People

Jawun Development Program 2020

The secondment nominations for Jawun 2020 are now being sought from both professional and academic staff.

The Jawun Development Program is a Signature Project of the University's Reconciliation Action Plan April 2018 – December 2022, which places talented University staff into Indigenous organisations to work on a range of initiatives. This 6 week residential secondment is a wonderful professional development opportunity for individuals to provide their skills to assist indigenous organisations build capability and empower indigenous-led development.

In 2019, the University sent 14 secondees, one of whom Gemma Barry, is a member of our Learning and Teaching team, and we hope to send even more in 2020.

Potential secondees should be:

• Supported by their Line Manager for a six-week secondment
• Of appropriate experience/seniority to ensure maximum impact within an Indigenous organisation
• Interested in being involved in Indigenous initiatives on return from secondment
• Willing to participate in a four-month Mentoring Program with a senior University leader upon return
• Able to spend six weeks away from work/family/social commitments

If this opportunity is of interest to you, please have a discussion with your Line manager and ensure their support and complete the EOI form and send this form by close of business on Friday 2 August to MGSE People & Culture. Submitted EOIs will be considered by the MGSE Executive in August and agreed potential MGSE secondees will be submitted to Chancellery for consideration.

Successful applicants will be confirmed in late Nov/early Dec 2019.

Dates: from Wednesday 31 July, 14 August and Tuesday 27 August
Venue: Alan Gilbert Building, Level 7
Cost: $655

The series consists of three half days over a five week period from Wednesday 31 July. This is the final staff series for 2019 and there are currently places available. The program consistently receives positive feedback from participants, and is highly recommend to all staff.  If you have already completed the program and know someone how might find if useful, please share this information with them.

Course description
Are You Thriving At Work? Understand the neuroscience to managing stress, boosting resilience and developing our strengths to help consistently function effectively. Discover evidence-based practices to bring out the best in ourselves.

Are Your Relationships Strong? Discover how other people are our best guarantee of lowering our stress levels and improving our focus at work. How to genuinely connect in a micro-moment, create a team culture of giving and help find the right balance of purpose in our work.

Do You Have Grit? Understand how our beliefs determine the outcomes we get. How to cultivate a growth mindset, nurture grit and ignite hope so we can accomplish the things that matter most.

Facilitated by Beck Melville, an expert in the field, the Building Resilience Series is a practical course designed to provide practical tools and strategies to help improve your wellbeing at work; steps to help create a collaborative and supportive team culture; Insights into how to improve your flexibility, agility, grit and wellbeing and a guide to strengths based conversations so you can be honest about what is working and what is not.  The flyer attached has further information on the module.

Contact: hr-capability@unimelb.edu.au

Heather Gorham, Executive Assistant to the Dean will be taking a period of leave from Monday 8 July.

• Vicki Townsend will be Acting EA to the Dean from Monday 8 July through to Friday 19th July.
• Stephanie Watson will be Acting EA to the Dean from Monday 22 July.
• Claudia Sandoval will continue to provide EA support to the Executive Director and to the Deputy Dean during Heather’s absence.

Please refer any Office of the Dean matters to Vicki, Stephanie and Claudia.

Manager, Research and Industry

Dr Bella Blaher has accepted the role of Manager, Research and Industry in an ongoing capacity.

After a competitive process, Bella was appointed to the role in an acting capacity in February 2019. Since this time she has shepherded the final report of the Research Review, coordinated MGSE’s highly successful presentation and supporting materials for the annual DVC-R and Dean performance meeting, and secured in principal support from Chancellery to assist MGSE review of our Graduate Research procedures and processes.

In addition, Bella has assisted with numerous grant applications, recently securing a $440k grant from Perpetual Trust for three industry funded PhD students.

It is wonderful that Bella has agreed to continue with MGSE as a key member of my management team as we continue to implement the recommendations of the Research Review and drive service enhancements in MERI so that we can provide the very best support to MGSE’s innovative and diverse research activities.