Welcome to the Noticeboard, a monthly update with news, jobs and opportunities from around the sector. This is a great place to let people know you’re hiring, hosting an event or working on a collaborative project.

Sign up for The Noticeboard and receive DASSH updates. If you have anything you’d like to share with members please contact our Policy and Communications Officer Rebekah Harms.

News from dassh

DASSH hosted four member consultations to develop our response to the Universities Accord Interim Report. Two were in person in Melbourne and Sydney and we hosted two online attended by about 60 people in total.

Thank you to those of you who took part, you provided valuable insights. We are drafting the final submission in coming days and it will be made available soon.

If you’d like to brush up on our previous submission you can read it here and you can read the Interim Report here.

President Nick Bisley also travelled to Aotearoa New Zealand to meet with members this month. We are looking forward to getting some research underway in the lead up to their national election and a possible review of the higher education sector.

Get involved

Decadal Plan for Social Science Research Infrastructure 2023-32

The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, in consultation with major social science research institutions and centres, is in the process of developing a Decadal Plan for Social Science Research Infrastructure.

The Plan seeks to build a sector-wide consensus around research capabilities in the social sciences and to improve the resources available to conduct social science research. Submissions in response to the Academy’s Discussion Paper are due imminently but the Academy is also looking for people to take part in a Working Group to co-draft the Decadal Plan.

Please get in touch if you’d like to be involved.

Call for submissions: Support for Students

The Government has recently released a Consultation Paper on a proposed support for students policy. This coincides with legislation currently before Parliament to remove the 50 per cent pass rate requirements for access to Commonwealth assistance as was recommended in the Accord Panel’s Interim Report.

Submissions in response to the Consultation Paper are now open, closing Friday 15 September.

Around the traps

Minister for Education Jason Clare appoints expert adviser to Working Group on university governance

Jason Clare has announced the appointment of CEO of Our Watch Patty Kinnersly as an expert adviser to a Working Group which the Government has set up to investigate improvements to university governance, including around the issue of staff and student safety.

UA Chair makes National Press Club Address

Chair of Universities Australia Professor David Lloyd has given an Address to the National Press Club. In his Address, David talked about the changing direction of higher education in Australia, including the increasing importance of flexibility in higher education. David also called for an increase in spending on research and development to three per cent of GDP in line with a previous commitment made by the Labor Party. See here for a recording and transcript of the Address.

New data on Work Integrated Learning

The Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) has released two new reports on student participation in WIL and the impact of WIL on graduate outcomes. ACEN’s research shows that WIL has had positive benefits in terms of full-time employment, preparation for work and employment opportunities for equity groups.

Jobs board

Associate Dean (Indigenous) | Monash University

The Faculty of Arts at Monash University is seeking an Associate Dean (Indigenous) to lead its Indigenous strategic vision and plan. The Associate Dean (Indigenous) will join one of the Schools of the Faculty of Arts. They will hold an appointment in any discipline of the Faculty and contribute to the teaching programmes and research in that discipline. The Associate Dean (Indigenous) will represent the Faculty in the working groups and strategic initiatives of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous).

Applications close Wednesday 30 August. See here for more details.

Events

ARC online workshop: Workforce and Resilience

Online
Monday 21 August
1 – 2pm (AEST)
Register here

Please join us for this dynamic and interactive workshop with Professor Alison Ross, Australian Research Council (ARC) Executive Director, Humanities and Creative Arts and Professor Anika Gauja ARC Executive Director Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences. This is the second in a series of workshops connecting members with the ARC. These sessions will be an opportunity for DASSH and NOADD members (especially Associate Deans Research, Indigenous, Impact, Engagement, and Industry among other roles) to discuss with the ARC Executives the role of the ARC in the changing and challenging Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences research environment. 

Social Sciences Week | Peer review in the Social Sciences

Australian National University, Canberra
Monday 4 September
5:15 – 7pm (AEST)
Register here

Peer review is considered a hallmark of quality in academic research. But peer-review is a highly diverse process that is sometimes contradictory or unclear. Join our panel for this timely discussion as part of Social Sciences Week. This session explores what ‘quality’ in peer review means and what kinds of peer-review processes are emerging in the social sciences and humanities. Panellists will briefly offer their views and experience before a Q&A session with the audience.

Making a Difference: How Does Social Change Happen?

State Library of Western Australia
Wednesday 6 September
9am – 12pm (AWST)
Register here

A panel of six leading social scientists will analyse foundations and strategies of policy change in their areas of expertise—including some of the biggest, most difficult and pressing global and national challenges. This panel will highlight the breadth, diversity, and interrelationships within and between, social scientific and other disciplines, and their central importance to addressing these challenges.

NOADD Webinar: Indigenising the Curriculum

Online
Monday 18 September
12 – 1pm (AEST)
Register here

Drawing on leading scholarship in Critical Indigenous Studies (Phillips, J., 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2012; Hokowhitu, Moreton-Robinson et al, 2021; and others), and practice examples, Special Interest Group Leader Indigenous Associate Professor Sandra Phillips will present for 15 minutes then lead an online activity designed to lead participants through interrogation of their self-identified current dilemma and/or success in Indigenising Curriculum. A pre-workshop process will support participants willing to bring forward their practice examples for the facilitated online activity.