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Gippsland's
new pro vice-chancellor Professor Brian Mackenzie (pictured) intends to focus
on further integrating the campus into the surrounding community.
Drawing from last year's Report of the Gippsland Campus Working Party, Professor Mackenzie said he wanted to continue developing Monash's profile in the region.
He said too many young people in Gippsland believed they needed to come to Melbourne to pursue their education and would prefer to stay in Gippsland.
"We have a real brain drain in all regional areas of Australia. If young people in the region stay and do their education in Gippsland, they are more likely to stay and do their work in Gippsland as well," he said.
"It's important for Gippsland to maintain skilled workers in the area where possible."
While attracting other Australian and overseas students would always be a high priority, he felt it was important to have a strong local foundation.
"We need to make Monash Gippsland recognised and accepted throughout Gippsland as the university of and for Gippsland," he said.
And with three key strengths to attract further students, he felt the campus had excellent potential for development.
"According to the Good Universities Guide for the past four years, Gippsland has some of the best teaching of any university in Australia," he said.
"It has a wide range of programs representing eight out of the 10 faculties of Monash and with its excellent teaching provides first-class, fully-recognised degrees.
"And third, it is in a beautiful, green, safe environment that has a very low cost of living and some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities in Australia, including skiing, swimming, fishing or horseback riding."
To facilitate further development, he said it was critical to follow up the report recommendations to concentrate future planning for the campus at Gippsland.
"I'm looking forward to working very closely with the deans and senior staff to investigate ways of differentiating the Gippsland campus and to develop regionally appropriate programs," he said.
He said he had already received much support from local industry and civic groups in Gippsland.
Professor Mackenzie comes to Monash from the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, where he was pro vice-chancellor, Academic Affairs.
There he made major contributions to academic planning and quality assurance and undertook a reorganisation and simplification of the university's academic structure.
He also developed innovative agreements with universities and colleges in the US, China, Singapore and Vietnam.
The Monash University Centre for Ambulance and Paramedic Studies (MUCAPS) at the Peninsula campus was officially launched last week.
MUCAPS director Associate Professor Frank Archer said the opening could be seen as a "rite of passage" for ambulance paramedic education.
The new purpose-built centre was established with $3 million funding from the state government and was officially opened by parliamentary secretary for human services Mr Matt Viney.
"We have moved from being an industry-based vocational education program to being a university-based program," Dr Archer said.
MUCAPS now offers an articulated suite of Monash-accredited programs comprising the Diploma of Ambulance Paramedic Studies, Advanced Diploma of MICA Paramedic Studies and Bachelor of Paramedic Studies (degree conversion).
About 260 students are now undertaking the diploma, 35 the advanced diploma and 74 the degree conversion.
"We still have to further develop our programs in flexible delivery modes to cater for the statewide student population and expand our research program," Dr Archer said.
According to Dr Archer, support from all sections of the university had been overwhelming and had been instrumental in the centre achieving its initial objectives.
"The MUCAPS staff are most grateful for this support," he said.
Also at the launch were vice-chancellor Professor David Robinson, dean of Medicine Professor Nick Saunders, Peninsula campus director Mr John White, campus manager Mr Barry Bilham and other MPs.
More than 250 representatives from the Department of Human Services, University Central Services, the Faculty of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, metropolitan and rural ambulance services, ambulance professional and union organisations and the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Service attended the opening.
Dr Frank Archer and Mr Matt Viney.
Innovative approach to student servicesVirtual and campus-based services to all students are to be enhanced through the creation of a new Monash-wide service organisation, which will coordinate service delivery across campuses. A key feature of the new model of service provision is an increased focus on student development from co-curricular activities. The model was developed recently by the current student organisations and service providers on all Victorian campuses in consultation with deputy chancellor Mr Paul Ramler. Presenting a proposal to Council, Mr Ramler said the student representatives involved in its development had been flexible, forward thinking and very constructive in their contributions. "The foundation stone of our discussions has been to achieve an outcome that delivers a win for all stakeholders," he said. Mr Ramler said the service model was unique in the higher education sector and ensured that annual surpluses from the service organisations were reinvested into service development and student life. He said this potentially would reduce reliance on the amenities fee and pay a dividend to the student associations. Services under the new company include the bookshops, catering, careers and employment, sports and recreation, student affairs and student assistance. Deputy vice-chancellor (Resources) Ms Alison Crook has been asked by Mr Ramler to work with him and the staff of the current service organisations to oversee the move to the new arrangements. The first step will involve the appointment of an initial CEO of the new service organisation to consult with the staff involved and implement the service model. |
Eighteen Bachelor of Multimedia students from the Berwick campus last week headed off to Sydney to work on the Olympics.com website.
Bachelor of Multimedia coordinator Dr Kathy Blashki said the students would be working with IT professionals from IBM and others from Silicon Valley.
"They'll be working around the clock, taking photos with a digital camera, cropping pictures, and writing columns and articles for the website," she said.
Dr Blashki said the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) had visited Monash and were very impressed with the skills of the multimedia students.
She felt the technology and design elements of the Bachelor of Multimedia were the key to the students' selection.
"Our students are designers as well as IT professionals, and are able to create the entire website," she said.
"It's very exciting that our students have been chosen out of all the Australian universities."
Nursing introduces no-lift policyStaff, students and local health care professionals were provided with a range of options for safe lifting practices at an expo held recently at the School of Nursing at the Gippsland and Peninsula campuses. No Lift Awareness Day was organised to promote the no-lift policy introduced by the school for the Bachelor of Nursing (Pre-Registration) curriculum, bringing it into line with the Australian Nursing Federation's safe lifting practices for nurses and health care professionals. The School of Nursing was also successful in gaining a Workcover grant to assist with the introduction of the policy and continuing work in this area. The day was attended by a number of suppliers of lifting devices, including Hospital Supplies of Australia, Argo Hospital Equipment, Linds Rehabilitation and the ANF, as well as a range of health care professionals including nursing directors. The day gave staff and students the opportunity to see and operate some of the equipment available, while health care professionals were given the chance to visit the school and learn more about the no-lift policy. Nursing lecturers Ms Elizabeth Grant (Gippsland) and Ms Leola Moore-Coulson (Peninsula) were instrumental in implementing the policy, which was introduced because nurses have the highest injury rates in the female workplace. Most of these injuries were related to manual handling. "Following graduation, students in their first couple of years out are at a high risk. This policy, which has been introduced and promoted on a national scale by the ANF, aims to eliminate the manual lifting of patients in all but exceptional or life-threatening situations," Ms Moore-Coulson said. "The School of Nursing at Monash is one of the first universities to adopt the no-lift policy, with students across all three year levels being trained in no-lifting options." Lab technicians Ms Dalini Soni and Mrs Lyn Daddo organised the no-lift expo. - Julie Ryan |
All interested staff are invited to the UniSuper information sessions set for September and October.
The seminars will be relevant to all members of the Superannuation Scheme for Australian Universities (SSAU) and the Tertiary Education Superannuation Scheme (TESS) who are approaching retirement and those interested in learning more about their superannuation membership.
Each seminar will include current superannuation issues, an SSAU/TESS update, retirement and resignation options, SSAU and TESS performance, tax, retirement planning and question time.
Dates and venues are:
Sessions are from 1 pm to 2 pm. All staff are welcome and no prior registration is required.
Inquiries: Melissa Old, extn 56822, or Karen Pedrotti, extn 56825, or email melissa.old@adm.monash.edu.au or karen.pedrotti@adm.monash.edu.au
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