Welcome to the September 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 Deans’ Lounge
Join the Deans’ 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
The Voice to Parliament Referendum
The DASSH Board has released a statement on the Voice to Parliament Referendum. The Board strongly endorses a First Nations Voice being enshrined in the constitution and encourages Australians to vote yes.
Read the Board’s statement here.
Universities Accord Interim Report
We made our submission to the Universities Accord Panel earlier this month in response to its Interim Report. In our submission, we highlighted the critical role of universities in creating, preserving, and disseminating knowledge. Beyond vocational training and applied research, universities are intrinsic to enhancing individual prospects, economic growth, and societal wellbeing. The Interim Report highlights a far too narrow view of the contributions universities make. We argued that the Accord must broaden its understanding of the purpose universities serve and the multifaceted benefits they create.
Read more about our submission here.
Annual Report 2022-23
This year DASSH emphasised member engagement and increased the number of inclusive discussions, workshops, and collaborative projects. We have also had a strong impact on policy with support being shown for a number of our recommendations. Over the past year, we have expanded our public engagement through a number of impactful opinion pieces as well as strategic appearances in articles and radio interviews. We have also established a growing presence on social media.
Read the Annual Report here.
Get involved
Australia’s National Science and Research Priorities
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources has released a Report outlining a list of new draft science and research priorities. The Report is part of a current review of the National Science and Research Priorities as well as the National Science Statement.
Feedback on these draft priorities is due by 29 September.
Suburban University Study Hubs
The Australian Government has signalled their intention to establish up to 14 Suburban University Study Hubs in outer metropolitan and peri-urban areas that have low levels of university attainment and where access to a physical university campus is limited. The Government has released a Consultation Paper outlining this strategy.
Submissions in response to the Consultation Paper are due by 2 October.
Around the traps
Government’s response to the ARC Review
The Australian Government has recently released their response to the independent Review of the ARC. DASSH welcomes the Government’s announcement that it has agreed or agreed in principle to all ten of the recommendations put forward by the Review Panel. The majority of the recommendations made in our submission have been addressed through this process. Major changes that have been flagged include removing the Ministerial veto on grants except in cases of national security, the establishment of an ARC Board and streamlining of the application process. Read the Government’s response here.
2023 Intergenerational Report
The Australian Government released the sixth Intergenerational Report last month. The increasing value of cognitive skills to the labour market was highlighted in the Report. Slower economic growth is expected over the next four decades with Government spending on education and training also expected to fall as a share of GDP by 0.5 per cent. Read the Report here.
Knowledge economy
DASSH Treasurer Matt McGuire and former President Catharine Coleborne have written an article in the Conversation about the important role that universities can play in building the knowledge economy. Read the article here.
Bachelor of Arts employability skills
A recently published article by Assoc Prof Eve Klein and Dr Jack Walton has found that curriculum documents do not adequately recognise the full array of skills obtained by students during the Bachelor of Arts degree. Their study involved mapping employability skills within curriculum documents as part of the University of Queensland’s Bachelor of Arts program. Read the article here.
Generative AI
Deloitte has released a Report into generative AI which found that students (58 per cent) are almost twice as likely as employees (32 per cent) to use generative AI. These results were based on a survey of university students and employees across Australia. Read the report here.
Funding
National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education
Applications are open for three research funding initiatives via the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education at Curtin University.
The Equity Fellowship Program is providing up to three fully-funded year-long fellowships for researchers and practitioners in higher education to complete a project that will inform an area of higher education practice and policy. Equity Fellowships are valued up to $230,000 each for one year.
The First Nations Fellowship Program is providing up to three fully-funded year-long fellowships for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians working as researchers and practitioners in higher education to complete a project that will inform an area of higher education equity practice and policy. First Nations Fellowships are valued up to $230,000 each for one year.
Lastly, the Small Grants Research Program will fund between eight and 13 projects valued at between $30,000 and $50,000 each that address equity issues across the entire higher education student lifecycle.
Applications for all three programs will close at 8pm sharp (AWST) on Thursday the 28th of September 2023. NCSEHE will acknowledge receipt of all applications submitted. Outcomes of the selection process will be announced in late November 2023.
Events
DASSH Conference and AGM 2023
Murdoch University, Perth
27 – 29 September
Register here
The 2023 DASSH Conference program is designed to help empower your voice and ensure your advice has impact. We will bring together leaders and those who speak effectively to power. You will have the opportunity to make representations to government and government agencies as well as hear from people who have brought about change and action. Learn how to turn your ideas and research into impactful outcomes. In addition to a full array of speakers from around Australia and the world, we will hold the Network of Associate and Deputy Deans program on day one, as well as the Annual Deans’ Gathering and the DASSH Annual General Meeting.
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).
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?