Dear colleagues
Following an open call for applications and a rigorous selection process I am delighted to announce the following:
Dr Andrea Chester, Associate Professor, has been offered the post of Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching in the College.
Andrea has more than 20 years experience in academia, most of it in the discipline of psychology. Before moving to DSC Andrea was the Deputy Head of School,Learning and Teaching in the School of Health Sciences.
Over her career Andrea has built a research track record in the field of online interventions for psychological disorders as well as in the scholarship of learning and teaching. She has led and contributed to more than 25 learning and teaching grants, including multi-disciplinary, cross-institutional and collaborative industry grants.
Core to her work has been a focus on peer-based/social capital models to effect change in tertiary education. She led an OLT project Transition in, transition out: peer mentoring for sustainable development of first and third year psychology students and, with Angela Clarke and Dallas Wingrove, established the Peer Partnerships professional development program at RMIT.
Andrea’s teaching practice has been acknowledged through an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation in 2008 for the innovative application of digital learning as well as several RMIT teaching and research supervision awards.
Andrea leads an inventive and effective team, and they have brought significant innovation to our College practices over the recent past. Under Andrea’s leadership I am sure they will continue to flourish brining greater innovation and benefit to curriculum design, program review, and student learning.
Lisa Thompson has also had a long and distinctive working relationship with RMIT including a period when she was the elected staff member on RMIT Council. Lisa has been working in the past year on a range of projects:
She has supported the Strategic leadership and planning in the VE area of the College’s workplan, acting as an effective interface between the Schools, the College and the wider university. Working with College Office teams she has helped co-ordinate Profile planning and student fee setting; working effectively with the College office staff to determine and achieve contribution margin. She has also played a key part in compliance and oversight of the VET Funding Agreement; working with Schools, School managers and College office staff to communicate the impact of changes in Schools and monitoring annual rectification plans. In addition she has managed Corporate accountabilities and internal / external relations; taking part and contributing effectively to relevant committees, working groups at School, College and University level.
Significantly Lisa has been at the heart of the Partnership Work Stream; working with colleagues from the DSC Executive to initiate and develop a partnership project methodology aimed to co-ordinate our work with industry, the professions and business, while also linking effectively with advancement.
This will be the core of Lisa’s role in the coming six months of 2015 and I am very much looking forward to working with her on this vital work.
'On the edge of my seat...' 