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Leon Braun
(02) 6773 3771
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June 2005
April 2005Great divide shuts Australia out, says visiting academic
May 31, 2005
Australia’s identity has far more in common with South Africa and Argentina than with Europe and North America, according to a visiting academic at The University of New England.
Professor Bob Connell, author and co-author of 18 books, believes Australian social scientists have “embedded” their view of the world using models from Europe and the US and this has led to a paradox; for while Australia is a rich, industrialised nation, similar to the US and European countries, its history and culture is more aligned with South Africa and Argentina.
“We should re-orientate our social inquiry so it is more relevant to the world in which we live,” Professor Connell said.
He will deliver his lecture, “Southern Theory: Thinking from Outside the Metropole” on Friday, June 3 at the Paul Barrett Lecture Theatre at UNE from 12.30pm.
The lecture is part of the Sociology Seminar Series and has been organised by Prfoessor Kerry Carrington.
UNESEX spokeswoman Dr Gail Hawkes said Professor Connell’s visit to UNE provided a rare and great opportunity to listen to a leading social scientist.
Professor Connell is based at the University of Sydney and has spoken at conferences across the globe.
He is renowned for his research on masculinity and gender equality. His other fields of study include neo-liberalism, globalisation and intellectuals.
Said Professor Connell: “In the 19th Century, Australia was seen as a symbol of primitiveness.
“Now, however, Australia is totally ignored in metropole sociology, even though Australia imports much of its ideas from the metropole.”
The metropole is largely made up of the rich, industrialised countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including Britain, Europe and the US. Although Australia is also rich and industrialised, it is also a post-colonial nation, separating it from many other countries forming the Metropole.
As well as ignoring Australian social science, Professor Connell said the Metropole also ignored Muslim theorists over the past 150 years or so.
“This is not good, since there is a powerful and fascinating cultural change happening there and Muslim theorists are simply not being read in Europe and the US,” Professor Connell said.
For more information phone Professor Carrington on 6773 3519 or
Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 10:17 AM
New England schools lead the way in maths project
May 30, 2005
A cluster of seven schools in New England forms the regional component of a national project aimed at keeping mathematics teachers up-to-date with new insights into the teaching of this vital subject.
Mathematics teachers from the schools began their involvement by taking part in a full-day seminar at The University of New England last week. The project will use nationally-developed professional teaching standards as a basis for improving mathematics instruction in schools.
The Executive Officer of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT), Mr Will Morony, supported by Professor Alan Bishop from Monash University, led the seminar. Mr Morony, who travelled to Armidale from his Adelaide office, said a cluster of schools in Brisbane would provide the project’s metropolitan perspective.
Dr Rosemary Callingham, Leonie McGregor and Professor John Pegg, all from the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education in Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR), based at UNE, are leading the regional component of the project. Mr Morony said it was no coincidence that the location of the regional cluster was in close proximity to the SiMERR National Centre at UNE. “We’re very pleased to be able to have a cluster of country schools,” he explained, “because, inevitably, their needs are different from those of their metropolitan counterparts. The Centre has provided us with a way of having a country-based cluster of schools that will be well supported locally. Staff of the Centre will work with the schools as facilitators of the project and, while supporting the learning of the teachers, they will be learning too.”
The New England schools involved in the project are: Armidale City Public School, Ben Venue Public School (Armidale), Black Mountain Public School, Calrossy (Tamworth), Uralla Central School, O’Connor Catholic High School (Armidale), and The Armidale School.
“Teachers themselves are the people who know what they need to get better at,” Mr Morony said. “We’re just helping them to achieve that.” Teachers will base their own assessment of their professional-development needs on the “Standards for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics in Australian Schools” published by AAMT in 2002. These standards emphasise the importance of “knowledge of students” and “knowledge of students’ learning of mathematics”, as well as knowledge of the subject itself.
“Mathematics is changing all the time,” Mr Morony pointed out. “We’re continually finding out more about how students learn maths, and teachers can only benefit from having access to more information.”
The project, which is funded by the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership, will continue for the rest of the year. Mr Moroney will return to UNE and its SiMERR National Centre several times during this period.
Media contact: Dr Rosemary Callingham on (02) 6773 5094 or Professor John Pegg on (02) 6773 5070 in the SiMERR National Centre, UNE.
The photograph displayed here, taken during the seminar, shows Mr Will Morony (standing) and Dr Rosemary Callingham (right) with Mr Mark Doran (Calrossy school) and Ms Felicity Thomas (Armidale City Public School).
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:00 AM
Child magistrate delivers moving speech at UNE
May 27, 2005
Reasoning with toddlers, rather than saying “no”, is bad parenting and leads to confusion, former children’s magistrate Barbara Holborow told a youth forum at The University of New England on Thursday.
She said Baby Boomers were the main culprits as parents, since they held a belief that “everyone is born free from the moment they are born”.
On the other hand, that style of parenting suited some children who had grown to become “wonderfully creative”, Ms Holborow said.
Ms Holborow made her comments after delivering a talk to more than 540 schoolchildren at a national youth forum, “Step to the Future”.
“I hear mothers having a discussion with their three-year-old, explaining ‘why’ rather than saying, ‘no’,” Ms Holborow said.
“This leads to utter confusion in the child. You have to set boundaries very early with a child. Children love boundaries. It gives them an opportunity to push them a little and boundaries are also a benchmark. They can be widened once the child has earned respect and behaves.”
During her talk to the schoolchildren, who ranged in age from 15 to 18 years, Ms Holborow told stories of her time served as a magistrate on the Bench of the Children’s Court.
She told how an act of kindness, the giving of a cuddly toy, helped coax a young boy to talk after being struck speechless by the suicide death of his mother.
“Small acts of kindness mean so much,” she said.
After her talk, students told how they had been “greatly touched” by Ms Holborow’s stories.
Ms Sarah Foster and Kimberley Manning, both 16 and from Oxley High School in Tamworth, said they found Ms Holborow’s talk inspirational.
“I was greatly touched and it gives a whole new perspective to life,” Ms Foster said.
It is the first time "Step to the Future" has been held at UNE. The program engages local high-school students in organising the forums, at which prominent Australians speak about their road to success.
Also talking at the forum at UNE were Bali Bombing survivor and AFL player Julian Burton and Lieutenant Amanda Jane MacKinnell, Head of Physical and Personnel Security for Kuttabul and Garden Island dockyard.
Some of the schools that participated include Oxley and Calrossy High Schools in Tamworth, Barraba Central High School and all of Armidale’s secondary schools.
”Step to the Future” began in Sydney as a pilot project in 2002. It aims to provide 15-18-year-olds with positive role models, motivation, and an insight into the lives of people prominent in a wide variety of fields, including business, politics, entertainment and sport.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 11:49 AM
Apprentice printer proves he’s the right type
May 26, 2005
A multi-award winning apprentice printer from The University of New England has again been recognised for his professionalism after making the finals in a statewide lithographic competition.
Mr Todd Naylor, 28, was one of seven finalists in a competition organised by the Lithographic Institute of Australia (LIA) and Heidelberg Australia (HA).
He flew to Sydney for the awards night, held on May 3 at the Sydney Rowing Club in Abbotsford.
There, he was presented with a certificate, along with the six other finalists, from Mr Richard Timson, Northern Region Manager for Heidelberg Australia.
“I was delighted to receive this recognition for all my hard work,” Mr Naylor said.
“I have been greatly helped by my colleagues at the Printery, who have been very supportive of me.”
Mr Mike Patricks, Officer in Charge at UNE’s Printery, said Mr Naylor was a “bright and up-and-coming” apprentice.
“He is living proof that while there may be a skill shortage in NSW, the University is doing its best to train apprentices in NSW,” he said.
To gain his latest achievement, Mr Naylor was initially selected from TAFE NSW, where he is completing his apprenticeship in printing and machining, as being one of its best apprentices.
Mr Naylor then attended a day’s interview in front of a panel of specialists from the LIA. He was quizzed about his career path, what his expectations were in printing and where he saw the industry in 10 years’ time.
“I think the industry will become more digital and less ‘hands-on’,” Mr Naylor said.
He was subsequently informed he had been made a finalist in the competition.
“On the night there was a three-course meal and a keynote speaker Mr Phillip Lawrence, from paper giant Store Enso, talked about global environmental issues,” Mr Naylor said.
About 120 people attended the event. Mr Ben Hickey, a printing machinist from Sony Music Entertainment, took out the highest accolade for the night.
Mr Naylor has worked in the Printery at UNE for the past eight years. He initially worked as a table-hand driver, delivering and finishing printed material, biding his time until an apprenticeship became available.
That happened three-and-a-half years ago and Mr Naylor will finish his apprenticeship in October.
As well as being a finalist in the LIA/HA awards, Mr Naylor also made it as a finalist in the Department of Education and Training New Apprenticeship Centre (DETNAC), was awarded first place in Stage Two of Printing Machining and last year won the Heidelberg Prize.
“I’d like to stay on as a tradesman, working for UNE, when I complete my apprenticeship,” Mr Naylor said.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 12:09 PM
Big crowd celebrates young artists’ work
May 25, 2005
A crowd of about 250 people attended the opening of an exhibition in Armidale that celebrates the talent of young artists from schools in regional NSW.
The exhibition of finalists in The University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize opened at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) on Friday evening [20 May].
The Dean of UNE's Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies, Professor Victor Minichiello, officially opened the exhibition and spoke for everyone when he said: "We as a community are very proud of the work displayed here."
In explaining the origins and purpose of the Art Prize, now in its second year, Professor Minichiello said it was, among other things, a means of "connecting the University to the community". The Director of NERAM, Dr Janice Lally, in welcoming the crowd and the young artists themselves, spoke about the Museum's role in this process, saying: "This exhibition is an indicator of the value of the Museum to the community."
A panel of experts, including local artist Fay Porter, judged the 316 entries, and selected the 65 finalists to be included in the "Let's Hang It" exhibition. The organising committee for the Art Prize, consisting of staff from UNE's School of Education, then framed and hung the finalists' entries. Professor Minichiello said the entries had come from 30 schools throughout NSW north of Sydney. "Everyone who has entered is a 'winner', " he said, "and has made an important contribution to this event."
During the opening ceremony the winners of the three categories were announced. They are: Joshua Russell from William Cowper Anglican College, Tamworth (Primary category); Shoshannah Zettel from Armidale High School (Junior Secondary category); Lauren Meredith from Armidale High School (Senior category). Professor Minichiello presented the three winners with cheques for $100, $200 and $300 respectively. Members of the audience voted for a "People's Choice" award, which went to Stephanie Graham from Black Mountain Public School.
Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk, who chaired the organising committee for this year's Art Prize, introduced UNE arts education lecturer Frances Alter, who spoke about the winning entries. Ms Alter pointed out that Lauren Meredith's work, titled "Wooloomooloo after Dickerson"(depicting a sad figure against a backdrop of Sydney terrace houses), was a relief sculpture built up from shapes cut out of cardboard boxes and vividly painted. "There's a lot of depth to this work," she said. "And, although it arouses our sympathy, it's not sentimental." She spoke about the possible symbolism of Shoshannah Zettel's entry, titled "Apple Through My Eye", which is a photographic work having undergone a complex sequence of processes to produce its special quality. "It has captured a mood," she said. Joshua Russell's bold, bright painting of a rooster (titled "Embarrassed Rooster") showed, she said, "a strong sense of composition and colour contrast".
The exhibition at NERAM will continue till 17 July.
Media contact: Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk, School of Education, UNE (02) 6773 3838 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049. Please contact Jim Scanlan for photographs.
The photograph displayed here shows prize winners (from left) Joshua Russell, Lauren Meredith and Shoshannah Zettel.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:12 AM
Award for new approach to cotton pest control
May 24, 2005
A research team led by a scientist from The University of New England has won a national award for developing a new approach to the selective poisoning of destructive moths on cotton farms.
Their research, based on a thorough knowledge of the moth’s behaviour, has resulted in a method of using only small amounts of insecticide for effective control of the pest.
Associate Professor Peter Gregg from UNE’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture led the team at the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Centre (Cotton CRC) that won an Award for Excellence in Innovation from the Cooperative Research Centres Association. It was one of several similar awards presented at the Association’s annual conference in Melbourne last week. They recognise the best research from about 70 CRCs across Australia for application to industry, medicine, the environment and agriculture.
Dr Gregg (pictured here) accepted the award together with Mr Guy Roth, Chief Executive Officer of the Cotton CRC, and Mr Patrick Buerger, Managing Director of Ag Biotech Australia Pty Ltd. (Ag Biotech is the company that is commercialising the new pest management tool, named Magnet®.) Dr Gregg’s UNE colleague Dr Alice Del Socorro, who carried out much of the laboratory and field work for the project, also attended the ceremony.
The Vice-Chancellor of UNE, Professor Ingrid Moses, and the Dean of UNE’s Faculty of The Sciences, Professor Margaret Sedgley, who both attended the presentation ceremony, congratulated Dr Gregg and his team. “UNE has a long history of research with the cotton industry and is a major provider of graduates who work in cotton communities,” Professor Moses said. “We are delighted to receive this award with the Cotton CRC and Ag Biotech.”
Dr Gregg said that for the cotton industry, and the communities in which the industry operates, the benefits of Magnet® would be substantial. “Worldwide, major losses are caused by larvae of Helicoverpa moths in cotton crops,” he said. “The pest also affects other crops, causing losses through reduced yields and costs of control in excess of $US2 billion annually. Australian losses are estimated at over $A300 million annually.”
Magnet® is a blend of five plant volatiles (naturally occurring chemicals that give plants their characteristic smells, to insects as well as to humans). The blend is combined with very small amounts of insecticides already used in cotton, along with a feeding stimulant and various substances used to stabilise the formulation. It is applied with equipment similar to that already in use by farmers.
“Insects are lured to a deposit of insecticide and killed,” Dr Gregg said. “This can give selective control using tiny amounts of cheap broad-spectrum insecticides, without the destruction of beneficial insects which normally accompanies use of these chemicals. An application of Magnet® is currently priced at about $15 per hectare; other new selective insecticides generally cost more than $50 per hectare.
“Plant volatiles offer the possibility of attacking the adult stage (moths) rather than the larval stage (caterpillars), as conventional insecticides do. Since each female Helicoverpa moth can produce 1,000-2,000 eggs, and the moths are very mobile, killing a relatively small number of moths might effectively reduce pest populations over a wide area.”
Media contact: Associate Professor Peter Gregg, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE (02) 6773 2665 or 0427 727 931, or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
For a PHOTOGRAPH taken at the presentation ceremony, please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 11:39 AM
Celebrities talk at youth forum
May 23, 2005
Hundreds of schoolchildren from across NSW will converge on The University of New England on Thursday for the first Armidale event in a series of national youth forums.
Called "Step to the Future", the program engages local high-school students in organising the forums, at which prominent Australians speak about their road to success.
Some of the speakers at this week’s forum include author and commentator Barbara Holborow, quadriplegic farmer Sam Bailey and Lieutenant Amanda Jane MacKinnell, Head of Physical and Personnel Security for Kuttabul and Garden Island dockyard.
Mr John Kauter, the UNE organiser of the event, said there were still places available for schoolchildren who had not yet enrolled in the forum.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for youths aged between 15 and 18 years to listen to inspirational speakers talk frankly about both success and failure," Mr Kauter said.
“In the question-and-answer sessions that follow each talk, the students are not afraid to ask the hard questions. Comment from the students can become very emotional."
Some of the schools participating so far include Calrossy and Oxley High Schools in Tamworth, Barraba Central High School and all of Armidale’s secondary schools.
Earlier this year, 40 members of the student organising committee, from secondary schools in Armidale and Tamworth, met to plan the content, management, sponsorship and promotion of the forum. There will be six speakers in all.
Speakers at previous forums have included General Peter Cosgrove, Dr Pat O'Shane, Wendy Harmer and Louise Sauvage. "I left feeling very inspired" is a typical comment from student participants in the forums.
The National Executive Director of Step to the Future, Robert Van Houten, said the event at UNE would be one of 21 throughout the country in 2005-6.
He explained that the program had begun in Sydney as a pilot project in 2002, and that its immediate success had led to events in other State capitals and Canberra (as well as its debut in regional NSW) in 2003. The program aims to provide 15-18-year-olds with positive role models, motivation, and an insight into the lives of people prominent in a wide variety of fields, including business, politics, entertainment and sport.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 01:24 PM
UNE harvesting first crop of Grains students
May 20, 2005
The University of New England is harvesting the first crop of students from its unique course in Sustainable Grains Production.
The course, designed to meet challenges posed by the increasing complexity of the grains industry, began in mid-2003. It focuses on grain production as practised from central and northern NSW to southern and central Queensland.
Four of the inaugural students have already completed the course, and about 20 more will be graduating later this year. The course coordinator, Craig Birchall (pictured here), said it had been particularly popular with agronomists: a large proportion of those enrolled were professional agronomists, he said, and the others included farmers and farm managers, grain traders and government researchers.
“The course was designed to provide well-rounded scientific training for such people,” Mr Birchall said. “This had become particularly important because some aspects of the industry, including crop nutrition, herbicide resistance, environmental issues, and chemical application, were becoming increasingly complex.”
All the units in the course are delivered by distance education, and cover the broad areas of agronomy, crop protection, environmental issues, and industry systems. Mr Birchall said the residential schools, held in the grain-industry centres of Tamworth and Toowoomba and including presentations by industry representatives, had proved particularly popular.
UNE is now accepting second-semester enrolments in the course, which begins in July.
Those who complete the course successfully can graduate with a Graduate Certificate in Rural Science (Sustainable Grains Production), or put the units towards a diploma or other qualification. Mr Birchall said that many of the students were taking advantage of the possibility of graduating with a Master of Agriculture degree after the completion of just four additional units. For example, two of the agronomists who had already completed the course had combined it with the UNE Cotton Production course and had graduated with a Master’s degree.
Most of the units have been designed so that they can also be undertaken separately, as stand-alone professional training.
The Grains Research and Development Corporation funded the development of the course, and there has been considerable involvement by State Departments of Primary Industry and CSIRO. “Together, we’re trying to get the best practices on to the farm,” Mr Birchall said, “to maximise profitability, minimise environmental impact, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry.”
For inquiries about the course, or applications, contact Craig Birchall on (02) 6773 2721.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:49 PM
HSC students gain insight into history writing
May 19, 2005
Eighty-four Year 12 students from northern and western NSW have been given an insight, at The University of New England, into the processes of interpreting and writing history.
They came to UNE’s annual HSC History Extension Day from as far afield as Dubbo, Coonabarabran and Tenterfield, and Macksville, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. There were also students from schools in Armidale, Tamworth, Glen Innes and Inverell.
Associate Professor Matthew Dillon from UNE’s School of Classics, History and Religion, who coordinated the day, said it had been designed to help advanced students with “how to approach historical documents, and how to deal with historians and their biases”. “They learn how history is written , and the different perspectives that individual historians bring to writing about the past,” he explained. “This enables them to write essays that show an awareness of historical problems.”
Part of the day’s program was an examination of different genres of history writing: from academic history to popular and oral history; from political history to social history. (Associate Professor Lynda Garland, pictured here, talked to them in UNE's Museum of Antiquities about the use of ancient evidence.) The students were also introduced to psychohistory: the use of concepts, principles and theories from psychology to gain a deeper understanding of historical events. Seven UNE historians gave the students the benefit of their expertise.
UNE introduced its annual HSC History Extension Day six years ago, and has reported the attendance of increasing numbers of students. (This year the day, on Saturday 14 May, attracted about 30 more students than last year.) “This, and the healthy numbers of students doing Modern and Ancient History at HSC level, indicates that history is well and truly alive in our education system,” Dr Dillon said.
A total of 17 teachers accompanied the students, some of them for the third and fourth year in succession. “They keep coming back,” Dr Dillon said. “And I’ve received e-mails from many of them this week looking forward to next year.”
Media contact: Associate Professor Matthew Dillon, School of Classics, History and Religion, UNE (02) 6773 2049 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 01:45 PM
Downer attacks Labor, defends Iraq, Vietnam
May 18, 2005
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has used the annual Earle Page College Politics Lecture at The University of New England to attack what he called Labor’s “little Australia” mindset and defend Australia’s involvement in foreign wars, including Iraq and Vietnam.
About 600 students, official guests and members of the public attended the lecture, which has previously attracted speakers as diverse as Natasha Stott-Despoja and Philip Ruddock.
Mr Downer’s speech was titled “Freedom, the Spread of Democracy and Contemporary Challenges in Foreign Policy” and focused on what he described as the Labor Party’s “long tradition of wringing its hands over a ‘little Australia’ incapable of playing anything more than a minor role internationally”.
“Since World War II there has been a fairly consistent pattern of weak Labor leadership in Australia, particularly on the issues of appeasement, isolationism and shirking international treaty obligations,” he said.
“In Vietnam, the war was lost not on the battlefields but in the media and on the university campuses.”
Mr Downer accused Labor leaders from John Curtin to Mark Latham of “abandoning both realism and idealism…and to hell with the consequences”.
“In a time when bipartisanship was imperative in Australia in the national interest, Curtin had chosen from 1935 on to placate the international socialists, pacifists and anti-conscriptionists within his own party,” Mr Downer said.
He went on to criticise former Labor leaders including Arthur Calwell and Gough Whitlam, and Labor Foreign Affairs Spokesman Kevin Rudd. “The ‘Little Australia’ mindset persists in the Labor Party. No doubt, along with a preference for populist appeasement and isolationism, it played a part in Mark Latham's thinking when he argued that our contribution to the war on terror should be limited to our own region and that our troops' proper place was not on the other side of the world but at home,” he said.
Mr Downer praised former Country Party leader Sir Earle Page for his determination to commit Australian troops to the fight in Europe in World War II. “Earle Page, whose memory we honour here tonight, saw with great clarity 90 years ago that tyrannical regimes can threaten the peace and freedom not just of their immediate neighbours but the whole world.
“For politicians of his generation, the challenge of leadership was above all the task of patient explanation of why it was necessary that our troops should be engaged, yet again, in battles for liberty and democracy half a world away.
“Australian conservatives have long shared a broad understanding of the world's interconnectedness.”
He said progress in relations with Indonesia and democratic elections in Iraq and Afghanistan were proof of “Earle Page's argument that the national interest is best served by a judicious balance of pragmatism and principle”.
In a prelude to his speech Mr Downer spoke of his own college days, and said one of the highlights of his job was meeting stars like Nicole Kidman and John McEnroe.
Afterwards, Mr Downer was presented with a plaque by the President of the Earle Page Junior Common Room.
For a full transcript of Mr Downers speech go to http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/2005/050517_earle_page_college.html.
For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771 or David Ward (Master, Earle Page College) on (02) 6773 5301. A photo is available to accompany this story.
Posted by Leon Braun at 11:45 AM
Music viewed as ‘a rediscovery of ourselves’
May 17, 2005
The innovative American composer and musicologist Elaine Barkin will talk about how her travels have affected her life and her music when she gives this year’s Gordon Athol Anderson Memorial Lecture for The University of New England.
“Listening to music is a way of knowing that we are, in fact, alive and thinking,” Professor Barkin said in previewing her lecture. “It’s a way of experiencing our own consciousness.”
“When we travel away from home,” she continued, “we ‘try others on’: their clothes, their food, their music. We cross over, rediscovering ourselves at the moment that we are discovering others.”
Her public lecture, titled “Of Sounds and Words”, will be in Armidale Town Hall on Thursday 26 May at 7.30 pm.
Professor Barkin, a distinguished academic, retired from the Music Faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), in 1997 after working within the Faculty for 23 years. She has composed music for a wide range of performers, including solo instrumentalists, chamber ensembles, vocal soloists and choruses, and Indonesian gamelan orchestras. She formed UCLA’s Experimental Workshop, which has sought to redefine the relationship between composer, performer and audience through improvisation and collective work. Her world-wide travels have included five visits to Bali and Java to document new music for gamelan, and a period of teaching at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand.
UNE inaugurated the Gordon Athol Anderson lecture series in 1983, and it has continued every year since then. It commemorates the work of Professor Gordon Anderson, who held a personal Chair in Music at UNE from 1979 until his death in 1981. Professor Anderson was the first Australian academic to make an international impact on the study of mediaeval music.
The Gordon Athol Anderson Memorial Lecture is free, and everyone is welcome. It will be followed by a light supper in the Town Hall foyer. To assist with catering, please let the organisers know (by Thursday 19 May) that you are planning to attend by e-mailing: rsvp.lecture@une.edu.au.
Media contact: Ann Ghandar, Senior Lecturer, UNE Music, on (02) 6773 6456 or Jen Ross, UNE Events Coordinator, on (02) 6773 2768.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:05 PM
‘Swans’ forage for funds on Armidale lawns
May 16, 2005
Fundraisers at The University of New England have reported the sighting of a flock of swans on the lawns of Booloominbah.
On closer inspection, they said, the “swans” appeared to be “unique, attractive garden ornaments on their way north for the winter”.
Further inquiries revealed that the “swans” had begun their life as old car tyres that had been rehabilitated, groomed and decorated by residents of UNE’s Duval College (as illustrated here).
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses, came down to have a closer look at the “swans” after their arrival at Booloominbah last Friday and, understanding that they would be flying off to raise funds for the local Rural Fire Service Brigade and the Duval College Scholarship Fund, wished them well.
“They’re ready to go and alight in gardens around Armidale over the next two weeks,” said the Principal of Duval College, Edwina Ridgway. “From today [Monday 16 May],” she told Armidale residents, “they will be prepared to swan around your garden for the day.”
Mrs Ridgway said that the “swans” would be carrying labels that explained their fund-raising mission, and that the first of their hosts would have advance warning of their arrival. “For information on how you can book a fly-in, send swans on their way to other gardens (single $10 and flock $50), or insure against a visit ($20), please phone 6773 5700 within the next two weeks,” she said. “The tyres were generously donated by Armidale Trailers, Super Moto, and Cliff Wright Motors.”
She praised what she called the “enormous energy” of the senior members of Duval College in preparing the “swans” for the campaign: “especially”, she said, “the President of the Senior Common Room, Dr Gudrun Dieberg, SCR members Jennifer Miller, Ben Quast and Andrew Watson, and the teams of Resident Fellows and College Academic Mentors.”
Reports of swan sightings and calls for the adoption of “orphan” swans have appeared in the media recently, and Mrs Ridgway said she had received several expressions of interest, including inquiries about the particular breed of swan involved.
Media contact: Edwina Ridgway, Principal, Duval and Drummond & Smith Colleges, UNE (02) 6773 5701 or Jennifer Miller, Alumni Relations Officer, UNE (02) 6773 3365.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 02:42 PM
Warrior-scholar hits the books in Iraq
May 13, 2005
Most university students’ biggest worries are balancing study with having fun and getting to their lectures on time. But for University of New England student Stuart Baldwinson there is also 40-degree heat, blinding dust storms and the threat of mortar attack to contend with, while he is serving with the Australian Army Training Team in Iraq (AATTI-3).
Lieutenant Baldwinson, 33, is one of 60 Australian Army personnel studying at UNE through the Junior Officer Professional Education Scheme (JOPES), an Army program that gives officers without an undergraduate degree the chance to get a university education.
The Army introduced the scheme in 1990 to answer a need for its officers to have a more rounded education, greater critical thinking and writing skills. Most participants in the scheme complete their degrees through UNE, a specialist in distance education.
Lt Baldwinson is studying for a Bachelor of Professional Studies, a degree designed by UNE for members of the defence force and the police, which includes administration and leadership skills, civil care, security, history and cultural studies. Since arriving in Iraq Lt Baldwinson has completed one subject, Introduction to Society and Culture, and commenced a second, Introduction to Peace Studies. He has also been researching Islam and Iraqi culture and history.
“I believe that having a good understanding of the country’s history and culture assists in building good rapport with the Iraqi people,” Lt Baldwinson said.
“I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely each day with the Iraqi people. Although the subjects I am studying do not directly relate to my military role in Iraq, I believe that they are supplementing my understanding of the Iraqi people and their culture, which assists in developing a good rapport with them.”
Lt Baldwinson is a member of the AATTI-3 Officer Training Team, whose mission is to train officers in the new Iraqi Army. He is involved in teaching logistics, including transport, maintenance and supply, to the Iraqi officers. He is also the unit’s PT (physical training) instructor, and leads a vigorous training regimen twice a day.
The mission is not without danger and previous AATTI deployments have come under rocket and mortar fire from insurgents. Despite the pressures of military life, Lt Baldwinson said he did not find studying in a war zone especially stressful and that “studying in Iraq is no different to home.” Far from being a distraction, he said studying helped him manage his time and assisted in passing the day quicker.
“I usually study in the morning for one hour and then after work,” he said. “I have built my study into my daily routine and set myself realistic, yet challenging goals to achieve while here. Do I stress over assignments? Of course I do, I like to do the best I can with each assignment. Stress is a part of life. You just have to learn to cope with it.
“I chose to study for two reasons. Firstly, for my own professional development, having a tertiary qualification is of benefit later in your career. Secondly, I intend to complete this degree and go onto postgraduate studies in the field of education. I have a passion for teaching and it is my intention when I leave the Army to become a schoolteacher.”
Army Liaison Officer at UNE Capt Roz Rice said despite coming from a different intellectual environment, most military students succeeded at university, showing the same dedication to their studies as they did to serving their country.
“They all strive to get good grades. I think that is a reflection of their professionalism as members of the Australian Army,” Capt Rice said.
For more information, and a photo to accompany this story, phone Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.
Posted by Leon Braun at 10:47 AM
School Art Prize celebrates youthful creativity
May 12, 2005
“Let’s Hang It” is on again. The University of New England has received 275 entries in its second annual art competition for school students.
The University of New England School Acquisitive Art Prize is aimed at encouraging talented young artists in regional NSW. Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk (a Senior Lecturer in UNE’s School of Education), who chairs the organising committee for this year’s Art Prize, said: “Last year’s event was a great success, and we’ve received many wonderful entries again this year.”
Entries have come from 28 schools spread over much of the State north and north-west of Sydney.
A panel of experts will judge the entries, and about 50 finalists will have their works exhibited at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) between May 20 and July 17. The winners of the three categories, “Primary”, “Secondary” and “Senior Secondary”, will receive cash prizes of $100, $200 and $300 respectively, and will be announced during the opening of the exhibition at NERAM on Friday 20 May at 6 pm. The three winning entries will become part of UNE’s permanent collection of school students’ art, displayed on the walls of its Education Building.
Entry is open to all students living in NSW, from both government and non-government schools, and students can submit two-dimensional art works in the form of digital art, photography, mixed media, assemblage or collage, painting (acrylic, oils or watercolour), graphic work, two-dimensional relief sculpture, jewellery, or textile work.
“NERAM is home to the famous Howard Hinton Collection,” Ms Kupczyk-Romanczuk said, “so students’ art works will be in good company. Admission to the exhibition is free and everyone is welcome, so we encourage all students, their families, and community members to come and celebrate our local and regional artistic talent and to encourage budding young Australian artists.”
Those who attend the exhibition opening will have the opportunity to select the winner of the “People’s Choice Award”, which will be announced at the end of the evening.
The photograph displayed here shows members of the organising committee for the Art Prize with some of the works submitted. The committee members are (from left) Frances Alter, Dr Lynn Everett, Glenda Kupczyk-Romanczuk, Sue Johns and Rebecca O'Hara. Copies of the photograph are available; phone Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Media contact: Rebecca O’Hara on (02) 6773 2438 or Jim Scanlan (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 12:11 PM
Premier re-dedicates UNE building for community
May 11, 2005
NSW Premier Bob Carr today re-dedicated The University of New England’s CB Newling Building as a cultural and educational facility for the local community. More than 100 people attended the event, which also marked the official opening of the New England Conservatorium of Music.
In his speech the Premier spoke of the important role the Newling Building had played in the establishment of The University of New England, and in opening up higher education to people in rural NSW. He said he was delighted to be re-opening a building that “symbolises for so many the aspirations of the Armidale community”, and that he hoped it would once more become a “driving force” in the region.
“I’m glad to say the NSW government has been behind the project from day one,” he said.
Professor Ingrid Moses, Vice-Chancellor of UNE, thanked the Premier for lending his support to the idea, first mooted in 1997. “UNE has created a strategic alliance to use the building with the New England Conservatorium of Music (NECOM), TAFE NSW and the UNE School of Music,” Professor Moses said.
One of the users of the CB Newling Building is NECOM, which the Premier officially opened during his visit. The aim of NECOM, an idea first conceived in 2001, was to develop a “conservatorium without walls”, and this has been achieved with spectacular success. In the past 12 months, NECOM has grown to provide 37 Music Educator Members to 981 students in individual lessons. There are a number of other users of the CB Newling Building. UNE is responsible for its care, control and management.
Initially established in 1928 as Armidale Teachers’ College, the building was preserved by the efforts of the Friends of the Old Teachers' College, formed in 1997. The Friends raised over $250,000 through fund-raising campaigns and submissions to government, and this money was used to refurnish the auditorium, to re-equip it with sound and lighting systems, and to provide fire protection for the whole building. Further restoration work has been due to UNE selling a parcel of land connected to the building in 2003. The sale raised $1.2 million, and this has been used to redevelop parts of the building, allowing the community greater access to it.
During his visit to the CB Newling Building, Mr Carr enjoyed performances by the New England Singers and the Cantilena Singers. He also observed young children getting their first taste of music in the Mini Minstrels Early Childhood Music program, which introduces the fun of music to children as young as four months. The Premier also observed a high-tech trumpet lesson, given to a student in Tenterfield via video-link. The Turkish Delight Ensemble farewelled the Premier and his entourage.
A photograph is available to accompany this story. For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 09:43 AM
Wool Expo promotes UNE yarns
May 10, 2005
More than 10,000 people are expected to attend this year's Wool Expo and The University of New England is calling on volunteers to help man its marquee.
Event Co-ordinator Ms Kath Hunt, said the three-day Expo, held at Armidale's Creeklands, provided a great opportunity to showcase UNE's courses, research and career opportunities.
"We are looking for dynamic, inspiring displays from all faculties, since Wool Expo is a key way of raising community awareness -- and ownership of -- UNE," Ms Hunt said.
The event starts on Friday, when 1000 school students from across the New England region are expected to visit the UNE marquee. Ms Hunt has organised competitions, games and a demonstration for the children, featuring ways the University engages with the local community and agricultural industries.
Ms Hunt, who helps runs a wool-producing property just outside Armidale with her family, said she was particularly eager to get the message across of how UNE is researching ways of helping graziers tackle the challenges of the drought.
"The University is a key part of this community and some of the research being conducted by the academics, such as Associate Professor Jim Scott, is invaluable to the agricultural community," Ms Hunt said.
Some of the other events planned for the Expo include the Purina Bonnie New England Yard Dog Championships, Mazda Wool Craft exhibition, Forsyth's Farmgate Art Exhibition and Industry seminars on a career in the wool industry.
Ms Hunt is hoping the enlist the support of other faculties from UNE for the Expo.
"If you have any interesting research, or would like to help out, please contact me," she said.
Models, posters, photographs and computer games are just some of the ways she displays UNE research at the Expo.
Last year, Glenda Parmenter from the School of Health helped organise a colouring-in competition featruring the role of nurses in society.
"People may be under the mis-apprehension Wool Expo is only about agriculture," Ms Hunt said.
"In fact, it is a way of UNE reaching out to an audience of thousands of people to let them know all about the exciting opportunities available here."
If you would like to assist in Wool Expo, or need more information, phone Ms Hunt on 6773 3955.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 11:27 AM
Worm control: how sheep may safely graze
May 09, 2005
A young researcher at The University of New England has shown that innovative grazing systems can, as a bonus, help to control worms in sheep.
Alison Healey’s research has not only confirmed suspicions that intensive rotational grazing (that is, alternating short “grazing” and longer “rest” periods on a pasture) could have this effect, but has explained how it works.
“She’s done a terrific job,” said her supervisor at UNE, Associate Professor Steve Walkden-Brown. “She’s impressed us all with the clarity of her results.” In summarising those results, which represent her first 18 months’ work on a PhD project, Alison (pictured here) said that her trials of intensive rotational grazing with sheep had “drastically reduced worm burdens, reduced the percentage of barber’s pole worm (the most virulent parasite of sheep on the Northern Tablelands), reduced the number of drenches required, and eliminated lamb deaths during the summer of 2004/05”.
Dr Walkden-Brown said that Alison’s results had clearly demonstrated that intensive rotational grazing produced these results by breaking the worms’ life cycle on the pasture, with the short grazing periods of a week or less preventing auto-infection of the sheep, and the long rest periods of 60 days or more facilitating the death of infective larvae on the pasture. He pointed out that this was the first time these effects had been scientifically demonstrated in a temperate environment.
Alison presented a summary of her results last week to an audience of 75 people (including farmers, researchers and agricultural consultants) during a full-day symposium in Armidale that discussed a range of findings from the Cicerone Project, an organisation of experimental farmlets where she has conducted her trials. She has also spoken to farmers at a workshop at Deepwater, and is planning another workshop in Kingstown later this month. Her results have been received with enthusiasm, with farmers, she said, “asking a barrel-load of questions”.
Her interest in parasitology began when she worked as head technician for New England Veterinary Centres in Armidale. She said that, in taking on her PhD project (with funding from the Australian sheep and wool industry), she had wanted to produce “something that would be of use to farmers and that could be quickly transferred to them”.
Dr Walkden-Brown said Alison’s project was a valuable adjunct to a large-scale national project on “Integrated Parasite Management ” being funded by Australian Wool Innovation Ltd and involving three researchers (including Dr Walkden-Brown himself) and four PhD students from UNE. Parasite problems cost the Australian sheep industry more than $300 million a year, and agricultural economists have predicted that this could rise substantially as resistance to drenches increases. Dr Walkden-Brown said Alison’s work showed how and why pasture management could form an important part of an “integrated” approach to parasite control.
Media contact: Alison Healey, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE (02) 6773 3239 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photograph of Alison Healey displayed here is available. Please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 01:53 PM
UNE text sets straight tangle of words
May 06, 2005
A new book that explains simply the theories of one of philosophy’s most notoriously difficult thinkers has been launched by its author at The University of New England.
The Accessible Hegel by Michael Allen Fox, Adjunct Professor at UNE’s School of Social Science, offers a straightforward introduction to the works of 19th Century philosopher Georg Wilheml Friedrich Hegel.
Hegel had a profound influence on philosophy but he is widely regarded as one of the most difficult philosophers for students to come to grips with. The complexity of his writing is legendary, leading his contemporary Arthur Schopenhauer to describe him as the author of “the most ponderous and general mystification that has ever existed”.
Professor Fox’s book aims to cut through Hegel’s tangle of words and present his ideas in a less intimidating light. So complex are some of Hegel’s concepts that Professor Fox required several diagrams in the book to explain them.
Professor Fox drew on more than 30 years’ experience of teaching Hegel at universities around the world to write the book. He said he had always wanted to write a book about Hegel, because of his interest in explaining difficult thoughts simply, and his desire to bring Hegel to a wider audience than just other philosophers.
“Hopefully the outcome will be as advertised: accessibility,” Professor Fox said.
He said his fascination with Hegel went back many years and that he had always admired “the broad brush with which he [Hegel] paints the world in all its existential glory”.
The Head of the School of Social Science at UNE, Associate Professor Jeff Archer, said Professor Fox had succeeded in making Hegel easier for students by writing a guide for those who “go into that dark forest and don’t come out”.
Hegel was a particularly important figure in the history of philosophy, who had been blamed for modernism, postmodernism, German militarism, “and almost everything else”, Dr Archer said. Hegel had also greatly influenced Marx’s analysis of capitalism and his critique of economics, he said.
“Professor Fox’s success in making complex philosophical arguments accessible to the general reader is the result of his gift for straightforward communication with students and non-philosophers,” Dr Archer said.
Professor Fox has previously published books on the ethics of vegetarianism and is working on another “accessible” book on the philosophy of Kierkegaard. The Accessible Hegel has already been set as a text at the University of Wisconsin in the US.
The Accessible Hegel is published in the US by Humanity Books, New York, and distributed in Australia by Footprint Books, Mona Vale. Copies are available from the United Campus Bookshop at UNE.
A photograph is available to accompany this story. For more information contact Leon Braun (UNE Public Relations) on (02) 6773 3771.
Posted by Leon Braun at 11:14 AM
Foreign Affairs Minister to deliver Earle Page lecture
May 05, 2005
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Alexander Downer MP, will present this year’s annual Earle Page College Politics Lecture at The University of New England on Tuesday, May 17.
Mr Downer’s speech will be “Freedom, the Spread of Democracy and Contemporary Challenges in Foreign Policy”.
The lecture starts at 8.30pm and is open to the public. A large number of people are expected to attend in addition to College members and official guests, according to Mr David Ward, Master of Earle Page College.
“The Annual Politics Lecture is a significant town-and-gown event for UNE, Armidale and the region. We are delighted to have such a high-profile politician deliver this, the 22nd one. The series aims at providing Earle Page residents, guests and members of the public with a diverse range of political opinions on significant public issues.” Mr Ward said.
Each year Earle Page College, at UNE, invites a prominent political figure to speak at its Annual Politics Lecture, held in conjunction with the Discipline of Political and International Studies within UNE’s School of Social Science. Speakers in previous years include Peter Garrett, former President of the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Hon Philip Ruddock, when he was Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Last year’s speaker was Dr Carmen Lawrence, former Premier of WA and President of the Australian Labor Party.
Said Mr Ward: “The Earle Page Politics Lectures are intended to stimulate thought and discussion. The lecture should also provide a forum for thoughtful questions to the Minister on foreign affairs matters.”
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page, after whom the college and lecture series are named, was chairman of the advisory council for The University of New England College from 1938 until 1954 and then the University’s first Chancellor, from 1954 to 1960. He was also Prime Minister for a brief period in 1939.
Mr Downer has been Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs since the election of the Howard Government in March 1996, and has held the seat of Mayo for the Liberal Party continuously since 1984.
Born in 1951, he was educated at Geelong Grammar School, Victoria; Radley College, Oxford, United Kingdom; and the University of Newcastle on Tyne, United Kingdom. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Politics and Economics and is a Doctor of Civil Laws (honoris causa).
The lecture will be held in the College Dining Hall at 8.30pm. Those people wishing to attend are asked to call the College Office on 67735300 in order to reserve seating.
For more information phone Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779 or
David Ward on 6773 5301.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 03:01 PM
Lack of information behind infectious diseases rise
May 04, 2005
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in rural areas is hindering efforts to reduce the soaring numbers of young people becoming infected with these diseases, according to research from The University of New England.
Ms Karin Fisher, a PhD student and registered nurse, says accessing such information is crucial in preventing STIs being passed on to others.
As a mother of young adults and health worker with more than 10 years’ experience, she became so concerned by the rising number of young people presenting with STIs, she set about writing her PhD on the topic.
Her research, to be completed in February next year, is aimed at identifying how people in the New England Area go about receiving information and help for the treatment and care of matters related to sexual health.
“The results of the study will be used in decision-making about future directions for the care and treatment of STIs and may be useful to inform policy directions and clinical practice,” Ms Fisher said.
The research is supported by a scholarship from the Hunter New England Area Health Service.
Ms Fisher said statistics compiled by NSW Health and just released showed, between 1999 and 2004,
* 307 per cent increase in chlamydia notifications across NSW
* A four-fold increase in infectious syphilis across NSW
* A 12 per cent increase in gonorrhoea across NSW
While figures from Hunter and New England Area Health only cover 2001 to 2003, they nevertheless show a similar trend in the local area, with a syphilis notification rate of 1.2 per 100,000 per population, compared with a state-wide notification rate of 2.2 per 100,000 per population.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to conduct research in this area was the number of babies born with congenital syphilis; it was very disturbing,” Ms Fisher said. Syphilis can be passed on during pregnancy from mother to baby if the mother has the infection and has not been treated.
“There needs to be a lot more information in the community and heightened awareness of these infections. If not treated they can lead to infertility (unable to have babies) ectopic pregnancies, chronic pain and a range of other problems.”
She said many young people had become complacent in using condoms, which helped prevent the spread of such diseases. She was especially concerned with young people who may be at risk of infection or may not know they have an STI and unknowingly pass it onto others.
As part of her research, Ms Fisher is calling for people over the age of 18 years who have tried to access services for testing, treatment, care or information about STIs, or are concerned about such issues, to contact her on 1800 232831.
For more information phone Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779 or
Karin Fisher on 67621250 or 0407100859.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 11:09 AM
New livestock degree attracts top students
May 03, 2005
The newest undergraduate degree program in The University of New England’s School of Rural Science and Agriculture is attracting outstanding students. Two of them have just won Wool Industry Undergraduate Scholarships worth $36,000 each.
Tarsha Macklinshaw from Werris Creek (pictured here at left) and Tim Salmon from Oberon are enrolled in UNE’s Bachelor of Livestock Science program, which began this year. Another of the wool scholarships went to Richard Flavel from Tamworth (pictured here at right), who is enrolled in UNE’s Bachelor of Rural Science program.
The three UNE students are among only six new recipients of the scholarships throughout Australia. This is the second year the scholarships have been awarded.
The Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre (Sheep CRC) administers the scholarships, which are worth $9,000 a year for four years. UNE’s Professor David Cottle, who manages the Sheep CRC’s education program, said the sponsors of the scholarships had been impressed with the quality of the candidates. “They felt that, in attracting young people such as these, the Australian wool industry could be optimistic about its future,” Professor Cottle said. The scholarship sponsors include Australian Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI), the Australian Wool Education Trust, and other wool industry organisations.
All three of the UNE students have experience of the wool industry and are interested in careers related to rural science. For example, Tim Salmon said he had spent most of his life in an agricultural setting and was committed to pursuing a career in the agricultural sector. He said he had been fascinated by experimental projects on his family’s property involving collaboration with the Sheep CRC and NSW Agriculture. (Tim’s scholarship, unlike the others, is sponsored entirely by AWI.)
Professor Cottle explained that Wool Industry Undergraduate Scholarship holders needed to complete at least two sheep/wool units of study in the course of their degree program. (UNE is offering four such units this year, and plans to be offering as many as 12 units by the beginning of 2007.) During summer holidays, scholars work for one or other of the scholarship co-sponsors.
The three wool scholarships were among more than 200 undergraduate scholarships, worth a total of more than $2 million, presented to students at a special ceremony at UNE on April 21.
Media contact: Professor David Cottle, School of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE (02) 6773 2178 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.
The photogrtaph displayed here shows Tarsha Macklinshaw and Richard Flavel with Will Pearson, District Wool Manager for Elders Limited, which is one of the sponsors of the Wool Industry Undergraduate Scholarships. For copies of this photograph, please contact Jim Scanlan on (02) 6773 3049.
Posted by Jim Scanlan at 10:09 AM
Challenge to meet a way forward for community, University
May 02, 2005
The University of New England and Challenge Armidale have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
UNE’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses, and the General Manager of Challenge Armidale, Mr Kevin Mead, said the document would be the basis for a broadening of the range of interaction between the two organisations.
Professor Moses pointed out that Challenge Armidale is a leader among its sister organisations in the region (operating a Regional Secretariat for Disability Employment Services) and that the MOU could have positive consequences for these other organisations too. “The MOU is thus a significant step towards UNE’s vision of openness to (and engagement with) its communities throughout the region,” Professor Moses said.
“Challenge is moving away from providing a sheltered-workshop environment for people with disabilities towards an integrated community business model,” Mr Mead said. “We have identified UNE as a key partner in this process.”
Challenge is a not-for-profit, non-government, community organisation that provides employment, accommodation and care services for people with an intellectual disability in and around Armidale. The MOU recognises Challenge’s commitment to further integration with the general community in business ventures, employing its clients as well as other people. At present, six Challenge clients are employed on UNE’s campus within the University’s administration and catering units, and Challenge provides paper recycling and mail packaging services to the University. UNE and Challenge are working to expand the latter’s paper recycling service to the UNE campus. The University hopes this will help reduce the amount of material ending up in landfill. Mr Mead said he hoped to also discuss upgrading Challenge’s mail packaging service to the University and introduce an archiving and document storage service.
“Our key objective is the integration of people with disabilities into the workforce,” Mr Mead said. “But we plan to do this in a way that will also provide employment opportunities for able-bodied people.”
The MOU also lights the way to possible academic collaboration between Challenge and the University, with Challenge offering to provide hands-on experience for UNE students in disciplines such as psychology, education, nursing and community health, and scope for collaborative research projects. “We’re currently looking at a joint project on the ageing of carers of disabled people,” Mr Mead said.
For more information phone Jim Pocoe, UNE Community Liaison Officer or
Lydia Roberts on 6773 2779
The photograph displayed here shows Mr Kevin Mead and Professor Ingrid Moses at the time of signing the MOU. Standing behind them is Challenge Armidale's Business Development Officer, Mr Michael Walsh. Please contact Lydia Roberts on (02) 6773 2779 for copies of this photograph.
Posted by Lydia Roberts at 10:25 AM