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Issue 25 - Friday 21 December

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.

Farewell events for Professor Peter Sheehan AO

Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Sheehan AO has been farewelled by members of the University community at events at each of ACU's six campuses.

Chancellor Brother Julian McDonald CFC AO also hosted a valedictory dinner in Sydney on 28 November 2007 to mark Professor Sheehan's contribution over the past ten years and to thank him for his leadership and achievements during that period.

Professor Sheehan's final day at ACU will be Thursday 3 January 2008.

Professor Sheehan
Peter and Mary Sheehan

acunique

acunique cover

Volume 8 of ACU's magazine acunique has been released this week. It is now available online or in print versions at ACU campuses.

This volume of acunique focuses on community engagement – a central component of the University's Mission, and one of the themes of the 2008 Audit of the University by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA).

For further information on ACU's community engagement activities, visit http://www.acu.edu.au/community_engagement

Student information sessions

Well-attended information sessions for prospective 2008 students have recently been held on the Brisbane, Melbourne and Ballarat Campuses, as part of the ongoing Change of Preference campaign.

Upcoming information sessions are to be held as follows:

  • Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) will hold a final selection information afternoon on Thursday 3 January from 10am - 4pm
  • North Sydney Campus (MacKillop) will hold a final information afternoon on Thursday 3 January from 10am - 4pm
  • Canberra Campus (Signadou) will hold a final information afternoon from Thursday 3 January from 3pm - 4:30pm

Staff are encouraged to lend support for and/or promote these events where possible.

Visit www.acu.edu.au/qualify for further information on enrolment in 2008.

Vice-Chancellor's inaugural community engagement project award

The Clemente/Catalyst program has been awarded the first Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Community Engagement for a project.

"The Clemente/Catalyst program is outstanding and provides an example of what is possible through long-term community engagement, mutual respect and relationships," said Vice-Chancellor Peter Sheehan AO.

The Vice-Chancellor thanked all those who submitted nominations for the award and praised the Institute for Advancing Community Engagement for providing an effective mechanism for the development of community engagement programs.

Outstanding community engagement awards are also presented in the staff and student categories each year. As announced earlier in the year, the 2007 Staff Award Recipient was Dr Lindsay Farrell, Head of the School of Arts and Sciences in Brisbane and the Student Award Recipient was Ms Coni Forcey, a Social Science student from Melbourne.

Dr Lindsay Farrell

  • An update on the Clemente/Catalyst program forms the lead story in the current volume of acunique

Carrick Award presentation to Dr Nereda White

Weemala Indigenous Education Unit Coordinator Dr Nereda White from the Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) was recently awarded the Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Education by the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at a ceremony in Canberra.

Dr White, Professor John O'Gorman and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Gabrielle McMullen. Dr White (centre) with Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Quality and Engagement) Professor John O'Gorman and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Professor Gabrielle McMullen.

Staff giving

Staff at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) have been overwhelmingly generous this Christmas donating seven washing baskets full of toys and Christmas food to Josephite Community Aid, where they will be distributed to newly arrived Sudanese Refugees in the local area.

In addition to the Christmas hampers, staff have also raised over $700 which will be sent to Oxfam and used to purchase 18 goats for families living in poverty in developing countries.

Meanwhile, University Relations staff in North Sydney have also raised $700 through charity morning teas this year. The money has been donated to purchase street swags for the homeless, an initiative of ACU Brisbane graduate Jean Madden. For more information on the project, visit http://www.streetswags.org

Fulbright Nursing Scholar to visit ACU in 2008

Associate Professor Barbara Riegel has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship as a visiting Senior Scholar to the St Vincent's/ ACU Centre for Nursing Research for early 2008.

Scholars are selected on the basis of their established reputations; they are senior practicing professionals who have stellar reputations within their field as well as significant track records. Dr Riegel was the only nursing recipient of the Senior Scholarship this year.

Dr. Barbara Riegel is currently Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and an established nurse scientist who has won almost $3 million in funding. Her primary research focuses on heart failure self-care. Dr. Riegel has conducted several disease management trials for persons with heart failure and published widely on the issues faced by this particular patient population. Dr Riegel is founding Editor and current Co-Editor of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (JCN) and is a fellow in the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Nursing.

Dr Riegel will be in Australia from February to May 2008, researching self-care management with Prof Linda Worrall-Carter, the Director of St Vincent's/ACU's Centre for Nursing Research. During her time in Australia Dr Riegel will be visiting the various campuses of ACU and in particular the recently established National Centre for Clinical Outcomes Research (Nursing and Midwifery, Australia) (NaCCOR) where she will give a number of invited papers and spend time with staff, clinicians and students.

Flagship Hosts Seminar in Ho Chi Minh City

The Flagship for Creative and Authentic Leadership sponsored a three day seminar in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month for Australian Leadership Awards (ALA) Fellows from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and East Timor.

The Seminar was the final stage in the ALA Fellowship Program, funded by AusAID, which commenced at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) in July.

In the initial component of the program, fellows received input and mentoring from Flagship members, University staff and specialist teachers. They also participated in an intensive professional program, skills development, peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing and leadership training in July, August and September.

The seminar in Vietnam was an opportunity for ALA Fellows to attend a series of keynote addresses, two of which were given by Foundation Chair of Educational Leadership and Director of the Flagship for Creative and Authentic Leadership Professor Patrick Duignan and Head of School of Educational Leadership Dr Annette Cunliffe.

ALA Fellows and members of the Flagship Management Team
ALA Fellows and members of the Flagship Management Team in Ho Chi Minh City

Award of National Educational Leadership Fellowships

At the 2007 International Conference, New Images for Schools and Schooling: Challenging, Creating and Connecting, Head of School of Educational Leadership Dr Annette Cunliffe and Senior Lecturer of the School of Educational Leadership Dr Helga Neidhart were each awarded a National Fellowship of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders.

The fellowships were awarded for their outstanding and significant contributions to the theory and practice of educational leadership at the national level.

Dr Annette Cunliffe, Professor Patrick Duignan and Dr Helga Neidhart
Dr Annette Cunliffe, Professor Patrick Duignan and Dr Helga Neidhart

Valedictory presentation for Professor Patrick Duignan

The valedictory presentation and farewell function for the Foundation Chair of Educational Leadership and Director of the Flagship for Creative and Authentic Leadership Professor Patrick Duignan, was recently held at Dooley's Lidcombe Catholic Club.

Professor Duignan delivered his valedictory address – "Leadership: A Journey of Exploration, Discovery and Personal Transformation". "Pilgrim, It's a Long Way to Find Out Who You Are" to a large gathering of friends, family and colleagues.

The presentation was chaired by Dean of Education Professor Marie Emmitt. Professor Duignan's lifelong colleague and friend Professor Reynold MacPherson gave a moving response of behalf of those present.

Reynold Macpherson, Jenny Lewis, Mike Doyle, Professor Marie Emmitt, Professor Patrick Duignan, Professor Gabrielle McMullen, Professor Frank Crowther and Dr Ron Ikin< Professor Reynold Macpherson, Jenny Lewis, Mike Doyle, Professor Marie Emmitt, Professor Patrick Duignan, Professor Gabrielle McMullen, Professor Frank Crowther and Dr Ron Ikin

NSW Parliament Group Raise Funds for Catholic Teachers College in Baucau

At a meeting in the Legislative Council's President's Suite of the New South Wales Parliament, a cheque for $5,000 was presented to School of Educational Leadership Professor Tony d'Arbon who was representing the Marist Brothers and the Catholic Teachers College at Baucau in East Timor.

The cheque was the result of the fundraising cocktail party held at Parliament House and organised by the New South Wales Parliament Asia Pacific Friendship Group.

Jeff Hunter presents the cheque to Professor Tony d'Arbon Chairman of the Friendship Group Jeff Hunter presents the cheque to Professor Tony d'Arbon in the presence of members of the group

Ballarat Nursing graduate wins high achiever award

Recent Bachelor of Nursing graduate Ms Jennifer Godfrey is the recipient of the 2007 Royal College of Nursing High Achiever Award. The College recognises the achievements of nurses as part of its mission in striving for professional excellence in nursing practice for the benefit of the health of the community.

Jennifer was nominated by staff at the Ballarat Campus (Aquinas) for the award, for outstanding performance and commitment to the profession during the course of her studies.

ICT in the mathematics classroom DVD launch

School of Education (Victoria) staff Ann Downton, Donna Green, Anne Scott and Adam Staples recently launched a DVD entitled ICT in the Mathematics Classroom with funding provided by a teaching development grant. The DVD features five recent ACU Education graduates who use technology in their mathematics lessons.

For further information contact School of Education Lecturer Dr Anne Scott a.scott@acu.edu.au or (03) 9953 3280.

Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU) Specialist Teacher Course Tasmania 2008

School of Education (Victoria) Senior Lecturer Dr Ann Gervasoni will conduct the 2008 Tasmanian Specialist Teacher Course at the Catholic Education Office in Hobart next year.

The Extending Mathematical Understanding Specialist Teacher course is based on the research, classroom experience and professional development leadership of Dr Gervasoni, the work of the Early Numeracy Research Project team and the extensive classroom and professional development research of School of Education (Victoria) Lecturer Ann Downton.

For further information contact Rose Knight rose.knight@acu.edu.au or (03) 9953 3277.

Going abroad? Visit with a study abroad colleague

Academic staff who are travelling overseas on business near one of the university's exchange partners are invited to contact Herta Derrij, the Exchange and Study Abroad Coordinator, to arrange a meeting with partner academic staff in their field of study.

The Education Abroad office at ACU is keen to involve both students and academic staff on all campuses in exchange and study abroad programs. The most recent list of exchange partners will appear on the updated international website in February 2008

New Deadline for Indigenous Research Higher Degree Scholarship

The closing date for applications for the ACU Indigenous Research Higher Degree Scholarship has been extended to Friday 18 January 2008.

Applications should be submitted on the standard application form for admission to a research higher degree at ACU, along with a covering letter indicating that applicants wish to apply for the Indigenous Scholarship. The application form can be found here http://my.acu.edu.au/staff/organisation/research/research_services/postgraduate_degrees_by_research#kits

Teaching Development Grant deadline

Staff are invited to apply for a Teaching Development Grant for 2008, under a second round of applications that has been instituted by Professor Gabrielle McMullen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs). The closing date for this second round of applications is Thursday 31 January 2008.

Applications should be posted to the following address:

Teaching Development Grants and Awards Committee
 C/- Administrative Officer, Secretariat
Australian Catholic University MacKillop Campus
PO Box 968, North Sydney NSW 2059.