It gives me great pleasure to see that Australian Catholic University (ACU National) has achieved a number of coveted 'five-star' performance ratings in the 2010 edition of The Good Universities Guide.

The University performed particularly well in the area of Indigenous participation, with four out of the six campuses receiving the highest ratings in their individual states for this category. Similarly, the University performed strongly in the areas of access and equity and proportion given credit for TAFE studies.

While we strive to excel in all areas, I am especially delighted to see the University perform so well in categories highlighted by the Bradley Review into Higher Education – namely that 40 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds be university-educated by 2025.

A significant, if not the main factor towards achieving this goal, will be ensuring that all students have equitable access to higher education and several programs at ACU National have been designed specifically with this in mind.

One of these initiatives is the Early Achievers’ Program, which considers the achievements and community contributions of prospective students as part of the application process. Taking into account a student’s character and individuality is integral to the social justice and service obligations of a Catholic university.

The program was an instant success with over 1000 applicants in its first year.  It is open to both school leavers and non-school leavers and we already have over 1200 applicants for 2010.

As these wonderful young people progress through their first year of university, they continue to demonstrate the qualities that we aspire to witness in all our students – they are independent and articulate thinkers, with an enthusiasm to succeed, and the desire to make the less fortunate a priority in their lives. Applications for the Program closed on Friday, 9 October 2009 but some extensions may be granted.

Another program, in its inaugural year, is accessACU – an entry scheme that grants bonus points to current Year 12 students based on a number of factors outside their admission score. The first of these is subject bonus, for students who excelled in a particular subject at school and wish to further their study in this area at university.

The second is geographical bonus, where extra points are awarded for students who live near one of our campuses. The third and final is special access scheme, for students who have experienced some kind of educational disadvantage in Years 11 and 12.

Providing the opportunity for higher education, regardless of background or beliefs, is strongly aligned with the University’s Mission to foster and advance knowledge, and make a specific contribution to its local, national and international communities.

It is only by encouraging all students to strive for higher education that we can hope to achieve the Rudd Government’s ambitious target of 40 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds be university-educated by 2025.
 

 Australian Catholic University has launched its newest postgraduate degree, the Master of Social Work.

The Master of Social Work focuses on the professional values and practices of the social work profession, with a strong commitment to ethical practice, human rights and social justice. It will be available from 2010 at the University’s Brisbane, Canberra and Strathfield campuses.

The course prepares students to practice in a wide range of social work roles in both direct and indirect practice including counselling casework and case management, social policy and planning, research and evaluation, community development and administration.

Dr Patricia Hansen, Head of the School of Social Work, commented on the need for a Masters program.

“There is a growing trend in the social work industry for universities to offer a Master of Social Work as a qualification to enter the profession and become members of the Australian Association of Social Workers,” she said. “Some students will come into the course with more life and work experience before being exposed to the sometimes confronting circumstances a career in social work can bring.”

The two-year program includes 1000 hours of practical experience in the form of two block placements.  Through supervised practice, students will be introduced to agency work and procedures, effective practice and the dilemmas facing social workers.

ACU National will continue to offer undergraduate courses in social work including a Bachelor of Social Work (Strathfield, Brisbane and Canberra), Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Theology (Strathfield, Brisbane and Canberra) and the Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Arts (Strathfield and Brisbane).

Graduates of ACU National’s Master of Social Work will be eligible for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

It’s ‘decision’ time again, when higher education students get the chance to reconsider the choices they’ve made when applying for university, and look at other new and exciting opportunities.

Australian Catholic University (ACU National) will be holding information sessions throughout December to assist students with the application process. These sessions provide an opportunity for potential students and parents to speak directly with current students, lecturers and course coordinators about their particular area of interest.

ACU National Vice-Chancellor, Professor Greg Craven, said change of preference was the perfect time for future students to assess their choices, get further advice, and even look at different ways to get into a course.

“University will be a huge change in your life that combines hard work with a lot of fun,” he said. “With most degree courses being either three of four years, it’s essential to make sure you have picked the right degree.”

“And if you didn’t get in, don’t panic - contact the University and ask about pathway options, or to learn about other courses that you hadn’t even thought of yet,” he added.

The information sessions are designed to support and inform students on how they can reassess their preferences for university as they go through the application process.

Once the initial application is submitted through the relevant Tertiary Admissions Centres, students have until Wednesday 6 January 2010 to finalise their choices.

University Information Sessions will be held at the Brisbane Campus on Monday 21 December at 6pm.

For further information, call us on 1300 ASK ACU (1300 275 228) or contact your local Marketing Officer.
 
 

The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) recently announced six ACU National recipients for the 2009 Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. They were:

Dr Lindsay Farrell (Brisbane Campus)
For sustained commitment to inspirational visual arts education through gallery-based programs and arts activities for equity groups.

Dr Ann Gervasoni (Ballarat Campus)
For contributions to teacher education, educational research and the development of community partnerships that enhance effective learning and teaching in mathematics education.

Dr Robyn Horner (Melbourne Campus)
For sustained and influential promotion of high standards in the design and delivery of theological education.

Dr Annette Schneider rsm (Melbourne Campus)
For modeling educational leadership in both course development and teaching, and leading eLearning at Australian Catholic University.

Dr Klaus Serr (Melbourne Campus)
For fostering student learning and constructive engagement in social justice issues through the creation of a nexus between teaching, professional practice and research.

Dr Anne Drabble, Dr Pam Hanifin, Dr Barbara Odgers, Mr Vince Geiger, Ms Rachael Jacobs (Brisbane Campus)
For sustained excellence in the development of an innovative online facility that supports professional experience for teacher education practice.

The ALTC present the Citations at a ceremony in August at the Old Parliament House in Canberra.
 

Australian Catholic University’s (ACU National) men’s AFL team won gold this month at the 2009 Australian University Games.

ACU National Campus Life coordinator, Mark Young, said the gold medal match against Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University was a tough encounter.

“We were down by three goals at half time, yet the boys managed to fight back and run away with a convincing four goal win,” he said.

Meanwhile, ACU National’s men’s touch football team placed second in the competition following a gruelling final match against New Zealand’s Auckland University of Technology.

Australian University Games, held at the Gold Coast last week, is an annual event with thousands of students attending from universities across Australia and New Zealand. ACU National had a record attendance this year with over 180 students from all six campuses participating.

Teams competed in sports such as athletics, AFL, beach volleyball, netball, rugby 7s, soccer, swimming, taekwondo, touch football and ultimate frisbee.

Captain of the ACU National AFL team, Chris Dunne, along with men’s touch football players Michael Daher and Luke Eisenhuth, were selected for the national team.

“The boys were hand-picked from all of the universities competing at the Games to be part of the prestigious green and gold team and they are all well deserving of this recognition,” said Mark. 

 “All of our ACU National students pulled on the uniform and wore it with pride, remaining defiant against strong opposition and displaying empathy in their victories,” he said. “There is something very special and unique about the ACU team, we are not the largest university team, but we share in a spirit that drives our teams towards strong performances.” 

 Executive Manager of the Office of Student Success, Maria Hegerty, said involvement in Australian University Games provides students with an opportunity to meet other ACU students.

“AUG allows students from across the campuses to come together as one, in a positive, healthy and fun filled event,” she said.
 

A postgraduate Certificate in Educational Career Development will be offered at ACU National’s Melbourne, Brisbane, and Strathfield Campus from Semester 1, 2010. 

The Certificate in Educational Career Development is aimed at secondary school teachers and individuals in the community who the have responsibility of providing information, guidance, and counselling on careers and work-related issues. 

The course will also equip participants with counselling skills for use in a career development role.

The one-year course will consist of four units, with two covered each semester. Some units will be offered on campus over two weekends and others offered over one weekend with an additional online component.

Normal entry for admission requires a Bachelor Degree in Education or a Bachelor Degree in an area other than Education and a postgraduate qualification in Education. Candidates who do not meet normal entry requirements can be considered for admission via special entry. The on-time closing date for semester 1, 2010 intake is 11 December and for 28 June 2010 for semester 2, 2010. 

For further information, please contact Mick Ryan, Course Coordinator, on (02) 9701 4134 or Mick.Ryan@acu.edu.au.