Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager
John Kauter
(02) 6773 2779
Public Relations Specialist/Journalist
Jim Scanlan
(02) 6773 3049
Corporate Communications Officer
Leon Braun
(02) 6773 3771
Photographer
David Elkins
(02) 6773 3770
Events Coordinators
Kerry De Jong
(02) 6773 3955
and
Tracey James
(02) 6773 2768
Administrative Assistant
Kathleen Harper
(02) 6773 2736
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April 2005
February 2005Coming of ageing a positive experience, book argues
March 31, 2005
Older people, rather than young families, are embracing the “Sea Change” and bringing to coastal towns financial clout and job opportunities, according to research from the University of New England.
Professor Victor Minichiello, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, will launch a book he co-edited tomorrow which looks at how older populations are challenging some assumptions about Australian society.
The book, “Contemporary Issues in Gerontology: Promoting Positive Ageing”, looks at the social, economic and financial worth of older people and observes some interesting facts, including:
* Australians aged over 50 represent a quarter of the population but control 75 per cent of the country’s wealth.
* The mid-north coast of NSW is set to become the oldest region in the State, with just under half the area’s population made up of residents aged over 55.
* These residents will be a pool for markets and so create new opportunities for industry.
* Although Australians are living longer, most men and women remain in relatively good health after the age of 65.
“This book argues that the new gerontology is less about the study of disease and disability among the older population and more about … positive ageing,” Professor Minichiello said.
“We need creative and empowering ways of thinking about older people so we can come to terms with this massive demographic revolution and make necessary changes in infrastructure and policies to support older Australians.”
Indeed, UNE is leading the way in gerontological issues, with a number of mature-aged students writing PhDs on why older people are migrating to rural and regional communities and which are expected to help formulate retirement policies.
The book, co-edited by Canadian Professor Irene Coulson, is international in its scope and reveals how in the US, nearly half of all new car sales are made by people over the age of 50, who also account for half that country’s consumer spending.
Published by Allen and Unwin, the book pulls together and inter-disciplinary team of academics from the social sciences and health professions who write about various aspects of the Western world’s ageing population.
The book’s launch coincides with the launch of another publication, also co-edited by an academic from UNE.
“Health Care Financial Management”, edited by UNE Senior Lecturer David Briggs and Professor Mary Courtney from Queensland University of Technology, looks at how aged care, disability and the community care services are financed in Australia.
The book argues the increasing centralisation of funding of these areas is contrary to good public policy. The text is increasingly being used in health management programs in Australia and has attracted interest from practitioners as far afield as Hong Kong and Thailand.
Importantly, the authors have in a practical manner drawn attention to the complexity of health care funding. The book demonstrates that solutions to how we might best fund the health system are not easily found when as a society we value both equity of access, choice, and universal coverage while governments strive to achieve efficiency within the system.
For more information phone Professor Victor Minichiello on 6773 3862, or Mr David Briggs on 6773 3954 or Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 12:52 PM
Fun of the fair a “hit” for thousands of graduates
March 30, 2005
More than 15,000 students from across Australia and New Zealand accessed the annual Virtual Careers Fair, (VCF) co-ordinated by the University of New England.
Organiser of the fair, Ms Rhonda Leece, said she was “thrilled” with the success of the fortnight, round-the-clock “virtual” event.
“This year we had on-line 90 exhibitors, representing major companies employing graduates,” Ms Leece said.
The VCF took about six months to organise and already Ms Leece is turning her attention to next year’s fair, in which she hopes to build on the this year’s success
A key part of the success of this year’s Virtual Fair was a series of radio interviews between graduates and employers, a feature that attracted more than 1000 visitors, Ms Leece added.
“This innovation allowed students to hear from employers and other graduates about opportunities and experiences in the graduate recruitment market,” she said.
This is the fifth year that UNE has operated the VCF, the largest collaborative event of its kind in Australasia. It started on Thursday (March 10) and ran live until last Thursday, March 24.
While last year’s fair attracted more than two million "hits", Ms Leece said she was confident that figure would be exceeded this year with 11 new exhibitors and the innovative series of radio interviews.
Said Ms Leece: "The VCF was originally established as a response to the needs of regional students who were studying at a distance from the campus. It has evolved, however, to be relevant to students from both metropolitan and regional locations and is complementary to the other campus-based events that university careers services offer their students."
During the VCF, students interacted with employers in a chat-room, inquiring about job opportunities. It was sponsored by Defence Force Recruiting, Gradlink, Graduate Opportunities, NAGCAS, Seek, Testgrid, tUNE FM and Stomp Pty Ltd.
For more information phone Rhonda Leece on 6773 3408.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 01:55 PM
Research helps farmers plan for autumn
March 29, 2005
The Cicerone Project, which aims to help New England farmers make the most of local conditions, has been on show to the farming community.
Participants in a field day earlier this month saw and heard about the progress of experiments on grazing and pasture management being carried out by Cicerone staff with the participation of University of New England researchers. They visited the Project’s three experimental farmlets, located near Armidale, to see whole-farm comparisons of the effects of different levels of inputs and types of grazing management.
One of the UNE researchers, PhD candidate Libuseng Shakhane, spoke about her work which aims at measuring pasture growth rates and establishing the optimum balance between managing for the pasture feed supply and managing for the animals that graze on the pasture.
Titled “Issues for Autumn”, the field day focused on strategies for optimising pasture conditions at the beginning of the annual breeding cycle.
While inspecting the three farmlets, the participants discussed the different amounts and quality of pasture with Colin Mulcahy, a technical consultant for the Project who assesses each paddock every month. They discussed other livestock issues with Bob Marchant from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (who is a member of the Cicerone board) and his colleague Clare Edwards. They also discussed the results of soil tests showing the different nutrient regimes now apparent on the three farmlets.
UNE’s Professor Jim Scott spoke about the history of the Project, which was established in 1999 in consultation with local farmers. The three farmlets covered a total of 150 hectares, and were designed so that each would be subject to the same soil and climate conditions, he said. “We’re trying, here, to understand complex issues of whole farm management,” Professor Scott explained.
While the field day allowed farmers to see some of the trials for themselves as they plan for autumn, there will soon be an opportunity for all to hear a summary of the past four years of results. A full-day symposium, to be held in May, will present farmers, researchers, and other interested people with a great deal of detailed information relating to the Project and its research results. Titled “The Cicerone Farm under the Microscope”, the symposium, at Armidale Bowling Club on Monday 2 May, will be chaired by Ian Rogan of Australian Wool Innovation.
For more information on the symposium, please phone Caroline Gaden on (02) 6778 3871.
Media contact: Professor Jim Scott, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE (02) 6773 2436 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph displayed here is available from Jim Scanlan (phone 6773 3049). It shows UNE's Professor Jim Scott with research student Libuseng Shakhane examining pasture growth during the Cicerone Project field day.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:25 AM
Students big winners in UNE Golf Challenge
March 24, 2005
It proved to be a hole-in-one for scholarship recipients when the Sport UNE team of Kevin Russell, Brad King, Matt Schaefer and Stephen Griffith took out the Vice-Chancellor’s trophy at the annual UNE Golf Challenge at Armidale Golf Course.
Organised by the University of New England Sports Association, the event on Friday 18 March brought together 164 golfers in 41 teams, raising up to $11,000 towards UNE’s sport scholarship fund.
Sport UNE’s Executive Director, Steve Griffith, said he was very proud of the way his team, captained by Kevin Russell, played and how successful the event proved on the day. The team shared the equal best score off the stick at 11 under par with the Mount View Pharmacy team, but won convincingly on Handicap with only Kevin Russell being a regular golfer.
“Our team combined well on the day,” Mr Griffith said, “and our young guns (past scholarship recipient Matt Schaefer and groundsman Brad King) hit the ball out of sight and straight all day, giving us plenty of opportunities for Birdies with a bogey free round. We receive such wonderful support from the Armidale Golf Club, our hole sponsors and local business houses, and University teams who enter each year. We aim to make every team a winner by participating in the event and I know that every team had a great time on the day, which is a credit to the effort by all Sport UNE staff who assist with the smooth running of the event.”
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses, said she was delighted that the trophy had returned to UNE, and warmly congratulated the winning team.
Twenty local businesses sponsored the event, 18 of them sponsoring individual holes. Mr Griffith said Sport UNE was “extremely grateful for the support of the following businesses, which helps to ensure the success of the event each year”: Armidale City Signs, Retravision, Regional Express Airlines, Hannon’s Mt View Pharmacy, Westend Wholesalers, Faircloth & Reynolds, Tritech Systems, Forsyths Chartered Accountants, Alec Finalyson Building Contractors, Carlton United Beverages, New England Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, Ducat’s, Precision Motors, Armidale City Bowling Club, The Royal Hotel, Coca-Cola Amatil, Canon Inland Technology, McDonald’s Armidale, Petersons Armidale Winery, NBN Television, 2AD/FM 100.3 and The Armidale Independent.
Mr Griffith said the $11,000 would be used to finance the 16 sports scholarships offered to students in 2005 across 11 sports. UNE Sports Scholarships range from $3,000 for three Clem Jones Scholarships offered to students representing Australia at an international level, Full Scholarships of $1,200 for athletes representing their State at a national level, and $500 for students representing at a State level. All scholarship recipients also receive a platinum pass for Sport UNE fitness and facility usage valued at up to $500.
As well as the Vice-Chancellor’s trophy, there were prizes for second (won by the McDonald’s team “The Wiggles”, who also won the prize for the best-dressed team for the second year running) and third (Mt View Pharmacy), and the “Bradman” was awarded to the 2AD team with the highest score on the day.
UNE’s 2005 scholarships will be presented to recipients at a special ceremony at UNE on Thursday, April 21.
Media contact: Steve Griffith, Executive Director, Sport UNE (02) 6773 2783 or Lydia Roberts, Public Relations Manager, UNE (02) 6773 2779.
The photograph displayed here shows the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, with the Sport UNE team: (from left) Brad King, Kevin Russell, Matt Schaefer and Stephen Griffith. Copies are available from Lydia Roberts on (02) 6773 2779.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:48 PM
UNE sees first fruits of new award program
March 23, 2005
Nine students graduating from the University of New England this autumn had something special to celebrate: they were the first recipients of a new award for involvement in extra-curricular activities contributing to community and personal development.
The New England Award enables students to take advantage of the unique range of cultural, social, educational, political and sporting activities, and leadership opportunities, within the UNE and Armidale communities.
“These experiences complement the skills and knowledge developed through their studies,” said Robyn Muldoon, Coordinator of UNE’s Academic Skills Office, who initiated the award program. Ms Muldoon said the many activities the students had been involved in included membership of the UNE Council, the UNE Students’ Association, the UNE Law Students’ Society, Sport UNE management, the tUNE-in Peer Support Program and the Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Program, as well as undertaking responsible roles within the residential colleges.
Students can accumulate points for their participation in these extra-curricular activities throughout their studies, aiming for the 1,000 points they need to win the award. While the award was introduced only last year, current students were able to collect points in retrospect. The recipients of the New England Award at the 2005 Autumn Graduation ceremonies were Nathan Clarke-Hong, Luke Doherty, Andy Heath, Sarah Jefford, Shelley Reid, Sheree Smith, Kate Turner, Faye Wheeler and Tania Willis.
UNE’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses, established the award (with a Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Initiative Grant) and launched it early last year.
Professor Moses said she regarded the award-winners as “high-achieving, proactive, community-spirited citizens who have developed a broad range of personal and professional skills and attributes while studying at UNE”. She said students such as these would be of most interest to employers, who were looking for graduates with more than just outstanding academic results.
One of the recipients, Sheree Smith, who graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, delivered the Vote of Thanks on behalf of all the graduands at the ceremony for Economics, Business and Law. In doing so she spoke of the New England Award as an example of UNE’s commitment to helping its students develop as “whole people”.
All the recipients agreed that, by enabling them to document their involvement in campus and community activities, the award had helped them to present a more complete picture of themselves to potential employers. “Employers are looking for life experience,” said another of the award winners, Faye Wheeler.
“With increasing numbers of students registered to complete the award over the next few years,” Ms Muldoon said, “it appears that the New England Award has quickly become a sought-after addition to students’ resumes.”
Media contact: Robyn Muldoon, Teaching and Learning Centre, UNE (02) 6773 2836 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049. Please contact Jim Scanlan for photographs.
The photograph displayed here shows the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses (centre), with four of the New England Award winners: (from left) Andrew Heath, Sarah Jefford, Nathan Clarke-Hong and Sheree Smith. This and other Graduation photographs are available from Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:19 PM
Accountants advised to focus on service quality
March 22, 2005
Accountants must become more than "bean-counters" if they want to capture an enduring share of the market, a Senior Lecturer at the University of New England has told a meeting of Chartered Accountants from throughout the State.
"Today's accountants are expected to attend to the quality of the services they provide," said Dr Bernice Kotey (pictured) from the New England Business School at UNE. She was speaking at the CA Country Congress, held in Coffs Harbour on March 16-18.
Dr Kotey, who was invited to present a paper at the Congress, spoke to the delegates about how they could improve services to clients and increase their income. "Gone are the days when clients stayed with one accounting firm out of loyalty," she said. "Clients are now better educated about service quality and know what to expect from their accountants."
She explained that instead of spreading themselves thinly over a whole range of services, accounting firms could provide high-quality service by specialising in those areas where they had the necessary expertise. They could then increase their breath of service through strategic alliances with practices specialising in other areas. "Clients could be referred from one specialist to another for different services within the strategic network," she explained.
Dr Kotey listed ways in which practices could improve their services to clients. These include developing a system that ensures consistency in service provision (so that clients requesting the same service do in fact receive something similar); keeping a client database with adequate information about each client; conducting customer surveys to assess clients' satisfaction and ways in which the practice could improve its service; attending to the environment in which consultations with clients take place, and empathising with clients.
"Accounting firms should listen to customers' complaints and learn from their customers how they could improve their services," she said.
She also said that accounting firms needed to attend to the fees they charged. She suggested that fees based on charged time had a number of problems and might not fairly represent the effort required to provide the service. "Developing a list of services and associated fees that represented the hours needed, realistically, for each service, and fees comparable to those charged by competitors, would be a way of ensuring consistency," she said.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 12:49 PM
Teacher's surprise visit leads to happy reunion
March 21, 2005
A chance meeting during a Careers convention at the University of New England led to a reunion of Moree students with their former Science teacher.
Ms Sheree Cayirylys, Careers Advisor at Moree Secondary College, was one of the guests at the Rural and Remote Career Advisors' Conference, organised by the NSW Department of Education and Training.
The three-day conference, which ended on Thursday, March 17, brought counsellors from as far as Galargambone and Narrandera to UNE to sample college life and find out more about courses and the careers to which they lead.
A total of 48 careers advisors from across the state attended the UNE leg of the conference and while dining at Austin College, Ms Cayirylys was tapped on the shoulder by one of her former students, Erin Nalder.
"I was totally surprised and delighted," Ms Cayirylys (pictured with Dr Ian Godwin, Senior Lecturer in Animal Physiology) said. "I had taught Erin and another student now at Austin [Pamela Ha], Science and Biology.
"Erin is now studying Primary Teaching at UNE and was able to show me around the campus and show-off her room and the facilities offered. It was so good to see her happy."
During the visit the counsellors learned about UNE’s “flagship” courses in Agriculture, Rural Science and Natural Resources Management and found out how their students could apply for one of 250 scholarships on offer at UNE. They also learned about UNE’s Schools’ Recommendation Admissions Scheme, where high school students who are recommended by their principals can gain early entry to university before they have even received their HSC scores.
The purpose of the visit was to show what UNE had to offer and get career advisors from remote parts of NSW to hear first-hand some students’ tales of university life, UNE Schools Liaison Officer Brian See said
“The important thing is that they [Careers Counsellors] get to see what we have and then can take that message back to their schools,” he said
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 11:27 AM
ABARE head says climate change a priority
March 18, 2005
The Executive Director of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Dr Brian Fisher, has highlighted climate-change policy as an “enormous global problem” needing the collaborative efforts of people in a range of professions.
Dr Fisher was delivering the Occasional Address today at a graduation ceremony for graduands in the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law at the University of New England.
“Each one of the professions represented here today has a role in bringing insight to the problem,” he said. He emphasised the need for collaboration by saying: “No one of us can find a solution by ourselves.”
Dr Fisher’s address preceded the conferring of degrees by the Chancellor of UNE, Mr John Cassidy, on 213 graduands at the ceremony, and a further 228 who could not be present.
Today’s wet weather meant that the ceremony, usually held on the lawns of Booloominbah, took place in UNE’s Lazenby Hall. Both Dr Fisher and Mr Cassidy commented on how welcome the rain was for New England’s farming community.
Dr George Battese, an Honorary Fellow and former Associate Professor of Econometrics at UNE, received a Doctor of Economics degree for work addressing inefficiencies of production in industry. Dr Battese was a member of UNE’s academic staff for a total of 32 years.
James Murray, aged eight, received the award of Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours on behalf of his father, David Murray, who died unexpectedly earlier this year. Mr Murray graduated with a Bachelor of Economics degree, and completed his Honours program with first-class results, last year. Mr Murray’s mother, Mrs Joan Murray, his daughter Hillary, and other family members were at the ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony Sheree Smith, who graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, delivered a vote of thanks on behalf of the graduates. Ms Smith was one of four graduates at today’s ceremony who received the New England Award, which recognises students’ involvement in extra-curricular training and community service. A total of nine New England Awards are being presented at UNE graduation ceremonies this autumn; they are the first fruits of this new award program.
Tomorrow’s [March 19] graduation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is the last of the four autumn ceremonies for this year.
Media contact: Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph displayed here, showing Dr Fisher (left) with the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, and the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law, Professor Roley Piggott, is available. Please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049 for this and other Graduation photographs.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:52 PM
Garden’s opening offers a view to classic past
March 18, 2005
A rare opportunity to glimpse the grounds of Trevenna, the historic residence of Professor Ingrid Moses, Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England, will be afforded this weekend to the public.
As part of Australia’s Open Garden Scheme, the grounds will be open for the first time in nearly a decade, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Designed by Boston-trained, 19th Century architect, Horbury Hunt, Trevenna was originally the home of the Wright family. Some of the trees in its garden, including horse chestnuts, pines and planes, date back to the 1890s, when Trevenna was built.
The homestead and its grounds were bequeathed to UNE as the Vice-Chancellor’s residence in 1960.
The garden is constructed on several levels. A sunken garden, complete with stone sundial, is on one side of the house while on the other, a series of hedges encloses a private lawn.
The front garden slopes away into a series of ha has, and wide perennial borders lead the eye to the city of Armidale. These wide borders are planted with a variety of shrubs including camellias, rhododendrons and a range of Autumn flowering perennials. Ivy and grapevines scramble along the old stone walls around the garden while at the rear of Trevenna, a wide sweep of lawn leads down to another sunken garden.
A magnolia is the centrepiece in a small oval bed, which is planted with dry shade lovers. A shaded border planted with hellebores, windflowers and violets provides a soft, leafy barrier between the garden and the tennis court.
Professor Moses said the gardens’ beauty was refreshing.
“The view from our upstairs sitting room across the garden and towards Mount Duval is worth painting,” she said.
“Every morning I enjoy the views across the lawns, the sporting fields towards the colleges. In winter the fog floats on the fields and creates images of lakes. It is magic. I walk through the gardens daily, they restore my equanimity after long days at work."
Trevenna’s garden was last open to the public in November, 1996 and once featured in a Women’s Weekly special edition in 1971.
Australia’s Open Garden Scheme is a non-profit organisation begun in Victoria in 1987. It aims to promote the pleasures of gardens and gardening by opening about 650 private gardens to the public each year.
Entry to the Open Garden at Trevenna costs $5.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 10:12 AM
Warning bell against specialist breeding of sheep
March 17, 2005
Graziers who breed merino sheep for wool and meat could increase their profit return by up to 40 per cent, according to information to be delivered at the University of New England next week.
Dr Ken Geenty, (pictured) Leader of the Wool Group at CSIRO, will back up his research at the annual meeting of the Australian Society of Animal Production (New England branch) on March 23.
He will show how, using genetic technology and better feeding practices, merinos can be kept as wethers for up to 18 months, producing fine wool before being slaughtered for meat.
If battling graziers decide on this course of action, Dr Geenty said, they would be “taking out an insurance policy” against swinging commodity prices.
“We know from research conducted by the Bureau of Agriculture Research and Economics [ABARE] that wool prices are likely to continue to decline until 2009, while the price of lamb remains strong over the next four to five years,” Dr Geenty said.
“Graziers need to look at diversifying from producing merinos for wool-only to producing merinos for wool and meat.”
Since joining the CSIRO last year, New Zealand-born Dr Geenty has been working on dual-purpose merino sheep.
His work has been carried out jointly with Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI).
Said Dr Geenty: “The selection of merinos with superior meat traits would offer producers an alternative to cross breeding for prime lamb production.
To that end, Dr Geenty’s research targeted 24 superior flocks of merinos, with about 300 yearling rams or ewes from each flock having wool fibre profile and muscle scan measurements collected for analysis, totalling about 6000 animals in all.
The idea was to “identify animals with superior meat characteristics without compromising wool quality”, research which had previously not been carried out before with breeders across Australia.
Dr Geenty found merino lambs up to 18kg had returned about 85 per cent of the price of crossbred lambs over the past two years, yet at heavier carcass weights of about 25kg, the difference in price was only 5 per cent.
The research will be presented at next Wednesday’s meeting.
Also at the annual meeting, Mr Peter McGilchrist, this year’s recipient of the New England ASAP Prize for Bachelor of Rural Science Honours thesis, will talk about muscling on the intermediary metabolism of sheep.
For more information phone Dr Geenty on 6776 1397 or
Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 11:31 AM
Teachers should control testing, says educator
March 16, 2005
Standardised testing in our schools should be in the hands of classroom teachers, not Head Office administrators, according to a prominent Australian educator.
Associate Professor Trevor Bond, a Visiting Fellow at the University of New England, is critical of what he calls Australia’s “growing fascination” with American-style, centrally-administered standards testing in schools. He believes that if such tests are to be of any educational value, they should be in the hands of teachers to use when they see a need, not centrally administered (as at present) “to all children on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a time”.
In arguing his point, Dr Bond (from the School of Education, James Cook University) proposes an analogy with the health system. “Would medical practitioners be happy if the invigilators of the health system owned all the powerful medical tests while doctors were forced to resort to the diagnostic practices of folk medicine?” he asks. “Of course not; all but the most esoteric of diagnostic tests are routinely available to GPs, even when the costs are high.”
Australia’s “fascination” with standardised testing is fuelled by an apparent dissatisfaction, at the government level, with educational outcomes. Dr Bond finds this dissatisfaction unreasonable, as the most reliable comparisons (based on the principles of the Rasch measurement model, on which he is an international authority) invariably show that Australian standards are among the highest in the world. “In the light of these continuing high international rankings,” he comments, “it would be nice if the Education Minister could say why the Government remains critical of school achievement standards in Australia.”
In comparison the United States, which has gone much farther than Australia down the road of standard testing, has a much lower ranking than Australia. “In spite of this,” Dr Bond says, “we seem now to be emulating them educationally, as we do politically.”
One of his main objections to centrally-administered tests is their lack of immediate diagnostic feedback, as it often takes months for teachers to get the test results. “If teachers themselves were trusted to administer the tests,” he says, “they would see immediately where any remedial measures were necessary. As it is, the results merely summarise (in most cases too late) what has already happened.” While in Armidale Dr Bond has raised these issues and conducted research workshops with members of the National Centre of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education for Rural and Regional Australia (which is based at UNE), and with other members of UNE’s School of Education.
He points with approval to the recent experience in New Zealand, where the teachers’ union opposed the introduction of national standards. The New Zealand Government responded by funding the development of scientific testing systems for use by classroom teachers. (These are now widely used, voluntarily by teachers, throughout New Zealand.) Describing himself, in the Australian context, as “a lone disciple in the desert”, he says: “I just want to give teachers direct access to the essential tools to enhance children’s educational opportunities.”
Media contact: Associate Professor Trevor Bond on 0412 099 668 or Jim Scanlan (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph of Dr Bond displayed here is available from Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:50 AM
Festival celebrates German culture, industry
March 15, 2005
A series of lectures being held today at the University of New England are the latest offerings in the week-long German Festival, launched on Sunday by German Consul-General Dr Günter Gruber.
Professor John Moses will deliver a lecture at midday on “Commonwealth Internment Policy towards persons of German Origin in Two World Wars” at UNE Lecture Theatre Arts 2.
That will be followed by a lecture to be delivered by Associate Professor Janis Wilton at 5pm on “The Germans in New England”.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend more than 60 activities celebrating the festival, from an international soccer match on Saturday (being played on the Wicklow Fields) through to a series of German films to be screened at the Belgrave cinema.
Launching the event at the New England Regional Art Museum on Sunday, Dr Gruber told how he chose Armidale because “it’s just a wonderful place, not only the city but the University.
“The more I have scratched the surface, the more I have learnt of this wonderful place and it is just mind-blowing what happens in Armidale.”
About 70 people attended Sunday’s opening, including Professor Ingrid Moses, Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Armidale Mayor Brian Chetwynd and Klaus Schuurman, Executive Director of the German Chamber of Commerce.
Covering the event for the international media were journalists from Deutsche Welle and Der Spiegel.
Dr Gruber said he had only discovered Armidale a few years ago but that he had returned many times since. The German festival was only possible, he said, because the idea had been embraced by UNE, Armidale Council and the local community.
The festival is also being supported by a number of major German corporations, making the event a celebration of German culture and showcase of German technology.
Dr Gruber said he wanted to show “what German industry can offer to solve local problems, by involving world-class companies in local business”. German companies supporting the festival included BMW, Lufthansa and Allianz insurance, he said.
Professor Moses said people would see from the festival that Germany was a very modern country, with rich traditions. She said after visiting the festival website she was surprised to see how far German culture and industry had advanced in recent years. She urged the audience to tell their friends about the festival, saying it would only be a success if it had the support of the entire community.
“It will only work if people actually turn up to the theatre, turn up to the mall, turn up to the lectures and to the demonstrations,” she said.
“We really have to show that it is worthwhile for another country to stage something like this in a small country town.”
Events planned for the festival include an international golf tournament, a German play (Woyzeck), lectures, storybook readings and business meetings, culminating in the soccer tournament to be held this Saturday (March 19), followed by beer, bratwurst and oompah music in the Armidale mall.
Media contact: Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771 or Dr Linda Hess-Liechti, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, UNE on (02) 6773 3068. A photo is available to accompany this story.
Posted by Leon Braun at 10:05 AM
Virtual fair just the job for graduates
March 14, 2005
Radio interviews conducted over the Internet will feature in this year's Virtual Careers Fair, organised by the University of New England.
The innovation would allow students to hear from employers and other graduates about opportunities and experiences in the graduate recruitment market, said the organiser of the fair, Ms Rhonda Leece.
This is the fifth year that UNE has operated the Virtual Careers Fair (VCF), the largest collaborative event of its kind in Australasia. The two-week, online graduate recruitment event began last Thursday (March 10) and is online round-the-clock until Thursday, March 24.
Last year, the service attracted more than two million "hits", featured 71 "exhibitors" and conducted 52 "career chat options", according to Ms Leece, UNE's Careers Officer.
"This is the only national interactive online event of its type," she said.
"The VCF was originally established as a response to the needs of regional students who were studying at a distance from the campus. It has evolved, however, to be relevant to students from both metropolitan and regional locations and is complementary to the other campus-based events that university careers services offer their students."
During the VCF, students interact with employers in a chat-room, inquiring about job opportunities. "The VCF offers all students the ability to be exposed to the same opportunities, no matter their location, schedule or study type, removing past inequalities in the graduate recruitment market,"
Ms Leece said. "This has particular importance for regional students, external students, and metropolitan students who are unable to attend their own university's on-site fair."
The fair is sponsored by Defence Force Recruiting, Gradlink, Graduate Opportunities, NAGCAS, Seek, Testgrid, tUNE FM and Stomp Pty Ltd.
To view the site visit www.vcf.gradlink.edu.au. For more information phone Rhonda Leece on 6773 3408.
Media contact: Rhonda Leece, Counselling and Careers, UNE (02) 6773 3408 or Lydia Roberts, Public Relations Manager, UNE (02) 6773 2779.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 10:16 AM
Graduands urged to address social inequities 'with courage'
March 11, 2005
Students graduating at the University of New England today were urged to have the courage to address inequities in society and courage to embrace inevitable changes in the course of their careers.
Courage was a major theme in the Occasional Address delivered at the graduation ceremony by Mr Terry Clout, the Chief Executive of the Hunter / New England Area Health Service. At the same time, however, he urged the graduands to “have fun in whatever you do, and always have a good sense of humour”.
Today’s ceremony was for graduands in disciplines of Health as well as for graduands in the Sciences, and Mr Clout said the health industry, while facing many challenges, offered fulfilling careers for people having a wide range of skills, temperaments and ambitions: from those motivated by “deep idealism and compassion” to those seeking careers as “hard-nosed businessmen” or meticulous scientists.
The social inequities needing to be faced with courage, he said, included the “pockets of poverty” in a land of great wealth, and groups of people (such as many Aboriginal groups) disadvantaged in the context of health. He urged the graduands to “have the courage to confront these complex issues in our society". He also spoke about the need for the courage to “accept your imperfections”. “We all have strengths and weaknesses,” he said.
At today’s ceremony, the first of four this autumn, about 260 graduands received their testamurs in person from the Chancellor of UNE, Mr John Cassidy. In all, the ceremony celebrated the success of more than 450 graduands, many of whom could not travel to Armidale for the occasion.
Dr Colin Perrott, who graduated from UNE in the 1960s with an Honours degree in Physics and then a PhD, received an honorary Doctor of Science degree. In outlining Dr Perrott’s distinguished career in research and management within CSIRO and then the optics company Sola International, the Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, said: “Dr Perrott’s exceptional talents at management, research and development have been recognised by his election in 1991 to Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and by the award in 2003 of an Australian Centenary Medal for ‘service to Australian society in research and development'. His skill in ideas and concept development in lens design has played a significant role in the improvement of vision and quality of life for millions of people throughout the world.”
Professor Moses presented the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research to Associate Professor Steve Walkden-Brown from UNE’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture. In summarising the achievements of Dr Walkden-Brown and his colleagues, she mentioned the development of revolutionary new techniques of monitoring and controlling Marek’s disease, a scourge of the poultry industry.
At tomorrow’s [Saturday 12 March] ceremony, more than 300 graduands in Education and Professional Studies will receive their testamurs from the Chancellor, representing a total of more than 700 graduands in those disciplines.
The photograph displayed here shows Mr Terry Clout (centre) with Dr Jeanne Madison (Head of UNE's School of Health) and Professor Victor Minichiello (Dean of UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies). For copies of this and other graduation photographs, please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 10:03 AM
Northern rivers flow through science talks in Canberra
March 10, 2005
The management of rivers and wetlands in northern NSW so as to protect wildlife and enhance commercial fisheries was among the vital topics discussed by scientists, science educators and politicians in Parliament House, Canberra, this week.
The University of New England is conducting important studies of water-flow management in the Nymboida and Lower Clarence river systems. Professor Andrew Boulton, one of five researchers from UNE who travelled to Canberra for the annual “Science Meets Parliament” program, discussed the implications of these studies with the Member for the northern NSW seat of Page, Ian Causley.
Professor Boulton, from UNE’s School of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources Management, said: “The electorate of Page includes some of Australia’s fastest-growing population regions, and ecologically sustainable coastal and river management is crucial to protect the high environmental value of this area.”
One of the UNE projects is investigating the management of floodgates on the Clarence River near Lawrence. “Many estuarine creeks in this region had floodgates put on them more than 50 years ago, converting them into freshwater wetlands that provide key habitat for water birds such as jacana,” Professor Boulton said. “However, these creeks used to be critical nursery areas for commercially important fish such a mullet and bream, so University staff and students are investigating ways to manage floodgate manipulation to protect jacana but enhance the fishery.”
“Science Meets Parliament” was on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 March. Dr Heiko Daniel, another of the UNE delegates, reported that, on the second day of the event, more than 100 parliamentarians hosted discussion meetings with small groups of two or three scientists. “The top issues of interest for discussion by parliamentarians included science and the National Water Initiative, dryland salinity, ageing productively, and education and training,” said Dr Daniel, who is Associate Dean (Research) in UNE’s Faculty of The Sciences.
“The advantage for regional universities such as UNE is that we have these issues right on our doorstep,” he explained. “UNE scientists are constantly engaging with regional researchers, agencies, farmers, decision makers and the wider public. This makes UNE a key player when tackling major research issues of national priority, such as improving water use efficiency and maintaining river health.”
The three other UNE researchers who took part in the event at Parliament House are Dr John Stanley (School of Rural Science and Agriculture), Dr Debra Panizzon (National Centre of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education for Rural and Regional Australia), and Linda Agnew (School of Biological, Biomedical and Molecular Sciences).
The Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies organises “Science Meets Parliament”, which brings more than 200 scientists to Canberra once a year. This year’s event was the sixth in the series. As well as meetings between individual politicians and groups of scientists, there were forums on issues of national concern such as climate change, and talks by guest speakers including the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson.
Media contact: Professor Andrew Boulton, Ecosystem Management, UNE (02) 6773 3760 (or 0428 162 918), or Dr Heiko Daniel on (02) 6773 2080 or Jim Scanlan (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph displayed here shows (from left) Dr John Stanley, Dr Heiko Daniel, Dr Debra Panizzon and Professor Andrew Boulton. This and other photogrtaphs are available from Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:00 PM
Student marketing team recruits members for 2005
March 09, 2005
Students at the University of New England will have more opportunity than ever this year to become involved in business and community projects in the New England region.
This involvement is through UNESMART, a team of students who volunteer to do paid or unpaid work for the marketing projects of the University itself, and of its business and community partners.
UNESMART has been operating since 2002. Its coordinator, Philippa Kneen, said there would be a new focus this year on projects within the wider community. “In previous years, the students have been involved mainly in UNE recruitment projects such as Open Day and careers markets,” Ms Kneen said. “This year we are hoping to get them involved as well in some of our collaborative projects with business and community organisations.”
Ms Kneen, from UNE’s Directorate of Marketing and Public Affairs, said active membership of UNESMART helped students develop their leadership, teamwork and communication skills. “It also gives them an opportunity to enhance their portfolios,” she said, “and to gain points towards the New England Award” [UNE’s award for extra-curricular involvement in University and community activities].
As an example, Ms Kneen mentioned a former student who, after being a member of the UNESMART team for two years, and graduating in 2004, had found a job with a
Government Department in Canberra. “She attributes her success in gaining this position partly to her experience in UNESMART,” she said.
“Students wanting to join the UNESMART team need to make a commitment to the team for 12 months,” she continued. “It is up to each student to decide what projects or activities they undertake during that time. As a rule, most members complete 40 hours during the 12 months, which works out at about one hour a week.”
The Chair of UNESMART, Michael Walsh, has been a member of the team since its formation in 2002. Now the Business Development Officer for Challenge Armidale, one of UNE’s business and community partners, he says his UNESMART experience played a big part in gaining him that position.
To apply for membership of UNESMART, go to the Web site at: http://www.une.edu.au/mpa/unesmart/. Applications can be made online, or by downloading an application form from the Web site. Applications close on Friday 11 March.
For more information, ring Philippa Kneen on (02) 6773 2114.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 04:24 PM
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry targets UNE graduates
March 09, 2005
The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has sent its Human Resources Manager and two of its star recruits to the University of New England to try to attract graduates to the Department.
UNE graduates are hotly sought-after within the Department for their generic skills and regional perspective, according to Paul Russell, Director of Learning and Development, People and Planning at the Department.
“We came back to UNE because we had such great success here with our graduate intake two years ago,” Mr Russell said. “We particularly like UNE graduates because of the strength of their personal skills and research skills, and because they show a bit of initiative. UNE is really preparing its students well for the workforce.”
“A lot of students here come from rural and regional backgrounds, and when you’re developing policy and programs they can offer a really valuable input that draws on their experiences, because they’ve been there and actually lived in the bush,” he explained.
Almost a dozen former UNE students have won places in the Department’s highly competitive graduate program since 2000. John Shannon and Ben Dal Broi were recruited by the Department immediately after finishing their studies in rural science at UNE in 2002. John now works in the Human Resources section of the Department and Ben, a former University Medallist, is helping develop policy as a Project Officer with the Rural Financial Counselling section. John and Ben were back on campus this week to encourage more UNE graduates to follow in their footsteps to Canberra.
John Shannon recommended graduates “get amongst” the Department’s graduate recruitment program. “It’s the best thing you could possibly do straight out of university,” he said. “It provides you with so many diverse opportunities and so much support. We developed instant social networks. It’s the best way to make the move [into the working world].”
Ben Dal Broi said that graduates should seriously consider applying to work with the Department of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries, as it could offer them “an interesting and rewarding career” that ranged from helping shape rural policy to being a dog handler with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). “I put the generic skills I learnt at UNE into practice every day,” Ben said, “and the knowledge and experience of working in rural industries that I took away from my degree help me to relate to my clients, especially farmers. Also, the networks and contacts I made while studying have proved useful in my job.”
Online applications for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 2006 graduate intake will be accepted between March 12 and April 11, 2005. Short-listed applicants will complete a battery of tests of their problem-solving, communication and numerical skills, and will be interviewed by representatives from the Department. For more information visit: http://www.daff.gov.au/graduate.
Media contact: Rhonda Leece on (02) 6773 3408 or Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.
Click here for a high-resolution version of the photograph at right (from left: John Shannon, Paul Russel, Ben Dal Broi).
Posted by Leon Braun at 10:40 AM
New Director aims to integrate UNE-community links
March 08, 2005
Anne Roczniok, a nuclear physicist by training, will be generating energy of a different kind in her new role as Director of the University of New England’s Development Office.
“While reinforcing the traditional links between the University and its communities, the Development Office will be seeking to create new links to meet new challenges and opportunities,” Ms Roczniok said.
“My role as Director is to integrate the development of the diverse range of UNE’s external relationships, including relationships with alumni, community and regional bodies, industry clients, sponsors, and large Government organisations,” she explained. “In addition to this, one of my main objectives will be to integrate the Office’s fund-raising, community-liaison, consulting and commercialisation projects with the whole spectrum of related activities undertaken by the University’s various research groups and administrative units.”
“It’s going to be a profile-raising exercise for the Development Office both on- and off-campus,” she said.
Ms Roczniok came to UNE in February after 10 years at the University of NSW, where she had led teams involved in obtaining funding for research and commercialising new technologies. Since the middle of 1999 she had been Business Development Manager in Technology Commercialisation at that university’s consulting company, Unisearch Limited.
As a young graduate of the University of Melbourne, her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in nuclear physics led her first to the Melbourne laboratory of a CSIRO minerals Division, where she helped to develop nuclear devices for monitoring the quality and composition of mineral ores. Within CSIRO, she moved first to a Sydney laboratory of the same minerals Division, and then to the Division of Textile Physics at Ryde, where she was involved in the development and commercialisation of new technology for measuring the mechanical properties of fabrics. Her move to the University of NSW followed the closure of the Ryde laboratory.
She and her husband bought a 500-acre property in New England several years ago, intending to wait till the time was right before moving north from Sydney. “That was supposed to be around the end of next year,” Ms Roczniok said, “when my son Ben finishes his degree course at Macquarie University. “But when this position at UNE came up it looked so interesting, bringing together so many aspects of my expertise and experience, that the move came a year earlier than expected.”
As Australia’s oldest regional university, established by members of the New England community to meet the region’s educational needs and aspirations, UNE has a long history of support from, and involvement in, its local communities. This interaction, coordinated by the Development Office, includes the generous provision of scholarships by many organisations and individuals.
Media contact: Anne Roczniok, Director, Development Office, UNE (02) 6773 3707 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph of Anne Roczniok displayed here is available. Please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 09:22 AM
Pioneering police study shows benefits of writing down feelings
March 07, 2005
Police officers who write about their feelings in a daily “emotions diary” significantly reduce their levels of job-related stress, a University of New England study has shown.
The findings come as a number of high-profile court cases have highlighted the extreme psychological pressures police face in the line of duty.
Police officers who spent 15 minutes a day writing about the emotions they experienced during their shift reduced feelings of stress, depression and anxiety by an average of 28 per cent over a four-day period.
A total of 50 police officers took part in the experiment, the first of its kind. It was carried out by a serving police officer, Senior Constable Matt Ireland, as part of his Honours degree in Psychology at UNE.
Constable Ireland said he conducted the study because he wanted to help his fellow officers find positive ways of dealing with the stress that came with the job.
“There’s not a great deal of support out there for police suffering from stress and I saw this as a way of helping my colleagues to help themselves,” Constable Ireland said. “It’s a stressful job. There’s no nice way of saying that we often deal with the absolute worst elements of society.”
Police found many different ways of dealing with stress, not all of them positive, Constable Ireland said. “The main way police tend to deal with it [the stress of the job] is by not dealing with it at all. It’s a macho thing.” Other coping methods included drinking and developing a sick sense of humour, he said.
Emotional writing had many advantages as a psychological treatment for police officers, Constable Ireland said.
“It works, it would be very cheap to administer and it’s something you can do in your own time. It doesn’t take long to get an effect.” He said another advantage was that it would not attract the stigma some police associated with seeking professional psychiatric help.
“Most police don’t want to go to psychotherapy. This offers them a middle ground, and hopefully might encourage a few more people to seek help when they need it.”
Dr John Malouf, who supervised Constable Ireland’s studies, said what made his findings so valuable was that police in general were not inclined to seek counselling, so keeping an emotional diary offered them a highly effective therapy without having to see a counsellor. “This is a very hot coping method among researchers at the moment and it has real potential for application among police,” Dr Malouf said.
Upon completion of the study Constable Ireland presented his findings to the Psychology Section of the NSW Police. Chief Psychologist Inspector Jennifer Lette said the results of Matthew’s research were “interesting” and that diary writing was one of a range of techniques now recommended to help police recover from psychological trauma.
Said Constable Ireland: “I know how hard this job can be first hand. I’m not some university kid who has never had to wrestle with a drunk in a pub or attend a fatal accident or see a child die. I’ve done those things and if this technique can help others the way it has helped me then I’ll be satisfied.”
Media Contacts: Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771 or Senior Constable Matthew Ireland on (02) 6965 1404. For a photo to accompany this story contact Leon Braun on (02) 6773 3771.
Posted by Leon Braun at 10:19 AM
US study supports theory of Lost World of Little People
March 04, 2005
The first technical study of the brain of Homo floresiensis — the tiny woman discovered on the island of Flores by an international expedition led by archaeologist Professor Mike Morwood from the University of New England — shows anatomical features consistent with higher cognitive processing, such as taking initiative and planning.
Homo floresiensis is a new species of human whose 18,000-year-old remains were excavated from Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores; her discovery was announced last October and made international news.
Now Dean Falk, Professor of Anthropology at Florida State University, has led a team that created the first virtual endocast of the tiny human’s diminutive braincase, a reconstruction using three-dimensional technology to reproduce details of the external surface of the brain.
Among other discoveries, the team found that the Homo floresiensis brain’s frontal lobe, an area thought in humans to be involved in higher thinking processes, contains significant swelling. The results of the study are reported in the March 3 issue of the journal Science.
The analysis of the endocast by Falk's team fully supports the conclusions reached in the original Nature paper, which outlined UNE Professors Morwood and Peter Brown’s work on Homo Floresiensis.
Of the find, Thomas Sutikna, from the Indonesian Centre for Archaeology (who directed the archaeological excavations at Liang Bua), said:
“Every aspect of Homo floresiensis seems to yield more surprises, but the new findings about [Homo Floresiensis’ brain explain how she and her kin could hunt little elephants (Stegodon), make sophisticated stone artifacts and use fire. What else they were up to during their 800,000 years of isolation on the island of Flores will be incredibly interesting.”
Falk and a team at Washington University’s Mallinckrodt Institute used CT data gathered in Indonesia from the Homo floresiensis skull to create a virtual endocast of the woman’s braincase. From a physical model of the skull, Falk also made a physical endocast out of latex to further her analysis. Falk has been creating physical endocasts for 30 years.
The virtual endocast process reproduced details of external brain morphology, including sulci (brain grooves), vessels, sinuses, cranial capacity and shape that were imprinted within the living creature’s braincase. The team then compared Hobbit’s endocast to those of an adult female chimpanzee, an adult female Homo erectus, a contemporary woman, and a microcephalic (human with an abnormally small skull). Female specimens were chosen because the original Homo floresiensis specimen was female.
Although the Homo floresiensis brain is the size of a chimp’s, Falk said its appearance immediately reminded her of that of Homo erectus, the human ancestor that arose about 1.8 million years ago and is known to have lived in Africa, Europe and Asia.
For more information phone Professor Peter Brown on 6773 3064 or
Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 10:13 AM
National survey to look at science, maths in country schools
March 03, 2005
Teachers and communities will soon have an opportunity to have their say about issues in science, mathematics and ICT education in rural and regional Australia.
SiMERR Australia, the new national centre at the University of New England, has received funding of $250,000 from the Australian Government to conduct one of the largest surveys of teachers ever undertaken in Australia.
Teachers and parents from 5,700 schools throughout the country will be invited to complete the survey at the beginning of April, and their answers to the questions will help researchers understand the factors that contribute to the overall lower achievement of country students (in comparison to city students) in mathematics and science.
The survey is a significant new national project of SiMERR (the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia), which was established last year to support primary and secondary teachers in non-metropolitan schools in their efforts to improve their students’ results in these subjects.
The Director of the SiMERR National Centre, Professor John Pegg of UNE, is leading the survey team. “It is critical that we have accurate information about the issues facing teachers, students and communities in these subject areas if we are to address the disadvantage of students in rural and regional Australia in a coordinated way,” Professor Pegg said. “This National Survey is a vital first step. It will inform policy decisions about how to attract teachers to rural and regional schools, and how to support their efforts to help students achieve results in mathematics and science comparable to those of their city counterparts.”
UNE’s Dr Terry Lyons, the Project Manager for the National Survey, said: “Year after year, city students dominate the Year 12 high-achiever lists out of all proportion to their number, particularly in mathematics and science courses.”
“In our survey, every primary and secondary teacher involved in science, ICT and mathematics education in non-metropolitan schools will be invited to have their say on a range of issues, from the benefits or disadvantages of teaching in country schools, to the availability of resources and professional development opportunities,” Dr Lyons explained. “In order to provide data for comparison, a large number of city schools in each State and Territory (750 altogether) will also be invited to participate. The success of the study will depend greatly on the support of school principals and community leaders, who will be asked to distribute the surveys and to encourage participation. We hope that principals and teachers in all parts of Australia will see the survey as a unique opportunity to express their views on a critical issue.”
Teachers and community members will be encouraged to complete the survey online through the SiMERR Web site. Paper versions of the survey will also be available.
Media contact: Dr Debra Panizzon, Deputy Director of SiMERR, UNE (02) 6773
5061 (or mobile: 0418 633 152) or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph displayed here, showing (from left) Dr Terry Lyons (Project Manager), Anne Parnell (Project Officer), and Professor John Pegg (Team Leader) is available. Please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 03:18 PM
Armidale launches inaugural German Festival
March 02, 2005
A return flight to Germany and the chance to drive a BMW Z4 are just some of the prizes in a competition to coincide with this month's inaugural Armidale German Festival.
Dr Linda Hess-Liechti, Senior Lecturer in German at the University of New England, said anyone in NSW and Queensland could take part in the competition by going to the Web site at www.moderngermany.com, and answering a series of daily questions on Germany (or: www.sydney.diplo.de, and follow the links). The competition concludes at the end of the month.
The German Festival begins on March 12 and runs until March 19. Organised by the German Consul-General, Dr Günter Gruber (pictured here), and supported by UNE's German department and Armidale Dumaresq Council, the festival features a series of political talks, scientific symposia, golf and soccer tournaments and business meetings, as well as cultural events.
Professor Ingrid Moses, Vice-Chancellor of UNE, said Armidale's association with Germany dated back to the 1800s. "We, at the University of New England, have been teaching German language and culture since the University started as the New England University College in the late 1930s," she said. "Many of the academic staff were born and educated in Germany, and many of the Australian-born academics have links to German universities."
A highlight of the festival is a series of public lectures, to be held at Armidale Dumaresq Library and UNE Arts Theatre 2. Retired lecturer Graham Wilson will present a workshop on "Finding Your Ancestors" at the town library on Monday, March 14 while Professor John Moses will speak about the “Commonwealth Internment Policy towards Persons of German Origin in World Wars I and II” at a lecture in the Arts Theatre on Tuesday, March 15. That will be followed later in the afternoon by a lecture by Associate Professor Janis Wilton on Germans in New England.
Armidale theatre director Barbara Altorjai-Albury will direct six performances of Georg Buchner's 19th-century German play, Woyzeck, in English. Scheduled to be a highlight of the festival, it will be performed from March 16 at the UNE Arts Theatre. Tickets cost $16, with concessions available. Tickets are available at the Armidale Visitors' Centre.
The Consul-General said he was "looking forward to the festival" and hoped it would be the beginning of a series of similar festivals to be held in the future. "The festival has an integrated approach encompassing business meetings, scientific symposia, political talks, cultural events, golf and soccer tournaments, and German language and information campaigns focusing on Armidale and its rural surroundings," Dr Gruber said.
Media contact: Dr Linda Hess-Liechti, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, UNE (02) 6773 3068 or Lydia Roberts, Public Relations Manager, UNE (02) 6773 2779.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:01 PM
Archaeologist to re-establish international space link
March 01, 2005
An Australian archaeologist who has become an international authority on the cultural significance of space-age hardware is travelling to the Guyana Space Centre in South America to re-establish the historic link between it and Woomera in Central Australia.
Dr Alice Gorman, an Honorary Research Associate at the University of New England, will tell staff of the European Space Agency how, in 1971, their predecessors moved from Woomera Rocket Range to the “spaceport” at Kourou in French Guyana to develop the Europa II rocket, the ancestor of the Ariane launch vehicle.
Dr Gorman will explain the sense of betrayal experienced at the time by many Australians who felt that they had been let down once again by bureaucrats and politicians on the other side of the world. (In 1960, Britain had cancelled the development of the Blue Streak rocket at Woomera without consulting its Australian workforce.)
While at Kourou she will pursue her research, examining the space programs of Britain and France in the context of “colonialism”. “These programs relied on the use of colonies such as Australia, Algeria and French Guyana as ‘unpopulated’ launch sites,” Dr Gorman said. (In a paper appearing in the next issue of the Journal of Social Archaeology she discusses the aspirations of powers such as the United States to “colonise” space, exemplified by the planting of the American flag on the Moon.)
The occasion for Dr Gorman’s visit to Kourou is the presentation of a history of Woomera, "Fire Across the Desert" by Peter Morton, to the library at the Guyana Space Centre. Mr Juan de Dalmau, the director of the Summer Session of the International Space University (ISU), invited her to be part of the proceedings after hearing her lecture on cultural heritage at Woomera at last year’s ISU Summer Session in Adelaide. “My talk will focus on the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO, the precursor of the European Space Agency) at Woomera, Australian reactions to its departure from Woomera in 1971, and ELDO’s interaction with Aboriginal culture at its tracking station on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory,” she said.
A vivid product of this interaction, and a focal point for her talk, is a bark painting from Gove that transforms a traditional symbol for a ceremonial ground into the depiction of a rocket, full of pale-coloured people. (This painting is on display at the South Australian Museum.) Dr Gorman said she was intrigued by historic and cultural links between the “Space Age” and the world’s oldest cultures. “My research has looked at how Woomera constructed a unique identity using Aboriginal culture and language, at the same time as the local Kokatha people were dispossessed of their country,” she explained. “In 1947, at the same time that Woomera was being set up, France established the Colomb-Bechar range in Algeria. Rocket scientists from Colomb-Bechar ended up working at Woomera and at Kourou on the Europa rocket. I want to explore the way colonial administrations in these places interacted with the existing population, whether Indigenous or migrant, and the kind of stories that were told about the coming of the ‘Space Age’ to the desert or the tropics in these seemingly remote places.”
Media contact: Dr Alice Gorman on (03) 5885 2735 or Jim Scanlan (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:09 AM