Partnerships
We continue to develop and maintain partnerships with educational and community organisations to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes at local, national and global levels.
Local
Faculty Advisory Committee
The Faculty Advisory Committee provides us with high-level strategic advice to assist in identifying needs and opportunties in teaching and research, the profession and/or the community. The committee reports to our Council through the Academic Board and includes membership from:
There is also representation from our three USQ communities - Toowoomba, Fraser Coast and Springfield. The committee meets twice annually as part of our annual strategic planning process.
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Back (left-right): Dr Karen Noble (USQ academic), Anne-Maree d'Abadie (Catholic Education officer), Steven Croft (Forest Lake College), Peter Hauser (Principal, Toowoomba Grammar), Shane Krog (USQ undergraduate student), Jill Manitzsky (QCT), Robert Herschell (Christian Heritage College), John Borserio (Catholic Education), Julie Riley (USQ undergraduate student).
Front: Mike Ludwig - Chair of Faculty Advisory Committee (Education Queensland), Prof Nita Temmerman (Dean, USQ Faculty of Education).
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The Flexi School community
The Toowoomba Flexi School is a unique community-based initiative that has been successful in creating educational opportunities and pathways for homeless, disadvantaged and disenfranchised young people in Toowoomba since 1998. This year, we signed an agreement with Flexi School and offered our Head Start program to their students. Dr Marian Lewis is our Faculty representative on their Board and is working towards some of our own preservice teachers spending time on placement at the school. Commencing in 2008, we will be offering a $1000 bursary to a final year Flexi School student, with a $ further $1000 the following year, towards costs associated with the first year of their undergraduate studies with the faculty in any teacher education program.
Flagstone schooling for the future
In the initial phase of The Flagstone schooling project, our academics partnered with the students and staff at Flagstone Creek State School to research the impact of infusing technologies into learning and, with the help of USQ's media services to produce a set of resources for enhancing the pedagogical understandings of pre-service teachers. The project focused on developing child agency, students as researchers, and an inquiry-based pedagogical stance. Phase 2 will see the establishment of an Information Literate Teachers' Group, with a small group of teachers from other Toowoomba or Darling Downs schools using the learnings from Phase 1 to plan for information literacy learning in their own classrooms. Invitation to join phase 2 (pdf 1169kb)
National
Professional development pathways
We maintain a strong relationship with the Department of Education, Training and the Arts through the Professional Development Pathways (PDP) program. The PDP is a partnership between us (and other Queensland Universities) and the Department that allows participants in key identified professional development activities to gain academic credit towards postgraduate study in the Master of Education or Master of Professional Studies. The PDP is coordinated through the Department's Professional Development and Leadership Institute. Participants in identified professional development activities may undertake an optional assessment task, which is then submitted to us for marking. Once the task is evaluated as satisfactory, the participant is provided with a voucher for academic credit.
Postgraduate scholarships
From Semester 2, 2008, the Faculty and Education Queensland are each sponsoring a Master of Education postgraduate scholarship, for students commencing study in the Masters of Education program. One scholarship is awarded to a current Education Queensland employee. Each scholarship has a total value of up to $2000.
IDEAS
IDEAS ( Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievement in Schools) is one of the most influential and enduring faculty partnerships with schools and their communities. Beginning in 1997, IDEAS now operates in state school systems in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, and Catholic systems in Toowoomba, Sydney and Canberra. The IDEAS program in practice represents a unique, mutualistically beneficial relationship between those educators who work in schools and educators in the Faculty. Teachers and principals collaborate with LRI/USQ in research and school-based learning to illuminate the values and practices of their schools as workplaces. The unique professional partnership is captured in the IDEAS vision: to inspire IDEAS schools to engage in journeys of self-discovery which will ensure they achieve sustainable excellence in teaching and learning.
Cross-institutional study
USQ participates in a scheme enabling students who are enrolled in academic programs at other Australian universities to study USQ courses which count towards their program at their home university. Cross-institutional applicants may select most external or on-campus courses offered by USQ, provided space is available in the course. You will receive instruction, assessment and examination results, but are not enrolled in a USQ award program. Current students of USQ are also able to complete part of their studies at another university.
Further information for new and currently-enrolled cross institutional students at USQ is available via USQAssist.
International
Scholarships for international students
The faculty offers four scholarships to commencing international students who intend to undertake a Masters of Education degree fulltime on-campus in Toowoomba, commencing in Semester 1 2010.
Each scholarship has a value of AUD1000 which will be credited to the student's tuition fee account. More information on the Faculty of Education's international scholarships >>>
SEGi University College, Malaysia
We have had a close relationship with SEGi since 2001, when students first began studying the three-year Bachelor of Early Childhood program. These students have completed their Montessori Diploma and wish to upgrade to a bachelor's degree to improve their employability in the early childhood sector in Malaysia, or to have a qualification accepted globally to enhance employment opportunities around the world.
Increasingly, graduates from the Bachelor of Early Childhood program have chosen to continue studying with us by completing their Master of Education (Early Childhood) via distance education and with the continued support of SEGi staff.
Advanced Education Academy Training Centre (AEA), Mauritius
AEA Mauritius primarily offers the Master of Education to students studying via distance education or online from Mauritius, and has been doing so since 2004. These students undertake studies in most specialisations, including Leadership and Management, Teaching Second Languages, Early Childhood, Education Technology and Curriculum and Pedagogy. AEA is registered with the Mauritius Qualifications Authority (MQA), the training regulator in Mauritius, and works closely with us to help achieve positive outcomes for students.
ADF partnerships
The Australian Defence Force Higher Education Advance Standing Scheme (ADFHEAS Scheme) is a initiative allowing Defence Force members to use their education and training gained in Defence as "Advanced Standing" or "credit" towards specific university-awarded qualifications. Read more >>>
The Sarasas Ektra School, Bangkok
Our partnership with the Sarasas Ektra School gives up to 15 of our students the opportunity to participate in an exchange program in Bangkok, Thailand each year. Read more >>>