Professor Rose Williamson specialises in Writing and Rhetoric at UNE, but she was once the first in her family to attend university. After gaining a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland, she got to know the university system well while working in administrative and governance roles at Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology. However, she found herself wanting to write more than bullet point lists so enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing.
“I undertook my Graduate Certificate part-time while working full-time and with a young family – so I can identify with the challenges many of our students face as they juggle work, family and study,” Rose said.
Rose undertook her PhD at UNE researching the ways in which popular craft magazines promote certain views of creativity and creative practice, especially for women, which allowed her academic career in Writing Studies and Rhetoric to take off.
During her time at UNE, she has gone from administrative assistant to lecturer, then Head of Department to Deputy Head of School, to now being the Head of School for Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
“There’s never a dull moment being Head of School, and no two days are the same!” she said.
What excites me most is the possibility of change for the better, whether that relates to our behaviours, the courses and units we offer, the student experience, what research we conduct and how, or something else.
Globally, the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences are facing challenges, but Rose finds it a privilege to lead colleagues through these times of constraint and disruption.
“Budget constraints and the use of generative AI challenge us at present,” she said.
“But along with others in leadership positions, I’m aiming to provide as much clarity and direction as possible as we work through these challenges together.”
Outside of university life, Rose enjoys gardening, jigsaw puzzles, and sewing, making some of her own clothes.
“They all involve working towards making something whole and pleasing – or pleasing enough to me, at least,” she said.
For students considering university study, she offers the same advice she gave to her two sons:
“Enrol in a discipline that you enjoy and feels right for you rather than one that you think will guarantee you a job.”
It's advice that reflects Rose's own path – from a first-in-family student to leading one of the University of New England's largest schools.
