Archive for February, 2012

The University of New England is looking forward to a successful year, with student enrolments up, colleges near capacity, increased research funding, and an improved financial position.

The Chancellor of UNE, Richard Torbay (pictured here), said that the University’s preparation in the lead up to the new demand-driven higher education market in 2012 had been extensive, and that as a result it appeared UNE was not just holding ground but improving its position.

“UNE’s reputation for offering a great student experience is resulting in strong interest in both our on-campus and distance education courses,” Mr Torbay said.  “Compared to the same time last year, student enrolments in Commonwealth-supported places are up almost 8% and the Equivalent Full Time Student Load (EFTSL) is up by 10%.”

UNE is also one of the few Australian universities where the number of international students continues to increase year after year. Enrolments are up around 3% in 2012. “This is a promising result, and we will be working hard to ensure these figures remain strong as we move towards the census date on March 31, when student numbers for Trimester 1 will be finalised,” Mr Torbay said.

“Our iconic colleges at UNE are being met with renewed interest, recording the highest number of new students in residence for the past decade,” he said. “We remain committed to the redevelopment of the colleges in 2012 and believe that, as they are modernised, the interest in the college system will remain strong.”

The college redevelopment forms part of the $38 million capital works program currently under way at UNE, which is aimed at improving the quality of the on-campus experience.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, said that UNE’s aspiration to achieve international distinction in all its specialist fields of research had been given a boost, with the University’s research income having steadily improved since 2008.

Last year, UNE received more than $32 million for research projects, with much of the research carrying over into 2012.

“UNE also entered 2012 with an improved financial position, after recording a profit in excess of $10 million for 2011,” Professor Barber said. “This is an encouraging result compared to previous years when we have posted operational losses.”

“UNE’s Strategic Plan 2011-2015 will continue to strongly guide the priorities and strategies of the University in 2012,” he said. “We have started the year strongly, and we hope to finish 2012 in an even better position.”

An innovative partnership with the University of California, Irvine, is helping to take Australia’s University of New England to the forefront of advances in medical education.

UC Irvine’s School of Medicine was the first in the United States to introduce the use of iPads in the delivery of an undergraduate medical curriculum, and the first to train undergraduates in the use of portable, hand-held ultrasound units (as pictured here). As a result of its partnership with UC Irvine, UNE’s School of Rural Medicine is pioneering the use of iPads and portable ultrasound in undergraduate medical education in Australia.

The international partnership has already linked students at UNE with UC Irvine’s cutting-edge medical training facilities in live, interactive training sessions via the Internet. It is part of UNE’s strategy – through a range of innovative projects – to take full advantage of new opportunities offered by the National Broadband Network.

“The iPad will allow us to use the advantages of the Internet and the NBN to deliver our undergraduate program to our students when on placement in any part of the State, the nation, or the world,” said the Head of UNE’s School of Rural Medicine, Professor Peter McKeown. “And ultrasound has a very important role to play in medical practice – particularly in rural areas. These innovations exemplify UNE’s aspiration, as outlined in its Strategic Plan, to lead the nation in the use of educational technology.”

The leaders of both these teaching innovations at UC Irvine travelled to UNE late last week to participate in a symposium on the use of iPads and live Internet links in medical education, and an intensive course in the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic tool.

“I view this as an opportunity to transform medical education,” said Assistant Professor Warren Wiechmann, Faculty Director of Instructional Technologies in the UC Irvine School of Medicine, talking about the use of iPads and live Internet links. And Professor Christian Fox, UC Irvine’s Director of Instructional Ultrasound, said: “As physicians we owe it to our patients to use any tool that can help us make a more timely and accurate diagnosis.”

“The advantage of ultrasound at the point of care is that it’s portable and hand-held, and can be used at the patient’s bedside,” Professor Fox said. “While ultrasound appears deceptively easy, it’s actually difficult to learn how to use it correctly. If we can equip medical students with the necessary skills during their training, they’ll be able to use it instinctively once they’re in practice.”

Participants in the two-day ultrasound course (Friday 17 and Saturday 18 February) included GPs, emergency room and critical care specialists, and students. The sessions, on various aspects of ultrasound use, were led by Professor Fox, Dr Weichmann, UNE’s Dr Hadi Nojoumian, and Professors Alistair and Colin Royse from the University of Melbourne. The course ended with a practical exercise and discussions.

The symposium on Friday 17 February about the use of the Internet (“iMedEd”) and iPads in the delivery of medical curricula was joined – via the Internet – by medical educators at universities in Argentina, Malaysia, the UK and the United States as well as in Australia.

In his introduction to both these events on Friday, Professor McKeown thanked both UC Irvine and the University of Newcastle for their “generosity that provides us with the capacity to share knowledge”. UNE’s School of Rural Medicine is part of the Joint Medical Program, which is an expansion of the highly successful University of Newcastle medical program in partnership with UNE, Hunter New England Health and Central Coast Health.

The presentation of a large flat-screen computer to Armidale’s Autumn Lodge aged care facility was the occasion for a demonstration of the benefits that connection to the National Broadband Network will bring to Autumn Lodge residents.

Malcolm Montiero, the General Manager of Silcar Communications, the company that laid fibre-optic cables in Armidale for NBN Co, said at the presentation event earlier this month that his company liked “to leave something with a community” after such a project. “We couldn’t think of anything better than this touch-screen computer for Autumn Lodge,” Mr Montiero said.

Alun Davies, Head of the NBN Workgroup and Regional Communications Advocate for New England, said that Autumn Lodge would be fully connected to the NBN in July. “It will be one of the first aged care facilities in Australia to be connected to the network,” he said.

The University of New England’s Associate Professor Stephen Winn, who leads a collaborative project that is using new communications technology to help elderly people live independently in their own homes, used the flat-screen computer to demonstrate the capability of the new technology. A live connection to the Armidale GP Dr Gary Baker gave Autumn Lodge residents an idea of its possibilities. “You’ll be able to consult a doctor who might not be able to get here to see you,” Dr Winn told them.

His project, in collaboration with CSIRO, Neuroscience Research Australia, and Autumn Lodge, and supported by the Australian Government’s NBN-Enabled Education and Skills Services Program, is called “Smarter Safer Homes”. The project team will use Autumn Lodge’s village units as a trial site for the use of the NBN-related technology by elderly people living independently. “This will provide evidence of the effectiveness of such technology in improving people’s quality of life by helping them to live independently, monitoring their health and wellbeing, and keeping them in touch with their families,” Dr Winn said. “Based on the evidence from this trial, the next phase of the project will involve extending the adoption of this technology – at minimal cost – into the wider community.”

“We’re heading for the virtual retirement village,” Mr Davies said. “Aged care facilities will never be able to cope with all the people retiring now. People want to stay in their own homes – and, with this technology, they will be able to do so while still enjoying the security of an Autumn Lodge.”

“The NBN connection will allow us to expand our IT infrastructure and take advantage of emerging technologies to improve our level of service and give residents the advantage of high-quality video communication with family, friends and medical specialists,” said Greg Clarke, Business and Housing Services Manager at Autumn Lodge.

During last week’s event Dr Stuart Smith, a Senior Research Officer with Neuroscience Research Australia, used the new flat-screen computer to demonstrate the use of a video dance game, explaining the effectiveness of stepping exercises in the prevention of falls. “Falls are one of the biggest problems facing our ageing society,” Dr Smith said. “We know that exercise is one of the best things to reduce the risk of falls, and that stepping can be improved through practice. If you’re worried about falling, this is a chance to reduce your fear.”

Under the guidance of Dr Smith, two of the Autumn Lodge residents – Anne Hearne and Marj Mason – demonstrated the use of the dance game (as pictured here). “You can use your score in this game to compete against your friends,” Dr Smith told the residents. “And, with the benefits of the NBN, you’ll be able to compete against people in other aged care facilities.”

The University of New England is demonstrating the power of broadband with key projects in education, health and agriculture.

Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, visited UNE on Friday to hear more about the NBN-enabled projects.

The Chancellor of UNE, Richard Torbay, said Senator Conroy’s visit was a timely opportunity to update him on the exciting projects under way at UNE.

“The University has made significant progress since Senator Conroy’s previous visit in May 2011, when he and the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, officially launched the NBN,” Mr Torbay said.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, said the NBN was “a game-changing technology for education” and that the University had been “working on a number of projects to take advantage of this technology”.

“On a property just outside of Armidale, UNE is creating a SMARTFarm where we aim to improve the lifestyle, productivity, sustainability, resilience, and business of farming through the use of technology,” Professor Barber said. “The SMARTFarm is about sustainable, manageable and accessible rural technologies that enhance educational opportunities.”

Professor Barber said QuickSmart was another of UNE’s projects that was being enhanced by access to broadband.

“QuickSmart aims to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of both children and adults and is currently offered to nearly 10,000 students across the country,” he said. “We have plans to roll it out to the broader community and make it available to them in their own homes, and this is possible with high-speed broadband.”

Professor Barber said that broadband offered the education sector endless possibilities, and that UNE looked forward to progressing current projects and creating new and exciting educational initiatives into the future. “Innovations in the applications of broadband technologies have been evidenced by our partnership with the University of California’s Irvine School of Medicine, which gives UNE’s medical students access to the latest learning technology,” he said.

THE PHOTOGRAPH of Senator Stephen Conroy displayed here was taken at UNE on Friday.

For the second year in a row, the University of New England has won the Systems Thinking’s University IT Service Quality Award for Students.

UNE beat 34 Australian and New Zealand universities to achieve the highest overall satisfaction rating as judged by its students. UNE’s IT service technicians were rated more highly than any other university for their technical skills, helpfulness, and ability to diagnose a problem quickly.

UNE also achieved the highest increase in its benchmark score in the staff satisfaction category, meaning it showed the highest improvement in service quality from 2010 to 2011.

The award, which reflected the results of a survey conducted in 2011, was presented at a ceremony held in the foyer of UNE’s IT building last month.

UNE’s director of IT, Rob Irving, said the award reflected UNE’s consistent efforts to offer an outstanding level of IT service to its staff and students.

“UNE has key strategies to distinguish ourselves by the quality of our campus experience and the innovative use of technology; to achieve these ITD has many initiatives underway. Receiving this award is great recognition of those efforts and the quality of the people we have in the IT directorate.

“As a predominantly distance education provider our students need access to high quality technical support. Receiving this award for two years running demonstrates our commitment to ensuring this is provided.”

Media contact: Leon Braun, UNE public relations ((02) 6773 3771.

Sixty-eight first-year medical students, from all around Australia and from New Zealand, were welcomed to the University of New England’s School of Rural Medicine at an official ceremony yesterday.

The Head of the School, Professor Peter McKeown, in introducing the students, said the class of 32 men and 36 women, with an average age of nineteen-and-a-half, was “one of the youngest medical school classes in Australia”. “We’re delighted to have such a youthful cohort,” he said.

The students are embarking on a five-year Bachelor of Medicine degree program at UNE – a university, Professor McKeown said, that “strives to be an international institution in a rural setting using affiliations and high-technology links”.

He referred particularly to the partnership with the University of California, Irvine, that has helped the School of Rural Medicine become the first medical school in Australia with an undergraduate ultrasound course, and the first medical school in Australia to issue all of its first-year students with iPads.

At the end of the ceremony, Professor McKeown presented each of the new students (among them Susanna Falk, pictured here) with an iPad and a doctor’s white coat.

The ceremony was a formal affair, with the students arrayed in academic gowns. It was preceded by a colourful academic procession, and family members of the students were among the audience.

UNE’s School of Rural Medicine is part of the Joint Medical Program (JMP), which is an expansion of the highly successful University of Newcastle medical program in partnership with UNE, Hunter New England Health and Central Coast Health. Speaking to the students via video conference from the University of Newcastle, the JMP’s Dean of Medicine, Professor Ian Symonds, welcomed them to the program, telling them that “from today you are part of the medical profession”.

Professor McKeown acknowledged the support of many people, including “community physicians and the community at large”, and urged the students to value the “experience and dedication” of their teachers. “They are here to guide you through the next five years,” he said. “I trust you will not only use them as a resource but give them the respect and honour they deserve.”

“I hope that each and every one of you has entered medicine because you have a deep desire to help humanity,” Professor McKeown said. “And in addition to a kind heart I hope you bring determination and drive and a desire for hard work.”

Georgia Carroll, the President of the UNE Medical Students’ Association, welcomed the newcomers on behalf of all her fellow students. “You’ll be sharing this experience with some of the best people you’ll ever meet,” she said. “The camaraderie is one of the best things about Medicine at UNE. Challenge yourselves – and reap the rewards of friendship and achievement together.”

Strong links with industry, updated and new courses, and an investment on campus have led to a significant increase in applications for agricultural courses at the University of New England.

The Head of UNE’s School of Environmental and Rural Science, Professor Iain Young, said applications had increased by 25% over the past two years.

“This is a significant achievement given the decline in agricultural courses at other Australian universities due to waning interest from students,” Professor Young said.

“At UNE we are constantly talking to industry bodies such as Meat and Livestock Australia, the Grains Development Research Council and the poultry industry about our courses to ensure that what we offer reflects the skills needed in the industry,” he explained. “For example, in 2011 we saw an industry need for UNE to offer a Bachelor of Animal Science degree program, and this year applications for that course are up 33% on the same time last year.”

This year UNE expanded its agricultural courses to include Bachelor of Ecology, Graduate Certificate in Agriculture, Graduate Certificate in Environmental Science, and Graduate Certificate in Precision Agriculture programs.

“We are finding that the Graduate Certificates are a good way for professionals to broaden their education and up-skill in a shorter timeframe than the traditional postgraduate qualifications,” Professor Young said.

“The multi-million dollar refurbishment of the Centre for Animal Studies is under way and will modernise the research facilities at UNE,” he added.

Professor Young said while it was positive that application figures were up in 2012, much more work needed to be done to address the growing skill shortage in the industry. “In 2011 there were approximately 700 agricultural graduates across Australia and there were around 4,000 job vacancies in the sector,” he said. “These types of shortfalls aren’t acceptable, and we will continue to work with industry and government to address the skill shortage issue.

“We will also continue to monitor our courses to ensure our agricultural students have the appropriate skills required to work in this modern industry.”

About 1,200 new undergraduate students, all dressed in academic gowns, attended a Commencement ceremony at the University of New England today that marked their entry into the University community.

It was the first ceremony of its kind at UNE. In illustrating aspects of the centuries-old tradition that links UNE with universities ancient and modern, it helped the newcomers to appreciate the significance of their move to UNE and Armidale as on-campus students.

The Chancellor, the Hon. Richard Torbay, welcomed the new students and, speaking afterwards, said it had been “a wonderful ceremony”.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, acknowledged the “heart full of hope” with which each of the students was embarking on their degree program, and said: “Our job is to help you realise your dreams.”

“We take an interest in you and your dreams, and we work with you to help them become a reality,” he said.

The ceremony began with a traditional Academic Procession, and the Deputy Chair of UNE’s Academic Board, Associate Professor Nick Reid, emphasised the students’ active role within the University’s “community of scholars and teachers”. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to voice your opinions,” he said. “We want to hear from you.”

Amanda O’Rafferty, a final-year Arts/Law student, spoke on behalf of current students, urging the new students to take advantage of the many opportunities to become involved in sporting and other extra-curricular activities. “The way you spend your time at UNE is up to you,” she said. “Make the most of it.”

Fergus Frost from Sydney and Georgia Eades from Bellingen, who met yesterday as new residents of UNE’s Duval College, were two of the students at today’s ceremony. Georgia, who will be studying biomedical science, said she was enjoying the friendly atmosphere of the College. “You can just walk up to someone and say ‘Hi!’” she said. “I like it.”

Fergus, who is enrolled in a Bachelor of Business degree program, said he was looking forward to “a completely new life” at UNE and in Armidale, and that he was hoping to play Rugby with a local team.

The Commencement ceremony opened a week-long program of Orientation activities at UNE. The popular Lifesaver Day tomorrow (Tuesday 14 February) will draw new students into a crowded Lazenby Hall, where about 100 stalls will be manned by representatives of student, community and government organisations and local businesses.

Today’s Official Welcome Ceremony for first-year medical students will be the subject of tomorrow’s posting.

The University of New England and La Trobe University have entered discussions to increase the choice of study options for their students.

UNE has now entered into separate agreements with NSW and Victoria-based Universities to explore how best to use its widely recognised strengths and expertise to enhance distance education teaching and learning.

Cross‐institutional enrolments and new distance education unit/course development are the key features of the MOU with La Trobe University.

Professor Victor Minichiello, Pro Vice‐Chancellor and Dean of UNE’s Faculty of The Professions, said the University was a national leader in distance education with a proven track record in delivering high‐quality online options.

“This MOU is about using the strengths of both universities to provide flexible and market‐driven options to students,” Professor Minichiello said. “We also think we will be able to achieve the Federal Government’s higher education targets through collaboration between universities – not just competition – in the new demand‐driven environment.”

La Trobe University’s Senior Deputy Vice‐Chancellor, Professor John Rosenberg, said the MOU was about providing students of both institutions with a greater choice of flexibly delivered study options.

“It is also about collaboration, better management of resources, and opportunities to explore further online options with UNE,” Professor Rosenberg said. “La Trobe excels in the areas of health sciences and molecular biology, and we think there is an opportunity for both institutions to utilise existing expertise and offer new distance education options to the market.”

Twenty outstanding young people were the stars of an event this week that celebrated their achievements as recipients of summer scholarships that enabled them to see and experience the exciting work of the scientists who support our primary industries.

The event, at the University of New England, marked the culmination of this summer’s Industry Placement Scholarship program for students who completed Year 11 or Year 12 in 2011. The scholarships, managed locally through UNE, are part of the national Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) program.

The students travelled to this week’s “reporting back” event from their homes throughout north-western NSW. Each of them spoke briefly about their experiences at a week-long Science-to-Industry Camp in December that took them to agricultural industries – and the scientific laboratories supporting them – throughout the region, and a five-day placement in January at one or other of those locations.

“This has been the biggest opportunity that’s ever been offered to me,” said Gregory Pearce, from Inverell, speaking to an audience of fellow students, parents, teachers, and industry hosts. Gregory, whose industry placement was with the Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority, said he was hoping to enrol in UNE’s Bachelor of Rural Science degree program in 2013. He added that he had also won a PICSE travelling scholarship last year – a scholarship that had taken him to a student camp in South Australia.

“I grew up on a farm and have always been interested in agricultural science,” said Georgia Rogan, who comes from a property near Tamworth. “This program has given me great insight into the options that are available. All the activities and industry visits during the camp were hands-on and allowed us to ask questions. And sharing the experience with the others on the camp made it even better. I’d encourage all interested students to apply.”

Georgia’s industry placement was at the “Glendon” poultry farm near Tamworth, where a highlight of the experience was seeing the day-old chicks arrive. She, too, won a PICSE travelling scholarship in 2011, hers taking her to a student camp at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Georgia’s proud father, Peter Rogan, who attended the “reporting back” session, confirmed that she had really enjoyed her involvement in the PICSE program, which she had undertaken on her own initiative.

Three girls – Kate Johnston from Moree, Alice Jarratt from Guyra and Briony Looker from Glen Innes – collaborated on an experiment in animal genetics at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, UNE. “We had scientists continuously surrounding us and helping us out,” Kate said, and Alice called it “an inspirational experience”. “It helped to assure me that my future is in agricultural industry,” said Briony, who added that she’s intending to undertake a Rural Science degree program at UNE after completing her Year 12 studies this year.

The National Director of the PICSE program, Associate Professor David Russell, travelled from his base at the University of Tasmania to attend this week’s event at UNE. He explained that the program addressed “a crisis of human capacity”. “We need more young and enthusiastic people in science in agricultural industry,” he said.

Dr Russell emphasised the importance to students of “actually being there” when investigating opportunities for such careers. And Susanna Greig, the PICSE Science Education Officer at UNE, confirmed that the program helped students “to make informed career decisions after seeing for themselves the opportunities available to them”.

“These are young people who are really going places,” Ms Greig said after the students’ presentations.

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows Alice Jarratt with Associate Professor David Russell.