Issue 2, Tuesday 1 March 2005

A message from the Academic Director  

Dear colleagues,

Semester one is now upon us following a very successful Orientation Week. Thankyou to all of you who put so much effort into making O Week an educational and fun experience for all our new students.  

Clockwise, from top left: Official Orientation opening ceremony, Academic Director Phil Steele with new students, students enjoying morning tea, Swing on in! by the Faculty of Education.

A special welcome to the new staff and students in the Health Sciences and Monash College programs being offered at Peninsula for the first time this year.  

An important part of my new role as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Campus Co-ordination) and Academic Director Berwick and Peninsula, is to facilitate a two way communication process, passing on issues of interest and importance to campus representatives of faculties and divisions, and communicating back to the network any issues, initiatives or practices that should be shared.

I have now become a member of the newly established Monash Quality Network (MQN), which provides the first Monash-wide forum for the discussion of quality matters.

The purpose of the MQN is to:

• provide a forum for the sharing of good practice across the university,
• provide a means of communicating university-wide quality initiatives,
• obtain input on quality issues from faculties and support services, and
• assist in the coordination of the university's preparations for audit.

I would welcome any suggestions from staff and students at Peninsula as to how we may improve the quality of our activities.  

I also attended the University Planning Conference on February 10 and 11, where strategic planning for the future of the University was undertaken. It was pleasing to see that the University is keen for each campus to have a unique identity and to provide an outstanding student experience. The focus being developed for Peninsula campus revolves around "successful living" and "health and wellness".  

Phillip Steele.

Professor receives Australia Day Honours award

Congratulations to Professor Margaret O'Connor who received the Australia Day Honours Award in early February.

Professor O'Connor was surprised, but delighted, with her award, in recognition of her service to the development and establishment of palliative care services in Victoria .

"It is an honour that should be shared with the people I have worked with over my 20 years' involvement in palliative care," she said. "My research and other activities are ultimately about improving services and care for people at the end of life."

Professor O'Connor is the inaugural Vivian Bullwinkel professor of nursing (palliative care) in the Department of Nursing at Peninsula campus.

Monash has featured strongly in this year's Australia Day Honours List with at least 23 staff, former staff and alumni receiving awards.

Monash vice-chancellor Professor Richard Larkins said the awards were a testimony to the achievements of those within the university and the wider Monash community.

"The awards recognise the outstanding contribution they have made to the Australian community," he said. "Those who received awards are to be congratulated on attaining this honour."

Campus seminar program

Dates for the first semester's seminar program have been set. On March 24, the seminar will focus on “Research collaboration between faculties at Peninsula campus”, where each faculty will give a brief overview of their research interests.

This work builds on the information presented at the research day held at the Morning Star Estate in February 2004. It recognises the changing organisation and research interests at the campus.

All seminars will be held in the Business Seminar room (D4.09) from 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm.

Australian innovation festival

As part of the Australian Innovation Festival, the campus will run a research showcase to be held on Tuesday 10 May from 4.30 pm - 6.30 pm.

Each faculty or centre will give a short presentation on its areas of research, followed by a discussion on ways of collaborating on research. Each faculty and centre will also have an opportunity to set up a booth to facilitate later discussions. Internal and external stakeholders will be invited.

Staff with any suggestions for the content of the discussions or set-up of the booths, or would like to invite current or future collaborators should contact their research co-ordinator:

• Mr Malcolm Boyle, Centre for Ambulance and Paramedic Studies
• Dr Mary Cole, Centre for Wine Food and Agribusiness
• Prof Michael Ewing, Faculty of Business and Economics
• A/Prof Trevor Gale, Faculty of Education
• Dr Liza Heslop, Centre for Health Services Operations Management
• A/Prof Jenny Hocking, National Centre for Australian Studies
• Mr Tom Jeavons, School of Applied Science
• Dr Asad Khan, Faculty of Information Technology
• Prof Margaret O'Connor, School of Nursing

What's happening between A building and the Library?  

At present the space between A building and the Library is filled with temporary balustrading, piles of dirt, and lots of red and white taping restricting where you can and cannot walk.  

What we are trying to do in this area is to create a "heart" for the campus where students and staff can congregate in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere. We are also doing significant work to the A building plaza area to stop it from accumulating water (and forming stalactites!) and to reduce the gloominess of the lower level of the plaza.  

Architects Fish, Payne, Pattenden Viney and Landscape Architects Tract Consultants were engaged in 2002 and 2003 to draw up concept plans for a proposal that would include:

• resealing and rebalustrading of the A building plaza,
• drawing back the embankment leading to the lower level of the plaza and creating a stepped amphitheatre arrangement,
• landscaping the area between A building and the Library, and
• constructing appropriate paths, ramps and roadways between the two buildings.  

There are four stages to the proposal.  

Stage 1, which was funded and completed in 2004, involved:

• the removal of paving on both levels of the A Plaza,
• stormwater drainage works,
• demolition of existing roads, footpaths, concrete steps, balustrades, retaining walls and shrubbery,
• provision for future services under roads,
• provision of temporary crushed rock roadway,
• installation of temporary handrails,
• construction of terraces and concrete steps, and
• construction of new ramps on either side of the plaza.  

Stage 2, funding of $495,000 has been obtained for the works to be undertaken in 2005. This part of the project is about to be tendered and work should start in April or May this year. This involves:

• waterproofing and repaving both levels of the A plaza,
• electrical works to the terraces and plaza, and
• installation of handrails, balustrading and metal works.  

Stage 3 will involve making the roads and paths in hard paving, and Stage 4 will provide planting, seating, lighting and soft landscape works. Stages 3 and 4 will proceed only if the campus is successful in gaining funding for these stages of the project.  

In due course this area will provide a focal point for the Peninsula campus, complete with seating areas, more trees and planting, sculpture and/or artwork, and possibly an information hub. We thank campus users for their patience during this long-term and messy work.

Free intercampus shuttle bus  

A shuttle bus between Peninsula and Clayton campuses is now operating Monday to Friday. The service will run during exam periods but will not operate during mid-semester break or on university recognised holidays. The service will finish for the year on 25 November 2005.  

This free service runs in both directions and can be boarded at the George Jenkins Theatre at Peninsula campus, and the bus loop on Clayton campus. Service is provided for all Monash staff and students, who must be able to present staff/student ID on request.  

A bustimetable is available online. This bus seats a maximum of 26 passengers and on some trips demand may exceed the number of places available. Places will be allocated on a strictly "first come first served" basis.

More parking spaces at Peninsula

Over the summer break work was undertaken to create an additional 80 car parking spaces at Peninsula. These are located to the east of the student union building and the area where the old childcare centre used to be – along the southern boundary of the campus.  

These are all blue-permit parking spaces and should accommodate the additional students and staff at Peninsula this year with the introduction of new programs in Health Sciences.

Peninsula notes

Peninsula post-graduate services

As the post-graduate representative at Peninsula campus, Michael Abrahamsson is aware of the range of issues experienced by post-graduate students. Isolation, fees, provision of resources and infrastructure, and research/assessment pressures are just some of the few.

In his role, Michael aims to launch activities (such as a coffee club and post-grad society) to provide support, awareness and understanding to post-grad students at this campus.

On Monday 11 April, a post-grad luncheon will be held for Peninsula post-grad students. This is a great way to meet other post-grad students as well as an opportunity to brainstorm ideas for post-grad representation, meetings and events throughout the year.

For more information contact Michael on ext. 44217, or at the student union building.

Staff support for CeLTS WebCT Vista  

Margot Schuhmacher, from the Centre for Learning and Teaching Support, will be visiting Peninsula campus to run WebCT Vista workshops and provide staff support.

Margot will be on campus 9.00 am – 4.30 pm on the dates below, and will be available outside of the workshop times in A.2.29 for WebCT Vista support. Contact Margot on her mobile: 0407 090 847 to schedule an appointment.    

Connecting Christians on campus

Students and staff are invited to a BBQ on Friday 4 March in Mt Martha, commencing at 6.30pm. BYO drinks. RSVP by 3rd March

For more information, email chaplain John Haig or by mobile: 0412233298. Sponsored by Chaplaincy University Community Services - Peninsula ampus

Peninsula international women's day lunch

An international women's day lunch will be held at Peninsula on Tuesday March 8th. Guest speaker will be Rochelle McArthur, the new mayor of Frankston City.

Where: Seahorse Tavern, Union building, Peninsula campus

When: 12.15 pm (for a 12.30 start) to 2.00 pm, Tuesday 8 March

Cost: $25.00 per head

RSVP together with payment, to Kate Warner in campus administration by Wednesday 2nd March.   

To submit articles and items of interests, email Thanh Ngo.

Authorised by the Office of the Academic Director - Peninsula