Southern Cross Matters

In the case of this month’s edition I will deviate a little from that tradition – not because of an absence of things to draw the eye in the content below, but because I wanted to share a little of an experience I had in recent days that I found humbling and inspiring.

All of us who have the privilege of calling this beautiful patch of our country home understand instinctively just how significant the magnificent rivers that run through it are, and how much they define our landscape, our environment, and our way of life. But we also know just how pressured these rivers are, and how far from full health they are in consequence of this. It follows from this that work that we do in education and research that connects to our rivers is deeply significant and something that we can do in a way that no other University or organisation really can.

And so this past Sunday afternoon I found myself at Grafton, attending a ceremony in which I had the honour of receiving on behalf of the University a very large number of sediment samples that over the course of that weekend had been collected along the entire freshwater reach of the Clarence river and its many tributaries by an incredible army of more than 200 volunteer citizen scientists. Months and months had been spent in meticulous planning for this moment, and the level of community consultation and engagement that underpinned the work was truly astonishing. At the event I, along with a group of colleagues – notably Professor Scott Johnston who must be credited by all of us for his vision and leadership and energy in conceiving of and driving this work, sat and listened to indigenous elders and a range of other community leaders as they spoke to the significance to them of the work that had been undertaken and their connection to it.

What they said is important to all of us. They told us just how important it was that our work was undertaken in a sense of genuine, respectful partnership. They told us how important it was to them to see our efforts and priorities being informed by the things most important to them. They told us how much it meant to learn with us and to see our interest and commitment in turn to learn from them. They told us how important the results of the work that we are doing are to them, and how significant it is that we are committed to openly and transparently sharing the results with all community members. They were inspired by the expertise of our academic leaders and invigorated to see such talent being directed to and for community benefit.

The scientific work that we will be able to do as a result of all of this will be ground breaking and will yield benefits for decades to come – all built on a foundation of thoughtfulness, patience, humility and respect.

No doubt the story of this work will be told far more eloquently than I have been able to relay here in other places, but I mention it to headline this month’s edition because it is so inspiring, so evocative of the essence of the type of university we are and because reflecting on this will cast all of the other material you will see below you in a highly relevant and useful light.

Enjoy the remainder of the content and please do continue to provide your suggestions for the topics you’d like to see addressed in future editions.

Warmest wishes
Tyrone

“I am excited and looking forward to meeting the other authors and IPCC leaders in person in December. We will be coming from different knowledge domains, with diverse expertise, cultures, languages, ethnicities, and geographies,” Liberty said.

“I imagine there will be rich discussions and cross-pollination of ideas, perhaps even disagreements, which is great! We need friction to mobilise energy.” 

The first Lead Author Meeting will take place in Paris in December, marking the start of several international collaborations through to 2027. The report will form the backbone of global climate strategies in the 2030s, shaping national policies, regional agreements, and community responses.

“Professionally, I acknowledge that contributing to this global project is a significant task, and I feel a profound sense of responsibility,” she said. 

“I know that I was chosen because of my research on climate change and disaster risk reduction education, as well as my advocacy for cognitive justice.”

Dr Liberty de Rivera is a Vice-Chancellor Research Fellow and a member of the Sustainability, Environment and the Arts in Education (SEAE) Research Centre. Her research focuses on climate change and disaster risk reduction education, with projects that examine how communities, young people and families experience and respond to environmental change, particularly in the Northern Rivers region. By bringing local and place-based perspectives to her work, Liberty’s research aligns closely with the values of the IPCC and contributes to global conversations on climate adaptation and resilience.

Along the way, the coral reproductive ecologist has mentored many up-and-coming marine scientists. This recent graduation ceremony held at Lismore campus on October 9, saw two of Professor Harrison’s mentees awarded Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees.

Colleen Rodd and Chelsea Waters explored different aspects of Coral IVF, aiming to increase the number of healthy coral larvae across multiple locations.

Colleen investigated whether feeding coral larvae can enhance survival and increase the likelihood that the larvae transform into baby corals, while Chelsea tested different ways of putting coral larvae onto reefs. Chelsea also investigated what site conditions might make it better for corals to survive.

Professor Harrison said: “Their work is leading to more effective larval restoration practices for larger-scale coral IVF deployments that can now be used by a wide range of stakeholders on many degraded reefs in the future.”

Read the full story here.

Competition was fierce, but the Southern Cross Model ranked in the top 20% of innovative institutions worldwide and has earned a well-deserved place on the 2025 shortlist.

“This year’s QS Awards and conference theme, ‘Mind the Gap – It’s Getting Wider,’ highlights the divide between institutions embracing innovation and those constrained by legacy systems,” said Professor Thomas Roche, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Quality).

"Southern Cross stands firmly among the former, rewriting the rules of higher education through immersive block learning to greatly improve outcomes for its students.” 

Since implementing the Southern Cross Model in 2022, outcomes for students have improved dramatically. 

“Student success rates increased from 74 per cent before the model to 92 per cent in 2025, with average GPAs and satisfaction scores also rising steadily. 

International student success rose by 27per cent points," Professor Erica Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Innovation) added.

“We’ve also seen strong outcomes for underrepresented student groups, with increases of 9 –11 per cent points for First Nations students, Low SES students, and students registered with a disability. Part-time student success has improved by 24 per cent points,” said Dr Liz Goode, Senior Lecturer for the Academic Portfolio Office.

Professor Roche will travel to London in December for the award ceremony, representing our commitment to doing things differently and using evidence and fresh thinking to better support the ‘new majority’ of students.

Southern Cross University’s orientation initiative is designed to deliver a high-quality experience both on campus and online, helping new students feel confident, prepared, and connected from day one. The program includes transition workshops held three weeks before term begins, on-campus orientation events, social activities, online orientation, faculty sessions, and a self-paced online module.

A recent addition, Welcome Week, builds on this success with daily student-led pop-ups across Week 1 of term, helping new and returning students connect and settle in. 

“What truly sets Southern Cross apart from other universities is our commitment to making orientation personal and inclusive for every student. At this university, you’re not just a number on an ID card, you’re a person with a unique journey, ambitions, and dreams. We strive to foster a strong sense of community and belonging, ensuring every student feels supported from day one,” Karly said.

The Orientation team is a small but mighty group comprising Karly Murray, Mandy Atkinson, Jess McKendry and Amy Christensen, who work across the University’s three campuses to bring the program to life. 

“We’re also supported by an incredible group of student orientation ambassadors and SCU vollies, we couldn’t do it without them,” Karly said.

The Student Experience Network Awards will be held on 27 November. 

Hosted by the Faculty of Business, Law and Arts and supported by the Gold Coast Community Legal Centre, the conference featured keynote addresses from National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds and Palawa lawyer and advocate Maggie Blanden, alongside a host of expert presenters.

Dean of Law, Professor David Heilpern, said the event reflected Southern Cross University’s commitment to justice and inclusion. “This conference brought together an extraordinary group of experts and advocates, all focused on one fundamental question: how can we ensure that children’s rights are not only recognised in law, but realised in practice?” he said.

A highlight of the conference was the launch of Family Law 4 Kids, an online toolkit created by Southern Cross University’s Associate Professor Georgina Dimopoulos, a leading expert in children’s rights and family law. Developed in collaboration with 41 young people from Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, the resource helps children understand and take part in family law processes when their parents separate.

Associate Professor Dimopoulos said the toolkit was inspired by research showing that many children feel excluded from decisions that shape their lives. “Family Law 4 Kids responds to the repeated call from children that they want to be included in fundamental decisions about their lives, like who they live with and spend time with when their parents separate,” she said.

By giving young people the tools and confidence to have their say, Family Law 4 Kids represents a significant step toward a more inclusive, child-centred approach to family law, a theme that resonated strongly throughout the conference.

The two-day event also featured keynote presentations from leading research and industry figures, including Dr Skye Thomas-Hall, Chief Technology Officer at SeaO2 Nanno, and Bojana Zivec, Southern Cross MBA graduate and Senior Project Manager at RP Infrastructure. Both speakers shared insights into the diverse career pathways research can unlock.

Adding a creative twist to the program this year was the ‘Research Reels’ competition, which invited students to communicate their research through short, engaging, social media–style videos.

On the second day, the conference also welcomed local high school students, offering a chance to inspire the next generation of researchers and highlight the University’s commitment to community engagement.

“The RISE Conference is so valuable for equipping students with the confidence and skills to present their research to wider audiences at regional or global conferences,” said Evanna, reflecting on the event’s success.

“Guardrails do need to be in place. Like authors using AI, peer reviewers need to use AI tools responsibly and transparently, ensure accuracy and author voice are maintained, protect intellectual property and uphold ethical and professional integrity.”

For Professor Hughes, another challenge for AI and peer reviewing is peer reviewers (and editors) understanding acceptable and appropriate use of AI by authors, such as in data analysis, image processing and modelling.

“Here, we rely on strong justification by authors for using AI and a clear account of which tools were used and how. We’re all on an AI-learning curve; the most important thing is to use it transparently and with integrity,” said Professor Hughes.

Clare Thorpe, the Director of Library Services, highlighted how important it is to remember the ‘human’ when considering how AI tools might augment processes like peer review.

“Reviewing a journal article involves entering a partnership or relationship with the authors where the reviewer’s expertise is valued as a coach and mentor, to give a holistic appraisal of the writing, the ideas, the relevance and contribution to research and practice.”

Ms Thorpe also questioned the use of the term ‘peer’ when we refer to AI.

“At this point in time, I am not aware of any journals or accrediting bodies that have accepted AI as a valid author. If AI is not currently recognised as an author, then it cannot be considered a peer.”

The conversation comes at a time when the use of Artificial Intelligence in research is burgeoning and represents the University’s commitment to advancing research AI use with ethics and integrity. Learn more here about GenAI in Research.

Learn more about GenAI in Research.

One workshop, facilitated by Dr David Ellis, involved students creating elastic-band powered paper airplanes. The students chose to follow a set of instructions independently or engage with a range of learning modalities, including visual guides and live teacher demonstrations, before they tested and reflected upon their prototypes. 

Dr Aidan Coleman’s workshop challenged students with a question: ‘What is poetry?’ Presented with an eclectic mix of poems from the traditional, visual and avant-garde to newspaper text made to resemble a poem, students had to literally vote with their feet, as they grappled critically and creatively with the question.

The team for this Faculty of Education initiative led by Dr Lana McCarthy, and comprising Mr Patrick Bruck, Dr Aidan Coleman, Dr Alice Cranney, Dr David Ellis, Ms Lee-Ann Ewing and Associate Professor Christos Markopoulos, challenges school-age students to think like teachers. The program will be rolled out in full next year to more schools in the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast regions, with promotional and research opportunities to the university, beyond the club’s main purpose of inspiring future teachers. 

“It’s been a great first year for the Club”, Dr Lana McCarthy reflected. “We are already working with some fantastic schools and are excited about the expansion of the program next year.”

“It demonstrated our maturity as an organisation, taking a clear and consistent approach to the risks that matter most across the University,” Shaun said.

The Framework identifies the University’s highest-consequence risks, including electrical safety, hazardous substances, working at heights, and vehicle operation. 

For each of these, the University has defined critical controls and introduced verification activities to ensure they are working as intended. 

“This framework ensures that staff and students can be confident that the most serious risks are consistently managed, regardless of their location of work or study,” he said.

Underpinning this is the University’s WHS Management System, which provides policies, procedures, and consultation mechanisms to support a safe and accountable workplace.

“Safety at Southern Cross University means creating the capacity for things to go right – by caring for each other, building trust, and being bold enough to act, we lead safety together,” Shaun said.

Staff can get involved by completing Safety Essentials Training, joining “SafeTea” discussions, and exploring resources on the WHS intranet and Safe Work Australia’s campaign hub. Learn more here.

Kirsten Benkendorff's co-designed project with the Coffs Coast's Gumbaynggirr Indigenous rangers to improve damaged mangrove forests is featured in Keeping Country Strong on SBS/NITV.

The University’s most popular article in The Conversation was Does my sunscreen actually work? Here’s what’s behind the latest SPF concerns (36,275 reads) by Mike Climstein, Micheal Stapelberg and Nela Rosic. Nela did interviews with ABC NSW Drive; ABC Perth Drive; MindFood; Radio NZ; Yahoo News; and The New Daily.

Local news interest was strong when the Churchill Trust announced two Southern Cross students among its Churchill Fellows for 2025. Matthew Nolan (PhD candidate) and Amanda Philps (Masters) appeared on ABC NSW Mornings; ABC North Coast; Byron Echo; Times Group newspapers; and Koori Mail.

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