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Issue 23 - Wednesday 21 November

ACU Update is produced fortnightly for staff, students and friends of Australian Catholic University (ACU). To submit a news article or event, please email editor@acu.edu.au or call 02 9739 2514.

New Professor of Educational Leadership

Dr Michael Gaffney has been appointed Professor of Educational Leadership.

“I congratulate Dr Gaffney on his appointment and wish him every success,” said ACU Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Sheehan AO. “He brings to the role a wealth of professional experience in teacher education and scholarship.”

Dr Gaffney will join ACU on Monday 18 February 2008 from the Catholic Education Office in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, where he currently holds the position of Head of the Education Services Division and Member of the System Senior Executive Group.

Dr Gaffney has previously held the role of Director of the Centre for Research in Teaching at the University of Canberra where he currently holds the position of Adjunct Associate Professor. He is widely published in the areas of school improvement, teacher professionalism, educational leadership and schooling futures, and his professional standing is reflected in a number of fellowships and awards. These include Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, for service to teaching education and curriculum development, and Director of the National Board of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

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Fundraiser for the Catholic teachers’ college in Baucau

More than 70 people from diverse organisations attended NSW Parliament House recently for a fundraising event for the Catholic teachers’ college in Baucau, East Timor.

Among those attending were members of the NSW Parliamentary Asia
Pacific Friends Group Chairman Mr Jeff Hunter, Minister for
Local Government The Hon Paul Lynch MP, Leader of the House Hon John
Aquilina MP, and many members of parliament including the Leader of the House the Hon John Aquilina and the Leader of the National Party Mr Andrew Stoner MP.

All learnt more about teacher education initiatives in East Timor
supported by the Marist Brothers, ACU and others, and heard from the Founding Director of the College Brother Mark Paul FMS, the
Consul-General of East Timor Abel Gutterres and the Deputy Speaker of the House The Hon Tony Stewart MP.

School of Educational Leadership and Flagship for Creative and Authentic Leadership Deputy Director Professor Tony d'Arbon thanked those involved for their interest and support. “A good sum of money was raised through the raffle, and the return flight to Darwin was won by School of Education (NSW) Senior Lecturer Dr Lorraine McDonald,” Professor d’Arbon said.

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Consul General for East Timor Mr Abel Gutteres (left), Deputy Consul General of Japan Mr Kazutoshi Nadome, Foundation Director of the Teachers College at Baucau Brother Mark Paul FMS with Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Sheehan AO

Indigenous literacy celebrated in postcard competition

ACU was among a number of universities and other organisations to support an Australia Post literacy project for Indigenous children in the Aurukun, Doomadgee, Mornington Island, Palm Island and Lockhart River communities in Queensland.

The theme was Strong and Smart: Young, Black and Proud. More than 500 children took part, while universities provided examples of well-written letters to inspire the students, and mentors visited each community.

“We want to thank the individuals and organisations who have provided generous support to the corporation to help us deliver this project,” said Australia Post State Communications Manager Teresa Mullan.

“It also provides us with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the efforts and talents of the children in these communities and demonstrate why literacy is so important to Indigenous Queenslanders.” 

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Promoting ACU’s courses at ‘schoolies’ and online

As Year 12 results come out in December and many students reconsider their study options for next year, ACU is ready to inform their choices.

Advertising around the country and campus information sessions will complement a detailed “change of preferences campaign” website at www.acu.edu.au/qualify. “The website has information for future students, their parents, non-recent school leavers and school careers’ advisors,” said University Relations Marketing Strategy and Student Recruitment Manager Marg Canny. “In the coming month, it will include videos of graduates and a forum for students to ask questions.”

Ms Canny invites staff, current students, friends of the University and graduates to forward the website address to anyone they know who might be interested in finding out more about ACU’s courses, campuses and culture.

Meanwhile, ACU is the only university with a presence at “Schoolies’ Week” on the Gold Coast, where information and branded merchandise is being distributed this week.

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Presentations and news on Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA)

Staff are invited to find out more about the upcoming quality audit to be conducted by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) when ACU Manager (Planning and Quality) Peter May visits each campus in the next few weeks to share details and answer questions.

Mr May’s presentations follow those given earlier this year by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Quality and Outreach) Professor O'Gorman, who has also made information available through the latest edition of ACU Quality News. Visit http://www.acu.edu.au/acu_national/about_acu_national/quality/plan-quality/resources/quality_news_-_november_2007 for details.

The first campus presentation will take place at the Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) at 10.30am on Thursday 29 November in staff room AB.18. Mr May will present at the Ballarat Campus (Aquinas) at 10.30am on Monday 3 December in the staff room; at the Melbourne Campus (St Patrick’s) at 10.30am on Tuesday 4 December in room 1.46; at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) at 1pm on Wednesday 5 December in the Atrium; at the North Sydney Campus (MacKillop) at 10.30am on Thursday 6 December in the Council Room; and at the Canberra Campus (Signadou) at 10.30am on Monday 10 December in Lecture Room S.3.

RSVP to m.scott@mcauley.acu.edu.au to assist with catering.

Student artwork on show plus accolades for lecturer

The New Wave exhibition of artworks by Melbourne Campus (St Patrick’s) School of Education students will open at ACU’s Studio Gallery at 26 Brunswick St, Fitzroy on Thursday 29 November from 6.30am to 8.30pm. The exhibition will run daily between 11 am and 4pm from Tuesday 27 November until Tuesday 4 December.

We Are, an exhibition of artwork by graduating visual arts and design students at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary), will be on show at the ACU Gallery Strathfield until Saturday 1 December from Monday to Saturday between 11am and 4pm, and tonight between 6pm and 8pm when the exhibition opens. The gallery is at 25A Barker Rd, Strathfield.

In more art news, Artwork by recent visual arts graduate and lecturer at the Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) Alasdair Macintyre, Elevation, was included in the ABC's recent A year in the Art Life presentation on the top 10 Australian contemporary art shows in 2007. His work is also included in the prestigious The Year in Art exhibition, on show at the SH Ervin Gallery in Sydney until 16 December. The gallery is at Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks. Entry is from Argyle Street.

ACU takes part in worldwide video conference

ACU’s Weemala Indigenous Unit Coordinator Dr Nereda White and Brisbane’s Indigenous Education Courses Coordinator in the School of Education Mr Evan Harris recently presented at the prestigious 12-hour International Megaconference IX: A worldwide video conference over advanced networks.

The Megaconference is an annual global event involving people in multiple places to further the use of videoconferencing in education and research and to help advance the technology.

Dr White and Mr Harris elaborated on their award-winning work in Indigenous education.

Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet) supported the conference using its high-speed AARNet3 backbone, according to ACU Information and Communications Services Technology Officer, Mr Paul Wagner.

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ACU’s Weemala Indigenous Unit Coordinator Dr Nereda White and Brisbane’s Indigenous Education Courses Coordinator in the School of Education Mr Evan Harris sharing news of their Indigenous education programs in a recent worldwide video conference

Indian Festival on Brisbane Campus

The Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) was treated to a festival presented by international students from India on Friday 9 November. Diwali: The Festival of Lights was led by Indian students studying at ACU and featured candle lighting, tea and refreshments and traditional Indian dancing and music.

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AusAID Fellow completes leadership program

Australia Leadership Award Fellow Kong Sonthara from Cambodia, sponsored by AusAID, has completed the Australian component of her Fellowship and is returning to Cambodia to develop an in-country project dealing with Education support for children in underserved populations.

The AusAID Project, Mastering the new basics in educational leadership: A Professional development program in capacity strengthening for educational leaders, was awarded to the Flagship for Creative & Authentic Leadership. A further nine fellows from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and East Timor have completed the Australian component of the program and have returned to their home countries.

Sonthara is expected to present the results of her project at an international seminar in Ho Chi Minh City in December.

AUSAID  
AusAID Project Coordinator Dr Jack Frawley (left) with Australia Leadership Award Fellow Kong Sonthara from Cambodia and Flagship for Educational Leadership Deputy Director Professor Tony d’Arbon

Acknowledging the 40th Anniversary of Populorum Progressio

ACU, through the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement (IACE), in partnership with Caritas Australia, held a one-day Forum earlier this month acknowledging the 40th anniversary of Populorum Progressio, the Encyclical by Pope Paul VI on “the development of peoples”.

The forum stemmed from the work of The Catholic Alliance for International Development, which includes ACU, Caritas Australia, and Catholic Religious Australia. The Alliance has focused on maximising collaborative international development work by Australian Catholic Church agencies.

In light of the Australian Bishops recent release of the social justice statement, Who is my Neighbour?, the forum developed a set of principles for an integrated approach to the Church’s contribution to the development of peoples, especially Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific region and East Timor.

Forum participants included ACU Professor of Law Professor Frank Brennan, Caritas Australia CEO Jack de Groot, former Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis Duncan MacLaren, Catholic Social Services Australia Executive Director Frank Quinlan, Catholic Religious Australia President Brother Mark Raper SJ, Little Company of Mary Health Care Mission Strategy National Director Madonna McGahan, Anna Roberts of St John of God Health Care, Foundation Director of the Teachers College at Baucau Brother Mark Paul FMS, and Dr Julie Mohak McLaughlin of Queensland University of Technology.

Postgraduate student seminars

The School of Arts and Sciences (NSW) will present a diverse series of postgraduate student seminars on Wednesday 5 December 2007 in Room C1.01 at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) from 9.15 am.

From 9.15am to 9.55am, Brendan Alderson will speak on Trophic associations involving fish and crustaceans in coastal saltmarsh; from 10.00am to 10.55am, Janice Garety will present on the History of Holy Cross College, Woollahra; from 11.30am to 12.25pm, Sarah Wright will discuss her investigation of the equity and efficiency of Australia's higher education system; and from 1.15pm  to 2.10pm, Stephanie Kiddar will speak on The work and contribution of Bruce Dawe, Les Murray and Kevin Hart to Australia and the Australian literary world.

To assist with catering, please RSVP to vaughan.monamy@acu.edu.au before COB Friday 30 November 2007, advising of any special dietary requirements.

Amnesty and abortion article provokes mixed reaction

The article, Don't boycott pro-choice Amnesty by Institute of Legal Studies Professor of Law Frank Brennan SJ, AO, which appeared on Eureka Street recently has provoked a multitude of comments.

“Amnesty International has changed its policy on abortion,” the article begins. “Amnesty states that it is not for or against abortion. But it is now a pro-choice organisation.

“As a result, some Catholic schools have withdrawn from Amnesty, and the Australian Catholic bishops have now urged Catholics 'to seek other avenues of defending human rights', adopting a position that 'membership of Amnesty International is no longer compatible with Catholic teaching and belief on this important point'.”

Visit http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3757 to read the full article and a range of reactions to it.

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Spirituality and intellectual disability

ACU and National Disability Services (NDS) recently hosted a public lecture on spirituality and intellectual disability, by Professor John Swinton of Aberdeen University who has researched how people with intellectual disability understand spirituality, whether it is important to them and, if it is, how families, service providers and religious communities can assist.
 
“The participants in the research saw spirituality as something primarily to do with connections,” a recent NDS newsletter stated. “These connections could be with friends, with the world, with nature, with family or with God. Religion may or may not be part of their notion of spirituality, but rarely is it limited to that. The understanding people with intellectual disability have of spirituality is diverse, often complicated and personal - no different from the general population.”
 
Further information about spirituality and disability can be found at http://abdn.ac.uk/cshad/resources.shtml.

‘Thought for the Week’ contributions welcome

Student Services Mission Engagement Manager Anne Ferguson is preparing a list of 2008 Thought for the Week contributors. “If you would like to write a Thought for the Week in 2008, would you email me and advise if there is any time of the year that is not suitable for you,” Ms Ferguson said. “A huge thank you to all who have contributed this year and to those who have sent notes of encouragement to the authors.”

Visit http://my.acu.edu.au/media/thought/repository/farewell to view the most recent example.

Scholarship opportunities

Students are reminded that applications for Commonwealth Scholarships, designed to promote the participation in higher education of people from low socio-economic backgrounds, will close on Friday 30 November 2007.

Visit www.acu.edu.au/scholarships for more information.

Upcoming Events

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.