Southern Cross Matters

But in our particular context, year after year, I’ve also heard these leaders give voice to some of the problems that really keep them awake at night, not just because of their day-to-day operational consequences but because of the very long-term impacts on our communities. One of these is an ongoing shortage of teachers, something felt especially acutely in more regional and remote settings and in particular subject areas. It is pretty hard to give the young people in our region the opportunity to study advanced mathematics, or physics or chemistry or economics, just to take some common examples, when there is so often such a scarcity of teachers fully professionally trained to teach in these domains.

So when you read in the pages of this month’s edition about the truly inspiring work by our colleagues from the Faculty of Education in creating their Future Teachers Club program, and indeed when you see the reference to the work that Lewes Peddell has been leading in providing skilling opportunities for out of field mathematics teachers, I hope you can really join the dots to the very direct and powerful impact we are seeking to make every day for the betterment of the regions we serve.

Sometimes this impact comes through the research work that we continue to develop and invest in. Sometimes it comes through colleagues being bold enough to take a completely different approach to thinking about curriculum, as our colleagues in Business have done through reimagining our undergraduate Business degree. Sometimes it comes through something as basic as learning to tell our stories more engagingly, as our media and content team are showing some of our brightest up and coming researchers. Sometimes it comes from the way that we engage the communities around us. But in whichever way it manifests, always thinking about how the work that we do enlivens and improves the lives and opportunities of those we are here to serve is so important to helping us to deliver on our purpose as an institution.

I hope you really enjoy this month’s edition of Southern Cross Matters. It speaks powerfully to our journey of excellence and will give you a real sense of the momentum that we are continuing to build.

Tyrone

Associate Professor John Haw, Head of Business at Southern Cross University, says the redesigned degree reflects the demands of a modern business landscape.

“Employers are looking for graduates who can contribute across a range of business functions, from marketing and sales to product development, HR and finance. It’s about being adaptable and understanding how the whole business operates,” Professor Haw said.

“The new Bachelor of Business is designed to develop this mindset. Students will graduate with a broad skill set and the confidence to step into diverse roles.”

The degree also features a stronger focus on professional work experience and industry collaboration than any other business degree in Australia. It includes units in professional development, internship and industry project opportunities totalling more than 200 hours across the degree.

Hear more from Associate Professor Haw about the new Bachelor of Business on the SCU Buzz Podcast, and learn more about the course here. 

Drawing on extensive literature and ecosystem modelling, he found that continued overfishing, combined with climate change, could significantly impact krill populations. 

“Reducing or pausing krill fishing around the Antarctic Peninsula by around 10% could act as a buffer against short-term climate-related impacts,” Dr Hodgson said.

“My work supports the Blue Transformation goal by showing how we can manage fisheries to protect entire ecosystems, not just individual species,” he said. 

“It’s about making smart, science-based choices now to ensure a healthy ocean in the future.”

As an aquatic ecologist with over 20 years' experience, Dr Hodgson continues to develop ecosystem-based solutions to support aquatic biodiversity and food systems in a rapidly changing world.

With more than 45 years of voluntary work to her name, Joanne’s dedication began in adolescence as a Girl Guide and Brownie Leader, where she embraced the values of helping others, loyalty, consideration and making good use of her time.

“Those values really resonated with me, and I continue to live by them today,” she said.

Over the years, Joanne has generously contributed her time and energy to Rotary International, Inner Wheel, the Lords Taverners, her children’s school P&C associations, and many more causes. Through these groups, she has supported diverse initiatives, including donating baby clothes and books to children in Papua New Guinea, supporting a program that provided sewing machines to women in Fiji, and helping flood-affected communities in the Northern Rivers.

“I believe it is my civic duty to serve the community. To quote George Bernard Shaw, my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do what I can for it,” she said.

Joanne will attend a special investiture ceremony at Government House in Sydney in September, hosted by the Governor of New South Wales.

Research shows that many aspiring educators find their calling early, and the program aims to accompany these potential teachers on that journey, providing encouragement along the way. As state governments respond to urgent teacher shortages, the work of such a program is now more important than ever.

“The SCU Future Teachers’ Club is unique in that it will keep this flame burning through their school years,” team lead Dr Lana McCarthy explained. “Some will choose another career, but all will learn critical thinking and leadership skills, and we hope have a lot of fun as they go.” 

The Future Teachers’ Club, which will be rolled out in full next year, will look to involve students between years 5 and 10 in the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast areas, as it expands its calendar of activities. 

“The Future Teachers’ Club is a transformative program within the Faculty of Education, inspiring young people to pursue their dreams of becoming teachers,” Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, said. 

“Together, we’re not just shaping future teachers; we’re nurturing passionate leaders who will change countless lives in years to come.”

“The chance to build a brand-new veterinary school from scratch? That was too good to pass up.”

As Chair, Rowland’s days are anything but typical. He’s overseeing curriculum design, hiring teaching and support staff, contributing to facility design and fit-out, equipment procurement, and even marketing.

“You name it, we’re doing it,” he laughs. 

Of course, we couldn’t let Rowland get too far into the University doors without dissecting whether he is a dog person or cat person. 

“People always ask if you’re a dog or cat person. I genuinely can’t answer that, and I’m not convinced the dogs and cats demand we choose in a mutually exclusive way,” he says.

“I like them all. Even the poisonous, sharp, and cranky ones. Homo sapiens I can take or leave,” he jokes. 

With a vision as big as his heart for animals, Professor Cobbold is definitely guiding Veterinary Science in a paw-sitive direction! 

Head of Content Lee Adendorff said the program enabled participants to develop confidence when talking about their research to non-specialist audiences, while they practise on-camera techniques for media interviews and social media reels.

“We have received really positive feedback so far. The participants indicated that it helped them refine their pitch, build confidence and foster skills in research translation,” she said.

Rebecca Lollback, Lismore Region Manager with the Southern Queensland and Northern NSW Innovation Hub, based in the Office of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Education Impact), said the training day with the Soils and Agronomy Research Group provided practical tips and tricks.

“The researchers said the training session helped them to think about their projects in different ways and find the ‘hook’. It was a good reminder about the importance of taking plenty of photos and videos, and they’re now more confident when it comes to speaking to the camera for reels – something that was a bit out of their comfort zone to start with,” she said.

Vice-Chancellor Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education, Dr Liberty Pascua de Rivera, said: “The collegial chats with the Southern Cross Media Team helped me choose the right terms to communicate my research. Doing away with technical and research jargon was so much easier with the guidance of the team.”

Interested in taking part in future training sessions? Email content@scu.edu.au 

“With the latest round now finalised, staff from across 12 teams will benefit from the investment in career growth, whether it’s growing technical capabilities, exploring a new area of expertise, or stepping into leadership,” she said. 

HR Business Advisor Jess Prerost joined Southern Cross in 2023 and earlier this year was seconded to an HR Projects role where she is now working on uplifting the University’s staff onboarding program, an HR website upgrade project, and an external employer branding project to level up Southern Cross University’s position in the market as a top tier employer. 

“I’ll be taking part in a two-day change management short course through the Australian HR institute,” she said. 

“Not all organisations are so proactive about Professional Development, so it’s a great that Southern Cross, and in particular the Organisational Development team is so supportive of staff in this way.” 

From southbound cane toads, invasive weeds and fluctuating fish stocks, Maarten De Brauwer’s new research is the first-ever to environmentally map the DNA of NSW estuaries, generating local and national media interest. Highlights include: The Conversation; ABC News online; Seven News North Coast; ABC NSW Afternoons with James Valentine; ABC NSW Mornings with Paul Turton; ABC NSW Drive with Jess McGuire; Coffs News of the Area; Times Newspaper Group (Lismore; Ballina; Byron; Tweed).

Elizabeth Mossop, of Living Lab Northern Rivers, told Nine Newspapers that the lessons learned from the 2022 Lismore floods could go a long way to better preparing the Mid North Coast for the next natural disaster. Highlights include: Sydney Morning Herald (print and online); WA Today; The Age; Brisbane Times.

Keep up to date at scu.edu.au/news where you’ll find the University’s media releases, feature articles, podcasts, videos and more.