Commentary by Dr Melanie Fillios, incoming Director of Place Based Education and Research 

This month I officially began a new role at UNE as the Director of Place Based Education and Research while on secondment from my academic position in Archaeology.

As I find my way into the role, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to what I see as an exciting challenge for UNE – a challenge that I hope you will all take up with me.

Earlier this year, the UNE Future Fit strategic plan was introduced to provide a set of principles that will guide how the University negotiates the next decade and the changing nature of the higher education landscape. UNE is not alone in charting a new course. Calls to do things differently and consider ‘new ways of working’ now echo through the Zoom halls of every university. Educators are faced with a choice – cling to the nostalgia of the past, or cast the rose-coloured glasses to the side and embrace a different approach.

Whether you are reading this as a professional staff member, as a researcher, an academic, or all of the above, I think we agree that a university is its people. We are a wonderfully hard-working, student-focused, community-engaged group. UNE’s historical focus on distance education means that we are already adept at adapting and innovating to serve our student demographic. That cultural difference gives us an edge in changing times.

The purpose of my new role is to help UNE implement its ‘place-based’ approach to education and research — a core aspect of our strategic plan. To do this, we all must come together and create something new – something that may not yet exist – in support of the Future Fit goals to empower communities, create positive change and make a difference.

What is ‘placed based education’? Just as mature-age students have different needs to school leavers, the needs of local communities in Armidale are different to those of communities in Paramatta, Tamworth, Moree or Taree.

As a community of educators and learners who work to create a better future, UNE has also long understood that ‘place’ can have both physical and virtual connotations. In this way of thinking, “online” is a place that shapes the student and their mode of learning just as influentially as geographical place.

I invite everyone in the UNE community to contribute to this partnership with communities and the creation of educational offerings that recognise and respect the role of ‘place’.

We are now in the process of holding a series of community consultations in each of UNE’s physical communities. The goal of these workshops is to enable local stakeholders to identify and discuss their individual needs.

When we have a better understanding of the unique demands of each community, we will be inviting UNE academics and researchers to work with us on community-focused offerings.

In the coming weeks I will be reaching out to gather thoughts, ideas and solutions. We are already on  a different path where the old set of rules no longer apply. Let’s harness our creativity and ingenuity and come up with solutions to improve all of our places and spaces and strengthen our communities.

I look forward to working with you.

(For those who want to hear more on the changing nature of higher education in Australia, I strongly recommend the weekly HEDXpodcast.)