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From The Head
Welcome to our first
edition of eNBErs for 2009 and a special welcome to our newly enrolled
students and to those re-enrolling for the continuation of their
studies. As March and the first week of semester teaching progresses, I
am aware that the year is already passing quickly. I had a longer than
usual break over Christmas and the New Year, as I celebrated a wedding
anniversary and a significant birthday with my wife, which included a
return to the northern hemisphere Christmas celebrations and a family
reunion for the first time in more than 30 years. However, returning to
Australia in mid-January, I quickly remembered why I had migrated here
and thus returned refreshed and ready for what I know will be a hectic
and hopefully successful year.
Already in January and February, I have completed performance
development and management interviews with all of the academic staff. I
would like to thank them, and of course Discipline leaders, who helped
me to carry out what I consider a most pleasant highlight of my duties
as Head of School. As usual, I was delighted to undertake the task and
it was a very positive experience to hear of all of the efforts,
initiatives and outcomes that individual staff members in each
discipline are currently undertaking. I gained an almost overwhelming
impression of optimism and satisfaction from staff which is gratifying
given the current global financial difficulties, however it appears to
be consistent with the progress, success and growth of our School and
Disciplines particularly over the last year.
It appears that our implementation of the Vice Chancellor’s “New
Horizons” philosophy of improving the student learning experience;
acknowledging the need to modify our research performance; increasing
while changing our international engagement; and finally striving to
increase our efficiency and financial stewardship are reaping the
rewards of all of our efforts.
To list a few of the examples of success last year I would emphasise the
achievements of six of our School staff who completed doctoral studies
last year. This was a major highlight and delight for me (and of course
for each of them) after their hard work and the School’s encouragement
over the last four years. Another doctorate is hopefully imminent and
there are a couple more on their way. Many congratulations.
However, this was a highlight amongst many, with the notable progression
and successful recognition of our STEP 2010 review. The Stage Three bid
was submitted on time prior to years end (1 of only 3 submitted at that
time across the University) and the eagerly awaited outcome for the
$200k financial support was successful, which we have planned for
projects to improve our students’ experiences in their learning.
Likewise, in Research there were many successes of note. Major funds
(>$1million) were obtained from the Commonwealth Government to improve
infrastructure in our Water Research laboratories and Associate
Professor Linda Zou, our new Deputy Director of the Water Centre,
immediately demonstrated a successful commitment to research initiatives
with receipt of competitive grants and new research students.
Significant ARC and other research fund acquisition in our Building,
Planning, Environmental and Transport areas demonstrated the continued
focus on improving this component of recognised research measures.
Our research outputs in publication are also still increasing but, with
the arrival of the ERA initiative, the focus must now be to improve the
quality as well as the volume of research outputs and especially high
impact journal articles. The ReNEW initiative of increased concentration
and focus of research activity, with negotiations of research Centre and
Institute membership and frameworks of cooperation between these
groupings and our School, is a significant area of activity for me at
present and all staff are looking at progress on this with interest. The
imminent launch of the Barbara Hardy Centre for Sustainable Urban
Environments is a milestone that I know Prof Chris Daniels will be most
proud of on behalf of the Centre’s very active staff.
A significant and personal highlight for me has been the acknowledgement
at the beginning of 2009 that the School of NBE is performing
excellently in financial terms within our Division. This is after many
years of apparent financial deficit and thus related spending
restrictions. This is a great achievement given the current state of
global finances. Congratulations must go to all staff who have helped to
reign in the spending, in particular the School’s program directors and
discipline leaders, but especially to SEO Gary Brook and to Finance
Officer Hayley West, who have manage the budget process so admirably.
This recognised achievement has allowed us (whilst we must still manage
our funds carefully) to look forward to the new academic appointments in
three of our disciplines, which are likely to occur very soon.
Preliminary interviews have already occurred from an outstanding field
of applicants and formal interviews and presentations will occur within
the next few weeks. Furthermore, the School Executive has also begun to
develop a list of potential strategic investments including further
infrastructure renovations, equipment purchases, increased conference
funding and other initiatives which we hope to be able to move forward
and announce shortly.
In 2009, we have already conducted a most successful School Executive
strategic retreat at our usual venue in Victor Harbor, where the
strategic investments were discussed. As a School, we have welcomed many
new international and local students and, with steady or increasing
enrolments in most courses and overall improved TER scores, we obviously
have a busy teaching year ahead of us. Student numbers have been
maintained or increased marginally from our historically high enrolments
across most disciplines. The QED (Quest for Engineering Discipline)
engineering induction program and a re-run of the very successful SEPEP
(Sustainable Environments Student Engagement Program) have just ended. I
know that all staff are now engaged with these new students in our
programs with enthusiasm and intensity as always occurs at this time of
year.
As I write this welcome – unfortunately in a hurry as I have to attend a
meeting with UniSA agents shortly – I am sitting in a hotel room in
Subang Jaya, near to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Malaysia, along with
China and India, have been identified by our Division and University as
prioritised targets for our new focus on internationalisation in 2009.
With the gradual withdrawal from many of our traditional transnational
offshore teaching programs, the University is encouraging a renewed
focus on international collaboration, particularly in research, staff
and student exchange programs; twinning and articulations; and of course
encouragement for selected and carefully credentialed onshore
recruitment.
Over the last four days, I have been involved in all of these activities
on Peninsula Malaysia and in Penang. So far I have presented 4 separate
talks on postgraduate research, coursework postgraduate programs,
project based learning in construction and education for sustainability
in four cities and at four different institutions. I have been
overwhelmed by the interest in these topics from agents, prospective
international enrollees and from staff and students at some of our
collaborating institutions.
In Penang in particular, as well as managing most unexpectedly to cycle
to the top of Penang Hill, I renewed acquaintances with a colleague from
Universiti Sains Malaysia. I am very much looking forward to the next
edition of our most successful student overseas Planning Study Tour in
September. I hope also that some of the students join me on my next
climb of Penang Hill. The view (literal and metaphorical) from the top
is great and the journey, as with all such interesting and difficult
journeys, is most worthwhile.
Next month I will celebrate my 5th Anniversary as Head of the School of
Natural and Built Environments (where did those 5 years go?). I have
recently accepted a new contract to continue as Head and I am looking
forward to that challenge - in challenging times - and I hope to work
with all staff (and students) in the School of NBE towards a brighter
and even better future.
That is, after a short excursion to Sabah and Sarawak to continue the
engagement with Malaysia and then to launch the next Civil Engineering
Masters cohort in Beijing on Monday.
For more pictures please visit the Image
Gallery
Professor Patrick James
Head: School of Natural and Built Environments
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