Regional and Community Engagement

As a forum of School of Education academics, the Regional and Community Engagement (RaCE) participants are involved in planning and supporting events that provide an opportunity for UWS staff and students to develop mutually beneficial relationships with the community. These events cover a broad range of activities including working within the university community, the local community and even internationally. To date the Beginning Teachers’ Forum, Kites for Kids and  Art for Literacy have seen the staff and students of SoE working with the community to make a difference. Events such as these also promote UWS and the breadth and depth interests of UWS staff while providing community groups with access to the expertise of UWS staff.
 
The RaCE forum mandate is to increase the level of engagement by the School of Education with our community. We are focusing on how both students and staff may meet the needs of the community whilst developing their own skills and knowledge. One goal of RaCE is to formally acknowledge and support these relationships and provide further opportunities for staff.
 
Our challenge is to provide a clear definition of ‘engagement’ and serving learning and thus provide a framework for SoE staff to further develop their relationships with our communities. In 2008 a strategy is to hold a workshop day to develop a RaCE policy that incorporates a clear definition of engagement and a range of processes that support engagement.

To find out more about the engagement with the School of Education contact Associate Professor Diana Whitton at: d.whitton@uws.edu.au

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Development and International Activities

The Development and International Unit (D&I) in the School of Education, College of Arts, was established in July 2006 to advance the entrepreneurial capacity and ability of the school and College. It works to develop new policies and procedures in relation to consultancy and contract research. One of D&I key activities is to develop the capacity of the staff to undertake new roles in consulting and contract research. The Development and International Unit also creates new consulting infrastructure.

The unit has also established an Education Knowledge Network for alumni professional development and communication and has developed income generating professional learning programs to raise the profile of the school through commercialisation of school expertise. In 2008 we have an exciting range of Network meetings and Professional Learning Programs that can be accessed via the UWS Alumni website. These programs are all open to teachers in the region whether they were trained at UWS or elsewhere.

Development and International also coordinates the international strategies for the school and contributes to the financial health of the school and the college through strategic partnerships with international education providers.

To find out more about D&I in the School of Education contact Associate Professor Mike Horsley at: m.horsley@uws.edu.au

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