Skip navigation to main content

You are here: UNE Home / Learning and Teaching / development / Induction for New Academic Staff

Induction for New Academic Staff

This site has been constructed to assist new academic staff with information and links to relevant parts of the UNE Web that relate to their teaching role.

It is part of a larger Staff Induction Program which includes a welcome session and ongoing support .

If you have just taken up an academic position at UNE, please contact the Academic Development Unit of the Teaching and Learning Centre for additional assistance by telephoning extension 2339 or by email: acad.dev@une.edu.au

The text and links on this site are designed to provide reference points for information that you might need quickly or in your first weeks of appointment.

Use the links at the left to access assistance about particular topics.

Welcome

Welcome from the Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Planning and Renewal)

Welcome to The University of New England and to the vibrant learning community that it represents.

As Australia’s oldest regional university, we are working hard to maintain our excellent reputation for teaching and research, and we look forward to your contribution to that effort.

During 2004, the Audit Report on UNE by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) commended the University for:

  1. Providing an environment in which individual staff are able to pursue excellence in teaching, research, service and equity and be recognised for their achievements;
  2. The Teaching and Learning Centre’s series of publications that provide academic staff with valuable guidance for teaching in accordance with the strategic direction of the University;
  3. The positive teaching and learning relationship between staff and students, demonstrated informally through interactions and formally through such mechanisms as the Course Experience Questionnaire;
  4. Creating a climate conducive to postgraduate research and for the positive feedback received from postgraduate research students.

Late in 2005, the Commonwealth government announced the outcomes of the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund review process. UNE ranked very highly, in the top seven of all Australian universities, for the quality of its teaching and learning and the overall student experience

We are working hard to further improve our teaching and learning. In 2006, we invested $1.3 million in beginning to implement the key recommendations from the review; projects included improvements in the technical infrastructure for teaching and learning, expansion of the support available for academic staff in developing and teaching their units and funding for faculty-based programs to develop or upgrade courses for distance education students.

We are also investing significantly in the information technology infrastructure to support teaching. A major upgrade of the campus network and installation of wireless has recently been completed.

Throughout of all this, the Teaching and Learning Centre will continue to provide a wide range of services to support academic staff and their teaching. Amongst these activities is the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, a vitally important professional development opportunity, especially for staff new to university teaching.

Finally, we congratulate you on your appointment to UNE. We wish you great success in your professional activities and hope that your time with us is enjoyable and fulfilling.

Professor Stephen Colbran

June 2007

About UNE

For General information about the University, its strategic plan and links to other relevant sites, visit the Discover UNE site at:http://www.une.edu.au/discover.html.

Academic Staff Development

The TLC provides a comprehensive program of academic staff development comprising formal qualifications, the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education, and a range of structured and unstructured learning opportunities. The Professional Development Program offers series of practical and more theoretical sessions designed to assist staff improve their practice. Individual consultations, in-school facilitation of relevant staff development activities and peer review are also available. Please contact us by telephone 2339 or email: acad.dev@une.edu.au. or visit our website

Academic Skills Office

The Academic Skills Office provides assistance to students and a range of initiatives designed to support them developing academic skills.

Casual teaching staff

Resources for casual and sessional staff can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/tlc/casts.

Computing

For information see the Information Technology Directorate.

Course and Unit Approvals

Guidelines and forms for the new and amended unit and course approval process can be found on the Office of the Secretariat site at: http://www.une.edu.au/offsect/policies.htm

Courses and Units Database

Unit descriptions can be found at: http://study.une.edu.au/coursesearch.php3?type=unit&p=MCOURSE.

Dean of Graduate Studies

Responsible for all UNE higher degree research training activities which include HDR policy development, recruitment, chairing the HDR and Scholarship committees, enrolments, progression, supervision arrangements and issues, thesis examinations and completions, extensions and suspensions of candidature and, importantly, guidance to research sudents when required.

Professor Kay Harman

Dean of Graduate Studies

Email: dogs@une.edu.au

Ph. 6773 5099

Employment

For information see the Human Resource Services and Organisational Development web sites.

Equity Office

The Equity Office provides advice, assistance and training to management, staff and students of the University in an integrated approach to equity issues.

Evaluation of Units and Teaching

The Teaching and Learning Centre administers the standard UNE student survey instruments which collect student evaluations of academic units and teaching. TLC also offers a consultancy service for academic staff to obtain advice on evaluation and responding to student feedback.

Glossary

Explanations for terms in common use at UNE can be found in the Glossary.

International Office

For information see the International Office web site.

Library

All new staff are encouraged to visit two main UNE Libraries information pages:

Links to library information and services derive from these two pages.

One of the most useful things new staff can do is to contact their appropriate Faculty Librarian. If contacted, your Faculty Librarian will arrange an appointment to:

  • assist with your immediate needs
  • show you around the library
  • outline services provided throughout the library.

Contact details are available from : http://www.une.edu.au/library/staff/faclibs.htm

Online Teaching

Training in the use of the University's learning management system, UNEonline, is catered for in the TLC's Professional Development Program

Questions for your Head of School

A checklist of important information in the form of questions you may need to ask the Head of School or unit coordinators.

Research

The Grants Office provides researchers both substantive and administrative assistance in all phases of the research process. To learn more about how we can assist you to identify, develop, write, critically analyse and prepare your research grant proposals and applications, please visit our web site at http://rs-nt-10.une.edu.au/Home/V_2_1/grants.html.

Alternatively, you may contact one of our staff members:

Queries:

Residential Schools

Information for students about Residential Schools and contacts for arranging a residential school is available online

TLC Services

The Teaching and Learning Centre provides a wide range of support to new academic staff developing learning materials, undertaking professional development or requiring individual assistance. For a comprehensive list of services visit the Teaching and Learning Centre home page.

TLC Publications

The Teaching and Learning Centre provides a range of publications for academic staff, free of charge.

UNE Policies

Policies of the Academic Board concerning Quality Assurance, Assessment, New and Amended Unit processes, the University's Teaching and Learning Plan and Strategic Plan can be found on the Office of Secretariat site

UNE Statistics

To find current statistics on student enrolments, demographics, load, staffing and the UNE organisational chart go to: http://planning.une.edu.au/statistics/leaflet/index.htm