Dean's Report

As we revert to working through another period of lockdown, it is a stark reminder that our lives and well-made plans are still, to various extents, at the mercy of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we are well practised at working from home and all know the public health rules we need to follow, it remains incredibly important to focus on our own wellbeing to ensure that we can support our families and friends through these stressful times. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of our executive team if you need assistance, and remember that the university provides a range of support and counselling services for staff. The snap lockdown will affect the start of on-campus classes for Semester two and has meant the postponement of a range of events, including our MGSE Awards evening, which will now be held on Thursday 26 August.

Advisory Board

We will be holding the first meeting of our new MGSE Advisory Board on Tuesday 10 August. The Advisory Board plays a key role in providing professional advice and input to MGSE from a range of strategic stakeholders as we pursue our strategic agenda. We are looking forward to working with this high calibre group, particularly as we begin to develop and implement a new strategic plan.

The members of the Advisory Board are:

  • Mr Lionel Bamblett, General Manager, Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI)
  • Ms Rachel Byrne, Principal, Hunter Sports High School, NSW
  • Mr Hamish Curry, Executive Director, Asia Education Foundation, Asialink
  • Mrs Helen Hatherly, Principal, Ashwood School, Vic
  • Ms Sharon Jordan, Area Manager ELC, Early Childhood Management Services
  • Mr Mathew Lillyst, Professional Practice Leader – Koorie Literacy and Numeracy, Koorie Outcomes Division, School Education Programs & Support Group, Department of Education and Training
  • Professor Shelley Mallett, Director, Research and Policy Centre, Brotherhood of St. Laurence
  • Ms Karen Money, Executive Director, Performance Division, Schools and Regional Services, Victorian Department of Education and Training
  • Dr Mary Oski, Director, Learning and Regional Services, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools
  • Mr Craig Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, TAFE Directors Australia
  • Mr Stanley Wang, Principal, Abbotsford Primary School, Vic

Staff updates

It has been a very busy time on the recruitment front at MGSE and I’m delighted to announce that we have appointed Ms Annie Rapoport as our new Senior Manager, Academic Services. Annie is joining us from RMIT’s College of Vocational Education, where her focus has been on the implementation of a range of operational and strategic projects to drive system and process improvements and to enhance student experience. Annie originally trained as a teacher and has enjoyed a diverse career across the education sector, including senior management at a leading London institution, and deputising for the Deputy Dean at Trinity College Pathways School at the University of Melbourne. She will take up her new position on the 13 September and we look forward to working with her in what is a key role for MGSE.

I am also pleased to announce that the important new position of Director, Student Experience will be shared by Dr Matthew Harrison, Lecturer (Learning Intervention) and Dr Catherine Smith, Lecturer (Wellbeing Policy and Pathways). I’m sure our students will enjoy working with these committed academics and, as always, I greatly appreciate staff stepping up into leadership roles.

Reimagining Research Futures forum

A well-attended MGSE research forum was held last week on the subject of ‘Reimagining Research Futures – Impact and Translation’. The session was chaired by our Associate Dean, Research, Sophie Arkoudis with presentations from Wes Imms, Tricia Eadie and Larissa McLean Davies on the topic of ‘What research impact means to me’. Professor Jenny Lewis, from the Arts faculty, joined the forum as a discussant. It was a great conversation on this important topic and if you missed it I encourage you to view it here (Password: t8bpJ_qkYPO1).

Jim