Welcome to the October 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.
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.
News from dassh
DASSH Conference
The 2023 DASSH Conference was held last month in Perth. Thanks to all of you who joined us at this year’s Conference. We had some great conversations and speakers and panellists challenged attendees to think differently about our disciplines and higher education in general. We’re also pleased to announce that next year’s Conference will be held in Adelaide!
You can brush up on the event here if you missed it.
Australia’s National Science and Research Priorities
DASSH made a submission last month in response to the Australian Government’s draft National Science and Research Priorities. Technological and scientific innovation is crucial to tackling climate change, making Australians healthy, creating a thriving economy and building a more resilient nation. But if we are to achieve the priorities proposed in the draft report we must invest in research in the many areas of expertise provided by our disciplines.
Read our submission here.
Get involved
Regional University Study Hubs
The Australian Government has opened applications for 10 new Regional University Study Hubs throughout Australia. This forms part of the Government’s commitment to establish up to 20 new Regional University Study Hubs in response to the Universities Accord Interim Report. A second round of applications for the remaining 10 Study Hubs will occur at a later date.
Applications are due by 15 December.
Around the traps
White Paper on Jobs and Opportunities
The Australian Government released its White Paper on employment on the 25th of September. As reported in the White Paper, 1 in 5 Australian workers are either unemployed or underemployed. The Government also placed emphasis on developing greater ties between universities and the VET sector as seen in their commitment to establish up to six new TAFE Centres of Excellence as part of the National Skills Agreement. Read the White Paper here.
JRG and student preferences
New research shows Job-ready Graduates package has had limited impact on student preferences. University of Melbourne researchers Maxwell Yong, Assoc Prof Michael Coelli and Dr Jan Kabatek analysed domestic student preferences and enrolments between 2014 and 2022. They discovered a minor change in student preferences as a result of the JRG reform with an estimated 2 per cent of students changing their course preferences. History, philosophy and legal studies saw the highest decline in student preferences at 7 per cent, although this had a relatively small impact on absolute numbers. Read more here.
Jobs and Skills Report 2023
Jobs and Skills Australia released their inaugural Jobs and Skills Report on the 4th of October. JSA predicts that 92 per cent of new jobs will require a post-secondary qualification in the next 10 years, 48 per cent of which will require a bachelor degree or higher. The Report also outlines JSA’s plans for developing a national jobs and skills roadmap. Read the Report here.
Mapping Australian higher education 2023
The sixth edition of the Mapping Australian higher education series, written by Prof Andrew Norton, has been released. Despite increases in overall research expenditure, spending on pure basic research has halved over the past three decades. Applied research, in contrast, has seen considerable growth over this time. Read the report here.
Declines in history departments
Research by Assoc Prof Martin Crotty, Prof Frank Bongiorno and Assoc Prof Paul Sendziuk has shown declining numbers of staff and students across history departments in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. In Australia, staff numbers in history departments have fallen by 31 per cent since 1989 while student enrolments have dropped by 23 per cent since 2016. History departments in Aotearoa New Zealand have also been in decline with staff and student numbers dropping by 5 and 10 per cent respectively since 2016. This research sheds light on a concerning downward trend across humanities, arts and social sciences disciplines in recent years which is why we are conducting our own mapping project of humanities, arts and social sciences disciplines from 2012 to give us a clearer idea of the current landscape. Read the article here.
Events
ACGR Internationalisation of Graduate Research Symposium
Monash University, Melbourne
Wednesday 25 October
Register here
ACGR is delighted to announce the upcoming Internationalisation of Graduate Research Symposium! The symposium aims to explore the internationalisation of graduate research, discussing its impact on academia, industry collaborations, and global research networks. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting your postgraduate journey, this event offers valuable insights and opportunities for growth. The registration cost of this event is $200 +GST. Find the full program and registration details here.
NOADD Webinar: Managing up and managing down
Online
Friday 27 October
12 – 1 pm (ACDT)
Register here
Special Interest Group Equity, Diversity and Inculsion Lead Associate Professor Gail Crimmis Chairs a session on managing up and managing down. What policies and or practices work to support equity, diversity and inclusion within a School or Faculty? Each Panel Member will present for 10 minutes followed by a group discussion. Professor Lisa French will discuss gender-sensitive curricula in Journalism, Media and ICT. Dr Raul Sanchez-Urribarri will consider strategy designed to achieve greater inclusion of CALD community, with a focus on academic and professional staff. Associate Professor Kate Happatz will discuss a collaborative and collegial workload distribution model (which can both ‘manage up and manage down’ and support more equitable distribution).
NOADD Webinar: Indigenising the Curriculum
Online
Friday 10 November
12 – 1 pm (AEDT)
Register here
Facilitated by NOADD Special Interest Group Lead Indigenous Associate Professor Sandra Phillips. More detail to follow soon.
DASSH Member Gathering
University of Sydney
Tuesday 28 November
11 am – 4 pm (AEDT)
Register here
Join with colleagues from DASSH for a member meeting, panel discussion and lunch with colleagues from other organisations in our sector during the Congress of Arts Social Sciences and Humanities. As always this is a free event and a great way to round out a big year by connecting with colleagues from around the region.
ACHRC Annual Meeting
University of Sydney
Thursday 30 November
More information
The Australasian Consortium of Humanities Centres and Researchers annual meeting will be held under the umbrella of the Congress of HASS. In some ways, it will mirror the meeting called by Iain McCalman at Sydney in 2010, which addressed the need for a network and called the ACHRC into being. While the need for the consortium is strong, this discussion will focus on whether it’s the last dance or a rebirth for the ACHRC. Consequently, we will address the central practical question: where do research centres in the humanities and creative arts now find themselves?
Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Centres of Excellence Workshop
Canberra & online
Tuesday 5 December
8:30 am – 5 pm (AEDT)
Register here
Join us in Canberra or online for insights on the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) premier Centres of Excellence program. There are major opportunities for aspiring researchers in the humanities, arts and social sciences to design transformational research programs and strategic partnerships with enduring impact in the leadup to the 2026 CoE round and beyond. The workshop is a joint initiative of the Australian Research Council, the Australian Academy of the Humanities, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and the Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities.