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Making a difference to people’s lives

Community engagement sets ACU apart from other universities, writes Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Zlatko Skrbis.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of presiding over an honorary doctorate ceremony for a remarkable individual whose connection with ACU stretches right back to our university’s establishment.

Emeritus Professor Gabrielle McMullen was among the original members of the Senate, serving on the board and its committees with energy and distinction. She later assumed several leadership positions at ACU, including as Pro- and Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Academic), a role that allowed her to promote our Catholic mission and identity across our campuses.

Professor McMullen’s significant contributions were formally recognised in 2012 when she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to tertiary education, particularly through her two decades at ACU, where she excelled as an advocate for higher learning and community engagement.

It brought me great joy to hear Gabrielle’s graduation address in Melbourne. With humility and grace, she spoke about the unique opportunities that ACU offers its students and graduates; how we encourage them to contribute meaningfully to their communities and to wider society.

“Graduates,” she said, “I am sure that as you gain professional experience, you will also receive invitations to engage with your communities. I encourage you to get involved – each such experience will widen your expertise and enrich you personally.”

Her reflections afterwards were equally uplifting. Gabrielle spoke with passion about ACU’s distinctive place in the higher education landscape, how we enrich the sector with our deep commitment to mission. She was particularly proud of our expansion in community engagement, which has fostered sustained international partnerships in countries like Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands, and local programs like Clemente Australia and the Order of Malta/ACU Community Hub in Melbourne.

“To have the university out in the public square making a difference in people’s lives,” she said, “it’s bringing communities together and addressing disadvantage and real-world problems.”

Later, as I reflected on Gabrielle’s words, it struck me that of the many qualities that distinguish us from other Australian universities, our commitment to compassionate community engagement is among the most significant. This is particularly evident in initiatives that build capacity and affirm human dignity through reciprocal and sustainable collaborations – especially among people and communities that have historically faced marginalisation or disadvantage.

Clemente Australia is one such program. This free, community-based humanities course is designed specifically for those who’ve encountered barriers to higher education.

The program’s visionary founder, an author named Earl Shorris, believed that studying the arts and humanities could offer adults facing adverse circumstances a pathway to a better life. His conviction proved prescient: within a year of graduation, 10 of the first 16 Clemente course graduates in New York City were enrolled in university or nursing school, while the remainder attended community college or worked full-time.

Since its inception at ACU in 2003, our own Clemente program has generated equally inspiring success stories. Consider Mathoc Gab, the South Sudanese refugee who, after completing the Clemente course in Blacktown, embarked on a law degree as he approached his 50th year. Or Raelyn Marshall, who enrolled in Clemente following the tragic loss of her daughter, and describes the moment she started the course as “like an awakening”. Now in her mid-70s, Raelyn is studying arts and history at our Melbourne Campus.

Pursuing further study is a common trajectory for Clemente graduates, one made smoother by the fact that the four units completed through the course can be credited toward an ACU degree. Of the 69 students who have graduated from our Clemente program since 2020, 32 have pursued additional study. One has even completed a master’s degree.

Yet formal education represents just one measure of the program’s success.

In 2010, an ACU-led study exploring social inclusion through Clemente revealed the program not only enhanced transformational learning opportunities for those facing adverse circumstances, but also cultivated social interaction and community participation.

“Our major finding was that Clemente boosts a student’s confidence and self-esteem dramatically,” explained Dr Youssef Taouk, who co-authored the research with Associate Professor Peter Howard, Professor Jude Butcher, and others.

Dr Taouk is a coordinator and lecturer in our Clemente program in Blacktown, one of many locations across the country where we sponsor and host the course. For him, being involved with Clemente is “extremely fulfilling work”.

“You concretely see that you’re making a difference to people’s lives,” he said, “and what’s more fulfilling than helping people to transform their lives?”

Perspectives like Youssef’s and Gabrielle McMullen’s perfectly capture the reciprocal and enriching nature of service. Through giving, we also receive. Through opening doors for others, we expand our own horizons.

These core values set ACU apart: our commitment to service, our pursuit of truth and academic excellence, and our dedication to outreach grounded in compassion. As we deepen our partnerships and walk alongside our communities to meet real needs with real solutions, we live our mission – serving the common good and making a lasting difference.

But our greatest strength lies not just in what we do, but in who we help shape. Every lecture, community placement, and outreach initiative forms future leaders who are skilled and capable, but also thoughtful, compassionate, and deeply aware of their responsibility to others.

This is our true power: to educate minds and hearts. To ensure that through every graduate, ACU continues to make a difference – one life, one community, and one future at a time.

This article is part of the Vice Chancellor's Blog, which highlights stories, insights and perspectives from across the university