The UCA Forum will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 30 September to Friday 2 October 2020.
Start of a new year in colleges: As I write this newsletter, colleges around the country are busy preparing for the new academic year, the arrival of new students and the return of other students. On behalf of UCA, I wish you well for the work that is taking place and which will hopefully provide the basis for an inclusive, safe and successful college year for your students.
Strategic Plan: Members of the Executive conducted their monthly teleconference meeting on January 23 and agreed to report on strategic initiatives in each monthly newsletter.
The Strategic Plan is based on four goals: Membership, Visibility and Reputation Management, Financial Sustainability and Professionalisation. In association with these goals, the key objectives on which the Executive is working are:
To ensure the UCA is effectively meeting the expectations of its current and potential membership base
To increase UCA’s ability to influence the public debate as the leading advocate for residential colleges in Australia
To ensure the UCA is able to deliver its key objectives
To ensure UCA’s continued relevance as the peak body for residential colleges
The Executive intends to use this newsletter to focus on the separate aspects of the Strategic Plan and to report on a monthly basis on the completion of specific goals. At the moment there are several activities which have commenced, and which should be completed by the time we write the next newsletter. Among these are:
Information about the 2020 Graduate Residences Network
Details relevant to the establishment of the Deans and Deputies Network
Development of a strategy to engage with schools
Value Proposition: The following was developed by the UCA Executive as the defining statement about the importance of community and belonging and the value of residential colleges.
UCA residential colleges are intentional academic communities which add transformative value to our students’ university experience. We do this through engagement and opportunities in:
Leadership formation
Learning and serving
Belonging and being known
Diversity and inclusion
Professional development
Personal growth and wellbeing
Lifelong friendships and connections locally and globally
Social, spiritual, cultural and sporting activities.
We encourage colleges to use this statement as they see fit in marketing material and communications about the value of college membership. In each college community there will be ample evidence of the extent and depth of evidence to substantiate the claims made in this statement. A copy of the Value Proposition will be sent to members and placed on the Association’s website in the very near future.
Members of the Executive are also working on a paper which discusses ‘UCA’s Value Proposition to Members’.
Managing the risk of coronavirus: I am sure most colleges have strategies in place which can be implemented in the event of a major health emergency. In many cases, such strategies will have been developed in consultation with a host university and/or the Health Department. We are grateful to Rose Alwyn for providing the following actions which might be implemented to ensure the health and safety of members of your college community:
Contact all students to identify:
Students who have recently visited China; or
Students who have symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus.
Recommend students to consult their doctor before returning to College.
If a student returns to College with symptoms similar to those of the coronavirus, refer student to a doctor. Notify host university and other Colleges.
Quarantine an area of the College or another area as agreed with host university and other Colleges for the affected student to reside.
Establish procedures with recommendations from host university, other Colleges and the Department of Health to ensure the virus is contained.
New Members: UCA warmly welcomes our new Members who commenced in their positions this January:
* Reverend Dr Edward Loane, Warden, St Paul's College, University of Sydney
* Ms Madonna Witham, Director of Student Experience, Duchesne College, University of Queensland
Order of Australia: UCA congratulates The Reverend Canon Dr John Morgan on being named as a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List. Th award was made in recognition of John’s significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia and to education, including his term as Warden of St John’s College, University of Queensland.
