Welcome to the August edition of the Noticeboard, a monthly update with news and opportunities from around the sector. If you have anything you’d like to share with members please contact our Policy and Communications Officer Rebekah Harms.
News from dassh
2024 Conference | 18-20 September
Register now for this year’s Conference, to be held in Adelaide on 18-20 September. The Conference will be a great opportunity to join with colleagues from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
This year our focus is on engagement. The sessions will be interactive and workshop oriented giving you the chance to talk to colleagues and experts. Topics for our workshops include:
Generative AI
HASS and ARC Linkage program
Collaboration and policy partnerships in the GLAM sector
The future of languages
The future of the Honours program
Aotearoa New Zealand and the US in focus
Health and wellbeing in the academic workforce
Registrations are open now and we want to see you there so follow the link to register!
JSA Information and Feedback Session
DASSH recently facilitated an information and feedback session with Jobs and Skills Australia’s Director of Tertiary Skills and Pathways, Abbey Hall and Assistant Director Krisztian Baranyai for all members. The JSA Tertiary Skills and Pathways team did a deep dive on their machine learning model used to map skills associated with course descriptions and discussed with members how they can access and contribute to the development of this tool. If you are interested in knowing more please contact Executive Director Jane Ryan jane.ryan@dassh.edu.au.
Melbourne member gathering
It was great to see members at our second member gathering for 2024 which was held in Melbourne on 24 July. Associate Professor Jason Lodge, Director of the Learning, Instruction, and Technology Lab in the School of Education at the University of Queensland and Leaders of the Special Interest Group on Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education, Professor Mia Lindgren and Professor Samantha Bennett, led a workshop on the chronic and acute disruptors posed by AI to higher education. For more on this topic join Mia and Samantha at the conference in September.
Getting the word out
Australian Tertiary Education Commission submission
DASSH made a submission on the Australian Tertiary Education Commission consultation last month.
Some of the recommendations made by DASSH members include:
- Ensure that ATEC Commissioners have experience in the higher education sector
- Our members support the appointment of a First Nations Commissioner and encourage the government to establish a similar position to oversee efforts at increasing participation among low-SES cohorts
- Minimise regulatory burden and mission creep, particularly around reporting requirements
- In the context of decision making around disciplinary offerings it is critical that Australia’s national capabilities and knowledge are foregrounded, not simply vocational skills
- ATEC should spearhead reform of higher education data collection to produce higher quality data which is essential for the effective development of evidence-based policy
- Foster greater harmonisation between the higher education and VET sectors.
National Skills Taxonomy submission
DASSH made a submission this month to Jobs and Skills Australia around the development of a National Skills Taxonomy.
Our members see a NST as an opportunity to:
- Recognise interdisciplinarity
- Help educators and students identify and translate cognitive and higher order skills
- Capture the full suite of skills needed to ensure good economic outcomes, regional security and a healthy democracy
- Increase pathways that enable lifelong learning and employment mobility
- Improve mobility between VET and higher education
- Meet actual employer demand for workers who can think critically, analyse and cope with change
- Deliver on the critical need for Australia to identify and apply new knowledge
The risks members highlighted include:
- Failing to capture the full suite of skills needed to ensure Australia is secure, healthy and democratic
- Failing to measure the level of attainment associated with different types of education
- Being used as a tool for shortsighted policy decisions focusing on skills shortages alone while ignoring sovereign capabilities
- Failing to place emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of skills and their application
Australian National Science and Research Priorities
The government has released the new National Science Statement and National Science and Research Priorities. These new priorities fulfil a number of the recommendations made by DASSH in our submission on the draft priorities last year.
We welcome the focus on:
- transitioning to a net zero future
- supporting healthy and thriving communities
- elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems
- protecting and restoring Australia’s environment
- building a secure and resilient nation
None of these goals can be achieved without brining focus to interdisciplinary collaboration and cultivating a workforce that knows how to think critically, make strong arguments, be analytical and work collaboratively. It is critical that the skills associated with the arts, social sciences and humanities are foregrounded if we are to achieve these important goals.
Read the National Science Statement and the National Science and Research Priorities here.
Australian Research Council Future Fellows statement
DASSH released a statement celebrating the significant contribution of our disciplines as highlighted in the Australian Research Council Future Fellows announcement. A large number of Future Fellowships were applied for and awarded in the Humanities and Creative Arts, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences (HSE) with 32 approved.
In the news
Research Professional News has reported on our submission on the proposed Australian Tertiary Education Commission. Read the article here.
Professor Matthew Fitzpatrick from the History Council of South Australia also drew on our recent research from the Impact & Outcomes of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences series to argue for the abolition of the Job-ready Graduates policy. Read the article here.
Around the traps
Needs-Based Funding
The Australian government has released a Consultation Paper on the new Needs-Based Funding system. The new system will provide funding for under-represented students, including low-SES and Indigenous students as well as those living with a disability and studying at a regional university.
Read the Consultation Paper here.
“A debt until death”
Professor George Williams, Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University, has described the impact of $50,000 arts degrees under the Job-ready Graduates scheme as “a debt until death.” New data from the Department of Education shows that the cost of a three-year arts degree will rise to $50,000 by 2025.
International Council of Arts Deans events
The International Council of Arts Deans have invited our members to join colleagues from across the world at two upcoming events.
International Council for Arts Deans Annual Conference
Join the International Council of Arts Deans for their 60th Annual Conference in Montréal on 8-11 October. The Conference also intersects with the Annual Conference of the Canadian Association of Fine Arts Deans. Register here.
International Council for Arts Deans International Symposium
VCUarts Qatar Dean Amir Berbic and the board of directors of the International Council of Arts Deans invite you to join them for an international summer symposium, an informative cultural immersion and educational experience shared by colleagues who are also arts deans and administrators in higher education. The Symposium will be held in Qatar on 25-30 May. Register here.
Times Higher Education podcast
Times Higher Education has released a podcast with Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University Professor Shân Wareing on preparing for university leadership. She also speaks about the importance of transparency around the pathway to senior roles. Shân has over 20 years’ experience in a range of leadership roles.
Awards
Louisa Anne Meredith Medal
The Louisa Anne Meredith Medal is awarded every four years to a person who excels in the field of arts or humanities or both, with outstanding contributions evidenced by creative outputs. The Medal will be awarded in 2024 for the first time having been established by the Royal Society of Tasmania in August 2023. Nominations are due by 31 August.
See here for more information.
Events
DASSH Conference
Wednesday to Friday, 18-20 September
Adelaide
Register here
Join with colleagues from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in Adelaide as we explore issues such as interdisciplinarity in teaching and research, partnering on policy, and the importance of community. This year’s Conference will focus on connecting – connecting with other disciplines, connecting with community, connecting with industry, and connecting with each other.
Member gathering
Wednesday 13 November
Sydney
Register here
Register now for our third member gathering for 2024. We will talk policy, provide professional development and give you the chance to talk to your colleagues from around Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand about the issues that matter most to you.
The DASSH Lounge
Join the DASSH Lounge, our exclusive LinkedIn group for DASSH Members where we share the latest news, jobs and opportunities from DASSH and around the sector.
The DASSH Lounge is reserved for members and is a great place to let people know you’re hiring, hosting an event or working on a collaborative project, so feel free to post any updates. You can also use it to simply engage with colleagues in conversation.