engaged - University of the Sunshine Coast · ‘engaged’ organisation partnering its way to success. It provides an opportunity to recognise the exceptional work of our staff and

engaged...

USC ENGAGEMENT: BUILDING PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPSUniversity of the sUnshine Coast, QUeensLanD

CRICOS Provider Number: 01595D

CASE STUDIES

in 2012

USC recognises that engagement activities can range from educational partnerships and research to cultural, creative, economic and recreational opportunities.

These case studies demonstrate the rich variety of engagement activities at USC and the impact each one can have on both USC and the wider community.

UsC enGaGeMent: BUiLDinG ProDUCtive PartnershiPs | 1

engaged...

FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT

Welcome to the inaugural edition of ‘engaged...’. Engagement is one of the core values at USC and this publication aims to celebrate the many academic and administrative, professional and technical (APT) staff who demonstrate best practice in engaging activities.

Engagement is a term used to describe the process and range of activities where the University interacts, connects and collaborates with its stakeholders to achieve wider benefits through its actions. The University’s vision statement and strategic plan highlight the priority that USC places on engagement. Engagement in this context means relevance and positive impact and these attributes are critical to all USC activities. Engagement activities occur daily, in a variety of forms and across all areas of the University.

This publication presents a number of stories that highlight some of the contributions the staff of this University are making every day to make our University, and our wider community, a better place. The staff of the University are our most important asset and these stories demonstrate their commitment to engaging with our Regional, National and International community through this important aspect of University activity.

I trust you will enjoy reading the stories of these dedicated staff and that their example will inspire you in your own efforts of engagement.

USC ENGAGEMENT: BUILDING PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS

Professor Greg Hill vice-Chancellor and President

FROM THE PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR (ENGAGEMENT)

One of the most important characteristics for a contemporary university is relevance.

Whilst their fundamental role is the holding, development and transfer of knowledge in research and teaching and learning, these are fairly abstract and remote tasks unless those activities resonate and are valued by that university’s stakeholders – either within their geographic catchment or more widely defined.

These matters are even more acute for the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC). Firstly, as a publicly funded institution, it has specific obligations to meet community expectations and demonstrably ‘value-add’. Secondly, the need for leadership, innovation, applied research and problem solving and the professional skilling of the workforce, are vital in such a rapidly growing and changing region.

Universities are diverse places—with a range of discipline areas and combinations of academic, professional and administrative staff, students and members of the business and wider communities working together on a range of initiative/activities, both on and off the campus.

This publication presents 20 of such cases. They are chosen from a much larger number but are used as examples of the diversity in scale, disciplines, individuals and groups all reflecting a genuine philosophy at USC that positions itself as a vital and integrated partner in the region’s future.Prepared by:

Professor Michael J. Hefferan Pro vice-Chancellor (engagement)

28 March 2013

USC ENGAGEMENT: BUILDING PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIPS


engaged...

FROM THE DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES

A major factor that has led to the success of the University of the Sunshine Coast has been the dedicated performance and contribution of its staff. Learning, teaching and research are our core activities and an appreciation of this knowledge becomes truly valued when it is applied to advance our communities.

The commitment of our staff through participation in a diverse range of university-community engagement activities has led to a very real and positive growth of our reputation. Through the development of collaborative partnerships, learning experiences are being enhanced, whilst also progressing the greater good of the broader community—locally, nationally and internationally. This publication showcases that USC is an ‘engaged’ organisation partnering its way to success.

It provides an opportunity to recognise the exceptional work of our staff and their achievements with all levels of the community.

Mark Nugent

Director, human resources

4 | University of the sUnshine Coast| feBrUary 2013

Why Engage? Promoting engagement practice across USCBackground to the Engagement Profiles

Engagement is a core University of the Sunshine Coast value as stated in the USC vision statement:

“The University of the Sunshine Coast is regionally relevant and recognised, nationally and internationally, for excellence in teaching, research and engagement.”

In order to achieve this priority, USC staff are expected to actively engage with their communities. Academic staff (T&R) are required to consider engagement in their workload discussions, while other staff, such as Administrative, Professional and Technical (APT) employees, also actively engage with the community and contribute to a range of university and student outcomes.

The Engagement Profiles in this publication were developed following the inspirational case studies that formed part of the Appreciative Inquiry Project. The Appreciative Inquiry Project on Engagement Activities was developed to support staff currently involved in university–community engagement, providing them with a positive approach through which they can communicate and share examples of best practice in engagement. The Appreciative Inquiry Project was a joint project facilitated by Human Resources and the Office of Engagement.

The collation of a range of Engagement Profiles from both T&R and APT staff highlight the diversity of engagement activity undertaken at USC. The profiles demonstrate the wide range of USC staff currently involved in a number of engagement activities, as well as providing an avenue for staff to identify possible areas for cross unit collaboration.

RationaleA review of university–community engagement activities conducted in the United Kingdom identified seven ‘dimensions’ of public engagement. These dimensions were used to provide a framework by which to showcase the Engagement Profiles.

The dimensions are:

1. Public access to facilities

2. Public access to knowledge

3. Student engagement

4. Faculty engagement

5. Widening participation (equality and diversity)

6. Encouraging economic regeneration and enterprise in social engagement

7. Institutional relationship and partnership building

To effectively understand how best to support USC staff engage across these seven dimensions, a collation of what is currently happening needed to occur. In order to capture the breadth and scope of activities and to contribute to the development of shared knowledge and learning, the participatory research approach using appreciative inquiry was utilised to identify best practice case studies of engagement. These case studies were then collated into the Engagement Profiles under the heading of each relevant dimension and ordered in alphabetical order.

A summary of each dimension and examples of engagement are provided in the table opposite.


engaged...

Table 1: Dimensions of university public engagement (Hart, Northmore & Gerhardtet 2009:14)

Dimension of public engagement examples of engagement

Public access to facilities Access to university librariesAccess to university buildings and physical facilities (eg for conferences, meetings, events, accommodation)Shared facilities (eg art galleries, museums)Public access to sports facilities

Public access to knowledge Access to established university curriculaPublic engagement events (eg science fairs, science shops)Publicly accessible database of university expertisePublic involvement in research

Student engagement Student volunteeringExperiential learning (eg practice placements, collaborative research projects)Curricular engagementStudent led learning activities (eg arts, environment etc)

Faculty engagement Research centres draw on community advisers for support/directionVolunteering outside working hours (eg on trustee boards of local charities)Staff with social/community engagement as a specific part of their jobPromotion policies that reward social engagementResearch helpdesk/advisory boardsPublic lecturesAlumni services

Widening participation (equality and diversity)

Improving recruitment and success rate of students from non-traditional backgrounds through innovative initiatives (eg access to courses, financial assistance, peer mentoring)A publicly available strategy for encouraging access by students with disabilities

Encouraging economic regeneration and enterprise in social engagement

Research collaboration and technology transferMeeting regional skills needs and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)Initiatives to expand innovation and design (eg bring together staff, students and community members to design, develop and test Assistive Technology for people with disabilities)Business advisory services offering support for community–university collaborations (eg social enterprises)Prizes for entrepreneurial projects

Institutional relationship and partnership building

University division or office for community engagement Collaborative community-based research programs responsive to community-identified needsCommunity-university networks for learning/dissemination/knowledge exchangeCommunity members on Board of GovernancePublic ceremonies, awards, competitions and eventsWebsite with community pagesPolicies on equalities, recruitment, procurement of goods and services, environmental responsibilityInternational linksConferences with public access and public concernsHelpdesk facilityCorporate social responsibility


engaged...

Dimension One — Public access to facilitiesUSC, like many universities is endowed with substantial physical resources in terms of grounds, meeting spaces and high quality sports, arts and science facilities. Public access to these facilities may be on a commercial or non-commercial basis depending on the nature of the activity.

Public access does not imply unrestricted access and USC will need to make clear their boundaries in this regard.


Campus access

Helping students get to class through better public transport Concerned by the rising number of students struggling with inadequate transport services, Richard Maguire decided to step in.

Limited public transport availability is an issue which has long plagued the University of the Sunshine Coast, especially for those students living outside of the Sunshine Coast Council boundaries.

As an increasing number of students began to approach Facilities Management to voice their concerns, it became apparent that the University of the Sunshine Coast would need to identify an effective and long term solution. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Richard Maguire and his team, public transport is on the road to change.

Hope on the horizonWhile solving public transport woes on the Sunshine Coast is still a work in progress, the future is looking brighter for University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) students, particularly those travelling from as far as Gympie, North Lakes, Caboolture and Noosa. Through the collaborative efforts of Richard from Facilities Management (FM), Translink and the Sunshine Coast Council, two innovative and sustainable public transport options have been developed to assist students to get to class conveniently and on time; the USC Express Shuttle Bus and U-Pass.

Bumps in the roadRichard and his team at FM decided a solution was needed. Adamant that he would get the ball rolling as quickly as possible, Richard approached Translink to see if new and increased bus routes could be added to improve travel times for students, especially for those living outside of the Sunshine Coast Council boundaries.

While sympathetic to Richard’s case, Translink was understandably reluctant to commit extra resources without demonstrated demand. After some dedicated research into sustainable transport programs both nationally and internationally, the U-Pass program was developed, an innovative first for an Australian university.

Following this initiative, Richard contracted a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) specialist to plot the home addresses of all USC students. The mapping highlighted that there was a significant number of students living in Gympie and North Lakes. Satisfied that there was a demonstrated need to provide assistance to students living in these areas, Richard decided to take his case to the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Greg Hill, who gave his immediate support to FM to trial a free shuttle bus service to help students to get to class.

Engaging with the CommunityWith the support of USC Management, the USC Express Shuttle Bus service was launched in 2011, with the U-Pass program following shortly after. To get these projects off the ground as soon as practically possible, Richard worked extensively with a number of key stakeholders including the Sunshine Coast Council, who helped develop and directly support the U-Pass program.

To determine how to best garner community support for additional public transport services, Richard became a member of the Sunshine Coast Community Transport Group. By joining this group, Richard was able to establish which people he would need to approach in order to successfully launch the shuttle bus service and U-Pass program in a timely manner. Richard credits membership of this group as instrumental in getting the two programs off the ground.

Richard Maguire, Manager, Campus Services—Facilities Management, USC.


engaged...

Both public transport initiatives have been received with open arms by USC students. Positive student feedback and consistently high use of the public transport options has seen the services continued to be offered in 2012. To encourage new users and maintain current travellers, Richard utilises a number of methods to engage the students including providing information through the USC website, social media, student handouts and information stalls at Open Days and Orientation Week. Every student commencing studies is given a U-Pass with $70 worth of credit to create immediate interest and use.

Motivated by the end resultWhile Richard is thrilled to have achieved such success in a short period, he suggests there have been occasions where the work necessary to get both programs off the ground required more time than first anticipated.

Although Richard has always received a high level of support from both USC Management and the Sunshine Coast Council, as with many first time endeavours, access to resources is one of the biggest issues to overcome. Richard and his assistant Jo Gorring have worked tirelessly to provide these innovative and sustainable transport options to students.

Richard attributes the success of the USC Express Shuttle Bus and U-Pass program to perseverance and a genuine commitment to making a difference. When bumps in the road have arisen, Richard has continued to push through, motivated by the end result—an opportunity to improve student satisfaction.

Research and planning is key to successFor individuals considering engaging with the community, Richard suggests that project success is reliant on extensive research and strategic planning. Before consulting stakeholders, it is crucial that you first identify who those people are that you need to talk to, and establish how to best communicate with them. In his experiences Richard has found that people are more likely to adopt your idea if you can demonstrate your research.

Now USC students from Gympie, North Lakes, Caboolture and Noosa can catch a direct bus to the Sippy Downs Campus every day.

Richard Maguire and visiting dignitaries sample the USC Express Shuttle Bus and U-Pass.


Art exhibitions

Making connections through ARTDawn Oelrich is broadening the reach of the University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery by creating partnerships that work.

The University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery is open to the public and has been growing in reputation over recent years due to a wide variety of programs that have been conducted in partnership with local high schools, the Department of Education, sponsors, artists and the broader community.

Although situated slightly ‘off the beaten track’, thanks to Dawn’s dedication to collaboration and partnership building, the USC Gallery has become a well-known and vital part of the Sunshine Coast art scene.

A functioning Art GalleryThe University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery hosts on average, an impressive 11–13 exhibitions per annum, and opens its doors to between 12,000 and 15,000 visitors every year. Around 50% of these visitors are non-USC staff or students, demonstrating the gallery’s wide reach. Approximately 4,000 of these visitors are school students representing up to 60 schools in the Sunshine Coast region.

Small steps lead to bigger thingsThe USC Gallery has existed since 1999, first as a temporary space in the lower level of the Library (now the Master’s Club) and since 2004 in the dedicated gallery space near J block.

The Gallery’s main focus is for education purposes and so provides exhibitions aligned with USC courses. However, the gallery also benefits the USC student experience and fosters the long term University relationship with the Sunshine Coast community. A team of 46 volunteers assist Dawn (Curator) and Lou (Assistant Curator).

By being informed of what is going on elsewhere within USC, such as interesting research, fitness programs, awards or building initiatives, Dawn is able to build a greater awareness of USC capabilities among gallery patrons. Donations of art, financial support for scholarships and other projects often come about through the relationships built and maintained by Dawn as she continues to engage staff, students, visitors, volunteers and the art community with the USC Gallery programs.

Indigenous representationDawn and Lou are also responsible for the University’s significant collection of Indigenous art, consisting of many Western Desert art paintings. Notable is the Nyabung Djamga Gallery at the Innovation Centre. A 33-page Western Desert Education Resource education program that supports the western desert art collection has been available online for school teachers since 2008. Teachers can use the resource both before and after their visit to the USC campus and it includes suggested activities for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. www.usc.edu.au/gallery

USC Gallery Curator, Dawn Oelrich presenting at opening night.


engaged...

Reaching outAn exhibition program is delivered to over 1,200 individuals plus local schools and libraries at the beginning of each semester, as well as the notification of events through the All Student/All Staff email system. Print posters for each exhibition are displayed in public places around USC, community noticeboards, and other art galleries. The Gallery also has a Facebook page. Dawn and Lou organise floor talks and guided tours upon request. A teachers’ information sheet is sent out to an e-list of art teachers who have subscribed to the USC Gallery. Dawn also acts as a guest speaker and judge at other art galleries, schools and art events from Brisbane to Gympie.

Always engagingDawn has worked hard to develop strategic relationships with schools and art teachers, within the community through local newspapers and word of mouth (volunteers are great at this), and via USC publications such as “Community”. Internally she has done this by working with colleagues and meeting with teachers/lecturers to find out what they would need, or like to see from the Gallery to support teaching programs.

Dawn views engagement as something she does with everyone who passes through the Gallery’s doors—students, staff, visitors, tradespeople, catering staff, volunteers and the broader community.

“ The most important thing is sincerity; and having a passion for what you do.” Dawn Oelrich, Curator, University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery

Children enjoying a recent USC Gallery exhibition.


engaged...

Dimension Two — Public access to knowledgeThe capacity of USC to create and transmit knowledge makes public access to university knowledge a central dimension of public engagement. This can be through established curricula, access to individual experts or through one-off events, such as a science fair.


International projects

Some of the Ugandan Fellows at USC in 2012.

International connections:A group of Ugandan academics complete an Australian residential fellowship program based at USC.

From July to August 2012, the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) hosted a group of Ugandan Fellows as part of the Advancing Policy and Planning for E-Learning in the Ugandan Teacher Training program.

The International Projects Group worked with senior USC academics to deliver the 5-week program, which was funded under the 11th funding round of the AusAID, Australian Leadership Award Fellowship program.

Where it all startedIn 2010 USC Associate Professor in ICT Research and Development, Dr Kathy Lynch, approached the International Projects Group (IPG) at USC to determine if there was scope to develop an outreach program that would benefit Ugandan educators. Dr Lynch had strong links with Uganda and Makerere University and had co-supervised Dr Paul Muyinda in his doctoral research with Dr Jude T Lubega of the Makerere University.

Under the guidance of the IPG, in October 2011 USC and Makerere University entered into a formal agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU was designed to facilitate communication between the two institutions and establish a firm basis for cooperation to enhance their respective objectives. Following this, Dr Lynch and the IPG commenced the application process for an AusAID Australian Leadership Award Fellowship (ALAF) program. The application required numerous CVs and support from key individuals throughout Uganda. Unfortunately Ugandans are extremely wary of requests for information from people who are not personally known to them, as result of swindles such as Nigerian money scams. For this reason it became clear that the level of documentation required would not be achievable within the set time frame and the application was abandoned.

Never give up!In 2011, in conjunction with the IPG, the application process began again. Over the previous year, Dr Lynch’s Ugandan PhD student had been ‘on the ground’, conducting face to face interviews with key individuals across the country in order to explain the project and recruit support for it. This time the required documentation was received in time and the grant application was successful.

The aims of the Fellowship align with the Australian Government’s priorities to ‘improve the functioning of national education systems to enable more girls and boys to complete primary school’ and to ‘improve the relevance and quality of education’ in developing countries, which is Australia’s response to the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals intervention against global poverty and inequality. It also aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006), which Uganda signed and ratified, to offer greater participation in education.

The Fellowship addressed the need to improve pre-service and in-service teacher education by providing learning opportunities for leaders and aspiring leaders. The Fellows were selected based on their involvement in their university’s information technology and e-learning programs and/or their role in teacher education. They also represented organisations that support the Ugandan Government’s mandate to provide high quality university primary education (UPE) to all through providing high quality teachers and they represented a variety of regions within Uganda.

Notification of the successful grant was provided in mid-April 2012 and the research Fellows were to be ready for international travel by July—no easy task, especially as some of the participants had never travelled overseas before and visas, passports, vaccinations and so forth needed to be organised.


engaged...

Positive feedbackExcellent project organisation by the IPG and Dr Lynch’s understanding of the Ugandan culture contributed to very positive feedback from the Fellows during and at the completion of the program.

Care was taken to ensure that the planned activities were culturally appropriate and the Sunshine Coast community was also involved as much as possible. Alexandra Headland Surf Life Saving Club provided water safety training, the local Returned and Services League of Australia Ltd (RSL) and church groups made the Fellows feel at home and the Gubbi Gubbi dance troupe officially welcomed them at the Leadership Retreat held at Lake Cootharaba at the commencement of the program. The positive media attention given to the Fellows ensured public recognition and the friendliness of the Australian public made a favourable impression on them. The Ugandan’s profile in the local press also raised the profile of USC in the Sunshine Coast community.

Continued contactUSC is committed to maintaining links with counterpart organisations and the individual Fellows and continues to support them upon their return home through online coaching and joint research. The IPG at USC has established an ALAF alumni internet site for all previous ALA Fellows (now numbering over 200). This site, managed by the IPG, provides the Fellows with ongoing professional support through both online and face-to-face conference opportunities with their counterpart USC teaching staff.

Since returning to Uganda, several of the Fellows have been involved in change projects. One applied to Google for a research grant and was accepted and another successfully applied for an Australian Awards for Africa (AAA) grant (based on what was learnt during the USC/ AusAID program). Further grants have been applied for, all of which are founded on the learning they undertook whilst at USC.

About the International Projects Group (IPG)The operations of the IPG align closely with the USC Mission of Engagement. IPG projects contribute to research in education, environment, eLearning, sustainable development and health. USC requires all projects that are involved in international aid and development to be applied for and managed through the IPG to ensure consistency, a high quality level of delivery and financial accountability. Projects typically need to demonstrate that they are able to alleviate disadvantage, poverty or other extreme needs to win AusAID support.

Partners include Governments and educational institutions in Australia, Asia and Africa.

Within the IPG unit are academic staff who oversee the quality of program content and research; management staff who oversee program implementation and reporting to donors; and project officers who provide administrative, technical and operational support during all stages of the project management cycle. The IPG team work with the academic/s leading the project to deliver the best development and research outcomes possible.

More information on the IPG group can be found at: www.usc.edu.au/university/ipg

Members of the International Projects Group team, USC.

The International Projects Group at USC aims to contribute to the sustainable social and economic development of communities in the developing world through collaborative, research-informed human resource capacity building.


Online education

Being Safety SmartSchool children from all over the world are using games to develop an understanding of how to stay safe.

Being Safety Smart is a free to use online educational game developed by a University of the Sunshine Coast team and led by Dr Christian Jones. Being Safety Smart is designed to increase the awareness of children aged 6 to 8 to situations within the community which might impact upon their personal safety and to empower them with the ability to act appropriately and with confidence.

The game is a Queensland Police Service initiative, developed by the University of the Sunshine Coast in partnership with the Queensland Police Service, Education Queensland, and the Crime and Misconduct Commission, and supported by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

Being Safety Smart developer, Dr Christian Jones.

Relationship developmentBeing Safety Smart is currently used by over 500 schools, including schools from Canada, North America, South America, the UK, Europe and Asia. The game was awarded the 2009 Gold Award from the Queensland Police Service for excellence in crime prevention and is part of the Queensland Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum.

Members of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) had previously worked with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) on research into anti-social behaviour, with the outcome being a project that promoted the message that violence is not a solution to such behaviour. This was well received by the community, had strong measurable impacts, and developed good relationships between USC and the QPS.

The arrival of Associate Professor Christian Jones at USC, bringing academic and commercial IT expertise, provided timely opportunities for further collaborations between USC and QPS.

Christian joined USC in November 2006 to build collaborative research projects across the University as well as with local, national and international industry and government.

University research advantages Christian notes that USC has a strong history of rigorous research and evaluation, and importantly provides project partners with credibility and impartiality.

For this reason, it is important that the capacity for evaluation is built into funding applications, so that quantifying research outcomes is possible. This engenders confidence from existing or potential funding partners and can lead to further funding opportunities.

The Being Safety Smart project incorporated a formal evaluation, which enabled the project team to prove that children playing the game significantly improved their knowledge around anti-abduction skills and strategies from less than 60% to greater than 90%.


engaged...

Children aged between 6 to 8 who played the Being Safety Smart game significantly improved their knowledge around anti-abduction skills and strategies.

Successful partnershipsA key to successful partnerships is the importance of listening to the needs of all partners, understanding those needs, developing trust and delivering outcomes.

Partners may be involved in the project for different reasons and could have different expectations for success. For some partners the project may be aligned to their core business, others may wish to use the project to promote their business. Therefore the research team should be cognisant of partner expectations and ensure partners remain aware of project developments and achievements. The research team needs to recognise the benefit of broadening the scope of the project to meet the needs of each partner as an important component of successful collaboration and engagement.

Effective communication is essential to determine the expectations and reporting requirements of each partner. Christian felt it was important to encourage conversation between all people in the partnership to build a team to develop success—“building the net”.

Also important is the development of a realistic budget—what can be delivered for the money.

Success brings more opportunitiesThe success of Being Safety Smart has raised the profile of the research capacity of USC and is a strong endorsement of the strength of the Engage Research Lab.

The Engage Research Lab at USC is an industry award-winning team that uses technology to engage community around social issues, and that provides the community with a voice and opportunities for learning.

The team aims to bring “collaborative solutions to real social issues”. Having the Queensland Police Service and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation on board has ensured the successful funding for the next project, Orbit, currently in development.

Orbit will be used by children aged 8 to 10 to build strategies to protect themselves from sexual abuse and support disclosures of abuse.

Orbit is a partnership between USC and the Telstra Foundation, Queensland Police Service, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, Education Queensland, Sunshine Cooloola Services Against Sexual Violence Inc and Laurel House.

Dr Christian Jones with the children who voiced the Being Safety Smart game characters.


Making maths relevant

Maths in the real worldThe falling numbers of Australian students pursuing studies in maths and science is of significant concern if Australia is to continue to achieve stated economic and knowledge based aspirations now and into the future. This is where Margaret’s research interests lie—making maths relevant.

If you plan to study Education at USC, chances are you will encounter Margaret as one of your lecturers. Margaret loves teaching her first year University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) students. Margaret focuses on teaching students conceptually so that they can then impart the knowledge to their future students. In fact, she recently heard back from one of her former students, now in his second year of teaching secondary maths at a private school in Brisbane. He said that he had taken Margaret’s advice to do things differently and was using the ideas he learnt in her classes. The results have been so positive that the school is now incorporating some of those same approaches across all the middle year maths classes.

Engaging teachers and studentsAlthough Margaret has only been at USC for 18 months, she has wasted no time in getting involved in the community. In 2011 Margaret presented a research paper at the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers conference at Twin Waters. Following the presentation she was approached by a teacher from Kingaroy State High School who wanted to know if Margaret could work with them to develop some teaching units. Margaret, encouraged by this interest, also spoke with a teacher from Chancellor State College. He too expressed interest in being involved, and so Margaret started to develop a research grant application that would investigate project based learning for maths and science, something not yet implemented in maths education in Australian schools.

The research project was designed around two known research agendas, that of project based learning known as Knowledge Producing Schools (KPS), where students work on a community project or issue of their choice and solve it, and mathematics education concerned with using real life mathematical investigations. Earlier research by Margaret had indicated that students are most engaged in learning maths when they were required to formulate the problem themselves.

The grant application was successful however the original two schools were no longer able to participate. As Margaret said, she had the money but no partners! One of Margaret’s USC colleagues suggested that Margaret talk to the principal of Nambour State High School, who wanted to, with Nambour State School, apply for funding to do some work with Gifted and Talented (G&T) students but was unsure what project to do. The two schools liked Margaret’s research idea and were very supportive of the project. With the two schools committed, and with the support of the school principals, the project started to take shape. The group also successfully applied for two $10,000 grants from the Department of Education toward Gifted and Talented development programs.

Using mathematics to influence designA group of Nambour school students from Year 6 to Year 9 are working with the Sunshine Coast Council to design the new Nambour Youth Activity Space.

The students who attend Nambour State School and Nambour State High School, are participating in an Australian first research project headed by Dr Margaret Marshman—Exploring the Mathematical Experiences in Project Based Learning.

Dr Margaret Marshman, Senior Lecturer Maths and Physics Education, USC.

Margaret has a passion to impart the teaching of maths and science in a way that engages school aged students and that brings the relevance of maths and science into the real world. She comments that it is easy to teach a child the basics of maths in a static or classroom setting but that many children struggle to apply that knowledge to the world around them.


engaged...

The Project Beyond Limits Team.

Project Beyond LimitsProject Beyond Limits is made up of a group of 27 G&T students from Nambour State High School and Nambour State School, who are working with the Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) as the youth representatives of Speak Up Engage, council’s youth engagement program. The group have been working together for the majority of 2012 to build a youth activity space, including a skate park, for the youth of Nambour and surrounding districts.

The students wanted to create a safe space for teenagers in Nambour. The students’ main objectives were to design a space that was inclusive of people from multiple backgrounds and that included multicultural art work, was a safe place for teens and young people, and that was family friendly, with barbecues, shade and street-scaping.

The project participants approached the SCC for permission to revamp the local park however SCC had already allocated capital works funding for the Nambour Youth Activity Space, and requested that the project team work with them on that instead, including public consultation on the location and design elements of the space.

The students are serious about what outcomes they want and about their involvement in the project. Margaret and the teacher assigned to the project work closely together to make sure things stay on track, but Margaret is firm about their involvement in shaping the project’s direction—it is led by the students and the focus is on skilling them with what they need to do the job. Although the project is a community project, as per Margaret’s research agenda, it is essential that the students involved are the ones that ‘go out and solve it’.

Maths and science are hidden in the project. For instance, the children needed to produce a project report to justify to the school and wider community the feasibility of their ideas. To do so, they needed to design and administer survey instruments, understand statistical concepts, use Excel spreadsheets to input raw data and then manipulate it to create graphical representations of the information. They also needed to access the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to collect, collate and analyse raw data sets about

the local population. The final report, Project Beyond Limits Report will be used to develop the project going forward.

Margaret attends most of the project meetings—this is after all her research project. She observes what is going on and lends her teaching support when required. The teachers involved are not expected to be experts, but rather facilitators. Experts are contracted as they are needed.

Margaret has really enjoyed working with the students, getting back into the classroom and being able to help the students with what they want to know. She also comments that the project is a fantastic opportunity for the students to see how Council functions and to be able to make a difference in their community.

Earlier research by Dr Margaret Marshman, Senior Lecturer Maths and Physics Education at USC, indicated that students are most engaged in learning maths when they are required to formulate the problem themselves.


engaged...

Dimension Three — Student engagementThe dimension of student engagement is focused upon releasing student capacity for community benefits.


Study overseas

Organised and led by Dr Rod McCulloch, Head of the School of Communication, the Advertising Industry Study Tour to New York in November 2012, NY.AD., was informed by the idea of learning through engagement. The tour provided an opportunity for second year Creative Advertising students to engage with the world’s most influential, creative and strategic media agencies in New York.

A global perspectiveFor participating students the study tour provided, first hand, unique and valuable insights into the evolving media communications arena. The students returned to USC with a distinctive and differentiated basis for a career in advertising. The tour also provided an opportunity for other USC students to learn from and be inspired by the group’s experiences. For the University, the tour represented a demonstrable commitment to the development of industry-ready graduates with a global perspective gained through international learning experiences.

The value of connectionsDr Rod McCulloch, an experienced advertising practitioner and academic, maintains an active participation in the industry within Australia and internationally. He is involved in national and international industry committees including the Communications Council (Australia) and the Media Federation of Australia (MFA). In addition, Rod is a Director and member of the Board of the International Advertising Association (IAA) Australia Chapter.

In organising the tour and developing the itinerary, Rod used his industry contacts to gain access to some of the pre-eminent advertising agencies in the world. New York agencies are at the leading edge of communication change and a carefully selected combination of established multinational and national agencies in the contemporary creative, media and digital areas were approached to host the students. Agency specialities included digital media, strategic advertising and ethnic advertising.

The enthusiasm these firms showed towards the proposed visit and their willingness to accommodate visiting students was encouraging. A number of firms had procedures in place to manage this type of activity, however for those that did not, a tight plan needed to be developed to make the most of the available time. This was organised by Rod and Pamela Edsall of USC.

USC Communication students take on New YorkFrom Maroochydore to Madison Avenue, Dr Rod McCulloch led a group of USC students on an international study tour.

Within the School of Communication at the University of the Sunshine Coast, there is a focus on providing opportunities for students to learn by engaging with the physical context in which practice occurs to help equip them with the skills, attributes and competencies that can best be learned in the workplace.

Dr Rod McCulloch, Head of the School of Communication, USC.


engaged...

NY.AD. study tour: An exemplar of student learning through engagement with the physical context in which practice occurs.

Methods of engagementThe study tour project provided an opportunity to mobilise a discipline-specific cohort, thereby providing students with an opportunity to participate in a practical learning experience that will inform their further studies and uniquely prepare them for employment. The tour also developed the University’s relationship with a number of the most influential multinational advertising agencies (and future employers of graduates), as well as strengthening USC’s relationship with the advertising industry’s representative and accrediting body, both internationally and in Australia.

Not only that, but the tour provided a great example of what USC can do for students. The tour is part of students’ formal studies at USC and acceptance into the study tour is a significant achievement.

Engagement on a number of levelsNY.AD. exemplifies university engagement on many levels. Rod has the opportunity to share with future graduates an insight into the industry that only experienced professionals would usually have the chance to access, as well as using the experience for his own academic research purposes in the areas of work-integrated learning (WIL). The students meet with employees of some of the world’s most respected advertising agencies, as well as meeting with other New York based tertiary institutions. Furthermore, USC continues to build a profile within the International Advertising Association.

And it doesn’t stop here. Rod is already considering the destination for 2013—most likely South East Asia!

Dr Rod McCulloch with (left to right) Rebecca Wolno, Alex Poulton, Jessie Green, Kirrilee Murray , Phoebe Broadley and Vivien Trinh in New York, November 2012.

The opportunity to participate in the study tour was made available to all second year Creative Advertising students and a robust application process was followed, with a final six applicants selected based on merit.

Students will be producing pod-casts of their New York adventures for all to see (on the USC website) and presented an overview of the tour to all students during O-Week of Semester 1, 2013.

Another advantage of the study tour is that students who participated will return to USC and continue with their final year studies. There will be significant opportunity for these students to enthuse others in their courses of the opportunities offered at USC. Additionally, the study tour is a fantastic marketing opportunity to promote USC to current and future students, as well as to industry!


Community events

Strengthening community ties with PRPREP provides an opportunity for Public Relations students to work with local community groups.

From fashion shows and progressive dinners to breakfast presentations and awards nights, the Public Relations Event Project has grown in leaps and bounds since it started in 2008.

Final year Public Relations students are given an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the skills that they are developing within the classroom to assist a local community organisation for a semester.

Dr Heather Pavitt (centre) with students (left) and representatives of 4PAWS Animal Rescue (right).

Getting PREP off the groundWhile getting a new project up and running can be no easy feat, Heather admits that she was fortunate with the PREP program. One of the fundamental purposes of the project is to support and engage the Sunshine Coast community, which closely aligns with USC’s ‘give back’ philosophy and enabled Heather to successfully secure University support.

As well as receiving glowing student feedback, the program has earned a positive reputation amongst the local community. In the four years since PREP began, several additional community groups have approached Heather, expressing their interest in becoming involved. This overwhelming support has cemented the program as a successful community engagement project, creating both a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between the University and the local community.

Some quick facts ...• 29 different community events

• $100,000 raised for a variety of community groups

• Sponsors sourced for each event to fully cover costs

• Over 13,000 community members have attended events

A desire to helpThe Public Relations Event Project (PREP) came from a think tank initiated by Dr Heather Pavitt. Concerned that students were not being given enough opportunities to apply their academic skills to practical Public Relations (PR) assignments, Heather developed a concept to not only engage the local community, but also provide a unique work-integrated learning opportunity for students. Through PREP, groups of final year PR students are paired with Sunshine Coast community organisations with suitable and identified PR needs. Via collaborative efforts, the students are responsible for the development and implementation of a community event to resolve their client’s identified issue. Since PREP commenced in 2008, more than 29 community projects have been executed through student partnerships with 19 not-for-profit organisations including Guide Dogs Australia, Bloomhill Cancer Help and the Noosa Museum.


engaged...

A SNAPSHOT IN TIME: Final year students Tarian Gear and Amy Scriggins with Mayor Mark Jamieson (above) at the Sunshine Coast Heritage Festival 2012. A group of six final year Public Relations students were tasked with creating a meaningful and engaging activity for the festival. They produced a unique photo booth where festival participants could have their photo taken in period theme, for a small fee. The activity was a huge success and not only raised awareness but also raised over $600 for the Noosa Museum.

“ Each semester I am constantly amazed by the students and their fresh and exciting new ideas. They are so enthusiastic about the project they are working on and are dedicated to helping their client achieve their needs.”

Dr Heather Pavitt, Founder PREP

Lessons learned along the wayWhile the establishment of the PREP program was relatively smooth sailing, Heather is the first to admit that over the lifetime of the project, there have been some trying times. One of the biggest hurdles Heather continues to face is the coordination of projects within a limited time frame.

Although coordinating a community engagement project can be tricky, especially when working with so many internal and external stakeholders, Heather maintains that the success of PREP can be attributed to the dedication of the teaching staff. The key to achieving a successful community engagement venture with a positive end result is passion and a legitimate interest in the cause. As the PREP program continues to grow, Heather would like to see more cross-faculty collaboration. During the planning of the PREP events, the student groups are required to complete tasks outside of their specialty, such as financial management and graphic design. Heather is hopeful that in the future, there may be an opportunity for students from different study areas to get involved with PREP in varying capacities.

A word of adviceFor staff interested in pursuing a community engagement project, Heather’s advice is to be realistic.

During the program development there are bound to be some hiccups but the end result should be the motivator. The hard yards are worth it for the PREP teaching staff, as they are constantly amazed by the innovativeness of the students and their fresh ideas.

The enthusiasm of the students to help make a difference validates PREP’s purpose and mission.


Caring for others

USC nursing students visited Africa for Christmas 2012Twenty Nursing students from the University of the Sunshine Coast accompanied Dr Leonie Williams to Tanzania for a month over the 2012 Christmas period.

The students volunteered in hospitals, health centres and an orphanage in the Mt Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. The experience provided them with an insight into the often difficult working conditions encountered in underdeveloped nations such as Tanzania, where millions of people live with HIV/AIDS.

Leonie, who has just retired from the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), had lectured in Transcultural Health Practices, and notes that, “This type of work prepares students for disaster relief and gives them an understanding of hardships, should they choose to work in a third-world country. We don’t see many children with malaria here in Australia, or the numbers of children with HIV. So we learn about these things from in-country staff, and what they learn from us is nursing best practice.”

It is important to keep in mind that their studies and personal lives are primary and that this experience is optional—requiring the academic to be flexible and accommodating, understanding and supportive. Failure to achieve these objectives can mean the failure of the venture. The academic needs to maintain positive support to the group and a spirit of ‘can do’ when the challenges that the students (and the academic) face can sometimes seem overwhelming.

Dr Leonie Williams, Senior Lecturer, Bachelor of Nursing Science, USC, with USC Nursing Science students in historical dress.

Where it all beganThis is the second time Leonie has organised a volunteering trip for USC nursing students to Tanzania.

An interest in trans-cultural nursing practices and a desire to impart more than theory led to a three week volunteer trip to Tanzania in 2010, with seven USC students and one University of New England (UNE) student. This immersion experience allowed the participating students to live and work in an environment foreign to their own where they were also unfamiliar with the language.

What the students experiencedNo running water or insect screens in the wards and candles for night lights are some of the conditions the students encountered. Leonie comments that often the technology available is nothing like what students are used to in Australia and that the students needed to be resourceful. Students that participated were required to be vaccinated for yellow fever, cholera and typhoid fever prior to leaving Australia, as there are many diseases in parts of Africa that are unfamiliar to most Australians.

Despite the hardships, Leonie says that the practicums are a life-changing event for many students. She explains that the experiences gained by the students are unanticipated by them in the short term but continue to leave an impact in their lives over the long term. The enrichment to their studies and lives continues on and this is not as achievable within the Sunshine Coast environment.

Sharing the visionOne of the key prerequisites as outlined by Leonie includes the ability to lead and share a vision with students that stimulates not just their hunger to travel, but includes opportunities to develop real life experience that enhances and enriches their understanding and skills as a graduate. Nursing students are multi-role people and participating in such a venture is an additional burden that they do not always appreciate until the reality of raising funds and organising their lives on top of other commitments, especially their study, hits home.


engaged...

Tips• Have a dream, share that dream

and show the relevance of the dream to the students.• A ‘can do’ attitude is critical as

is a willingness to ‘muck in’ and fundraise over and over again. Leonie and her team raised in excess of $15,000 over 2012 and this helped to support those unable to fully fund themselves. However, Leonie considers that it is not reasonable for fundraising to pay 100 per cent of a student’s fees. All students should commit to a percentage of the fees independent of group fundraising activities.• Lots and lots of communications—

keep the ‘fire alive’.

A representative of Buderim Men’s Shed with USC Nursing Science students and some of the handcrafted wooden toys donated to the team of students going to Tanzania over Christmas 2012, for distribution to orphanages there.

Commitment required!Attempting such an ambitious project required serious commitment. Leonie considers the essentials to include: dedicated staff, the ability to plan and schedule well ahead of the departure date, keeping the group focused, adhering to timelines, finding funding sources for the students and when required, fundraising (and developing a transparent fund distribution system). An inability to raise the necessary funds can present a significant risk to the project. Some students have regular employment, while others rely on the goodwill and hard work of a fundraising group, usually led by a staff member.

A team effortLeonie is quick to recognise the input of other staff at USC who helped to make such an undertaking successful. She considers the support of the Head of School and the Vice-Chancellor and President as essential. Also, the team of academics who did not participate in the venture, but who offered support and encouragement to the students could not be underestimated. She also noted the contribution of USC support staff, such as: the team from Room Bookings who helped with organising meetings, Events staff who assisted with functions to facilitate events and fundraising, and the Student Guild and Student Services who also helped with fundraising.

The program builds engagement with an in-country organisation so the group’s financial contribution stays in Tanzania. The students are contracted to work with in-country staff for 6–8 hours per day over five days each week. This exposure helped them to learn how to work with internationally educated people whose living, cultural and nursing practice standards are very different from their own, benefiting their future professional lives.

“ It is not truly possible to understand what it is like to be a client or patient in a country and system that is foreign to your own. Theory can explain a lot but it does not always lead to understanding and tolerance of differences.”

Dr Leonie Williams


engaged...

Dimension Four — Faculty engagementFaculty engagement overlaps to some extent with both Dimension 2 (Public access to knowledge), and Dimension 7 (Institutional relationship and partnership building), however the emphasis is on individual staff involvement.


Children’s literacy

Rewarding students through readingSunshine Coast primary school students are learning the value of reading through the ‘Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup’.

Starting out as an educational program to highlight and maintain the value of literature amongst fourth-grade Maleny school students, the annual Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup has grown tremendously since it first began in 2003.

Fresh from celebrating his ninth year as organiser and namesake of the event, Gary Crew describes the power of reading in uniting a community, and shares the journey of how this cherished event evolved from a single school to a regional affair, captivating families throughout the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

A request from the communityThe establishment of the Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup came about following a request from the Maleny community. Concerned that their children’s education might be jeopardised by the introduction of computers and other new technologies in schools, parents decided action was needed to ensure literature and arts remained relevant within the educational curriculum. To quell increasing apprehensions, a community meeting inviting local artisans was held to discuss potential solutions to the issue at hand.

Following extensive deliberation, the Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup was born, a friendly challenge inviting year four students from Maleny Primary School to read a set of books and compete against one another to answer questions about the story. For their efforts, the winning class is awarded a perpetual cup to remain in their possession until the next instalment of the competition.

Growing in leaps and boundsInitially limited to Maleny Primary School, over time the competition has grown to include students from Conondale, Mapleton and Montville Primary Schools. Initially Gary was the sole manager of the organisation, personally funding the event, including the purchase of the perpetual cup and medals for the winning children.

As more schools have become involved, Gary has joined forces with Sunshine Coast Libraries, in particular Patricia Stahl from the Maleny branch to help manage the event. While Gary still funds the majority of the competition, Patricia has taken a lead role in organising the event, coordinating the logistics and selecting a venue each year.

The hinterland community are also heavily involved, as they feel a sense of ownership of the event. Local book stores donate vouchers as prizes and provide books for schools to use in the lead up to the competition.

Dr Gary Crew, Associate Professor, Creative Writing, USC.


engaged...

Sustainability of the eventThe ongoing success of the Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup speaks volumes, highlighting Gary’s ongoing commitment to the annual event. Despite his desire to maintain this event, Gary has some reservations about the longevity of the competition particularly as the project relies solely on volunteers.

While it cannot be denied that the Readers’ Cup is a competition, the fundamental purpose of the event is to preserve the value of literature, and to unite the community through reading. Gary is concerned that if growing interschool rivalry continues, the true meaning of the event will be overshadowed.

Despite these concerns, the Readers’ Cup has continued to grow. While no official evaluation has been performed to assess its impact, the fact that the event has recently celebrated its ninth year, includes four schools and receives extensive support from local businesses verifies that it is well regarded by the community.

“ The annual Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup has grown tremendously since it first began in 2003.”

Dr Gary Crew, USC

A young reader meets Dr Gary Crew.

Engagement activities need to be significant When working with the community, especially on a project where the public perceives a sense of ownership of the event, there are bound to be periods of discontent amongst stakeholders. To minimise the likelihood of conflict, Gary maintains close relationships with businesses and individuals associated with the event through consistent and transparent two-way communication. Gary also suggests conflict can be avoided if you team up with stakeholders with clout, and establish common goals which all parties can work to achieve.

In Gary’s experience, successful engagement programs are underpinned by their significance. The Gary Crew Hinterland Readers’ Cup is a substantial event which addresses the needs of the community by providing a support system for students, while preserving the value of literature and the arts within the education system.


Women’s health

Bringing female health to the forefront of workplace health and safetyInternational research into the effect of menopause on women and their work is being undertaken at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Nearly 400 women aged between 40 and 65 have participated in the study being conducted across Australia, England, Spain, Austria, Holland, South Africa, Trinidad and the United States.

Dr Prue Millear and Dr Roxane Gervais at the 8th European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP) Conference at the University of Valencia in Spain in 2008.

Dr Prue Millear (on the far right) with some of the other 12 Australians at the 10th EAOHP conference at ETH Zurich, where there were 450 delegates from around the globe.

In April 2012, Dr Prue Millear and her UK colleague Dr Roxane Gervais, from the Health and Safety Laboratory delivered their research findings at the 10th European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP) Conference at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

A timely projectUSC Lecturer in Psychology Dr Prue Millear commented that most research on menopause focused on the effects of the physical symptoms, with very little data currently available on the effect menopause has on women’s employment.

“Once upon a time, women going through menopause would have just faded out of the workforce,” she said.

“But now we have large numbers of women who are still employed in their fifties and are experiencing symptoms while at work.”

Prue said findings from the research, which was conducted in conjunction with Dr Roxane Gervais of the Health and Safety Laboratory in the United Kingdom, could be used by employers in the area of occupational health and safety.

“If a woman is having a hot flush, under normal circumstances she may be able to change her environment so that she becomes cooler,” she explained.

“But if a woman is teaching, or in the middle of a meeting, she often can’t just stop what she is doing. So we want to know how women are managing their symptoms in these kinds of situations.”


engaged...

In doing so, she has presented at the pre-eminent annual global conference for her area of research. She has also won $1000 in prize money for her research presentation on menopause as the Best Overall Research Presentation, for the Faculty of Arts and Business at the USC Research Week 2012, and presented her research findings at the recent TEDX conference at Gympie. www.tedxgympie.com

Just do it!To cap it all off, while at the conference, Prue and Roxane were approached by Springer Publishing to write a book of edited chapters. They are currently in development discussions for the proposal.

Prue notes the importance of preparation and the willingness to take opportunities as a key factor in maximising openings for engagement. Also important is the commitment to give things ‘a go’.

One of the impressions Prue is keen to share from her international conference experience with other researchers at USC is that just because USC is a small university and Australia is a long way from anywhere—if you know your material and topic—it doesn’t matter where you are from!

“ Just because USC is a small university and Australia is a long way from anywhere—if you know your material—it doesn’t matter where you are from! ”

Dr Prue Millear, Lecturer Psychology, School of Social Sciences, USC

Finding participantsThe survey was distributed using internal and external networks and social networking channels. Although Prue and Roxane knew there was limited research into the topic, they were both pleasantly surprised by the level of interest the study generated. The number of women that responded from so many different parts of the world was an encouraging confirmation of the timeliness of the research.

A USC community member who is also a GP approached Prue after hearing about the study through the USC network, with the purpose of becoming involved. As a result of this collaboration, additional data has been collected from a number of medical practices on the Sunshine Coast—capturing a clinical sample as well as a community one.

Prue emphasises that although the research project has hit a nerve with women, the background development of the research has been underway for quite some time.

Working across time zonesPrue met Roxane more than three years ago at a previous conference. They had similar research interests and a similar outlook to managing research projects. Rather than let that initial meeting pass by un-actioned, both women made a concerted effort to collaborate further.

Since meeting, Prue and Roxane have kept in touch and in the last 12 months have worked to develop their research project through regular (often weekly) meetings conducted over Skype.

The benefit for both has been the opportunity to pursue and investigate interesting and timely research that resonates with women from many different nations and cultures. Prue commented that an important part of making this opportunity happen was due to her confidence in both her ability as an academic and her work situation; research is integral to her job.

Choosing to engageEngaging is a choice according to Prue. Although she acknowledges that some people are naturally more gregarious and find introducing themselves to people they do not know easier than others might, it still comes down to a decision on behalf of the individual to engage or not.

By making the decision to go to that first conference back in 2008, by developing her friendship and professional relationship with Roxane, and by delivering timely and topical research that resonated with many women, Prue has built upon one opportunity to make many more.

Dr Prue Millear, Lecturer Psychology, USC, presenting another stream of her research at the 10th EAOHP Conference at ETH, Zurich.

Dr Prue Millear with Dr Roxane Gervais, Zurich, 2012.


engaged...

Dimension Five — Widening participation (equality and diversity)

Widening participation is focused on improving equality and diversity in the student population. This is particularly important for USC with its stated focus on increasing the participation rates of students from a low SES background.


Disability transitions

Closing the educational gap with support networksBronwyn Crowther is working towards streamlining the educational transition for students with a disability through the Sunshine Coast Disability Transitions group.

On the Sunshine Coast, there are a number of organisations committed to creating opportunities for those people living in the community with a disability to access education and employment services.

Bronwyn Crowther and her team at the University of the Sunshine Coast Disability Services highlighted the benefits that linking Sunshine Coast disability support services across the region would have for those seeking further education. As a result of this initiative Sunshine Coast Disability Transitions was created to streamline transitioning for people with a disability, particularly within the education system. The organisation has the purpose of guiding and supporting those in the community with a disability towards achieving education and employment outcomes.

Support for school leaversFor school leavers with a disability, there are a number of key support organisations on the Sunshine Coast committed to assisting with the transition from school to meaningful employment. With an increasing number of students with a disability choosing to pursue tertiary education, it was brought to the attention of disability support officers at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) that there was an inadequacy in services available to assist with transition from school to university or TAFE. To close this educational gap and provide equitable access for all school leavers, the establishment of a linking program to improve the provision of disabilities services in the region was proposed.

In collaboration with the National Disability Coordination Officer (NDCO) STEPS, a meeting was organised, inviting Sunshine Coast disability support groups as well as TAFE, Education Queensland, the Sunshine Coast Council, Centrelink, and the employment sector to discuss how to best address and bridge the educational gap.

As a result of the meeting and the overwhelming support from local organisations, the Sunshine Coast Disability Transitions (SCDT) group was established with the goal of streamlining the transitioning process for school leavers with a disability into employment and educational institutions.

Bronwyn Crowther, USC Disability Services.


engaged...

Getting the word outSince its establishment, the SCDT group has been instrumental in the development of two major ‘options’ community events. Held at the Maroochydore Community Centre and TAFE, the forums offered an opportunity for educational and employment organisations to come together in one location to provide information, discuss streamlining opportunities, and highlight future possibilities for people with a disability to positively engage. Following on from these forums, an event that targeted tertiary students, Life After University—Are you Ready transition workshop, was held in September 2012 for USC students with a disability.

Engaging with stakeholders In the development of the SCDT group, professional boundaries have been identified between each of the contributing disability support services, in particular the roles and functions of all organisations involved in the program. Bronwyn suggests that this process has proven to be an effective means of engaging the SCDT stakeholders as a sense of group cohesiveness has been observed.

To aid in the engagement of relevant stakeholders, Bronwyn and her team have used a community engagement framework as a guide. By implementing components of the framework, Bronwyn has been able to ensure that all stakeholders are provided with information about what is required to achieve effective and worthwhile practice.

Bronwyn considers herself to be fortunate that she has not encountered any negative barriers during the development of the SCDT group. She attributes this to the shared vision of all involved organisations. The businesses which are currently subscribed to the engagement project all place a high value on positive, well organised and goal orientated community practice. The SCDT group’s purpose underpins these values, hence the success of the program to date.

While all subscribed organisations are committed to delivering an effective and highly supportive program, Bronwyn has been proactive in developing strategies to deal with any challenges which may arise to negatively impact the network. She maintains the key to effective relationships is honest and transparent communication, as well as keeping all network members informed about events and new developments.

Application of the SCDT group at USCThe development of the SCDT group has had a positive flow on effect for USC, particularly in regards to the services provided to support students with a disability. Since the network was established, Bronwyn has felt confident in referring students with a disability to the appropriate organisations because now she has a more thorough understanding of their role, and what services they are able to provide.

Equitable access is now high on the service delivery agenda at USC. Since the SCDT group was formed, a host of new support programs have been implemented, or are currently being developed, to support students with a disability and to ensure they are able to get the most from their education.

Patrick Walden, a recent graduate of USC.

Sunshine Coast Disability Transitions group—Linking Sunshine Coast disability support services for the achievement of education and employment outcomes.


Alternative entry

An alternative entry pathway to study at USC Dr David McKay is committed to the continuing success of the Tertiary Preparation Pathway at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

When first offered as a course of study in Semester 2 2006, the Tertiary Preparation Pathway had an enrolment of just 60 students. Fast forward to 2011, and more than 1000 students had enrolled in the pathway, a sure sign of the pathway’s relevance to the Sunshine Coast community.

For those who did not finish school or have not been in a classroom for a long time, the Tertiary Preparation Pathway (TPP) is a great opportunity to ease into study. The TPP gives students a chance to experience university life before committing to an undergraduate degree. Dr David McKay has been instrumental in developing the program and overseeing its continued success at USC.

Making university accessibleDavid heads the Tertiary Preparation Pathway (TPP) program at USC, an alternative entry pathway to undergraduate degree study. The TPP equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in undergraduate studies. Though only running for a few years, the TPP has been nationally recognised for its excellence in improving educational access, participation and outcomes for diverse communities within the wider Sunshine Coast area by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, the Federal Government’s peak body responsible for learning and teaching excellence in Australian universities. The TPP allows students to experience university life before committing to a degree program, although courses completed through TPP cannot be used as credit towards a degree. TPP courses are fully supported by the Australian Government for domestic students.

The number of students who enrol in the TPP and the wide age range and socio- economic status (SES) indicate the capacity of the pathway to engage with students who would otherwise see university education as out of reach.

Around 35–40% of TPP students are recent school leavers; 60–65% are spread between the ages of 21 to 39; and 5–10% of students who enrol are aged 40 and over, demonstrating the wide reach of the program. The TPP was originally only available at USC’s Sippy Downs campus, but as student numbers have increased, classes are now run from Gympie, Caboolture and Noosa. It is also important to note that while all students enrol in the TPP to prepare themselves for undergraduate study and to increase their confidence and chances of high achievement in the undergraduate environment, about 80% need the TPP to gain a score for undergraduate entry.

The TPP team have formed relationships with external key stakeholders that include a number of regional entities, such as Centrelink, United Synergies, Integrated Family and Youth Service (IFYS), and school guidance counsellors who often refer their clients to enrol in the TPP.

Dr David McKay, Senior Lecturer Biotechnology and Program Leader, Tertiary Preparation Pathway, USC.


engaged...

Positive outcomes for staff and students are keyAs the Program Leader for the TPP, David encourages TPP staff to teach not just in TPP, but in other undergraduate courses. TPP staff come from across all USC faculties and David believes that the focus of the TPP should be to contribute to the University in terms of engagement and scholarship as well as teaching.

Furthermore, TPP staff are well qualified, either as registered teachers or having higher degrees, such as a PhD, or both. Many of the TPP staff have received University medals in a number of areas including teaching excellence and scholarship. Just as importantly, staff teaching in TPP are highly committed and they work hard to make students’ time in the TPP as valuable as possible as they prepare them for undergraduate study. In David’s experience, successful student engagement requires the emphasis to be on student outcomes.

David is a scientist specialising in molecular microbiology and has a passion for teaching and learning. He is a registered teacher and has taught at both secondary and tertiary levels. He has been involved in attracting a number of teaching grants concerned with improving teaching and learning in the secondary science area, including biotechnology in the classroom, where high school students employ recombinant DNA technology to clone a gene, and Innovate Now, where university students teach in primary science.

Through established long term networks in the schooling and university sectors, David has developed relationships with key stakeholders. Importantly, David notes that choosing partners with whom you are able to develop a good rapport is essential to success.

Since its start in Semester 2, 2006, almost three thousand students have enrolled in the Tertiary Preparation Pathway, with many going on to successful undergraduate study.

Tabitha’s story

“ I commenced TPP study in 2010 as part of the STEMM * program at Burnside High School. At the time my children were 3 and 1 years old. After having been out of study for quite some time, TPP was the perfect way for me to not only get back into study, but to learn new and more effective study techniques.

I had never even written an essay before! It was difficult at first with my children being so young, so I took it slow, one subject at a time. By the time I started my nursing degree I felt much more prepared than I would have done had I not done TPP. I had already learnt my way around the Uni, referencing, essays and exams. I felt confident and ready to begin my degree. All the tutors who supported me through my study were fantastic, patient people whom I still call on if I need help.”* STEMM—Supporting Teenagers with Education, Mothering and Mentoring

Tertiary Preparation Pathway students.


Indigenous Services, located in the Buranga Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), work to support the University-wide vision for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Australian South Sea Islander students to enjoy the same life opportunities as non-Indigenous Australians in a society which values equality, diversity and the contributions of all.

Closing the gapIn her role as an Indigenous Services Officer (Engagement) at USC, Carly O’Brien acts as the primary liaison between Indigenous Services and the University community, providing guidance and working collaboratively to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Within this role, Carly also engages with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, businesses, schools and TAFE to improve access, participation and retention for Indigenous students and represents USC in the Murri Pathways program.

Launched in 2008, Murri Pathways is a Closing the Gap community outreach and engagement program conducted in partnership with Education QLD–North Coast Indigenous Education Unit. The program specifically targets Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students and aims to increase awareness of the educational and career options available to students during and after high school.

The Murri Pathways program invites presenters from educational, employment and apprenticeship/traineeship organisations, to spend a half day, per year at each of the schools participating in the program. Schools are located from as far north as Bundaberg, and include the Wide Bay–Burnett region, the Sunshine Coast and areas within Moreton Bay Regional Council area.

Relationships that positively influenceLast year, the USC team visited 34 schools and were able to present information and facilitate Q&A sessions, to reach approximately 800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students. Through these workshops, general information about USC and the culturally appropriate services offered by the Buranga Centre was provided.

Some of the key observations supplied from Education QLD—North Coast Indigenous Education Unit following the conclusion of the 2012 program included:

• there are 1,932 students enrolled at the schools visited, indicating that 41% of indigenous students attended Murri Pathways Presentations,• prior to the presentations most students seemed to believe that University or TAFE

as pathways are unobtainable. The presentations were successful in changing these perceptions, • several students commented that hearing the presenters personal pathways were of

great benefit, and• the majority of contacts in the schools commented that they saw Murri Pathways

as a great initiative and of great value to the students.

Murri pathways

Carly O’Brien, Indigenous Services Officer (Engagement), Buranga Centre, USC.

Changing perceptions of Indigenous YouthThe Murri Pathways program highlights the possibilities of higher education.

Through the Murri Pathways program, Carly O’Brien and the University of the Sunshine Coast Indigenous Services team are building relationships with Indigenous students by highlighting the possibilities of higher education.


engaged...

Carly explains that in presenting to the students, she and her team focused on facilitating interactive two-way communication that provided information that was easy to understand, relevant and interesting. They were careful not to ‘talk at’ the students but rather with them, with an emphasis placed on the options and possible outcomes that can come from university study for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Students were engaged through asking questions designed to get them thinking about where university can lead them and by breaking down some of the stigmas, perceptions and beliefs around university not being a place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Some students may have an interest in a certain profession, but not realise the path they need to take in order to achieve these dreams. Others may not see a university education as being realistic and attainable, or they may not know anyone who has attended, or they may lack the self-belief needed to take charge of their future.

When introducing themselves, the team tell the students where they are from and who their language group/clan is, as well as sharing a story about their journey into university study. Carly comments that this helps the students to envision themselves following a tertiary education pathway, as they can see another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person standing in front of them, who may come from a similar background. It is extremely important for the team to adhere to cultural protocols. The Buranga Centre staff commence all Murri Pathways presentations with an Acknowledgement of Country to pay respects to the traditional custodians of the land on which they meet, as well as thanking any elders and community members who may be present for taking the time to attend.

Further developmentsAlthough a formal evaluation of the outcomes of the Murri Pathways program has not yet been conducted, word of mouth has established that quite a number of enrolling students have indicated that they had attended a Murri Pathways presentation in their school, and that this contributed to their decision to attend university at USC. A formalised reporting tool has been developed for implementation in 2013 to document accountability and outcomes from these types of engagement activities. Murri Pathways logo.

The Murri Pathways program, although an important engagement activity, does not offer the level of one on one relationship building that the Buranga Centre team would like to develop. Building trust and strengthening relationships with the students, parents and elders is a key element in breaking down many of the barriers and stigmas that prevent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from considering a university education. In Indigenous communities it is often an extended range of family who are involved in the raising of children and the decisions around their futures. For this reason it is important for the team to connect with not only the parents, but Aunts, Uncles and Elders too. By doing so, they can highlight the culturally appropriate support that USC and the Buranga Centre can offer school leavers who are thinking of moving away from their community to undertake their tertiary studies.

In order to overcome some of these issues and gain stronger connections with potential students, a major program of engagement has been developed for commencement in 2013 building on the capacity Murri Pathways offers.

“ Successful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is built from the genuine effort to foster true relationships with students, their parents and the community. These relationships should provide the students with the necessary resources to build self-empowerment and confidence in the decisions they make regarding their own futures. ”

Carly O’Brien, Indigenous Services Officer, Buranga Centre, USC


engaged...

Dimension Six — Encouraging economic regeneration and enterprise in social engagement

USC is well placed to benefit the wider Sunshine Coast community through university–industry relationships, strengthening existing institutions of civil society, encouraging and facilitating new cultural values and social cohesion or generating new possibilities for local, national and global opportunities.


Productive partnerships

Business and student partnerships for mutual successThrough the UniConnect program, USC students are building strong relationships with local businesses to improve future employment prospects for the area.

Since 2007, the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast (ICSC) has partnered with the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) to deliver UniConnect, a program that facilitates greater, more beneficial engagements between USC students and local businesses.

UniConnect aims to build added value connections between businesses based at the ICSC and the University. The major objective of the program is to assist USC students and faculty staff to find and enter work placements that will extend the student’s learning experience. UniConnect also aims to assist local businesses develop projects for work experience students that will be of significant, long term benefit to the business, encourage local businesses to access USC’s student pool when seeking new employees, and facilitate potential Research and Development (R&D) partnerships between businesses and USC.

Students at the ICSC.

A good fitSince 2009, the ICSC has facilitated 89 internships and work experience placements for students, and secured 65 full or part-time employment positions for USC students and graduates with ICSC companies. These USC students and graduates are undertaking a variety of technical and commercial roles, including competitor analysis, graphic design, market research, search-engine optimisation, software development and testing, and web development.

Over the last two years, over 1500 students have engaged with the ICSC and its associated businesses through lectures and various events.

The ICSC also runs a number of alternative lecture and learning opportunities to support the goals of UniConnect.

Reciprocal benefitsA major contributor to the success of UniConnect is the quality of USC students and graduates. Local businesses continue to take on USC students and graduates for work experience or part-time and full-time positions because they believe they are tapping into a pool of professionals with the required technical skills, enthusiasm and fresh thinking to make a positive contribution to the business.

UniConnect is also structured in a way that ensures all stakeholders receive significant benefit from their involvement. Students value the opportunity to apply their newfound skills and knowledge in a real world environment. Businesses are better equipped to take advantage of the wealth of new ideas and enthusiasm the students bring to their placements.

The positive working relationship between USC and the ICSC has ensured the program continues year after year. USC values workplace integrated learning, and appreciates the ICSC’s position to facilitate placements. Likewise, the ICSC values the USC staff’s breadth of knowledge in a diverse range of fields and their strong relationships with the students. This engagement with their students gives them the insight needed to ensure that students are placed in a business whose needs closely align to the student’s skillset.

Innovation Centre’s roleThe ICSC is in a strong position to facilitate the UniConnect program, as its role as a University-based business incubator puts it firmly between the business and academic fields. The ICSC is able to leverage its close relationships with emerging businesses to facilitate meaningful work placements. The ICSC also has an extensive alumni and associate network. This network is encouraged to continue accessing USC student placements through UniConnect.

ICSC staff’s primary role is to facilitate the program by offering advice on the recruitment and selection process, and how best to fill a position. They also post vacancies for USC students and graduates and circulate details of vacancies to USC students and appropriate academic staff.


engaged...

UniConnect facilitates local businesses to partner with USC on specific research and development projects. These businesses value USC’s commitment to building its research activities by working with businesses in areas of mutual interest. As engagement between the University and the business community strengthens, so do the opportunities to partner on the development of innovative solutions for global challenges.

A successful placementSamantha Jones contacted UniConnect in 2012 to seek out a work placement that would extend her studies in marketing and communications. After considering her application, the ICSC determined that Samantha was perfectly placed to fill a current skills gap within the ICSC.

Samantha managed the marketing and communications for the ICSC over the course of a semester, initially as a work placement and then as a paid employee. In addition to coordinating the ICSC’s marketing activities and calendar of events, Samantha took the initiative to drive the ICSC’s social media presence, which significantly increased business applications to the ICSC.

She was part of a team of six USC students that worked with events management professionals to deliver the ICSC’s 10 Year Anniversary event. The event attracted over 300 local entrepreneurs and business owners, and was widely regarded as a success.

Samantha left the ICSC in late 2012 to pursue an exciting opportunity to further her studies in the United States. While with the ICSC, her skills, drive and positive attitude made her an invaluable part of the team. She developed a number of processes that streamlined the role to significantly improve productivity, and documented activities and outcomes to ensure her replacement could hit the ground running.

Diversifying engagementThroughout 2012, the ICSC explored new models for engaging businesses and students through UniConnect. In conjunction with the Faculty of Arts and Business, the ICSC implemented a major prize package for an outstanding Executive Masters of Business Administration postgraduate student. In December of 2012 the inaugural prize was awarded to Sue Crossley of Leaktech Hydro. The prize package, which includes access to business mentoring and shared office space, is designed to facilitate collaborative engagement between the winner and the ICSC’s existing clients.

Challenges for the futureTo date, UniConnect has only been run with business located at the ICSC. There exists a significant opportunity to extend the reach of the program to businesses without a current affiliation to USC or the ICSC. The ICSC is currently exploring new models for the UniConnect program that will extend its reach further into the community to provide greater outcomes.

Some of the occupants of the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast, USC.


Entrepreneurship

Collaboration across culturesBuilding entrepreneurship across the Sunshine Coast through international research partnerships.

With 56 published research papers available in the USC Research Bank, and 45 of those focused on business and management, Dr Rod Farr-Wharton is an established authority on building social capital within organisations.

A desire to see regional economies thrive and grow is a driving force behind Dr Rod Farr-Wharton’s academic interests. Entrepreneurship and innovation are key attributes for the development of creative ideas which in turn create good jobs, a necessity for the sustainable prosperity of smaller regional economies.

A good place to startWithin the South-East Queensland region, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are significant drivers of economic growth and job creation. The region is also home to seven universities which, along with the highly educated workforce, provide a valuable knowledge base from which it is possible to improve business innovation and growth.

The human capital is already in place however strategies to increase capacity are needed.

Networks and knowledge exchangeRod has built up significant networks in areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and social enterprise internationally in his work as an academic and as a consultant to large organisations. Through these networks and from regular contact with other academics in the field, Rod has been involved for many years in investigating new ways of doing business and of collaborating with governments at all levels to develop regional business depth.

One of Rod’s research interests is concerned with evidence based comparative work on the development of SMEs, especially how networks and knowledge exchange can benefit these businesses. This is important in the Australian context as Australia is dominated by SMEs. However, much of the research around business networking and the capacity of this activity to enhance the sharing of innovative ideas is centred on large firms, with a lack of information available that can assist with understanding the motivations and barriers to smaller businesses who engage in networking activities.

Fertile groundSouth-East Queensland generates many new-start enterprises each year. The challenge is to understand the important drivers of growth and success for these firms that will then enable a larger proportion to go on to survive and/or achieve some size. Therefore, creating the right enterprise environment and conditions for this is important.

Enterprise networks and precincts help stimulate and support SME creation, survival and growth. The combination of a supportive business environment and networks for SMEs to come together provides the basis for developing strength and resilience in the SEQ economy.

Enterprise support and inter-firm networks have become powerful instruments for building economic capacity that enables local small enterprise to compete in the global marketplace. However, earlier research by Rod found that the type of network that leads to competitive cooperation relies heavily on SME owner/managers’ level of trust in the other business owner/managers within their network. Rod has found that this level of trust is particularly poor in Australia when compared to similar networks in other countries.

What can we learn?The Italian regions of Veneto and Milan traditionally have a narrow economic base and businesses in these regions predominantly have a SME business profile—much like the Sunshine Coast. These regions have demonstrated over the last decade that governments and universities can collaborate to create an economic renaissance through the encouragement of economic regeneration and enterprise. In the Veneto region of Italy alone, there has been a 25 per cent increase in regional economic output, and a 14 per cent decrease in unemployment over the last ten years. This is due to harnessing small business enterprise through effective government policy backed by evidence based research.

Rod notes that we could learn a lot from these two regions. Economic development in Italy has a 20 to 30 year viewpoint, much more long term than many Australian economic development initiatives. Also government and academia typically work very closely together. By working with academics in these two regions and building upon previous research findings, Rod is planning to develop a framework that will assist with SME networking and enterprise development within the Sunshine Coast.


engaged...

Dr Rod Farr-Wharton, Program Leader, Entrepreneurship, Senior Lecturer, Innovation and Entrepreneurship back left, and from front left, students Jan Niemeyer, Josua Bayerlein and Amir Khaled. Behind the group with Dr Farr-Wharton is academic Retha De Villiers Scheepers.

The role of trust in the development of social capital has been a recurring theme in Rod’s research of both Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and of large firms with entrenched organisational cultures. For SMEs, the ability to trust business networking partners assists in the development of innovation.

How to make it happenProfessor Bresolin from Ca Foscari University in the Veneto region of Italy has collaborated with Rod for more than six years. Professor Bresolin’s economic initiatives were adopted by the local government in Veneto some time ago and these policies are largely credited with the resurgence in economic activity in this region of Italy in recent years. Similarly Professor Brusoni from Bocconi University in Milan has previously partnered with Rod

on research that looks at trust and altruism in business networks and has expertise in ‘reinventing’ enterprise development in the Milan region.

By linking with these Italian academics, both with significant experience in enhancing business networks for the benefit of regional economies, Rod can leverage targeted knowledge to benefit the local Sunshine Coast economy in a sustainable way over the long term. Rod also aims to involve local government as a key stakeholder in the

research. Regular communication between the research team and Sunshine Coast Council Economic Development officers will not only share the findings, but also ensure that the research team secures the input of local officers ‘on the ground’.

Rod has ‘been there, done that’ and is in a stage of his career where he is focused on giving back. He is motivated by working on projects that make a difference to a region, to businesses and to individuals.


engaged...

Dimension Seven — Institutional relationship and partnership building

This dimension is focused on how USC operates and organises itself to meet its pubic engagement objectives through corporate level activities. It seeks to capture the public good generated by university–community collaboration.


Senior living

Putting the elderly on the academic agenda Dr Claudia Baldwin has been recognised for her ongoing commitment to the Sunshine Coast senior community and their living standards through the presentation of two major awards.

In early December 2012, Dr Claudia Baldwin received the University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Research—Early Career Researcher. The Vice-Chancellor and President’s Awards for Excellence provide opportunities to recognise and reward exceptional performance and achievements that extend beyond reasonable expectations in the key areas of: learning and teaching; research; engagement and service.

In the same month a research publication authored by Claudia, a USC PhD candidate and an industry partner received The Planning Institute of Australia (Qld Division) Award for Cutting Edge Research and Teaching. The research publication, Infill Development for Older Australians in South East Queensland, outdid a field of high quality research from larger universities and institutions across the state to win the award and will now be considered for a national award to be decided in Canberra in March, 2013.

What seniors want!University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) research in collaboration with industry partners has challenged common assumptions on the type of housing older Australians prefer to live in. The research involving more than 40 seniors living in the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane found that seniors valued being close to public transport, services and casual employment opportunities, just as young people did.

However, the research very nearly did not go ahead.

USC EngagementUSC Teaching and Research staff are required to consider ‘engagement’ in their workload discussions for their Performance, Planning and Review goals, as university–community engagement is a core element of the USC Vision Statement. During 2009 Claudia participated in the Affordable Housing Taskforce as part of her engagement activities. The taskforce was sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Council and was headed by former Sunshine Coast Councillor Anna Grosskreutz. This commitment outside of Claudia’s university teaching and research schedule involved participating in numerous meetings and discussions and sharing her expertise for the purpose of building community capacity.

Claudia tries ‘to make the most of the effort I put into things’ and over the duration of her involvement, she started to ask herself, “What more could I do with this?”

What more could be contributed to the community as a flow on from the taskforce and/or what professional involvement could she develop from the experience?

A plan is developedA key finding of the Housing Affordability Taskforce was that there is limited choice of housing available in the Sunshine Coast region for seniors. The Sunshine Coast region has a higher proportion of seniors when compared to other major urban areas in Australia and the issue of housing preferences for seniors appeared to be under researched. Claudia investigated the literature and found this to be the case. She then contacted other academics and potential industry partners in her networks that had research interests in this area, eventually making up a small team. Together they started the arduous process of applying for an Australian Research Council (ARC) grant through the Office of Research at USC. The aim of the research was to explore the unknown elements of senior housing options, and to determine how seniors were reacting to urban infill development.

Dr Claudia Baldwin, Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Planning Studies, USC.


engaged...

Tenacity of purposeDuring the course of the application for the ARC grant, Claudia and the team were advised that due to the competitive nature of the grants, it was very unlikely that their research proposal would succeed. Rather than give up, and confident that the project was a valuable contribution to the body of research in this area, Claudia approached the industry partners of the project. She suggested that for the same financial and in-kind contribution from these partners, the research could be conducted over one year rather than the three years proposed in the ARC grant as long as a full-time research assistant could be secured. The industry partners were agreeable to this proposal and the project continued.

Claudia’s ARC application was approved, and the project had the full support of USC’s Office of Research to continue as a research application. The research question was valid and the research proposed to use an innovative methodology to capture data. It needs to be noted here that a lot of work from Claudia was required to ensure the continued participation of the industry partners—commercial organisations are not used to the level of ethical oversight that universities need to deliver. To ensure that the project commenced in a timely fashion, Claudia needed to follow up consistently with all the documentation required by USC from the industry partners.

Further benefitsFollowing the successful completion of the project, Claudia and her team wished to publish the research report as a book; however the publisher advised them that due to the large number of photographs, this would be a very expensive undertaking. Rather than leave it at that, Claudia organised publishing the book as a freely available e-book, as the project was partially funded by local and state government bodies and was of public benefit. The industry partners agreed and the book is now available as an e-book, thus fulfilling Claudia’s academic requirement for publication. Claudia notes that the constant balancing of academic outcomes and commercial realities is a source of tension, however one that is overcome with good management and a sound sense of purpose.

The research report Infill Development for Older Australians in South East Queensland can be freely accessed at www.usc.edu.au/seniorliving. The report is authored by Dr Claudia Baldwin, Senior Lecturer in Environmental and Planning Studies at USC, USC PhD candidate Caroline Osborne and Phil Smith, Associate Director (Urban Design) of the architectural and design firm Deicke Richards.

Dr Claudia Baldwin received two significant awards at the close of 2012 for her research work; the USC Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Research—Early Career Researcher and The Planning Institute of Australia (Qld Division) Award for Cutting Edge Research and Teaching.

(L to R) Caroline Osborne PhD candidate USC, Dr Claudia Baldwin and Phil Smith, Associate Director Deicke Richards, with their award winning report ‘Infill Development for Older Australians in South East Queensland’.


Alumni network

Network, network, network! Linking into the USC network of outstanding graduates.

While graduation symbolises a new chapter in each student’s life, it does not mark the end of their association with the University of the Sunshine Coast. For many graduates, the value of their degree is not just in the qualification, but in belonging to the University’s alumni network, a project overseen by Anita Edmonds.

In her role, Anita designs, develops and implements the Alumni Relations program which includes strategy, communications, events, database management, volunteers and internal/external stakeholder collaboration for the mutual benefit of the University and its alumni. An integral component of Anita’s role is organising the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Awards which showcases the contribution and success of University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) graduates.

Recognising outstanding AlumniAlumni Relations is an activity of the Development Office, established in 1998 to assist the University in its growth and enhancement by garnering donor support and providing valuable networking opportunities for alumni, community members, and friends of the University.

The Outstanding Alumni of the Year Awards were introduced in 2005 as an annual awards program to recognise and acknowledge successful USC graduates and to celebrate USC’s continuing contribution to the advancement of the Sunshine Coast region and beyond.

The Awards are an important way of enhancing USC’s reputation and building relationships with alumni, donors, supporters, community and staff. Several high profile Australians have been recipients of the awards; the inaugural award in 2005 went to alumni paralympian Marayke Jonkers and in 2006 Australian and World Iron-woman, Kristy Ellis (nee Munroe). These high profile USC graduates helped to establish the program.

Each year Anita calls for nominations from the wider USC community to recommend graduates for the Awards. Once decided, recipients are recognised at the Outstanding Alumni Awards Ceremony, a key USC engagement activity involving alumni, donors, staff, University supporters and the general community. In addition to highlighting the achievements of alumni, the award ceremony includes an update on USC activities and initiatives by the University leadership.

In September 2012 USC celebrated the 7th annual Outstanding Alumni of the Year Awards. The award winners for 2012 were Suzie Burford, who manages the International Projects Group at USC and oversees the delivery of international community developments; Tristan Kurz, who is an inspiring young business and philanthropic leader in the Sunshine Coast region; and Dr Laura Bray, who was until recently working as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Queensland Eye Institute under the supervision of the man who invented the artificial cornea, Professor Traian V. Chirila.

USC Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award winners (from L to R), Suzie Burford, Dr Laura Bray and Tristan Kurz.

Anita Edmonds, Alumni Relations, USC.


engaged...

Continual improvementSince joining USC in 2006, Anita has worked towards expanding the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award into a stand-alone event, which she achieved in 2007. Anita has continually developed the program, including the coordination of a streamlined internal program, developing a significant and recognised event, and setting up new systems to manage data and raise awareness through targeted communications. Anita comments that alumni are one the largest group of advocates and influencers for the future of the University and the program is focused on long-term capacity building.

Some methods of raising awareness are relatively straight forward, such as using mass alumni communication channels including email, social media and direct mail, however targeted alumni communication can be more challenging to achieve. The Awards assist in linking USC to alumni networks by raising the reputation of USC and identifying and cultivating potential supporters and donors. By way of illustration, Anita noted that both the parents of one recent attendee were doctors. This connection provided these members of the medical profession with insights into the credibility of the research capacity of USC through listening to the profile of a science PhD recipient and an update of the University from the Vice-Chancellor and President at the awards ceremony.

A growing profileThe number of award nominations has increased each year, from Marayke Jonkers in 2005, to 15 nominations in 2012. The event is also becoming recognised within the Sunshine Coast community with the number of attendees swelling from 50 at the first stand-alone ceremony in 2007, to 120 in 2012. Each year the event is reviewed to expand on outcomes and/or adapt to internal changes. For example, the recent faculty restructure in early 2012 affected award categories which needed to be restructured.

Anita notes that the outcomes have been better than expected for such a new university and that the relationship with recipients has resulted in donations and beneficial networks for USC, although finding eligible recipients for such a young university, as well as receiving sufficient nomination participation can be challenging.

Maintaining enthusiasm As Anita effectively runs the Alumni Relations program on her own, it is important to schedule time to develop contacts with those in similar positions in other universities and/or charitable organisations. Attending professional development workshops and conferences on fundraising and alumni relations are one way to achieve this. These events provide Anita with an important tool to maintain best practice knowledge as well as reinforcing and confirming what is working well, and where there may be room for improvement.

The challenge is to get the foundations right through accurate data management and effective, consistent communication. Anita also observes the importance of raising awareness in an ongoing manner of the benefits of working together, so as to leverage the engagement objectives of internal stakeholders as well as the wider Sunshine Coast community.

“ The media coverage associated with the annual Outstanding Alumni of the Year ceremony raises the profile of USC in the community and the event provides an effective tool for tracking high achieving alumni. ”

Anita Edmonds, Alumni Relations, USC


Knowledge hub

Partnering for healthy outcomesDelivery of the world scale Sunshine Coast University Hospital precinct through planning, collaboration and foresight.

On Tuesday 11 December 2012, the University of the Sunshine Coast signed a historic agreement with the State Government and other parties that secured the University’s involvement in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for the next 25 years.

Teaching and research will be integral to the new hospital. The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) alongside Sunshine Coast TAFE and other partners will create a teaching and research ‘knowledge hub’ within the hospital precinct—the Skills and Academic Research Centre (SARC). This dedicated collaborative space will provide opportunities for health professionals to develop new knowledge and contribute to best practice patient care.

(L to R) Peter Sullivan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Corporate Services) and Chief Financial Officer, USC; Kevin Hegarty, Chief Executive, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service; and Professor Mike Hefferan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) and Professor of Property, USC.

Scale of project The entire hospital project represents a capital cost of $1.8 billion with operating costs in excess of $450 million a year. The SARC research component, of which USC was invited to be a Foundation Partner, presented a total value, including State Government funding, of approximately $120 million.

Forward planningPlanning commenced in 2009, with commitments to be made in 2012 for activities that would begin in 2016 and continue for 25 years after that. The risk profile and the need to balance financial certainty with reasonable flexibility in the development of the project were critical.

The Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) is a vital infrastructure project for the Sunshine Coast region, important both for healthcare and the region’s economy. It was essential that the University play a key role. Some early challenges to emerge were:

• The scale of the hospital and the scope of USC’s involvement,• The requirement of complex analysis to justify USC’s commitment, involving detailed

business planning and modelling,• The delivery of the project was to be through a public/private partnership (PPP) and it

therefore demanded very high levels of probity and commercial security, and • The need to integrate USC’s requirements with other organisations, particularly QLD Health

and other universities and parties.

CollaborationThe complex documents, including the financial commitments that went with them, were the result of approximately three years work by a team drawn from across the University and a range of specialist consultants.

“In any project, you have got to get the

objectives and strategy right up front—

anything else is damage control.” Peter Sullivan, Pro Vice-Chancellor, (Corporate Services) and Chief Financial Officer, University of the Sunshine Coast.

When completed, the shared teaching and research space, SARC, will have approximately 10,000 m2 of space for the exclusive use of USC. Other areas, such as laboratories and auditoriums will be shared with other research partners. The management of this collaborative space was jointly agreed upon early in the negotiations as a matter of priority, with various USC academics and support staff being invited to provide feedback into the design and practical requirements of the space through a number of workshops.


engaged...

The basis of success to dateThe SCUH still has three years before it fully commences operation and the overall success of this collaborative effort will only be assessable at some future point. Nevertheless, the project has gone well to date and even the almost inevitable issues and difficulties that beset such large projects have not been the result of any fault or lack of commitment by USC. The reputation of USC as a trusted regional partner who will deliver has been enhanced.

“the bigger the project the more you need faith and trust in your partners—and we have that in UsC.” Kevin Hegarty, Chief Executive, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service

USC is now very well placed to assess possible new study programs and/or new research themes. Access to the SARC will also enhance opportunities for USC to partner with other institutions.

The key elements of the successful collaboration to date have been:

• The early establishment of the objectives and parameters of USC’s involvement—these did not change throughout the project,• The critical role of Facilities Management staff– in collecting

data for the layout and equipment for USC occupied space and in the later conceptualisation and input into the PPP bid proposals,• USC was represented by those who had the background and

experience to do so—and between them and the principal negotiators in the other organisations there was, and remains, a high level of personal trust and commitment to the success of the project—without the need to ‘win every point’,

“ The scale of this project is extraordinary, however the basic rules of project management—clear strategic goals, advanced detailed planning and teamwork have all helped produce successful outcomes. There are lessons in all of this for all of the engagement and project activities that we undertake. ”

Professor Mike Hefferan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) and Professor of Property, USC

• Components were addressed in parallel—for example room data sheets, management and operation principles were, as much as possible, bought to an advanced stage of agreement early in the process so that they did not present barriers during future stages of negotiation,• Internal to USC, communication lines were kept open with the

University Council (ensuring that there were ‘no surprises’), the Executive and with relevant academic staff,• Despite the importance of the project to USC, the University

was a relatively small participant. USC needed to ensure that deadlines were strictly met and documents closely controlled, and• A continuing close working relationship between USC project

staff—drawing from and trusting the expertise and knowledge of each other to secure the final successful outcome.

Artists impression Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH). Artists impression Skills, Academic and Research Centre (SARC).


Clinical placement

Gaining an edge through clinical placementsStudents who elect to complete a clinical placement as part of their Biomedical Science degree are gaining an edge in the job market

Dr Mark Holmes is passionate about seeking training and employment opportunities for the students studying Biomedical Science.

Rising to the challengeMark is the discipline leader of Biomedical Science at USC and oversees two undergraduate programs –the Bachelor in Biomedical Science, one of the first science programs established at the University; and an Associate Degree (2 years duration) in Medical Laboratory Science introduced for the first time in 2012.

Biomedical Science is a popular program area and is offered by most universities in Australia. Mark comments that students studying Biomedical Science at USC do so for a variety of reasons. Some students want to continue on to further research with a focus on PhD studies and others study to prepare for entry into postgraduate programs such as medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and pharmacy. However, the challenge for the Biomedical Science discipline has been finding employment opportunities for those students who want to work as medical scientists after they graduate.

Medical scientists work in a specialist area of medicine and are usually employed by diagnostic and research laboratories. They assist medical doctors and specialists by analysing human biological fluids, tissues and cells to inform the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. The Sunshine Coast region offers limited jobs in medical science and students often have to seek work in the larger metropolitan areas.

Since being appointed discipline leader at USC in 2007, Mark has worked with his team to introduce training opportunities for the Biomedical Science students to ‘give them an edge’ in a highly competitive job market. To do this, the discipline focused on two important medical areas—clinical measurements and clinical trials. They also embraced the University’s recommendation that students should be encouraged to undertake work-integrated learning during their undergraduate studies.

Gaining an edge through clinical placementsWhile clinical placement in industry is essential for many professional programs at university, it is quite a break from tradition for a ‘laboratory-focused’ biomedical science program. Mark started to investigate the possibility of developing a structured program of work-integrated learning or clinical placements for his students. He wanted to develop a stronger focus on practical experience in industry and also ensure that USC continued to offer an excellent alternative to the major Brisbane universities.

An opportunity opened up in 2007 when one of Mark’s former students, Dane Enkera, contacted him to enquire if there were any final year USC students that would be interested in undertaking a 10-week clinical placement and be trained as ‘entry-level’ clinical measurement scientists at the Princess Alexandra (PA) Hospital in Brisbane. Dane is a senior scientist at the PA Hospital in one of the largest cardiac diagnostics units in QLD.

Mark collaborated with Lyris Snowden, Associate Lecturer, Transition and Work Integrated Learning at USC, to establish a 10-week cardiac placement for the Biomedical Science program. Placements, or workplace learning electives, are a non-compulsory course that can be used towards a student’s degree program. Sometimes the placement is for a block amount of time, although often it is structured over two days a week for a semester. For the Biomedical Science students, however, Mark and Lyris incorporated a ‘triple placement’ that enabled the students to work in clinical areas in hospitals for 10-weeks full time.

Dr Mark Holmes and Biomedical Science student Matthew Shoesmith.

As a result of the connection with the PA Hospital, several of the USC Biomedical Science students have completed the clinical placement training and have now gained employment as cardiac scientists. The first student to complete the cardiac science placement was the youngest graduate to be employed in Australia by a large international medical device company. Three of the students are working in Sunshine Coast hospitals. Another student is currently travelling and working his way around the UK as a locum cardiac scientist. He has found that UK employers are very keen to employ Australian students with the 10-week placement as part of their degree and that he can earn much more than the usual Aussie backpacker wage!

In December of 2012, Mark received the Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, as recognition of his efforts that go well beyond reasonable expectations in the key USC area of learning and teaching.


engaged...

Trialling something newConducting clinical trials of new pharmaceuticals and clinical devices is an essential component of medical research globally. In Australia, clinical trials are worth about $1 billion each year and therefore offer a potential employment opportunity for USC Biomedical Science students. While most of the clinical trials in Australia are conducted in Victoria and New South Wales, there has been a marked increase in clinical trial activity in Queensland over the past few years.

In 2010, Mark introduced a short intensive course for Biomedical Science students; Introduction to Clinical Trial Management. The course is run in conjunction with ARCS Australia and includes a visit to the QPharm early phase clinical trial centre located at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. ARCS Australia is a Sydney based professional development association for people working in the development of therapeutic goods. The idea for the Clinical Trial course came about after discussions with Dr Karen Woolley, an Adjunct Professor at USC, CEO of ProScribe Medical Communications, and former President and Director of ARCS Australia. The Clinical Trial course allows USC students to develop industry aligned competencies before graduation and is designed to give them an advantage when competing for jobs.

Following completion of the intensive course, the students have the option of undertaking a 3-week placement in a clinical trial centre. In 2012, Mark placed six students in clinical trial centres at Nambour General Hospital and within major hospitals in Brisbane. Normally clinical trial centres do not place undergraduate students but the industry recognised that the USC students who completed the course had a good understanding of the clinical trial process in Australia. All of the students enjoyed their placement experience in the clinical trial centres and USC has been invited to place more students in 2013.

The personal touchMark personally meets with and discusses the work placement program with potential workplace facilitators prior to the placement. He has really enjoyed meeting with facilitators to ensure that USC provides a program that also benefits them. During the placement, Mark visits the student at work to ensure that everything is running smoothly for both the student and their facilitator. Trust is built as Mark makes himself accountable. The program is well organised and structured—the student knows what is expected of them and the work place knows what they need to deliver, a win-win for all involved.

Mark has continued to build up connections in clinical measurements with QLD hospitals and is now placing students in cardiac and sleep science at the PA Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Prince Charles Hospital and Nambour General Hospital. The clinical placements provide a wonderful training experience for those students wanting to develop a career as a medical scientist or to study medicine. Mark considers that the placement component offered as part of the program benefits all students, not just those wanting work at the completion of the degree. Mark cites a number of students who have commented on how beneficial the clinical placement was to their practical understanding of the medical profession, especially when sitting the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) or being interviewed for entry into a medical school.

Looking forwardLonger term Mark hopes to be placing students in other clinical areas such as respiratory science, ultrasound and neurophysiology. The Associate Degree in Medical Laboratory Science has also connected the University to the expanding pathology industry in QLD. The new Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) should offer some exciting opportunities for students interested in a career in medical science when it becomes operational in 2016. Fortunately Mark and his team recognised that there would be a need for a new hospital in the Sunshine Coast region several years ago and started to focus the USC Biomedical Science degree on meeting that potential need. This ensured that when the SCUH development was announced, USC was well placed to enter discussions about the design and function of the Skills and Academic Research Centre (SARC), a research centre attached to the SCUH that USC has a significant commitment to.

“ Several USC Biomedical Science students that have completed clinical placement training have now gained employment as cardiac scientists. The first student to complete the cardiac science placement was the youngest graduate to be employed in Australia by a large international medical device company. ”

Dr Mark Holmes, Biomedical Science Discipline Leader, USC

Biomedical Science PhD student Karina Hamilton.


Student ambassadors

USC — an inclusive universityDeveloping strong partnerships with schools within and outside the Sunshine Coast region is a key focus for the University of the Sunshine Coast and the External Relations team.

The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) has a current student population of around 8,000 and is on track to reach 15,000 students by 2015. As part of USC’s access and engagement goals, the University is committed to widening participation and enabling access to the USC experience. All individuals should have equal access to the benefits of the graduate premium—higher earning potential, increased longevity, and better health.

In 2010, USC’s participation rate for students from low socio-economic backgrounds (SES) was 18%, well above the national rate of 14.29%. The University has a stated goal of increasing the proportion of low SES students to 20% by 2015.

Student AmbassadorsKylie Russell manages the External Relations Unit at USC and is responsible for the Student Ambassador program. When Kylie joined USC in 2006, the University had just over 3,000 students and Marketing and Communications (M&C) was quite a small operation. Kylie notes that because USC was small and new, it needed to develop an ambassador program that “did things better and of a higher quality than the big city universities”. The Student Ambassador program at USC is distinctive due to the level of training student ambassadors receive, as well as the vital function these USC representatives perform in the University’s regional engagement endeavours.

The External Relations team liaise with schools to promote USC’s study options via school visits, campus tours and careers expos. They also organise more than 30 information events and engagement programs each year, such as USC Open Day, to provide opportunities for the wider community to find out more about the University. USC Student Ambassadors are an integral part of the External Relations team, performing many of the promotional duties for these activities. USC Student Ambassadors help to promote USC as an accessible pathway via example and enabling aspiration through experience.

An integral part of the teamThe current Student Ambassador program has taken some time to develop, however Kylie says the results have been significant.

Potential ambassadors need to have a minimum of two years left of their degree, as it takes 12 months to train a USC Student Ambassador. The External Relations team actively recruits potential candidates through targeted channels, using scholarship lists and/or recommendations from senior lecturers or program leaders.

The External Relations team look for students who are passionate about USC and the opportunities it offers and who reflect a positive university experience, as Kylie explains, they will be ‘representing the University’ and are at the ‘front line’. Those who are successful in their application can expect rigorous training and high standards of professionalism when performing their role. A typical USC Student Ambassador loves university life and likes helping others and telling them about the quality of experience on offer at USC. Although the pay is good compared to a typical student income, Kylie notes that due to the nature of the work, the pay is intermittent and does not provide a regular source of income. This tends to deter applicants who have only a financial motivation to do the job.

A Student Ambassador is part of the USC External Relations team and is required to go out to schools, career fairs and USC events. This could see the ambassador travelling anywhere from northern NSW to Cairns!

Kylie Russell, Manager, External Relations, Marketing and Communications, USC.


engaged...

Besides being paid for their work and travelling to various cities and towns, ambassadors gain professional skills and the program provides an excellent notation for their resume. Ambassadors attend staff meetings and are informed on all issues relevant to USC regularly and they have access to the M&C office if they need to do any administrative work associated with the role. A weekly email update on USC developments, new programs and program changes, QTAC information and graduate success stories is emailed to the ambassadors and they are even quizzed on the content to ensure they are building their bank of knowledge!

A structured programWhen developing school partnerships Kylie emphasises the importance of building viable relationships and of developing trust, so as to help make the interface between school and university more permeable. She explains that Student Ambassador presentations and activities are innovative and can be tailored to meet the requirements of individual schools. The relationship is not just about USC, but also about what USC can provide for the school, and it needs to be mutually beneficial to be successful long term. USC needs to deliver on what is promised and act on feedback to maintain credibility.

Schools that have interactions with USC Student Ambassadors for example, presentations, are required to complete a feedback form about the students as a form of quality control.

A culture of possibilityBuilding confidence involves strengthening students’ awareness of university structures, pathways and opportunities, and increasing their familiarity with the university environment and lifestyle. These activities assist in supporting the view that access to and participation in higher education is for everybody. USC Student Ambassadors help to encourage familiarity about USC for students and their parents and to develop a culture of possibility. Peer to peer presentations are extremely effective and Kylie considers that they are one of the most influential methods of outreach available.

To date, the USC Student Ambassador program has had very positive feedback from participating schools. Kylie observes that to be successful over the long term, engagement needs to be:

1. Well planned, beneficial to both parties and sustainable,

2. Appropriately documented,3. Coordinated across the University, and 4. Don’t reinvent the wheel, build upon

existing programs and learn from others’ experiences.

The External Relations team is continually expanding their reach and adding new programs to achieve the University’s goal of growth and inclusion.

The choice of Student Ambassadors is intended to support USC’s commitment to inclusivity. As much as possible, Student Ambassadors are representative of a range of USC program offerings, age brackets and student backgrounds.

Sebastian Marx, a former Student Ambassador who now works at Marketing and Communications at USC. There are four former Student Ambassadors who now work at USC with the Marketing and Communications team.

The Student Ambassador program is a significant internal investment for the University and it is important that its impacts are tracked. M&C runs analysis on each of the engagement activities undertaken to measure the impact of the program. Also, when at events such as career expos, ambassadors have been trained to complete feedback forms detailing market intelligence used for strategic planning. This information includes the number and types of enquiries, questions asked, all program enquiries including those not offered by USC, awareness of USC and interest in applying to USC.

Thank you for supporting engagement with the University of the Sunshine Coast.

Queries concerning engagement in general can be directed to:

pam Wardner Project Manager Email: [email protected]

Office of the pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) Email: [email protected]

Documents

engaged - University of the Sunshine Coast · ‘engaged’ organisation partnering its way to success. It provides an opportunity to recognise the exceptional work of our staff and