A passion for the Arts

Issue 19 | Autumn/Winter 2007

Report: John Watts
Photography: Melissa Di Ciero and Greg Ford

Professor Rae Frances was a student at Monash more than 20 years ago and has returned as the new Dean of Arts this year.

Most of us would find being a student at a university and then finally returning as its Dean of Arts an exhilarating if somewhat daunting experience. John Watts asks Professor Rae Frances about the journey and the value of an Arts degree in what many see as a primarily high-tech society.

How important is an Arts degree in a modern technologically driven world?

If anything, I think an Arts degree is even more relevant today. Technology in itself has not solved any of the world's problems: we need people who can think creatively and critically, and communicate effectively.

In what ways does Monash distinguish itself from other universities in the study of the Arts?

Monash has one of the largest and most diverse Arts faculties in Australia.

Students will always benefit from the emphasis an Arts major places on the understanding and analysis of society. This is being recognised by both students and employers and is reflected in the growing popularity of combined degrees.

Our overseas campuses and international focus also provide excellent opportunities for students and staff to study and research in other countries.

And while Monash Arts is a very research-intensive faculty, we also place a strong emphasis on teaching at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We are one of the few universities in Australia that requires all postgraduate supervisors to be trained, evaluated and accredited.

What do you see as the strengths of a Monash Arts Degree?

We are very proud of the range and depth of study within the Monash Arts Faculty.

It's a great all-round undergraduate course that prepares students for a wide range of career options in its own right, and is also a great option for students uncertain about a future career, but who value tertiary education.

A real strength is the diverse range of subject options, from bioethics to archaeology and history to environmental science.

A Monash Arts degree is a highly valued course, which is acknowledged by students, employers and the community.

Of course, we want people to complete their studies within the faculty, but acknowledge it's also a pathway into other more specialist courses within Monash.

What place does the study of Arts have within the future of Australia's social and political landscape?

The humanities and social sciences have an incredibly important role to play. These disciplines will continue to provide essential training for the country's policy-makers as well as professionals in key areas such as media and communications, teaching and the public service.

How does it feel to be returning as the new Dean of Arts to a university where you were once a PhD student?

It does feel rather strange to be returning to Monash after 20 years and in a very different role.

In one sense it's still very familiar, but the institution has changed so much in the meantime that it's also quite new as well.

I chose to do my PhD here in the 1980s, because I saw Monash as an innovative, outward-looking university and this is even more true of the University now.

I'm convinced that the 'Ming Wing' is smaller than it was then, but my colleagues in Geography assure me this is not the case.

What did you study and then teach here?

I did my PhD in history at Monash from 1982-8. My thesis was a study of gender and labour in Victoria from 1880-1940. I also taught in a large team-taught course on Australian culture and society.

This was a fantastic experience as I had the chance to work with some of the leading historians of Australia and to witness some really first-rate lecturing. These lectures sparkled with intellectual energy as well as, at times, 'musical talent'.

I was one of the lucky ones who while sitting in lectures, also got to hear Professor Graeme Davison one day sing the opening song of the 1956 Olympic Games, as well as Professor John Rickard's rendition of 'I'm a happy little Vegemite' and Professor Marian Quartly in Christian hymn mode.

What is something about yourself that most of your colleagues might not be aware of?

I suffer from 'shopaphobia' and would probably starve to death and have nothing to wear if it were not for the efforts of my family to coax me into supermarkets and department stores.