Page 12 - Luce 2013

Council News

From the Chair of Council

Once again, Janet Clarke Hall has had a busy and productive year,
supported by a strong and enthusiastic Council. In 2012 we said farewell
to Professor Bob Nicol who resigned after a remarkable 28 years on
Council. Bob’s wise voice as well as the historical perspective he was able
to provide will be sadly missed. In 2013 Council welcomed Ms Anne Shea,
who has valued expertise in social media and the many ways students
make use of online technologies.

Janet Clarke Hall continued, in 2013, to provide a warm, welcoming and
stimulating home to its students. This sense of a supportive and inspiring
environment came out strongly in a survey of students in 2012. Students commented Paul Turner, Jenny Ross, Mike Davis, Donna Davies,
then on the outstanding reputation of the College – as a small, friendly community Penny Lewisohn, Tim Thwaites, Carolyn Stewart,
with exceptional pastoral care, a place with a reputation for academic excellence, a Stewart Niemann, Ruth Fincher
comprehensive range of scholarships, and an excellent and comprehensive tutorial
programme. Evidence that 2013 has been equally welcoming to students comes from the
decision of 61 students to return to College in 2014, leaving us with relatively few places
to fill. The outstanding reputation of Janet Clarke Hall would not be possible without the
commitment of our high quality staff, in particular the Principal, Dr Damian Powell, the
Vice-Principal, Mrs Donna Davies, the Bursar, Mrs Virginia Glenn, and a talented team
of tutors.

As in recent years, Janet Clarke Hall students’ academic achievements were outstanding,
once again far outperforming the University norm. Academic standards are high but not to
the neglect of other important aspects of College life. Our annual Leadership and Literary
Dinners were highly successful as was the College play. While Janet Clarke Hall may not
dominate the various sporting fields, our students are willing participants, contributing to a
well-rounded experience.

Within the University environment, there has been an increased acknowledgment of
the contribution colleges make to University life. This has stimulated Council in its
deliberations about strategic directions for the College. The University’s ‘Melbourne
Model’, with its focus on graduate courses, is now bedded down and the College has Council was delighted to welcome
had to consider the nature of its future student intakes. Council has determined that Janet alumna Ms Anne Shea (Brumley, 2000)
Clarke Hall should retain its current focus on undergraduate students with a small group of onto Council in 2013. A relatively recent
graduate students rather than expand our graduate intake. At the same time, numbers will graduate of the College, Anne brings
not increase so that the small size of the College will continue to be a drawcard. expertise in social media and a strong
understanding of student life in her
A second major consideration for our College – and for others – is the rapid increase in capacity as Social Media Manager at the
structured online learning. There are now a number of (mostly) free MOOCs (Massively University of Melbourne.
Open Online Courses) being offered by prestigious overseas and local universities,
including the University of Melbourne. Some are now offered for course credit. How this Having moved into College from rural
digital revolution will play out in terms of on-campus students and, hence, demand for Victoria, Anne studied Literature, Art and
College places is, as yet, unknown. However Council is watching developments carefully Anthropology while in College. She was
and is contributing to the debate. involved heavily in the College library,
in costuming for JCH productions, and
Council also took time, in light of these developments, to consider its marketing strategy. in making the friends she’s still closest
What sort of a College should we be? What types of students do we want to attract? In to. She’s now in love with Melbourne for
considering how best to market the College to prospective students, Council has decided life: the country, once a refuge from busy
that we should continue to stress the small size and close community feel of the College, University noise, now seems far too quiet!
as well as its tutorial programme and academic excellence. Council is confident that JCH
is doing its job in the best possible manner. Students are learning a great deal, they are
engaged and enjoying the company of their fellow students and are appreciative of the After completing her Master’s degree, Anne
support from staff. Small wonder that so many have chosen to return to College in 2014. started an online business and a support
community for tall women. The support
Of course, the College’s fine reputation rests largely in the hands of the staff and community proved far more enjoyable than
especially the Principal and Vice-Principal. We are fortunate to have in these positions running a business, and Anne is now a
two outstanding educators and exceptional individuals. Dr Powell and Mrs Davies play a social media professional with experience
very large role in making Janet Clarke Hall the outstanding place that it is and the work of in the commercial sector and advising the
Council is made easier by their presence. State Library of Victoria. In her working
day Anne manages the central social media
Once again, I thank my fellow members of Council for their support and their contributions team and supports marketers around the
to the College. We are a diverse group but our commitment to maintaining Janet Clarke University with tools and training. She has
Hall’s high standards is paramount in our deliberations These are always friendly, collegial introduced crisis management systems and
and robust with consensus being achieved with a minimum of fuss! I look forward to an the most popular student internships on
equally productive 2014 as we deal with the challenges facing higher education. campus.

Prof Doreen Rosenthal AO
Chair of Council

12 LUCE Number 12 2013