DIVISION OF EDUCATION, ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL POLICY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Brief notes and actions from the meeting
3 May 2007 from 4:00pm in H2-40, AmyWheatonBuilding, Magill campus
1.Present
Mr Dale West (Chair)Mr John Gates (for Beth Dunning)
Ms Karen GroganMr John Peake
Ms Sue ParkMs Val McMahon (for Susan Young)
Dr Sue King (Acting Head of School)
In attendance
Assoc Prof Dale BagshawMs Marie Kennedy
Mr Julian Eitzen (Executive Officer)
2.Apologies
Mr Lange PowellMs Adair Garrett
Ms Beth DunningMs Susan Young
Assoc Prof Adrian VicaryProf Michael Rowan – Corporate Planning
3.Minutes
The minutes of the previous meeting held on 23 November 2006 were approved.
4.Business arising
4.1Indigenous Australian students in TAFE programs
Val McMahon advised that Indigenous Australian students would be ‘mainstreamed’ at TAFE from 2008. Some exceptions, such as the Aboriginal Wellbeing program, would be maintained; however the decision to mainstream Indigenous programs arose from a lack of progress of students beyond Certificate 1 and 2 levels and an apparent churning of students within those programs. Karen Grogan suggested theappropriateness of a community service model for Indigenous Australian trainees.
4.2Items to defer
The following items were deferred for discussion at the next meeting:
- Workforce planning meeting – Adair/Adrian
- Meeting with DUCIER Marketing Committee – Adrian/Lorraine Connor
- Status of articulation arrangements with DFC – Adrian
- Opportunity for School in Macau – Dale/Adrian
5.Members’ items
Karen Grogan commented on the significant workforce challenge facing the community health and community services sector. She noted that a large boost in funding would be required to go directly to wages, without which the community sector was teetering towards collapse. She also highlighted that wages in the community sector were around 25% less than for equivalent work in the private sector. Karen reported that she had a positive meeting with the Treasurer on the issue. She commended the SACOS/UniSA authored “Coalface Report” to the Committee.
6.New business
6.1School Review of 2006
Sue Kinghighlighted features of the Report including:
- Solid student numbers in the undergraduate programs
- The UniSA proposal for the degree in Policing was in process – John Peake noted that the initial Program Feasibility Report was currently before the Commissioner. It was expected that it may take eight weeks before a response is available.
- BSW Honours, which accepts 15 students annually will be reviewed during 2007, Nicole Moulding replaced Donna Chung as Honours Program Director and is exploring new ideas – including the timing of Honours examination process to better align with scholarship application timing
- The prospect of introducing a practitioners ‘top-up’ program in Hong Kong
- The expanding relationship with India was assisting the School develop its understanding of International Social Work
The School’s development of Field Education was noted and the effectiveness of partnerships noted by John Gates and Sue Park. Karen Grogan indicated that she was very keen to see a partnership develop with SACOSS to ensure regular student placements are offered.
Sue Kinginvited comment on the potential for development of postgraduate programs. Committee members advised that employers were concerned to appoint appropriately qualified graduates and were not in a position to look for postgraduate qualifications. It was noted that whilst graduates were not interested in general postgraduate studies many were participating in specialist skills development such as family therapy training.
6.2Review of postgraduate Conflict Management programs
Associate Professor Dale Bagshaw spoke to the “Program Evaluation Report” and “Major Amendment to Programs and Courses” documents, and in particular referred the Committee to the Amendment document for their consideration of the proposed changes. She noted that this represented the third major review of the programs in compliance with University policy Quality assurance and improvement: programs, courses and teaching arrangements.
Dale Bagshawhighlighted the following about the programs/review:
- The programs attract students nationally and internationally
- Strong demand for the courses as electives from students in other programs
- Quality of students is high, and reflected in high retention rates
- Program flexibility adds to its attractiveness
- An intended outcome of the Review is to develop the programs for transnational delivery in Singapore and Malaysia
- A significant focus of the Review was the internationalisation of the curriculum and a major effort in updating and re-focusing the curriculum overall
- Adjusting the structure of the programs and sequencing of courses
- Strong connection with the Asia Pacific Mediation Forum
- Rename – Mediation and Conflict Resolution
- Introduction of new specialisation/s
- Emphasis on ‘relevance to consumers’
Sue Park reported that UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide had won the tender for the Family Mediation Centre at Noarlunga and queried whether the Family Relationship Centres had any impact on the programs. Dale Bagshaw indicated there was little impact but acknowledged that there was need for conversation with the Centres.
John Gates queried whether there was tension in the programs between local specialisation and the drive for international expansion to make content more generalised. Dale Bagshawsuggested that such tension helped with the development of the programs. She indicated that the critical factor was that the approach must fit with the clients and not be prescriptive.
Dale Bagshaw welcomed feedback from employers of graduates of the programs.
6.3Review of postgraduate Rehabilitation Counselling programs
Ms Marie Kennedy described in detail the processes that the evaluation team were engaged with in conducting the review of the postgraduate Rehabilitation Counselling programs. She noted that the programs had current ASORC accreditation and would be due for re-accreditation in 2009 – scheduling of the professional accreditation in parallel with University Quality Assurance requirements was under consideration. Marie noted the timeliness of the current review as the industry was under pressure to reduce costs and redress current cost overruns. The economic imperative to reduce cost could be effectively addressed by speeding the return to work of affected workers. Marie systematically spoke to the review presentation document.
Karen Grogan observed a lack of choice of courses in the program schedule. Marie acknowledged the fact but indicated that was necessary under current circumstance – however creating some electivity was under consideration by linking with Mediation courses. Sue King noted that the programs strong presence in the online environment enhanced flexibility but indicated that the School was reluctant to make offerings solely online. Karen queried whether the work/life balance was considered in the programs, and whether final exams were used in assessment. Marie advised that exams were not part of assessment in the programs. Sue King added that exams had been very uncommon in the School over the last few years; however there was a small trend back towards exams.
The Committee commended Marie for presenting a very enlightening account of the program evaluation of the Rehabilitation Counselling programs.
The meeting closed at 5:50pm
7.Next meeting
The next meeting is THURSDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2007.
JKE/SWP AC 1/071