News Archive

Good and effective teachers inspire a passion for learning, light the fire of intellectual endeavour and motivate their students to pursue knowledge.

It is therefore gratifying that six of our staff have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to student learning in the recent Australian Learning and Teaching Council awards.

It is fitting that the role of good teachers and supervisors is recognised and positively reinforced through these awards, given the central role of education in shaping successful individuals and successful communities.

The dedication and commitment to teaching and learning demonstrated by all of our staff on a daily basis, both individually and as part of a team effort, contributes to our strong national reputation in this field. The ALTC citations acknowledge and reward one part of that collective effort, and I am sure you will join me in congratulating our colleagues on their success.

Lighting the fire of learning has also been the aim for staff involved in recent school holiday camps to encourage those who might not normally consider a university education to aspire to higher education. Our Follow the Dream and Aspire UWA programs welcome secondary students from schools under-represented at our University and encourage them to consider the benefit of studying with our high-quality academic staff. This year's July holiday camps, including science, engineering and health careers for Indigenous youth, attracted almost 90 secondary students from the metropolitan area, as well as remote and regional WA.

Around the same time, we were pleased to host another celebration - recognition of those members of staff who have been with the University for at least 25 years.

There is no question that our University's success and its reputation for excellence rest on the quality of our staff. And the quality of our staff remains the University's priority strategic objective. As the UWA Strategic Plan puts it: ‘to recruit, retain and develop high quality staff'.

Our aim is to create a high quality teaching, learning and research environment while nurturing and developing high-quality staff at all levels and across all areas of the University.

- Vice-Chancellor Alan Robson

• UWA News 26 July 2010