Dear UCA members,
A warm welcome to you all, to our first newsletter for 2022.
Firstly, on behalf of UCA’s Executive, I wish to extend our best wishes to our colleagues affected by the severe floods, particularly in Brisbane. We hope your recovery is swift, and that College life can soon continue unimpeded.
We are also aware that each College and state is grappling with different stages of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and we acknowledge the disruption that can be difficult to predict. I am sure we are all very keen for a smoother year ahead. Our first Conversations with Colleagues session provided a good opportunity for peer-to-peer support and sharing of experience in the COVID-19 context.
Online Events Calendar – Conversations with Colleagues and Professional Development Sessions
UCA has started to compile an engaging calendar of online events (via Zoom) again in 2022. On the second Tuesday of each month, through until November, we will host a Conversations with Colleagues one-hour session starting at 2pm AEST. Thank you to those who joined us at our first session, hosted by Joanna Rosewell, Principal of Janet Franklin Hall and UCA Executive member. 2022 Conversations with Colleagues dates: 12 April 10 May 14 June 12 July 9 August 13 September 11 October 8 November Professional Development sessions are also scheduled monthly on Zoom, on the fourth Tuesday at 2pm AEST. Our first PD session will be hosted by Will Cesta, Director of Education & Student Life at St Andrew’s College. If you have not received your invitation to this event, please get in touch. 2022 Professional Development session dates: 22 March 26 April 24 May 28 June 26 July 23 August 27 September 25 October 22 November Expressions of Interest are open for any UCA member wishing to share their knowledge and wisdom on a particular topic of interest, at an upcoming PD session. Please email our Executive Officer Alana Chambers: executiveofficer@universitycollegesaustralia.edu.au with your ideas and preferred month/s for presenting. Invitations for each session will be extended to all members on a monthly basis, with information about the upcoming topic and guest host included. UCA Forum 2022 Early discussions and preliminary planning has taken place around this year’s forum. Currently, University of Queensland’s colleges’ community is the likely host, however we will keep members informed of our plans as they are confirmed. UCA Executive Manager Recruitment As previously outlined in an email to members, UCA is seeking an Executive Manager to work with the Executive Committee. This is a newly-created position that will be responsible for implementing a new agenda that leverages the Association’s history and strengthens its capacity to support Australia’s university residential halls and colleges. Please pass on to anyone you think may be interested in applying for this position. The successful applicant can be based anywhere in Australia as it is a remote / work from home opportunity. The Seek advertisement can be found here. National Student Safety Survey Results 23 March will see the release of Universities Australia’s National Student Safety Survey results. Following the release, we will share the UCA perspective on these results, so please keep an eye on your inbox for this. The Executive will host an additional “Conversation with Colleagues” at 2pm on 29 March as a de-brief session following the report’s release, when we will explore the implications of the survey report for colleges, and articulate a national perspective. Please save the date to join us for this important conversation. Collegiate Way Newsletter The latest issue of the CWI newsletter can be accessed here. Their 2022 online conference is taking place between 18-22 May, with a Call for Papers on the broad theme of ‘Collegiate Communities in a Changing World’. Possible topics within that theme are: • Coping with the Pandemic • Education at a Distance • Building Online Collegiate Communities • Fostering Civil Society and Encouraging Citizenship Through Collegiality • Racialisation and the Promotion of Social Justice in University and Residential Colleges Please see page 4 of their newsletter (via the link above) for more information. GST Tool Update I am pleased to report that good progress being made by the ATO/Residential Colleges GST Tool working group towards a replacement for the now- defunct GST Tool. The group has achieved a consensus to proceed with using the Charities benchmark market values approach will be presented to the ATO’s GST Tool executive steering group for consideration and endorsement. The next Working Group meeting will be scheduled once the concept is endorsed and there are further details on the solution. We have been very well served by the efforts of Elsa Geringer, David Warren and Mark Mann, the three college Business Managers who as members of the Working Group have been very astute in representing the interests of residential colleges. Join UCA on Social Media We have a couple of newly re-launched social media channels this year. Please join our online community where we will share regular updates and reminders: Facebook LinkedIn Launching our Deans and Deputies Network We are thrilled to announce that we are launching the new Deans and Deputies network in April, led by James Hardiman, Dean of Students at St Hilda’s College. This group is a strong asset to the UCA member base (and of course, to their respective colleges!) and we are building a network in a way that adds significant value to their membership with us. Some of our objectives include:
Further developing the skillset of these Senior Colleges Officers (e.g assisting in drafting strategic plans, assisting their Council narrow down core objectives from a larger list)
Partnership development and networking through the UCA membership base and wider sector. This may include the potential for mentoring / ‘buddy’ programs.
College exchanges – visiting like-minded communities to learn about their best practice/
Further training in conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation
Upskilling across their current responsibilities to add further value to their role in their College.
There is a lot of work for us to do in this area, and we are very excited to see it come to fruition over the coming months. We will keep our members updated on the progress of the Deans & Deputies network.
Thank you for your continued membership with University Colleges Australia. We aim to continue to grow and expand this year, representing the interests of our members and continuing to offer thought leadership on issues in our sector. We look forward to sharing this journey with you throughout the year.
Warmest regards,
Wayne Erickson
UCA President