David Lloyd wondered how Uni SA staff would change the university if they could so he asked a few of them, quite a few
The university has just completed a round of consultations on a new teaching-focused structure, involving 700 staff. This brings to 900 the number of UniSAians involved in thinking about transforming how the university organises teaching and support services for it.
They were considering how to create “curriculum communities,” “academic programs (that) will draw on expertise from across the institution for their delivery – the best input contributing to the best offerings.” First-thoughts started 18 months or so ago and Vice Chancellor Lloyd took the basic idea to the senior staff conference in February ( CMM January 21 and CMM February 7).
What came up there went to the committee of 700, where Professor Lloyd says; “by and large everyone was on the same page.”
“Across more than 100 iterations, our staff have conclusively shown that it is possible to put ‘as is’ to one side and to openly contemplate multiple iterations of ‘to be’. … With an eye on future careers and what makes UniSA stand out from its peers … With an eye on delivering something that has the minimum impact on the maximum number of people, but which affects a meaningful reduction in the number of silos in our organisation and which will ultimately inform and re-shape the professional services that support the academic enterprise,” he tells the university community.
The outcomes of all the work, will now be finessed by the university leadership and go to council in June.