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Newsletter - October 2023


Dear members,


I hope this UCA newsletter finds you well.


Membership Renewal


Please note that all existing members of UCA have been sent a membership renewal form. We would be grateful if existing heads could complete it as soon as possible so that we can issue invoices and formally welcome new senior leaders to UCA. The form can be accessed here: coda.io/form/UCA 2023 24 Membership Form drIK8UFO 1v 


2023 Forum


Thank you to everyone who joined us last month for the 2023 UCA Forum, which provided a chance to gather and discuss the challenges and opportunities of collegiate education in Australia.


I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Organising Committee’s generous contributions. We are very grateful to:

  • Adj. Prof. Bill Peirson (New College, UNSW) ‒ Chair

  • Andrew Swan (Mannix College, Monash)

  • Dr Eleanor Spencer-Regan (Janet Clarke Hall, UniMelb)

  • Dr Ian Walker (Toad Hall, ANU)

  • James Hardiman (St Hilda’s College, UniMelb)

  • Jason Lincoln (John XXIII College, ANU)

  • Michelle Allan (Duchesne College, UQ)

  • Sally Renouf (Burgmann College, ANU)

  • Will Cesta (Executive Manager, UCA)


We are also grateful to our generous sponsors for making this possible:

  • Trippas White Group

  • Unimutual

  • ASSA ABLOY Group

  • Australian Bedding Company Commercial Living

  • AD+MH Education Specialists

  • StarRez, Inc.

  • Superloop


I have attached a copy of my speech for the benefit of those who were not able to attend the Forum. It provides an overview of some of the work UCA undertook in the 2022-23 membership cycle, as well as some plans for the future.

Red Frogs 


As Forum delegates will know, we were joined by the Red Frogs, who are long-term friends and supporters of UCA. If you would like to learn more about the work they do, you can view the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wppnUDhSw7k


Finally, we are running a Forum exit survey, and would be very grateful if attendees could complete it. The feedback gathered after the 2022 Forum was instrumental to the success of our more recent one. You can access the survey here:

This will close on 5 November.


2024 Forum


We have already had numerous enquiries about the venue and date of the 2024 Forum, and are now in a position to share these details. We have selected Adelaide as our venue for 2024 and have confirmed that it will be held the week commencing 23 September. The Forum Organising Committee will be chaired by Dr Eleanor Spencer-Regan, who was a significant contributor to this year’s Forum.


2023-24 Executive Committee    


We are pleased to announce that a vacancy on the Executive Committee has been filled by James Hardiman of St Hilda's College (The University of Melbourne). James has extensive experience in the college sector, and we are looking forward to his contributions.  


I am also pleased to announce that Andrew Swan of Mannix College (Monash University) will be stepping into the role of Public Officer. Like James, Andrew has significant experience in the sector and is deeply committed to promoting collegiality throughout Australia and abroad.  


I would like to take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Public Officer, Adjunct Professor Bill Peirson, for his service to UCA. Bill will be dearly missed, but we are sure that he will continue to be involved in UCA as a member and advocate of collegiate education.


Other members of the leadership team will be continuing in their existing roles:

  • Lisa Sutherland (President)

  • Wayne Erickson (Immediate Past President)

  • Joanna Rosewell (Vice-President)

  • Rose Alwyn (Secretary)

  • Mark Sampson (Treasurer)

  • Alasdair Murrie-West (Committee Member)

  • Professor Ken Hinchcliff (Representative for Victoria)

  • Jas Lincoln (Representative for the ACT)

  • James Atkinson ( Representative for South Australia)

  • Will Cesta (Executive Manager)


Partnerships 

I am pleased to announce that UCA has signed memoranda of understanding with two of its partners: the National Association of Australian University Colleges (NAAUC) and the Asia-Pacific Student Accommodation Association (APSAA). These memoranda formalise our commitment to sharing resources and ideas.


Census

As mentioned at the 2023 Forum, one of our hopes going forward is to gather better data on our sector. In the spirit of academic integrity, we do not propose to set out on this journey in search of data that will validate our conclusions. Rather, we are genuinely interested in learning more about our sector and using insights generated to make more informed decisions about where to direct UCA’s resources. The information will also be helpful in explaining to our stakeholders – particularly the government – what we do. We have formed a Sub-Committee to steer this process and will keep you updated.


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