Transition update: College of Education, Psychology and Social WorkWelcome to the December 2017 edition of the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work newsletter. Welcome Professor KyriosWe are all delighted that Flinders University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Stirling, has announced that Professor Michael Kyrios has been appointed as the inaugural Vice-President and Executive Dean of the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. We look forward to Professor Kyrios leading our College from 5 February 2018. Professor Kyrios is a clinical psychologist and is currently Director of the Research School of Psychology at the Australian National University. He has a strong research interest in obsessive compulsive disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, chronic medical illnesses, evidence-based psychological treatments, digital mental health and self-resilience. With an excellent body of published research, he has received almost $19 million in grant funding from the NH&MRC, ARC, beyondblue Centre of Excellence in Depression and Related Disorders, as well as other sources and has taken on editorial responsibilities for numerous journals including Behaviour Therapy, Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapy, Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders, International Journal of Psychology, and PsyCh Journal. Professor Kyrios received the 2013 Ian M Campbell Memorial Prize in Clinical Psychology and the 2011 Citation for Excellence from the Society for General Psychology and the American Psychological Association. Christmas function - Aloha!We warmly invite you to our College End of Year Tropical Cocktail Party. It will be held at The Terrace on Level 4 of the Professional Services Building between 4.30pm and 7.30pm on Friday, December 15. Break out your tropical attire and join us for canapés, drinks and music. It will be a chance to wind down and celebrate the end of a big year and the festive season with our colleagues. It might be a bit sunny up on the deck - so a hat and sunglasses could come in handy. Purchase your subsidised ticket for $25 pp, including entry into a raffle. Please RSVP as soon as you are able so we can confirm numbers for catering Enquiries: EPSWenquiries@flinders.edu.au Click here to RSVP. Update from Sardi CalverThere is lots going on and the focus of myself and the other HoCS has been to work as effectively as we can to ensure the College staff and students remain well supported and receive the services they need while the University undertakes a wide range of activities to ensure we can deliver the people and structural changes we have committed to. I’m really pleased that we have made some great progress and that we have about 65% of professional services staff “mapped to new positions” and we are well on the way to finalising the initial round of interviews and appointments to remaining positions. While we are aiming to progress this energetically in the next few weeks we know some activity will need to be completed in early 2018. For more information on how colleges will be supported please refer to the College and Portfolio Support Teams slides on The 2025 Agenda page. I am hoping I can give you an update on not just the organisational structure, but also let you know those staff who have been appointed to support the College. My efforts will then be to work with all of you and the Portfolios to ensure we transition successfully into our day-to-day activities or “business as usual”. Thank you once again for your efforts over this year. I, like you, am looking forward to the opportunities that 2018 will no doubt bring. Staff movements and promotionsIt’s a pleasure to update you on the considerable progress that has been made in recent months on appointments and promotions. A huge welcome to Professor of Early Childhood Education, Professor Nicola Yelland! Nicola comes to us with a wealth of experience in both academic development and research expertise and will lead the Early Years education team from 2018 onwards. Her teaching and research interests have been related to the use of new technologies in early years' contexts. Nicola is the founding co-editor of two journals, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood and Global Studies of Childhood, and the Series Editor of Changing Images of Early Childhood with Routledge (New York). Nicola has moved into Room 5.68 in the Education Building (commonly known as “Sunset Boulevard”). We are looking forward to Nicola’s contributions to our Early Years Education Team, our STEM education agenda and our College drive for quality research. Many of you would already have got to know Pia Grimm as our People and Culture Coordinator, supporting our People and Culture Business Partner, Grace Benvenuto. She comes to us from the Professional Development Unit and works on a part-time (0.6) basis on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Pia is the first point of contact for staff and supervisors on operational matters relating to People and Culture queries and issues, e.g. recruitment processes and paperwork, including assistance in the preparation and classification of Position Descriptions. She also provides support with case management matters. Pia is located in the area adjacent to Room 4:11 and can be contacted on 8201 3864 or by email at pia.grimm@flinders.edu.au A huge congratulations to both Michael Wenzel and Michael Gradisar (both in Psychology) who have been promoted to Professor. We are so pleased that your academic contributions, research and leadership have been recognised. Well done!! AwardsMary Duncan (Manager, Field Education Social Work) was awarded the Field Placement Recognition Award 2017 at the ANZSWWER (Australia and New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research) AGM held at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in September. This is for Mary’s outstanding recognition as an instrumental leader in Field Placement strategy and operations. A huge congratulations, Mary, as this award shines back on Flinders more generally as well. Research newsThe establishment of Research Sections has progressed well and all balanced academics in the College have been allocated to one of the Research Sections. We now have leaders in place for each of these sections:
A structure has also been established for managing Research by Higher Degree students. Dr Melanie Takarangi is the Research Higher Degree coordinator for the College. Melanie received her PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in 2007. After 3 years as a lecturer in the UK, she joined Flinders in 2011. Melanie’s research focuses on memory for traumatic experiences and its role in legal and clinical issues such as the reliability of testimony and psychological well-being. She has a strong track record of funding, publishing and presenting her work internationally. Melanie has an abiding, active interest in the training of RHD students. She has supervised over 40 undergraduate and postgraduate research projects, and currently runs a busy, productive laboratory with 6 PhD students, 3 honours students, as well as undergraduate placement and volunteer students. Melanie collaborates with the following representatives from each of the Research Sections:
Many thanks and congratulations to all of these people for taking up these positions. The College has also enjoyed considerable success in relation to ARC funding for Discovery projects and was the equal top (with Science and Engineering) in attracting the following grants across the University. Congratulations to:
There have been many other success stories and these will be shared in future editions of this newsletter. Education newsOur College is continuing to evolve in its early developmental stage and one of the most endearing aspects is how staff are starting to connect across discipline boundaries and to think about how topics can be shared or combined. These efforts will be expanded in 2018. The Teaching Program directors have been most supportive in their roles of helping the College to work as an entity and most Course Coordinators have now been appointed and are functioning in their roles. The College also now also has an Academic Integrity Advisor - Dr Leigh Burrows. It is a real benefit to us all to have a staff member in place with the right experience for this critical role. Social Work is facing an accreditation review early in the new year and lots of effort is going into preparing for that event so we wish them well. We thank all staff for their patience and commitment to students and for helping to minimise the impact of change on our students. Our academic support staff have also continued with the help they provide in an efficient and thoughtful manner to our students while they responded to changes around their own roles and we want to take this opportunity to share the appreciation that we all feel towards them. Completion of Social Work Skills and Simulations LabWe are excited to announce that the all-new and modern Social Work Skills and Simulations Lab will be ready for use within the next couple of weeks (after a few finishing touches are added). The custom-built lab in Social Sciences North (Room 255-260) offers 7 interview rooms equipped with the latest in audio-visual equipment. The lab will enhance the placement preparation and employability of Flinders student Social Workers by focussing coaching sessions on real-world professional skills development (via scenario simulations and recordings). Training will take place in a safe environment where students, working in pairs and small groups, receive feedback from staff and peers, without affecting the wellbeing of vulnerable client groups. The lab will also assist Flinders in complying with the recently released industry standard for social work education accreditation (ASWEAS 2017). The Social Work Skills and Simulations Lab offers an important competitive advantage for Flinders, opening up an exciting experimental space for innovative participatory research undertaken with industry partners. It will propel Flinders into the forefront of contemporary professional social work practice and industry recognition. Donations box for Junction AustraliaWe encourage donations to Junction Australia at the EP and SW front office (Educ. 4.69) to help people facing hardship. The following items can be donated:
We will organise for the generous donations which have been made to be collected prior to Christmas. However, we will also continue accepting donations until the end of January to enable you to re-gift any of your less loved Christmas gifts. To donate money, please call (08) 8203 5700. For further information, please visit the Junction Australia website. New Colombo Plan (NCP)Flinders University has been successful in gaining NCP funding for twelve 3rd year initial teacher education students to travel to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore next year, to undertake a professional experience in an International school. This is as a result of Associate Professor Kerry Bissaker’s hard work in developing these relationships and connections at these sites. Well done Kerry! Our students will gain a great experience in an international setting where they may end up being employed. Many Australian-educated teachers are employed by international schools all around the world. Organisational changeStage 2 Change Decisions for the Professional Services Project (PSP) were released on November 22, following consideration of staff, student and stakeholder feedback. The decision documents explain how each of the eight areas will be structured and resourced to provide services to the Colleges and the wider university community. The decisions relate to the following areas:
Thank you to all of you who attended our recent forum where the PSP was discussed in more detail. The change decisions and other PSP information can be viewed at any time via The 2025 Agenda web page. Following the change decisions release, Job Vacancy Information Sessions were held on 23 and 24 November to give staff the chance to engage across Colleges and Portfolios in relation to available opportunities that are of interest, and to engage with change leaders to find out more information. The feedback on these sessions was positive. Materials prepared for those sessions to assist staff in the process of expressing interest in available positions remain available on The 2025 Agenda web page. It is understandable that some staff may have concerns about uncertainty associated with change. People affected by the decisions are able to speak to someone confidentially about the changes by accessing support via our Employee Assistance Program. The EAP can be contacted on 82012696 or you can also share concerns and suggestions with your Supervisor or with a People & Culture Business Partner. The University is now commencing implementation activities and in early 2018 we will transition to the new structures. Through 2018 we will focus on continual improvement of both our structures and processes for our academic and student support activities. Booking summer leaveWe ask that anyone who hasn’t yet booked their December and January leave please proceed with this, after speaking with their supervisor. The University will close at 1pm on Friday 22 December, 2017 and will re-open on Tuesday, 2 January, 2018. WHS update - by our College WHS representative, Dave BarberThe safety of our staff, students and visitors is paramount. With the newly formed EP and SW WHS committee, we will be even more proactive in our approach to safety. There will be a range of activities and initiatives that we will be undertaking and we very much value your support. HousekeepingGood housekeeping is the basis of a successful safety program in offices. Tidy, well organised office spaces will reduce fire hazards, tripping hazards and increase efficiency. Housekeeping includes all “FFE” – fittings, furniture and equipment. Please contact Dave or the College office if you have any problems in your area, we have a Maintenance Department that is happy to help. Tracy, Dave and Courtney have just completed a safety and housekeeping inspection of the Education building and the Social Work rooms in SSS. Thanks to all the occupants that we spoke to and I’m glad to report no significant issues were found. We will be coming over to the Psychology area after the Christmas break to finish the audit. In the meantime, this time of the year is a great opportunity to have a “stock take” of your office. What can you clear out or sort? It’s surprising how much “waste” people will accumulate in their office. Can you please:
We have arranged to have recycling and confidential bins placed around the Psychology corridors during December. Please make use of these and let us know if any other assistance is required. If anyone from other areas of EP&SW needs bins, please contact the College office. For archiving queries please contact: Central Records Office and Archives Mrs Neena Binu, System Administrator Slips, trips and fallsUnfortunately these incidents continue to feature in FlinSafe reports around the campus. When using stairs and steps, please consider “three points of contact”. In other words, use the hand rail where possible, it will help you stay upright if you slip on the stairs. Please do not use your mobile phone when negotiating stairs and steps. All rather obvious of course, but it needs to be said regularly. A fall down stairs can and does cause significant injuries on campus. Please be careful and perhaps take a few moments to think about impacts to you and others if you don’t make a conscious decision to be safe - perhaps it’s no more than not using your phone while negotiating stairs or walking. We want you all to go home safe and sound each day. If you need any support or assistance or have any concerns, please contact Dave Barber, our College WHS representative on 12166 or dave.barber@flinders.edu.au. If you have any incidents or observations please be proactive and enter those on to FlinSafe. For further information on staying healthy and safe at work, please have a look at the following links:
The WHS committee and I wanted to wish you a safe and happy festive season, take care and I look forward to supporting you in 2018. Key questions asked by staffThe College Support Guide provides answers to the many operational questions (eg systems, delegations) that staff may have about the new College structure. In addition, College newsletters are stored on this page. Frequently Asked Questions about the PSP are also available on The 2025 Agenda webpage. We encourage you to communicate any PSP implementation questions and feedback to the PSP team by emailing 2025@flinders.edu.au. From the College Transition Team - thank you for your commitment during a big year2017 has been a busy and, at times, challenging year as we have all worked very hard together to build our new College, at a time of major organisational change, to thrive in the decades ahead. The College leadership team would like to say a very big thank you for your commitment and support this year and we are looking forward to working with you in 2018. Please stay safe and healthy over the festive season and we hope you and your family enjoy time together and that the year ahead is a happy, safe and rewarding year for you all. With our heartfelt thanks and best wishes. The College of Education Psychology and Social Work Transition Team |