We don't sell widgets!!
By: Aidan Burke, Director Corporate Communications.
Recently when USQ's Chief Operating Officer Bernard Lillis was interviewed for an upcoming TV production he looked directly at the camera and said, "We don't sell Widgets!"
He's right. We don't offer some hypothetical manufactured object, but we are in the business of education, research and learning. And that's what was picked up last week by AUQA which visited the university to benchmark and evaluate us against other Australian higher education providers.
In an email from the Vice Chancellor Professor Bill Lovegrove to staff on Friday he said the final report from AUQA was expected sometime over the next two months. While he didn't wish to pre-empt its findings he was confident USQ will receive commendations in many key areas.
The Australian Universities Quality Agency visit to the university was part of an audit cycle that examined among other things how the University had responded to recommendations from its initial visit in 2002. Other areas in which AUQA reviewed USQ's operations were in Internationalisation and Program Design and Delivery.
After USQ's first AUQA audit the university put in place a number of priority goals centred on improving the quality of the student learning journey, research and research training and aspects of internationalisation all aimed at improving the quality and management of the university. In its feedback summary one of the key aspects that impressed AUQA was how USQ had responded to recommendations made in its initial audit.
In particular the team commented on how good it was to see how USQ's senior executive, administration, faculty decision-making processes and Council shared a common vision for the the strategic direction and management of the university. What also impressed them were the open and honest talks they had with staff and the enthusiasm shown for the future of USQ. Other big ticket items that won approval were USQ's approach to the student learning journey, the ready adoption of open and flexible methods of teaching, our Communities of Practice that share teaching methodologies and strategies, our overseas partnerships and the quality frameworks put in place to monitor and review the roll out of our programs and the university-wide approach to single use systems.
With any review there will always be room for improvement and while USQ expects to get some suggestions for change it is anticipated these will be more in the operational areas where the university had already seen gaps and has been working hard to improve efficiencies and operational performance.
In each edition of USQ News there are many examples of how the university is developing and implementing its teaching, research and community engagement activities. AUQA's visit will allow us to further strengthen our profile and go into the community with a vision and a readiness to tackle areas where tough decisions are needed. Decisions where AUQA believes the university has not backed away from and whose vision is supported by staff.
Universities are about change, they are debate, they are about consultation and they are about people. Listening and bringing about change is not easy but the co-operation, professionalism and support given by our staff to the university is something we all should be proud of.
If we all get behind USQ's Strategic Plan and incorporate its goals into the roles each of us has in the university not only will we live Fulfilling Lives but together we can continually improve on what we do to make this university even better.
USQ is a great university . . . we don't sell widgets!