Australia and the United States may have totally different university models, but there are so many common challenges and opportunities. How do we help more students get through foundational courses and into university? What are we doing to help women rise to senior leadership positions? How can researchers better engage with Indigenous communities? How can we cultivate and lead the best teachers? These are questions that are being dissected on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
In 2023 DASSH Executive Director Jane Ryan travelled to San Diego, California to take part in the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences Annual Meeting – a gathering of about 500 liberal arts Deans and Associate and Deputy Deans. She spoke to a number of them about the issues facing American university educators and how they are being addressed. DASSH warmly thanks CCAS for its hospitality and each of the people who agreed to be interviewed for this series.
Helping Women Lead
Find out how the gender-based leadership divide in American universities and colleges is being tackled. HERS is a 60 year old organisation dedicated to cultivating and supporting women leaders led by Gloria Thomas. “We are covering all facets of the higher education academic enterprise. From legal issues to budgetary issues, anything you can imagine having… Continue Reading»
Improving Access with Technology
Find out how the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities is helping American universities use technology to help retain non-traditional students at risk of failing. “We haven’t updated the learning process enough to support students from all sorts of backgrounds. Combined we are failing more students than we have ever graduated.” Karen Vignare, Ph.D.… Continue Reading»
Researching with Indigenous Communities
In the United States, universities are beginning to engage more closely with Indigenous communities to conduct participatory research. Leslie Cornick has worked extensively with Indigenous communities in Alaska and says “participatory research is more than community engaged research, which we talk about a lot and which is a good thing. When we work with these… Continue Reading»
Employment Focussed Degrees
Some American universities are changing the way they deliver traditional programs to help students find employment after graduation. Instead of ‘Medieval History’ students at California State University, East Bay are studying the history of migration or urban design. “If you think about history you think it’s about different time periods but history here has thought… Continue Reading»
Innovation in Teaching and Learning
Andrew McMichael came to academia via elementary school classrooms and has a passion for teaching and learning. After hitting roadblocks while trying to convene a cross discipline class he decided to go into leadership roles to fix the problem. Since then he has used his role as Dean to bring about positive change for his… Continue Reading»
The Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among Deans of arts and sciences representing the member colleges and as a representative of the liberal arts and sciences at a national policy-making level. The Council further seeks to support programs, activities, and resources to improve the intellectual stature and public understanding of the disciplines of the arts and sciences. DASSH works closely with CCAS, helping our members gain direct access to US colleagues and institutions and vice a versa. If you would like to learn more you can read about CCAS here.