Commitment to student learning shines
by Heather Leggett
When Associate Professor Ieva Stupans set out to improve the health sciences curriculum for students, awards were the last thing on her mind. Now, as one of only nine recipients Australia wide to receive a Fellowship from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), Prof Stupans couldn’t be more thrilled.
Prof Stupans, from the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences and former Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Division of Health Sciences, will receive a $99,000 grant to put towards her program ‘Supporting student transition to futures orientated professional identity’.
The Fellowships, given only to programs that the Council recognises as having significant national benefit, encourage recognition of the fundamental importance of teaching and validate the role of the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Prof Stupans says that the grant will help her realise her goal of making a difference in the local community.
"The grant allows me to undertake a significant piece of work around the health sciences curriculum design and will potentially allow graduates to contribute more effectively to health outcomes for the community," Prof Stupans says.
In addition, 12 UniSA staff members were awarded citations in the 2009 ALTC Awards for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Two teams and seven individuals received citations, with grants of up to $10,000 for each award.
The Academic Library Services team was acknowledged for its long-term commitment to the improvement of information literacy programs for students. Irene Doskatsch, Jan Heath, Julie Hockey, Bronte Cerny and Carole Gibbs have worked hard to ensure that literacy programs allow students to engage as learners within the information environment.
Olga Sankey and Steven Carson from the School of Art, Architecture and Design won attention for their innovative Honours curriculum that incorporates one-on-one learning and fosters individual student creativity.
Individual citations were awarded to Associate Professor Kazem Abhary from the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering for his innovative teaching approach and efforts to raise awareness of humanitarian applications of technology among students; Gregory Donovan from the School of Art, Architecture and Design for his visual arts/design industry mentorship scheme; Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles from the School of Management for her command of the Indigenous tourism field and inclusion of this in the curriculum; Stefan Hornlund from the School of Natural and Built Environments for his enhanced structural analysis teaching methods; and Dr Karma Pearce from the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences for her innovative curriculum that develops independent students who are work ready.
UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj says the success at the 2009 awards is a source of pride for the UniSA community.
"This is a fantastic achievement and an acknowledgement of our staff’s dedication to high-quality teaching," he says. "ALTC Citations are prestigious awards and with its many citations over the past three years, UniSA has done particularly well and is ranked among the best."