The last few months have been as eventful as many months get, with significant activity at UNE and across the higher education sector.

International Student Safety

Of immediate concern to the university community is the safety of our international students.  Unseemly recent attacks on international students in Melbourne have brought this issue to the fore. While UNE, and Armidale in general, is a safe environment for all students it is important to remember that many of our international students are based in Sydney at domestic partnerships and must be responsive to the higher crime risks in a city environment.

The University takes the care of international students, both in Armidale and Sydney, very seriously.  All international students are counselled by both university staff and police on driver and pedestrian safety, alcohol awareness and responsible service of alcohol by licenced premises, personal safety both on and off campus and the role of a NSW Police Officer. Students are given a 24/7 emergency contact phone number (International Services mobile) and an emergency sheet with contact numbers to be kept in their room or near their phone.

I feel that students on campus in Armidale are well supported not only by the University, but the wider community.  Armidale residents are welcoming of international students and always supportive of cross-cultural events resulting in a genuine interest in our students.   This convivial environment strongly enhances the safety and experience of international students studying in Armidale. If any member of staff or students feel that we need to enhance our consideration of these issues, please respond to this blog in the usual way.

Federal Budget

On the whole the initiatives for Higher Education announced this year for the next four years reflect the high importance placed by the Government on education, access to education, and research. The recognition by the Government of the important recommendations in the Bradley and Cutler reviews of higher education and innovation respectively also needs to be applauded, particularly in the context of the current economic circumstances.

There is general consensus that changes to the workforce participation criteria for independence for Youth Allowance may have a detrimental impact on students in our catchment area and as a flow-on, on regional universities in general.  I have been seeking input from students on the issues arising and I am attending a meeting today in Canberra to discuss this issue with the Federal Government. I will report back to the University community early next week on the outcomes.

Governance of NSW Universities

The NSW Legislative Council Committee Report on Governance of NSW Universities was released on 1 June.  Many Council members and staff at UNE contributed to the Committee’s deliberations. The report makes 12 recommendations which cover issues such as transparency in university governance procedures, performance evaluation practices, the composition of governing bodies, and the capacity to internally manage issues that arise between a university and its Chancellor. The Report is available at http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/083625C92ADC1470CA2575C70083B689 (Alternatively, try Google on ‘Governance of NSW universities’!!)

The UNE Council has established a Working Party to consider our governance policies and procedures and to propose changes for the whole Council to consider. This Working Party, which includes the Chancellor, Richard Torbay, Deputy Chancellor Scott Williams, James Harris, Catherine Millis, myself, and Kim Cull (University Secretary and Legal Counsel) will draw on the NSW Report in its deliberations.

NSW Auditor General’s Report

The NSW Audit Auditor General’s Report was released in late May.  The audit of the University resulted in unqualified Independent Auditor’s Reports.

Of particular importance was the University’s financial position.  The Report found that “The University’s current ratio (a measure of its financial liquidity) was 1.6 at 31 December 2008, up from the previous year’s ratio of 1.4. At this level it is now above the State average of 1.5 per cent (1.6 per cent at 31 December 2007) and within the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) ‘good practice’ parameter of 1.5 to 3.0.” (Auditor-General’s Report to Parliament 2009 Volume Two p.77 May 09)

A few days in China

I have recently returned from representing UNE at the celebrations marking the 10^th anniversary of the UNE - Wuxi South Ocean College (WSOC) partnership. Also attending were Professor Alison Sheridan and Dr Peter McClenaghan from Business Economics and Public Policy.  These celebrations, which involved the most senior WSOC staff and government representatives, were a huge success.  It was inspiring to meet with academics at WSOC who have developed a strong affinity with UNE over the 10 year period and with UNE-WSOC alumni who have returned to China as proud ambassadors of UNE.  It is clear that the partnership is enriching - both personally and professionally - for students and staff at both institutions.

Below are some photos of the event:

Whilst in China I signed two new Agreements. The first Agreement was with the China Scholarship Council which recognizes UNE’s support for a prospective PhD student from Sichuan Province to study at UNE following the devastating earthquakes in that region recently. The second agreement is an exploratory MoU with the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing. We look forward to further agreements materializing with two other institutions that I visited whilst in Beijing.

My Retirement

Since I wrote my last blog I have announced my retirement, as of 31 October 2009.

I am very grateful for all the kind messages I have received since the announcement and I thank you all for your support.  I will carry on as before over the remaining five months of my term working hard for the University.

Enjoy the long week-end.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.