February 2, 2006
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Message from the Rector
If you have had a break in recent weeks, welcome back.
There are a few current issues that may be of interest to
you.
Graduate Certificate in University Learning and
Teaching (GCULT)
I attended a Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee in Kensington
yesterday at which a report on the operations of the GCULT
were tabled. I am thrilled to report 17 of the 83
students who participated in the program were from ADFA.
This was the equal highest number of any Faculty.
Given our relative size (less than 10% of UNSW by staff
numbers), that is a great effort.
ACSC Accommodation
As I mentioned in a previous email, ADFA will be hosting
the Command and Staff College from Weston Creek for the
next three weeks or so. As you can imagine, there
is urgent planning underway for the period after the 3rd
March. I will keep you informed of developments.
Student Questionnaire
Last year the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Quality
Improvement, Professor Adrian Lee, initiated a survey of
current students, including some of ours. While I
have not seen the full report, I understand that the responses
from ADFA were very positive, and consistently better than
the University average. I will provide more information
when it comes to hand,
Best Wishes for 2006.
Professor John Baird
Rector
Vice-Chancellor's Teaching and Research Awards 2006-2007
The University of New South Wales is committed to the achievement
of excellence in research and teaching, and believes the nexus
between teaching and research is important for the development
of all academic staff and the enrichment of the learning experience
and outcomes for our students.
The Vice-Chancellor's Teaching and Research Awards are
designed to assist many talented younger researchers at
UNSW who would like to devote more of their energies into
developing the quality of their teaching but are restricted
from doing so under the current structures and rewards mechanisms
that focus on research outcomes.
Under this scheme, UNSW assists young researchers financially
to appoint a Postdoctoral Fellow (or research assistant/s)
to assist with their research or in the management of their
research team (though not taking over the role of Chief
Investigator) and provide some relief, to concentrate on
developing an innovative teaching program, in the knowledge
that research productivity is being maintained. In some
faculties, for example Arts & Social Sciences, the monies
may be better spent on the appointment of a research assistant(s)
(rather than a Postdoctoral Fellow) to keep research on
track while teaching is being developed.
For more information, download the guidelines
and application form. Deadline for applications has
been extended to Friday 10 February 2006.
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RESEARCH & RESEARCH TRAINING OFFICE
REPORT
Inaugural ADFA Research Committee endorses funding recommendations
The inaugural meeting of the ADFA Research Committee was held
on 1 December 2005. The membership of the committee comprises
equal representations from UNSW@ADFA and the Australian Defence
Force. The three main functions of the committee are to:
- consider Defence related research activities currently undertaken
at UNSW@ADFA with a view to gain transparency, to confirm relevance
of current Defence related elements and/or components of research,
and to identify emerging themes for research;
- provide Defence with a forum to collaborate with UNSW@ADFA
on emerging issues within Defence that could be addressed by
research undertaken at UNSW@ADFA. Such issues would be prioritised
by the Committee and detailed at the Annual Triennium Review
each year.
- review and approve recommendations made by UNSW@ADFA Faculty
Research Grants Committee for funding under the Defence-Related
Research Funding Scheme, and allocate grants based on those
recommendations in amounts not exceeding $20,000 per project,
up to a total of $100,000 per annum provided by UNSW@ADFA.
The new Defence Related Research Funding Scheme (DRR) was established
to support full-time academic staff to pursue Defence-related
research for well-defined projects having an identifiable set
of outcomes.
Applications for funding under the DRR scheme were assessed by
the Faculty Research Grants Committee (FRGC) and endorsed at the
inaugural ADFA Research Committee. The following seven projects
totalling $100,000 were approved for funding to commence in 2006.
Dr V Ougrinovski and Professor I Petersen (ITEE) ‘ Research
in Robust Nonlinear Control Applications to Missile Guidance and
Control' $20,000
Dr L Wallace and Dr C Woodward (PEMS) ‘ Electrochemical
Remediation Studies of Nitrotriazolone, a New Insensitive Explosive'
$14,845
A/Prof M Frater and Dr M Ryan (ITEE) ‘Characterisation
of underwater acoustic communications channels in extremely shallow
water' $16,500
A/Prof L Godara (ITEE) ‘Efficient Processing of Towed
Array Signals' $15,000
A/Prof S Markowski and Professor P Hall (Business) ‘Real
Weapons of Mass Destruction: Proliferation of Small Arms and Light
Weaponry in Developing Asia-Pacific Countries' $15,895
Dr C Gnanendran (ACME) ‘Risk assessment of unsealed
airfield pavements due to aircraft turning' $8,880
Ms S Burdekin (ACME) and Dr H Abbass (ITEE) ‘Psychology,
influence and selection in dynamic social networks' $8,880
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Staff
Bulletins
If you have something you would like to contribute, please
download and complete the submission
form and email the information to newsletter@adfa.edu.au.
Absences During Session – Academic Staff
The new Absences During Session – Academic Staff policy
now applies. The policy and forms can be found on the HR
and Finance policy pages at http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/finance/absence/
The key features of the policy are:
• Academic staff planning an absence from campus
of greater than one week during session for any purpose
other than illness or bereavement must seek written approval.
• Applications need to be submitted well in
advance of travel and preferably prior to the start of session.
• Approval will be granted only in exceptional
circumstances.
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New Professor of Geography
in the School of PEMS
On 1 February Professor Brian Lees took up his appointment
as Professor of Geography in the School of PEMS having come
to UNSW@ADFA from the School of Resources , Environment
and Science at the ANU.
Brian was initially commissioned as a regular officer in
the RAF, serving in the Middle East, Europe and Africa .
After gaining civil commercial pilot's and flight navigator's
licences he flew with ADASTRA on mineral exploration and
mapping projects. He subsequently took a first-class honours
degree in geomorphology from the University of Sydney .
From 1977 he worked on a number of joint-venture projects
becoming a director of two small exploration companies and
the exploration manager of a third. This led him to form
a company to carry out environmental and exploration services
for larger organisations. Brian obtained a PhD, also from
the University of Sydney , in 1984. He joined the ANU in
1985. Brian has received a number of awards for his work
including the Australasian Institute of Spatial Information
Science and Technology (AISIST) Prize in recognition of
a "substantial contribution to the study of the science
of Urban and Regional Information Systems", 1997; the
Land Victoria Fellowship, University of Melbourne, 1999
and the Eminent Individual Award; Australasian Urban and
Regional Information Systems Association (AURISA) 1999.
He is an editor of the International Journal of Geographic
Information Science.
Brian has maintained an active research and teaching program
focused on aspects of Global Change. The first phase was
the construction of a database of geomorphic evidence for
past climate change across northern Australia . In the second
phase he set up a research program to improve the reliability
of change detection techniques. This led to work in adapting
inductive and data driven modelling techniques to the predictive
mapping of land cover and land degradation. He and his students
have built up comprehensive GIS databases based on a range
of field sites. These have been used to test, and refine
the use of inductive learning, and other artificial intelligence
techniques such as neural networks and genetic algorithms,
for environmental management. His research activity continues
to be the development and application of tools to carry
out integrated analysis of global data.
Outgoing Professor of Geography in the School of
PEMS
At the end of January Professor Roger McLean retired from
his position as Professor of Geography after 20 years. He
will continue to contribute to the School of PEMS and UNSW@ADFA
as a Visiting Fellow.
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and Diversity Awareness Workshop - 23 February
On Thursday 23 February from 9.00am – 12.30pm Poppy Maclean,
Equity Manager, will be presenting a workshop on equity
awareness. This workshop is specifically designed
for staff members recently appointed to UNSW@ADFA. Other
staff members who are interested in updating their Equity
and Diversity knowledge are welcome to attend.
The workshop will be held in SR101 (training room next
door to the Staff Development and Equity Units under Lecture
Theatres North).
Please contact Anne Green with your expression of interest
on 6268 6189.
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Election of Presiding Member, Undergraduate Education
Committee 2006-2007
Dr Peter McIntyre from the School of Physical, Environmental
and Mathematical Sciences has been declared elected unopposed
as Presiding Member, Undergraduate Education Committee for
the period 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2007.
J Lines
Registrar's Nominee
University College , UNSW
16 January 2006
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Message from Information Communication Technology Services:
Wireless Service
In a collaborative effort between ICTS and Hewlett-Packard
(in association with Commander Australia Ltd), a wireless
service to the UNSW@ADFA network has been undergoing trials
(as a Proof of Concept) since late November 2005. The trials
are focused on security, performance and reliability in
the Library and the outdoor concessionaire area. The trials
will continue until the service meets the requirements of
security, performance and reliability before release to
the wider UNSW@ADFA community.
Computer Based Training Service
ICTS has established a computer based training service
that will provide interactive training packages for staff
and students on the campus.
At this stage, the service provides courses on the use
of Microsoft XP and the Microsoft Office 2003 suite of software.
As new computer based courses become available and are requested
by the community, they will be included in the portfolio
of interactive training courses.
The service can be accessed using staff terminals located
on the campus at: www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/ict/ict_online/cbt.html
Automatic Password Reset Service
ICTS will provide the automatic password reset function
to assist users that cannot recall their ADFA password to
reset the password themselves instead of contacting the
ICTS Service Desk to do the work. This functionality will
be included in the Self Help Online service shown at www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/ict/ict_online/index.html
The service and documentation on its use will be available
at the ICTS Service Desk by Session 1 2006.
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Student Exchange
A French researcher (Alain Yaouanc, e-mail: alain.yaouanc@cea.fr)
based at Grenoble has contacted me concerning the possibility
of one or both of his daughters spending some time with
an English-speaking family during the 2006 European summer.
It could be as exchange or otherwise. Julie is 18 and at
first year university level, studying maths, physics and
chemistry. She stayed in the USA for one month in the summer
of 2004. Isabelle is 16 years old. She is in an applied
art section before the university level and has never practiced
English in a real situation. Both of them went to Russia
for about two weeks last year. In addition to English, they
learn Russian. They are quite serious girls and are used
to travel. If you are interested in helping out or arranging
an exchange, feel free to contact Alain directly or give
Glen Stewart, School of PEMS a call (6268 8770, g.stewart@adfa.edu.au).
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Classifieds
If you have something you would like to contribute, please download
and complete the submission
form and email the information to newsletter@adfa.edu.au
FOR SALE
Sth Coast House to Rent - Small cosy coast house
available for weekends/holidays at Mossy Point (15 mins south
of Batemans Bay). Contact Susan Cowan (b) 6268 8898 (h) 6281 3038.
FOR SALE
Sofa Lounge - $100 - 3 seater (double bed) light
green and cream stripes. 7 years old. Good condition. Has foam
mattress. Great for those extra guests. Need to sell as we have
limited space at home. Contact Tania Finn BH: 02 6268 8701 or
t.finn@adfa.edu.au
Room Wanted
Academic, male, house trained, non-smoking etc. would like use
of a room in a home in close proximity to ADFA. I am commuting
from Melbourne and would like access on an irregular basis (3-4
days once every three or so weeks). My tel 0416028075 or 03 52771571.
Tupperware – If anyone would like to host a
party, get replacements for faulty/broken Tupperware or if you
are just interested in a catalogue, my flatmate is a Tupperware
distributor and would be more than happy to hear from you! Contact
Di Ferguson (BH) 02 6268 6278 (AH) 02 6161 5464 or email d.ferguson@adfa.edu.au
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Upcoming Events
| DATE |
TITLE |
VENUE |
| 23 February
|
Equity
and Diversity Awareness Workshop |
SR101 |
| 4 March
|
Chief
of Defence Force Parade |
9.30am
ADFA Parade Ground |
| |
|
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FREE COMMUNITY LECTURES
CIGJ & CIPL PUBLIC LECTURE
Title:
United Nations Peacebuilding Commission & the State
of Practice in International Peacebuliding
Presenters:
Dr Elizabeth Cousins Vice-President of the International
Peace Academy
&
Dr Bruce Jones, Co-Director of the Center for International Cooperation
at New York University and a senior adviser to the President of
the UN General Assembly
Date:
9 February 2006
Time:
5.30pm. Refreshments will be served from 5.30pm
in the foyer, with the lecture due to begin at 6.00pm
Venue:
Lecture Theatre, Coombs Extension Building #8, Cnr Garran
& Fellows Rd, ANU
Map can be found at http://campusmap.anu.edu.au/displaymap.asp?grid=cd32
RSVP essential:
7 February 2006 to leah.dunn@anu.edu.au or 02 6125 3005
Further information can be found at the cigj website http: http://cigj.anu.edu.au/index.php
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Got a Story?
If you have something you would like to contribute, please download
and complete the submission
form and email the information to: Email: newsletter@adfa.edu.au
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Contact Us
Office of the Rector
Phone: 02 6268 8701
Email: newsletter@adfa.edu.au
Do you have a story you would like to contribute?
