Offcourse

Issue 10 October 2006   |    Email Offcourse - Christel.Kent@adm.monash.edu.au.

Relay for Life Fundraising Luncheon 

The annual Relay for Life Fundraising Luncheon was held last Thursday 26 October with approximately 80 members of the Caulfield campus community and some from other campuses.

This year's guest speaker was Dr. Craig Hassed, Senior Lecturer, Department of General Practice and Coordinator of health promotion and lifestyle program in the medical course at Monash.  He provided a very entertaining and insightful talk on the topic:  "Exercise is Powerful Medicine (and the side effects are good)". 

Approximately $800.00 was raised at the luncheon with all funds donated to the Cancer Council Victoria - Relay for Life Murrumbeena.

Campus Management - Caulfield and Monash Campus Life extend many thanks to MamaDuke Cafe for their generous support of this event.

Relay for Life - Murrumbeena 

Relay for Life Murrumbeena - an overnight team event to raise funds for cancer research, education and patient support programs was held this past weekend at Duncan McKinnon Reserve from 12.00 noon, Saturday 28 October through to 12.00 noon, Sunday 29 October.   Three teams from the Caulfield campus participated and from all accounts the event was a great success and a good time was had by all.

Over 45 teams participated in the Relay for Life - Murrumbeena event and raised in excess of $140,000.

Ride to Work Day

Twenty-three members of the Monash University Caulfield Campus community took part in  Ride to Work Day, on Wednesday 4 October.    Most people rode between 5km and 10km from home to work and on arrival at the campus were treated to a delicious breakfast at MamaDuke Cafe.

(Members of the Caulfield Campus Community soak up the sun and enjoy breakfast after their ride to work)

Annual Power Shutdown

Facilities & Services, in conjunction with the contractor, Nilsen Electrics, have scheduled the 2006 Caulfield Campus annual high voltage substation and ancillary equipment maintenance for Friday 29 December, 2006.

The maintenance will occur between the hours of 7.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m., whereby all electrical power will be shut down to Buildings:  A, B, C, D, E, F, G and T.  Power supply will only be provided to essential services during this close down period.  Consequently the automatic doors and other electrical equipment will not be operable during this time. Therefore to satisfy OHS&E requirements, buildings will not be accessible and will be mechanically locked to ensure no general access.

If you have any concerns regarding power supply or require more information, please contact  Domenic Marino, on extension 31079, or email domenic.marino@adm.monash.edu.au

10,000 Steps - 2006 The Monash Challenge   

Fantastic to see that over 140 teams (approximately 1,100 participants!!) are participating in the 2006 Monash Challenge - Walk on the Western Wild Side.

In 2005 Monash Caulfield Campus won the trophy for the campus with the highest number of steps and with thirteen Caulfield based teams registered in this year's walk our chances of winning again are high.

Global Corporate Challenge 2006

Heartiest congratulations to the members of the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) 2006 team who finished in sixth place at the completion of the Challenge on Wednesday 25 October.   Members in the 2006 GCC team were:  Jacqui Hughes (Monash University Venues), Jason Ceddia and Rosemary Demirtas (Caulfield School of IT), Renee Gedge (Community Services), James Lenihan (Faculty of Business & Economics), Peter Lausch (Library) and Felicity Allen (Psychology).  Thanks are extended to Monash University Venues, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences and the Caulfield School of IT for their sponsorship of their staff members for this event.

Over 1600 teams participated in this year's Global Corporate Challenge and members of the Caulfield campus 2006 GCC team contributed towards the combined step total of 19,828,872,710 steps. 

UniSuper Seminar - Salary Sacrifice

UniSuper will be running a seminar explaining some advantages and disadvantages of salary sacrificing your superannuation contributions.

Some of the topics that will be discussed in this seminar include:

* How to build a bigger benefit and save on tax at the same time.

*How co-contribution may impact the decision to salary sacrifice.

*Tips and traps to watch out for.

*Practical examples, showing how salary sacrifice can work for members on different income levels.

When:  Monday 20 November

Where: Lecture Theatre K2.31 (Building K, Level 2)

Time:  1.00 p.m. to 1.45 p.m.

Registration is free and essential. For full information and to register visit:

http://www.unisuper.com.au/resources/view_seminars.cfm?state=VIC&topic=

Early registration is recommended as places are limited.

For further information, please contact Ms I-Ling Chua on ext 56028 or email:

superannuation@adm.monash.edu.au

Deaf Deaf World

Deaf Deaf World is a valuable learning resource for professionals to gain an insight into the lives of deaf people.   This is not a theory workshop.  It is hands-on, practical and best of all FUN! To be held on Thursday 30 November 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. in the Clayfield Room.

You will gain a better understanding of: 

* the diversity of deaf people

* communication strategies

* resources and services to refer clients & friends

Light lunch will be provided.

To register and for further information please contact Krystal Mackie by Friday 10 November via email dlu@adm.monash.edu.au

Witnessing of Documents  

Rod Simpson is currently away from the University.   If you need documents witnessed, please contact Christel Kent who will provide you with names of other staff who can assist.

If you are qualified to witness documents and you are happy to be added to the list of those who can assist, please contact Christel Kent by telephone ext. 31000 or via email: christel.kent@adm.monash.edu.au

Upcoming Campus Events

Please mark your diary with the following upcoming campus events:

Campus Leisurely Stroll - Tuesday 14 November - meet at bbqs at 1.05 p.m. to 1.55 p.m. - "house spotting" in the Gascoigne Estate.

Music Recital - Brian Chapman - Tuesday 21 November - Clayfield Room - 1.10 p.m. - 1.55 p.m. - Beethoven Recital.

Campus Christmas Function - Friday 1 December - Vice-Chancellor in attendance - Clayfield Room - 12.30 p.m. to 2.00 p.m.

Caulfield Profiles

This month Janice Miller, who is leaving the University at the end of November after 21 years service is profiled .......

What is your role here at the Caulfield campus and how long have you been here?

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of IT. My employment records show a service of 21 years but I also worked at Caulfield as a sessional tutor from 1965-1969 and 1983-1984: 7 years. In essence I have spent 28 years servicing students at Caulfield campus. I have also been a student here: 1964-1969; 1983-1986; 1993-1997; and 2002-2006.  

The major proportion of my working life has been at Caulfield campus.  

Where did you work before you came here to Monash Caulfield?

Between my early employment at Caulfield and my recent employment I worked in industry as a programmer, analyst programmer, team leader and project leader in permanent and contract positions in Melbourne and London and I raised a family.  

Do you have a favourite and/or inspiring quote you would like to share?

I like my calendar quotes of: 'Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out' (Robert Collier) though I couple this with 'Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly, until you can learn to do it well' - to cover my mistakes !!!  

Have you travelled very much, and if so, where is your favourite destination?

I have travelled extensively: initially a 3 month trip from India to Afghanistan, Tashkent, Bokhara and Samarkand through the former USSR to the Scandanavian countries, then many months travelling through most European countries, down the former Yugoslav coast, thru Greece and across Turkey. Later trips to Egypt, Kenya, New Zealand, Tahiti, Easter Island, Chile, Peru, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia and of course the east coast of Australia, the red centre, Perth, Tasmania, the Kimberleys and Northern Territory.  

At the moment my favourite place is Australia though I recently enjoyed a trip to ancient spiritual sites across the world including Macchu Picchu, Peru; Carnac, France; New Grange in Ireland; and stone circles and an ancient archaeological village site in the Orkneys that is centuries older than the pyramids.  

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Be outdoors and tend a number of rare trees on a Forest Farm in Gippsland and camp by the sea with long walks on beaches and in the Aussie bush. Also love to read and spend time with my adult children. Quite passionate about contributing to save the planet at the moment.  

You mentioned you are leaving the University at the end of November. What are your plans post-Monash?

I am one of the staff in FIT who has been made redundant so I am currently determining if I have enough funds to retire and finish my PhD. Should this not be the case I will be looking for work. I would prefer to stay in academia but I have been supporting a Monash-Thailand linkage for the last 8 years so I will investigate consulting possibilities in international education. However, all offers of work will be considered !!!  

As a long time member of the University community, we’d love to hear/share your views of the campus during your time here, you have no doubt seen many physical and personnel changes - happy to hear the good and the bad.

I was a student in the first computing tertiary course at CIT in 1964. I also became a tutor from 1965-1969. I initially provided the contact that allowed John White to get his job here so I was a student here before he came and even before Jack White came in 1964.  

My record consists of:

1964 - Student (Diploma) at Caulfield Institute of Technology in the first year of the first tertiary computing course in Australia prior to the arrival of Jack White, John White, Pearl Levin, Jack Gregg and Maurie Fabrikant.  

1965-1969 Sessional teaching at Caulfield Institute of Technology (employed by Jack White and during time of Peter Juliff and Anne MacMillan)  

1983-1984 Student again (Bachelor degree: Chisholm Institute of Technology) and sessional tutor (employed by Gerry Maynard)  

1985-1990 Assistant Lecturer: Chisholm Institute of Technology (employed by Phil Steele)  

1990-2006 Lecturer and Senior lecturer: Monash University  (HODs/HOSs Peter Juliff, Heinz Schmidt, David Abramson, Graham Farr)  

1993-1997 Student again (Masters Preliminary: Monash University)  

2002-2006 Student again (Masters and current PhD: Monash University)  

In 1964 at Caulfield Technical School the current D and E blocks were the only campus buildings. 'A' block was a bowling green with a hall that was used for our accounting classes. Parking was in the muddy swamp under Cyprus trees along Dandenong Road which was a 2-lane highway. Until Jack White arrived half way through 1964 nobody really knew what to teach about computers so we learnt about accounting machines. We also had to study physics, chemistry, English, and maths and, being female, I was expected to take a typing class. 

In that first year I was the only female of 13 students studying computing. As a student my first programs were in assembler language on paper tape on the Ferranti Sirius computer and now one of my later COBOL punched card assignments is in the campus computing museum. When F block was built it was a disaster if the punched card deck was dropped on the stairs of the 5th floor. There were always students fixing their decks of cards on the F block stairs.  

For my first job at Nylex (1964) where John White was the head programmer/analyst I was also the only female having answered an advertisement requesting male applicants. I got the job and was then asked if I wanted to be a female or a programmer!!! If I was a female I had to wear a uniform like the other punched card girls. For that job programming was on a 64K machine that took up a whole room. Later John White started his job at Caulfield Technical School and developed a programming language called 'Ecole' for teaching purposes. In the sixties there was a strong link between Nylex and Caulfield and we were all either working at Nylex, studying at Caulfield, teaching at Caulfield or drinking at the Racecourse.  

In 1983-1984 I was the first computing staff member at Peninsula campus. I was supposed to answer course queries but I initially had no office. This was followed by further Peninsula sessional work. Peninsula was so short staffed that I had 9 tutorial classes per week in the same subject.  

I've been moved about on campus at Caulfield. Computing has been in D/E block, F block, C block, B block and now H block. Socialising (and drinking) was always in the Racecourse Hotel and later at an old house Staff Club on Dandenong Rd (where H block is) where Maurie provided his jazz. 

I value my years at Caulfield and have fond memories of the excellence of our computing courses and the close association and support for our computing students. Caulfield sustained its pioneering and excellent computing reputation and was always 'the place' to study applied computing for those seeking a job as a computing industry professional and those part-timers wanting to upgrade their qualifications. I've watched the changing campus environment and the improvement of buildings, the increase in student and staff numbers, and in international students, and enjoyed the great colourful staff and student characters. I have contributed to the changing and continual updating of the computing courses to meet the latest technologies and embraced computing teaching and research. 

I have followed the progress of computing at Monash for 42 years and now I depart in sadness at the demise of those exciting and vibrant times and at the end of a significant era.

I wish the remaining staff well in the difficult times ahead.

If you would like to be "profiled" in an upcoming edition of Offcourse, please email me at Christel.Kent@adm.monash.edu.au.