| I spent the week based in my new alternate office in the Dixson Library with all sorts of people dropping in to say hi; clearly the Easter break and contingent respite has worked wonders!
I have also spent the week wrestling with what I now understand to be ‘self-complexity theory’ – or, how to best deal with endless hours of Zoom engagement (my contribution would be that chocolate, chicken soup and the company of the cat helps!).
Business priorities this week have involved intense discussions around Commonwealth funding arrangements for 2020, the management of a short course portfolio appropriate to the ‘national interest’, a series of dialogues with external partners and potential collaborators around the use of our on-campus facilities, and planning work around SLT engagement and the upcoming UNE In Conversation events. SET had a mini retreat to discuss the development stages of the UNE2021+ planning process. Together with Communications and Marketing teams, I was involved in various reviews of our promotional materials, the communications that need to be more focused and the development of materials for those who planned to graduate this May but will have to defer.
In concert with my SIG COVID-19 working group colleagues, I have been considering further progress towards a holistic online assessment regime, the wellbeing of staff and the utilisation of our child care facilities. Other considerations have included starting the design process for a return to work model which ensures we manage workforce safety and the optimisation of our campuses to support our students. Our plans will have to address a slow and steady re-engagement process over months, not days or weeks, when the Commonwealth and State authorities indicate that the curve is sufficiently flattened to ensure the health systems can cope with any localised resurgence of infection. |
