News from the College of Business, Government & Law

We acknowledge the traditional owners, both past and present, of the various locations Flinders University operates on, and recognise their continued relationship and responsibility to these lands and waters. We recognise that Flinders was established on the lands of the Kaurna nation, with the main Flinders campus located near Warriparinga

Welcome to the November (penultimate) edition of the College newsletter. 

As the end of the year closes in, it’s great to see so many initiatives and activities bearing fruit. Our enrolments for next year are looking healthy, our City Campus enrolments are looking super healthy, major research projects continue to land in the College, and our research centres continue to grow in profile and impact. 

Our newsletter this month includes new staff, new programs, new awards, new research income, and new publications. It also provides an opportunity to register for tomorrow’s JBC US election event at Flinders City Campus, with our own commentary teams providing insights on the results.

Happy reading!

Kind regards,
Michael

Professor Michael Gilding
Vice-President and Executive Dean

Feature Story

Tales from inside: Business

As we enter the last quarter of the year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on our achievements and significant challenges. From expanding our leadership team to pioneering new online courses, our department has demonstrated resilience, innovation, and a commitment to excellence. Dean of Business, Angie Shafei, takes us through Business' journey, celebrates milestones, and uncovers the exciting initiatives shaping the future of our business community.

September Spotlights

Education

BGL Staff Join the Multicultural South Australia Ambassador Program

We are thrilled to announce that Flinders University, represented by Leoni Connah, Vipul Pare, and Abdul Khan, have joined the Multicultural South Australia Ambassador Program. This state government initiative, delivered by Multicultural Affairs in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, aims to promote cultural inclusivity and responsiveness across South Australia.

CAULLT Academic Development Awards 2024

The Flinders Decolonising Network were awarded the commendation for the CAULLT Academic Development Awards 2024.

The Flinders Decolonising Network is an interdisciplinary collective of academics and staff focused on exploring the possibilities and opportunities of collaborative engagement within the decolonial space. Established by Dr Leoni Connah earlier this year, the Network is focused on developing a more authentic form of social inclusion, by hosting thematic sessions that provide a safe space, engaging first those charged with enacting decolonisation to better address the multifaceted nature of marginalisation within higher education.

Research

Based on Notification of Contract emailed to CBGL.research@flinders.edu.au from 20 September – 28 October 2024. CBGL CIs in bold. 

Tually, S. & McKinley, K. Activity Framework (stage 1) for the Children in the North project and initial reporting against the framework (stage 2) Government of South Australia, Department of Premier and Cabinet ($34,800.00) 

Wheeler, S., Miller, S., Lowe, A., Hayman, P., Pitchford, R., Zuo, A. & Gregg, D. Adapting to the challenges of the future climate to farming systems in marginal environments SA Drought Hub ($135,522.50)

Tually, S. & Goodwin-Smith, I. South Australian Housing Authority (SAHA) Human Service and Homelessness Research and Evaluation South Australian Housing Authority ($532,100.00)

Pham, T. MITIGATE+ MItigation and Transformation Initiative for GHG reductions of Agrifood systems RelaTed Emissions Center for International Forestry Research ($93,917.63)

Top Research Publications 
Top 10%/ A*/A/Q1

*Based on notification emailed to CBGL.research@flinders.edu.au from 20 September - 28 October 2024. Current BGL staff in bold.

Arslan, C., Gregg, D., Stringer, R. (2024). Hidden income and its impact on expenditure patterns in Uganda. WORLD DEVELOPMENT, 183, Article 106736.(Scimago: Top 10% (1.50%) in Geography, Planning and Development)

Lesar, L. & Weaver, D. (2024). Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Tourism Using Quality Control Tools, Journal of Travel Research (A* ABDC, Top 5% tourism SJR)

Le, T., Onur, I., Sarwar, R., Yalcin, E. (2024). Money in Politics: How Does It Affect Election Outcomes? SAGE Open, 14(4), 1-19. (Scimago: Q1 (22.99%) in Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous))

Seidl, C., Wheeler, S. A. (2024). Breaking Water Laws in the Murray-Darling Basin: Understanding Water Compliance Challenges and Stakeholder Perceptions. Water Resources Research, 60(10), Article e2023WR035635. (Scimago: Top 10% (5.34%) in Environmental Science)

Seidl, C., Page, D., Wheeler, S. A. (2024). Using managed aquifer recharge to address land subsidence: Insights from a global literature review. Water Security, 23, Article 100184. Scimago: Q1 (11.07%) in Water Science and Technology)

Celebrating Success: Dr Madhan Balasubramanian

Dr Madhan is the Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Health Care Management at Flinders University, has been recognised as one of the four South Australian health leaders to attain Fellowship with the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM) in 2024. This honour marks the highest membership category within the College, the peak body for health service executives in Australia. The Fellowship will be formally awarded at the upcoming Congress in Brisbane, celebrating his significant achievements and contributions to the profession.

Social Media Highlights

14 posts = 79,670 impressions

BGL's social media presence has experienced substantial growth recently, marked by a significant rise in both post impressions and engagements. Our engagement rates and post link clicks have shown notable increases, reflecting greater audience interaction and interest in our content.

Our top-performing posts have driven this success, with the most popular content receiving the highest number of clicks. Key highlights include:

1. Flinders Law Students Winning the 2024 Websters Lawyers Intervarsity Competition: Celebrating the achievements of our talented students.
2. Thrive Festival: The College of Business, Government and Law is hosting Thrive Festival for the second year in a row, 
3. Welcoming Our Inaugural Diploma in Sports Management (Cricket) Students: A successful partnership with the South Australian Cricket Association has made this milestone possible.

Overall, the surge in reactions, comments, and shares indicates a positive response from our audience, underscoring the effectiveness of our social media strategy.

What's been happening in BGL?

Think Tank on the Future of Social Prescribing in SA

How can we advance social prescribing in South Australia? The Caring Futures Institute and Centre for Social Impact hosted the inaugural ‘‘Think Tank on the Future of Social Prescribing in South Australia’ at the Flinders University City Campus on Tuesday, 1st October.

Social prescribing links healthcare with community services to address non-medical needs like loneliness, housing, and financial insecurity. Representatives from healthcare, social care, and community sectors came together to discuss collaboration in advancing social prescribing, with a shared goal of improving health and wellbeing by addressing the social determinants of health.

Centre of Social Impact Updates

Flinders CSI has been at the forefront of social impact, from shaping legislation to fostering community spirit. In this update, we highlight their role in the Tax Laws Amendment (Incentivising Food Donations to Charitable Organisations) Bill 2024 and celebrate Centre of Social Impact (CSI) Day. Join us as we delve into these significant contributions and the moments that define our collective efforts towards a better future.

Have you listen to JBC Dialogues: Security, Democracy and Technology?

The Jeff Bleich Centre has started a new podcast; JBC Dialogues: Security, Democracy and Technology. So far it has seen episodes with Dr Leoni Connah, A/Prof Rob Manwaring, Prof Tania Leiman and Prof Rodrigo Praino.

As a sneak preview for CBGL colleagues, the next three episodes (6 Nov, 20 Nov and 4 Dec) are an interview with the JBC’s namesake, former ambassador Jeff Bleich where he talks through his path to becoming US Ambassador to Australia and the reasons for lending his name to the centre.

JBC Dialogues is available to stream on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. 

What's on 📢

Professional staff excellence awards

Celebrate the work of the professional staff in our workplace who make a difference, and give them the recognition they deserve, by nominating them for one of our annual awards.

The College of CBGL invites nominations for two Professional staff excellence awards.  Nominations will close cob Friday 22 November.

The details of the professional staff awards are in the attached Guidelines which are also on the website (scroll down). They will be presented in the following categories:

• CBGL Professional Staff Excellence Award - Individual
• CBGL Professional Staff Excellence Award - Team

Each awardee, whether individual or as a member of a team, will receive a $150 gift certificate. Nominations should be made via the simple online form here.

Previous awardees can be viewed here. Note that last year’s excellent awardees Cheree Metcalfe and Fan Wu are not eligible for nomination this year.

The 2024 Adelaide Film Festival has just kicked off

In the spirit of thrill-seeking and keeping the AFF accessible for all, enjoy $10 rush tickets for selected sessions.

AFF Rush tix are valid for select films that are updated daily throughout the festival.

Remembrance Day Service

TIME: 10:55 AM for 11 AM service on Monday 11th November

LOCATION: Flag poles outside Registry Building, Bedford Park

Led by ASVA, Flinders Branch

The important stuff:

• Registration is open to all staff and is essential to receive a free snack pack, (non-alcoholic) drink and ice cream voucher. Please register by Monday, 18 November

• Voucher collection will be available from 9am on the event day in the Plaza (redeemable from 12:30pm - 2:30pm at collection points in the Plaza only)

• There will be a cash bar in the Plaza run by The Tavern with a select range of additional drinks available for purchase
   
• DIY craft stations and other activities are available to all staff throughout the event and will be on a walk-up basis on the day. Please note that some activities will have limited capacity
   
• Additional food can be purchased from existing Flinders University vendors in the Hub & Plaza

When registering please select your snack pack preference:

• 1/2 wrap (chicken & salad or vegan / gluten free option available), salad & cookie pack
• 3 roll sushi snack pack (teriyaki chicken & tuna / avocado or vegetarian / gluten free option available)

Share Your News!

We know you have stories to share, and we want to hear from you. It could be important milestones coming up, staff achievements, exciting new research, innovative developments, people and culture updates, and more.

The newsletter is complemented by the staff-only blog - College of Business, Government and Law News - which is great for longer form content.

More info including timelines is here. 

Important University Dates 📅

BGL Events Update:

We are excited to announce a transition to a new calendar system for BGL events. The Team Up calendar will no longer be updated with BGL-specific events, although it will continue to list important university dates such as semester dates, census, graduation, and more.

Moving forward, we will be using an Outlook calendar for all BGL events. This calendar is accessible to everyone within our department, providing a centralised and streamlined way to keep track of all important BGL activities.

We embrace innovative knowledge and practice to tackle the challenges of our time, with a strategic focus on technology, health and social impact. 
-Our Mission- 

College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University