The Last Week. A pleasant time of the year, meetings now tend to be about opening up possibilities rather than sorting out problems or getting my hair dried. With the support of a major peak body in the not-for-profit sector and colleagues in the Graduate School of Education we intend to develop a proposal for a Masters by Course Work degree, and we've commenced planning. I attended a useful University of Melbourne colloquium on Graduate Attributes - a lot of useful experience shared with colleagues and we've already started to factor this into our thinking.
Bronwyn Jane Adams Memorial Award. Johanna Simmons was successful in her application for a Bronwyn Jane Adams Memorial Award:
‘Johanna will undertake a comparative study of two programs demonstrating leadership and best practice in teaching Indigenous studies in Australia and New Zealand. The study will include curriculum inventories, exploration of the two programs’ pedagogy rationales and overarching philosophies and a quantitative study of student numbers. Her visit will contribute to inter-university relationships that could lead to an international academic consortium and specialised exchange programs for students undertaking Indigenous studies.’
Blair's Insights. I know people get angry at the content of Tony Blair's Tony Blair: A Journey but it's artful, intelligent, and often funny. From a literary perspective it's one of those self-exculpatory narratives without the naivety of most of them. There's plenty to be learned from it. Versions of the battle between New Labour and Old Labour are played out in many domains, including Aboriginal affairs.
Interdisciplinary Foundation Subjects. Once more our subject Australian Indigenous Studies topped the quality of teaching evaluations for these subjects. Our tutoring team led by Alicia Coram did a fantastic job. Several students commented on the fact that tutors made the tutorials a place for respectful and open discussion. With 360 students it’s probably the largest non-compulsory Australian Indigenous Studies subject in Australia. The fact that it’s at the University of Melbourne which has never had anything remotely comparable makes it all the more remarkable. The subject introduces students to different aspects of Indigenous Australia – some are inspired to go on and do our Indigenous Studies major. Changes to the current structure for Interdisciplinary Foundation subjects are planned next year and our primary concern will be to ensure that those changes do not detract from our achievements. Our 2nd and 3rd year subjects were very well received by students this semester as well. I really hope that we are developing an identifiable University of Melbourne Indigenous studies culture.
Happy Christmas. The Year of the Tiger has at times been tempestuous. We're happy to have survived and grateful for what we have. We’ll leave you with this song that featured in Four Lions. Even the suicide bombers were singing it.
Blair's Insights. I know people get angry at the content of Tony Blair's Tony Blair: A Journey but it's artful, intelligent, and often funny. From a literary perspective it's one of those self-exculpatory narratives without the naivety of most of them. There's plenty to be learned from it. Versions of the battle between New Labour and Old Labour are played out in many domains, including Aboriginal affairs.
Interdisciplinary Foundation Subjects. Once more our subject Australian Indigenous Studies topped the quality of teaching evaluations for these subjects. Our tutoring team led by Alicia Coram did a fantastic job. Several students commented on the fact that tutors made the tutorials a place for respectful and open discussion. With 360 students it’s probably the largest non-compulsory Australian Indigenous Studies subject in Australia. The fact that it’s at the University of Melbourne which has never had anything remotely comparable makes it all the more remarkable. The subject introduces students to different aspects of Indigenous Australia – some are inspired to go on and do our Indigenous Studies major. Changes to the current structure for Interdisciplinary Foundation subjects are planned next year and our primary concern will be to ensure that those changes do not detract from our achievements. Our 2nd and 3rd year subjects were very well received by students this semester as well. I really hope that we are developing an identifiable University of Melbourne Indigenous studies culture.
Happy Christmas. The Year of the Tiger has at times been tempestuous. We're happy to have survived and grateful for what we have. We’ll leave you with this song that featured in Four Lions. Even the suicide bombers were singing it.
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