The University of Newcastle | 01

VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

At the University of Newcastle we are clear that access to a high quality university education is the key to a stronger Australian workforce, economy and society. Australian employers are seeking university graduates who possess a range of professional and generic skills that underpin what is needed for successful and productive participation in the workplace. The engagement and support of our industry and government partners is central to the success of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at the University, and has contributed significantly to the delivery of our world-class degree programs. The experience of working in a ‘real-world’ environment produces confident graduates who possess a competitive-edge in the labour market. In the 2012 Australian Graduate Survey, 82 per cent of our graduates reported that they had the right skills for the job market; and 75 per cent of our bachelor graduates reported securing a full-time job within four months of finishing their studies. Engaging with our national and international institutional partners is also important to ensuring that the University continues to deliver quality outcomes for all our graduates. In 2013, the University participated in the World Association of Cooperative Education conference in Durban, South Africa. This provided a wonderful opportunity for our staff to participate in global debates, showcase best practices in WIL, advance high quality research, and foster international networks and exchanges with delegates from 21 countries. This year, I am delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural ‘University of Newcastle WIL Hall of Fame’ which is a commemoration of the significant contribution our partners make to the success of WIL. The first inductee will be named at the 2013 WIL Student and Staff Awards night. It is through engagement with our partners that the University will continue to produce exceptional graduates and support the development of strong and prosperous communities. Professor Caroline McMillen Vice-Chancellor and President 02 | The University of Newcastle The University of Newcastle | 03

DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR’S (ACADEMIC) MESSAGE awards Developing career-ready graduates is a key focus at the University of Newcastle. As an Faculty of WIL Staff of the Year Award: assessable part of more than 90 per cent of our undergraduate programs, Work Integrated Business and Law Dr Tony Drew and Donna Reedy, Learning (WIL) is available across all of our schools ranging from medicine, health, teaching Newcastle Business School, China and engineering, to emerging areas such as the creative industries, business, science and WIL Student of the Year: WIL Academic Coordinator and information technology. Megan Colby, Administrative Officer Bachelor of Business Dr Drew and Ms Reedy developed a Through WIL, we engage with the business and government sectors, and also provide Undertaking her WIL Placement at valuable international WIL placement that placements in a number of community organisations and charities. Our Industry Newcastle Port Corporation, Megan made saw 10 students travel to China – Beijing Scholarships program raises over two million dollars annually in sponsorship. This is a a significant contribution to an evolving and Shanghai – in July 2013. International significant investment in the development of ’s future industry leaders. topic of interest for the corporation. While WIL opportunities like these contribute We are also working to expand our WIL program to include internationally based on placement, she conducted a rigorous to making students globally ready for life opportunities and I am proud that over 150 students have recently been given the review of the Newcastle Port Corporation’s after university and enhance employability opportunity to undertake WIL overseas. In particular, we are working with international organisational health. She was commended for graduates who have completed such institutions to enhance our globally focused opportunities for students. for her initiative in integrating the latest significant international WIL placements. in academic literature with the reality of The WIL Student and Staff Awards recognise the outstanding work of University staff the strategic goals of Newcastle Port Dr Drew also worked to ensure low- who develop and oversee student activities, and who provide them with opportunities to Corporation. Her report will be referenced SES students had the opportunity to participate in relevant, innovative and practical projects. The Awards also recognise the extensively and shared with other Port participate and as a result of his efforts, exceptional benefits gained by both our students and their WIL hosts. Corporations during a national management the international WIL placement was an conference in Brisbane next year. Her affordable to most students. Please join with me in congratulating all our awardees for 2013. WIL placement supervisors praised her Highly Commended: Professor Andrew Parfitt professionalism, depth of academic Dr Lisa Barnes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) knowledge and ability to translate that into a Newcastle Business School real-world workplace setting. 04 | The University of Newcastle The University of Newcastle | 05 awards Faculty of WIL Staff of the Year Award: Faculty of Engineering Past president of the NSW Australian Education and Arts Lou Johnston, Lecturer, and the Built Environment Institute of Building, which is the professional WIL Student of the Year: School of Humanities and body that accredits the University’s Bachelor Social Science WIL Student of the Year: of Construction Management program, John Karen Dimmock, Catherine Richards, Bachelor of Bachelor of Arts Lou has made significant contributions has facilitated industrial placements for to WIL activities within the Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)/Bachelor of students. The placement component requires Karen conceptualised and curated the Engineering (Environmental) 2013 Grotto Exhibition at the University Social Work with a particular focus on students to complete a 16-week industry the Group Program Development Project. Catherine’s final year research project on experience before the commencement of of Newcastle’s Ourimbah Campus. The the extraction of energy from sewage water project was immense and required multiple The course is for third year students and final year studies. Some examples of his promotes learning work and practice- using heat pumps could have significant students’ placement projects include the stakeholder management. The exhibition outcomes for featured the works of professional related knowledge through placements. and Ravenswood Mine. Since establishing the project in 2012, operations. To complete this project Catherine It is worth noting that in the present artists alongside university students and was able to develop a complex and realistic represented an invaluable link between 20 programs have been created for the economic climate, securing a placement for University’s students within 18 agencies in model that linked her academic results to the students is becoming increasingly difficult professional artists, industry, The University workplace. In her role as a cadet engineer at and the community. Karen demonstrated the community. and John’s networking events “BBQ with Hunter Water, Catherine works on industrial the Boss” give students a direct line to their skills far beyond that of an undergraduate Highly Commended: projects related to water treatment and energy future employers. student in running this project. Miranda Lawry and Kris Smith, utilisation. She completes her work to a high Highly Commended: School of Creative Arts standard, manages project contracts far WIL Staff of the Year Award: Ramsey Awad, Senior Lecturer, Cassandra Renshaw, Highly Commended: beyond her qualification level and is already School of Architecture and Bachelor of Social Science Dr Sally Hewat, Head of Program and operating at a level of a fully qualified engineer. Built Environment Ms Joanne Walters, Director of Clinical Highly Commended: Highly Commended: Ramsey obtained a 2011 WIL Grant to Education in Speech Pathology SPIN VIETNAM Declan Clausen, develop Newcastle Architecture Student Erin Fraser, Emma Whalley, Highly Commended: Bachelor of Engineering Jobs Network. Since then he has worked Tabitha Pethybridge, Kate Connolly, Amanda Howard and Tamara Blakemore, (Environmental/Bachelor of Science) closely with industry partners to develop Sophia Thibaudeau and School of Humanities and Highly Commended: and implement the project. Ramsey Lauren Woodbridge Social Science/Social Work Aileen Pohl, Bachelor of Mathematics identified a 40-50 per cent drop-out rate between Newcastle Architecture students’ Highly Commended: undergraduate graduation and postgraduate Anthony Samuels, studies, with focus groups citing an inability Bachelor of Construction Management to obtain work locally in their gap year the WIL Staff of the Year Award: reason. Ramsey’s job network has created a John Smolders, Lecturer, School of streamlined recruitment processes for both Architecture and Built Environment firms and students, made it more affordable John has been instrumental in promoting for employers to take on students and in ties between industry and the University’s turn, has created more student jobs. Construction Management discipline. 06 | The University of Newcastle The University of Newcastle | 07 awards Faculty of Health WIL Staff of the Year Award: Faculty of Science and By preparing a real submission to a Pamela van der Riet, Deputy Head, Information Technology Government Inquiry in Semester 1 2013, WIL Student of the Year: School of Nursing and Midwifery his group chose the Senate Standing Charlotte Ismay, Pamela established an exchange link with WIL Student of the Year: Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry Bachelor of Nursing the Boromrajonani College of Nursing in Angus Fanning, Bachelor of into the involuntary sterilisation of people Charlotte is a third year nursing student who Northern Thailand in 2009 and has since Environmental Science with disabilities in Australia. Students has immersed herself in a range of engaged conducted five cultural study tours with Angus worked with the water resources gained greater understanding of the learning activities both in Australia and students. In 2012 she led the development team at Hunter Water where he tested the Australian political process and disability overseas. Most recently, Charlotte spent a of a third year undergraduate elective effectiveness of a decertification system advocacy, an individual’s involvement four-week WIL placement living and working course titled Supervised Project for at Chichester . His work identified a and organisation’s influence in the public with nurses in the Northen Thailand village students enrolled in Bachelor of Nursing flaw in the system and saved the company policy arena. Consequently Paul’s students Boromrajonani College of Nursing. Charlotte and Bachelor of Midwifery programs. $140,000 in energy costs a year. More contributed to the Australian political worked with the nurses to improve their Students can undertake voluntary health recently Angus has worked in Hunter process and potentially enacted social communication skills and educated them care WIL experiences in developing Water’s wastewater planning and has change. in best practice care. She is currently countries including: Maldives, Cambodia, built his project management skills. He is WIL Staff of the Year Award: working on a resilience and well-being China and Thailand. regularly given projects that would typically program to support nursing students in be assigned to qualified engineers. Dr Judith Sander, Program Convenor completing their studies. Highly commended: School of Design, Communication Janet Wallace, Highly commended: and Information Technology Highly commended: School of Heal Sciences (Oral Health) Michael Burleigh, Bachelor Dr Sander is the course coordinator of the Nicole Williams, of Natural History Illustration School’s Professional Placement course. Bachelor of Occupational Therapy Highly commended: This year, 90 students undertook a diverse Madeline Sanders, Bachelor of array of placements. Dr Sander offers an Environmental Science (Honours) information session that allows students to find and complete placements in the mid- WIL Staff of the Year Award: semester break. This is a huge advantage Paul Scott, Lecturer, School of Design, for students juggling work and study Communication and Information commitments. The nexus between real- Technology world experience and theoretical learning Paul’s Public Affairs and Communication is finely honed in this course due course provides the opportunity for students to Dr Sander’s innovative approach to to apply academic communication skills to a course design. practical project beyond common university assessment formula. 08 | The University of Newcastle awards Divisions WIL Staff off the Year: Student WIL Belinda Munn, Manager, Video Competition Equity and Diversity Unit Belinda manages AIM High, a program Emily Leary, Bachelor of which offers extensive and varied work Communication – Winner experience opportunities to complement the In July 2013 Emily completed her studies of University of Newcastle students, Placement (WIL) at 2NUR FM radio while supporting low-SES communities. in the newsroom. This placement was In 2013, student crew members delivered part of the course “Communication engagement in 80 schools. Activities Professional Placement” for the Bachelor included outreach programs, education, of Communication degree. Writing, story reading, science displays and interviewing, editing, communication and mentoring. presenting skills for Radio Journalism were enhanced by this placement. Post-Graduate Student Ahmad Syafiq Akbar Ali, Bachelor of Medicine – Runner Up WIL Post-Graduate Student of In 2012, Syafiq completed an eight-week the Year: Lorrae Kerr, WIL placement course Health Equity Master of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Selective (HES) in Malaysia. He is an Lorrae undertook a two-week placement at excellent amateur photographer who kept the University of Newcastle’s Department a record of his WIL journey in photographs of Rural Health at Manning Base Hospital as well as well researched and thorough in Taree. She prepared and delivered two reports. During HES he thought outside the educational sessions to medical students square, learned about holistic approaches on correct inhaler techniques and advice on to culturally challenging problems and antibiotics. She worked at an advanced level learned how this way of thinking works in with effective communication, knowledge the wider sense towards his development as and professionalism, excelled at medical a medical practitioner of the future. reviews and was able to identify potential pharmaceutical issues. Lorrae understands Highly Commended – the importance of confirming the accuracy Grant Gibbins, of the patient’s medication history and Bachelor of Communications provided possible solutions to assist in Highly Commended – the appropriate management of patients. Mathew Payne, All skills of pharmacists far beyond her Bachelor of Construction Management experience level.