Bronwyn Jane Adams Memorial Award - 2009 Winners
In memory of Bronwyn Adams, a former professional staff member of the University, this award recognises outstanding performance and potential. This year, there were two awards for professional staff. The HEW 8 and above award was won by Dr Susanne Haywood, from the Knowledge Transfer and Partnerships Office. Leander Kreltszheim, Academic Enrichment Services, won the award for staff HEW 7 and below.
Exploring US perspectives on effective engagement
between universities and non-academic sectors
Dr. Susanne Haywood is Manager of Strategic Partnerships in the Knowledge Transfer and Partnerships Office and has previously worked at the University in a number of other senior roles, ranging from student mobility to international relations and academic partnerships. Building on her strong international background, she will soon embark on a benchmarking study to explore US perspectives on effective engagement between universities and non-academic sectors, thanks to a Bronwyn Jane Adams Memorial Award.
The project will inform the University’s thinking and current practices with regard to the management of whole-of-university strategic partnerships with external organizations in the corporate, government and not-for-profit sector. The University of Melbourne is currently developing effective partnership definitions and integrated frameworks. Exposure to different perspectives will significantly enhance the way in which a best practice model is developed.
The study will explore strategies and practices of two US partner universities: Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. The United States have a long tradition of external engagement, based on the recognition that first-class universities should be agents for positive change in all areas of public life. Both universities chosen for this project have extensive and successful models for cross-sector interaction. Dr. Haywood’s study will examine how their partnerships are identified and how they evolve, how their impact is measured, what funding and management structures are in place to support them effectively and what barriers and incentives (real and perceived) have been identified.
The study will further explore concrete ways of linking cross-sector partnerships with the University’s existing academic partnerships with overseas universities for the purpose of optimizing opportunities on an international level. Dr. Haywood’s project will result in specific recommendations for action and implementation at the University of Melbourne by way of a report to the senior executive. Lessons learnt will further be applicable across the University throu gh training and advisory mechanisms developed by the Office of Knowledge Transfer and Partnerships.
Exploring national best practice ‘Aspirations’ initiatives
Leander Kreltszheim currently works as a Project Officer across Equity & Diversity Planning and Transition & Orientation Programs in Academic Enrichment Services. Over the past 12 months, she has coordinated the University’s Talk About Uni program, designed to raise the tertiary aspirations of middle years secondary students from low SES, regional and isolated areas, and other underrepresented backgrounds.
In 2008, Leander, along with University of Ballarat, established the Tertiary Aspirations Network (TAN), comprising student equity outreach officers from all nine Victorian universities. The central aims of TAN are to increase the knowledge of post-secondary education options to students from underrepresented backgrounds and develop collaborative outreach activities for early to middle years students from underrepresented schools. The network maintains that if universities are to meet the Australian Federal Government’s call for increased numbers of undergraduate enrolments of students from low SES backgrounds by 2020, early intervention programs and partnerships between relevant stakeholders will be integral to its success.
As a recipient of the 2009 Bronwyn Jane Adams Memorial Award, Leander will research best practice ‘aspirations’ outreach initiatives across Australia. Her central research questions will be:
- How can the University of Melbourne increase the effectiveness of its early intervention outreach activities for students from low SES backgrounds, regional and rural areas?
- What measures have other Australian universities taken to work collaboratively with schools, TAFE providers, parents and community organisations (e.g. The Smith Family) to achieve greater participation of low SES students in higher education?
- How have other universities and community organisations used such outreach activities to promote the participation of other equity groups in higher education (e.g. Indigenous students)?
Leander is particularly keen to investigate early intervention initiatives in action and will use the grants fund to accompany interstate equity officers on aspirations outreach visits. Her findings will impact on future TAN activities, and further inform how the University of Melbourne (in collaboration with schools, community groups and other universities and dual sector institutions) can better promote higher education to students from underrepresented backgrounds and improve the access of such students to its courses.