratulations to Business and Informatics (Victoria) Faculty Adviser Dr Elsie Chan and Third Year Information Systems international student Venus Sen whose project has received a $900 grant from the 2007 HSBC Financial Literacy scheme.
The grant, distributed through a global non-profit organisation, Students In Free Enterprise, will be used to present a workshop on financial skills to Year 12 students at the Melbourne Campus (St Patrick’s) on 20 April.
Applications in the Co-op Bookshop StudentArt 2007 competition will open shortly. ACU National Visual Arts and Design student Michael Darmadi from the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) was a winner in the StudentArt 2006 competition. There are no limits to the number of entries. Visit www.studentart.com.au for more details.
Visual Arts and Design student Michael Darmadi’s 2006 winning entry
Former ACU National Dean of Education Emeritus Professor Michael Doyle has become the Chair of Melbourne-based Community Care, run by the Sisters of Charity of Australia.
“What I have found most attractive about Community Care has been the Sisters in charge of the programs,” Professor Doyle is quoted in a recent issue of the Sisters of Charity newsletter, Keep in Touch. “They are so wonderful, so generous and so hospitable, always sharing their love with the people.”
Community Care offers diverse services throughout Victoria, including respite, resources and networking Care for Carers, counselling and non-judgemental hospitality for prisoners’ families. Services are expected to expand to Devonport, Tasmania in July.
Redesigning Healthcare for the Ageing Population Summit 2007
Health care professionals will converge at the Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour in Sydney from 26 to 29 March for a two-day summit, Redesigning Healthcare for the Ageing Population.
Keynote speakers include UK Department of Health National Director for Older People Professor Ian Philp and New Zealand Waitemata District Health Board Nurse Practitioner – Aged Care Dr Michael Boyd.
For more information visit www.iqpc.com.au/au-3507-001.
School of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Michael Griffith from the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) is running a workshop Blogging to Enhance Learning Experiences from now until 25 February.
“Blogging is becoming a familiar activity in our daily lives and many educators are integrating blogs into their teaching practices,” said Professor Griffith, who has had particular success using blogging with his Clemente Program for homeless students. “This seminar is an opportunity to share our blogging experiences and to discuss effective strategies for teaching and learning.”
To access the seminar directly, visit http://scope.lidc.sfu.ca/mod/forum/view.php?id=400. To contribute to discussions and customise visits to SCoPE, self-register http://scope.lidc.sfu.ca. SCoPE is an online community hosted by Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. Discussions are free and open to the public. More information is available from Professor Griffith, at M.Griffith@mary.acu.edu.au.
Clinical educator representatives from the Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS), formerly known as the Second Shanghai Medical University, visited the Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) from 22 January to 12 February to see how student nurses learn in clinical settings. Their visit included a week of observation at the Mater Private Hospital in South Brisbane.
The visit is among a number of recent joint initiatives. The first cohort of 10 SIHS students graduated in Shanghai with Master of Nursing degrees from ACU National in April 2006 and a second cohort of nine nurses is expected to graduate by July 2007. Other collaborative programs with ACU National include training sessions by nursing department directors of the Institute’s teaching hospitals, a study tour for nurse mentors and a student exchange program.
Clinical educator representatives from the Shanghai Institute of Health Sciences
Details on these and other upcoming events can be found at www.acu.edu.au/events
Promote your event by listing it on the myACU events section and by emailing details to editor@acu.edu.au.
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