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Issue No 82 Gardens Point, Kelvin Grove, Kedron Park, Carseldine Campuses and Sunshine Coast Centre 17 March 1992

Social collapse fears

Business student Danielle Arabena takes advantage of the new ferry service.

(Photo: Suzanne Burow)

Students crossing the Brisbane River to get to and from Gardens Point campus have an improved ferry service this year.

The ferry from Dutton Park now runs every 15 minutes from 7am on Monday through Friday. The last ferry leaves Gardens Point at 10.15pm.

University markets differ

QUT vice-chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson has returned from Asia warning the Australian market for university courses is totally different to overseas markets.

Professor Gibson visited Hong Kong and Singapore where graduation ceremonies were held for 90 students who completed courses at QUT last year.

He said the market for Australian students was supply driven but overseas markets were very much demand driven.

"In Australia, we have a limited number of government-funded places available and universities can afford to select only the best applicants," Pro- fessor Gibson said.

"Our admission procedures are geared to applying a uniform hurdle according to quotas and demand for individual courses. Students might see it as a privilege to be accepted into university.

"But the international market is quite the opposite.

Recruiting

"Universities from all over the world, for example, are actively recruiting students in southern and north east Asia who will pay the full cost of their own education abroad.

"Obviously the domestic approach to recruitment is unrealistic for overseas students.

"A competitor which can give a firm, immediate response to an enrol-

ment application has an enormous advantage.

"Students are not prepared to wait weeks on end for an answer.

"We must have rules for granting admission and credit which can be applied quickly to individual students."

This required a team approach among academics, administration and marketing staff.

Professor Gibson said most of Q UT' s 1 000 overseas students chose the university on the recommendation of other people.

Personal contact with academics in overseas universities at faculty-to-faculty level was a very effective marketing tool.

QUT Central Administration 2 George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 864 2999

Research money is needed: expert

Australia faces social disintegration unless more research money is spent on the social sciences and humanities a leading social expert has warned.

QUT's pro-vice-chancellor (research and advancement) Professor Milli- cent Poole said society was collapsing through lack of human, social and cultural values.

It was at present being driven by so-called economic rationalism, or technocratic determinism.

"It is the same sort of disintegration that's occurring in eastern Europe and elsewhere," she said.

"The reason we need more social sciences and humanities research is to critically reflect on what's happening and offer alternatives."

She said it was time to reaffirm the higher education system was about the transmission of culturally valuable knowPedge across the whole spectrum of society. Any devaluation of the arts and social sciences was, in fact, a form of cultural barbarism.

Professor Poole has just been appointed deputy chair of the humanities and social sciences panel of the Australian Research Council (ARC).

The appointment means she also be- comes chair of the social sciences sub- panel. She has been an ARC panel member for three years, the first professor of education to be appointed to that body.

Professor Poole is concerned that only 10 percent of the total ARC budget goes to social sciences, a very small proportion compared to science and technology. She said it was particularly problematic with new play- ers, such as nurses, entering the funding competition. A recent ASTEC (Australian Science and Technology) report setting priorities for future directions in research has Professor Poole especially worried.

"It was very critical of the social sciences claiming they had not contributed to Australia's economic competitiveness," she said.

"In fact, the science and technology community has been slow to recog- nise that one of the critical reasons for Australia's lack of economic competitiveness has been a lack of entrepre- neurial know-how."

While Australian science and technology was excellent by world standards it was the nation's lack of entre- preneurial, marketing and managerial skills which hindered our international competitiveness and contributed to the corporate crashes of the '80s.

In her latest book Education and Work, which has just been released by the Australian Council for Educational Research, Professor Poole examines practices within the workplace that facilitate or inhibit productive work, such as management styles.

She said the text aimed "to shift the debate a bit. Education has faced enormous scrutiny over its failure, or otherwise, to produce graduates for the workplace," she said.

"I believe it is time the workplace

underwent the same scrutiny."

Suggesting a rethink on the nature of careers, she said careers no longer were linear histories of work within the same organisation, but a history of multiple shifts. Professor Poole said such social science research was about optimising human talent.

"A better utilised workforce is one that is going to be more productive,"

she said.

Other views from the scientific and research world also caused concern.

One was the specific exclusion of the social sciences and humanities from a recent initiative by chief scien- tist Professor Ralph Slayter, from the

$50-million Cooperative Research Centres Scheme. Another was the view expressed by the chair of the ARC Professor Max Brennan, in a recent high-profile paper, that social scientists were unwilling to take on complex issues in their research projects.

"Social scientists have to be aware of this criticism and rise to the challenge," said Professor Poole.

"1 see it not so much as a reluctance

to take on complex problems but the fact that when they took on complex problems like unemployment- particu- larly in the '70s -and couldn't produce quick solutions, they weren't funded.

"What I'm saying is that the social scientists are held in disrepute for not solving those complex problems yet now is the time to re-enlist them to help re-think solutions because trag- edies like youth unemployment really threaten social cohesion."

Because of competition for scarce resources Professor Poole called for greater cooperation bt;tween scientists, technologists and social scientists.

There needed to be recognition by the scientific community that the social sciences had an important role to play in the current national debate rather than seeing them as competitors for funding. In particular she advocated more interdisciplinary research.

"Many oftoday's problems are very complex and need interdisciplinary perspectives because science and technology often can't see beyond the immediate issue," she explained.

Inside

this issue

New view on cane toads

• page 3

Registered by Australia Post- Publication No. QBF 4778

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Vice-chancellor's comment

Service to students a priority

QUT has undergone a great deal of change in the last 18 months as a result of one of Australia's largest amalgamations. An enormous amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to integrate staff, students, courses, record systems, library services, campuses and so on to create a single university from the two partners.

The federal government provided $1.6 million to assist with amalgama- tion expenses but this fell far short of the estimated $1Om required to effect the extensive changes needed in the short term.

At the same time, in response to huge demand for its courses, the university has grown by some 3000 students since 1990. Growth has been particularly strong in the postgraduate area which makes more intensive use of

research resources. Problems asso- ciated with system changes and growth pressure on QUT's infrastruc- ture have taken their toll on service to students which, by this university's standards, has been less than sat- isfactory in 1992.

I want to reassure students that you are valued customers and that we are looking for quick solutions to these short-term problems.

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On the positive side, we have cre- ated the foundations for a strong, di- verse university, building on our reputation for professional education.

QUT's performance on new research horizons already is impressive. I ask you to bear with us over this difficult transition period.

Professor Dennis Gibson

• Cane toads unjustly accused - page 3

Academic award group now established at QUT

An academic award restructuring negotiating group (AARNG) has been set up at QUT.

Manager of the staff relations section Mr Trevor Lovaas said the AARNG comprised representatives of QUT and the Union of Australian Col- lege Academics (UACA). The inaugural meeting was held on 3 February this year. The group consists of QUT representatives Professor Tom Dixon, Mr Trevor Lovaas, Mr Michael Toohey and Mr Brian Waters; UACA representatives Associate Professor Howard Guille and Mr Bill Danby;

and campus delegates Ms Louise Casson (ATSI unit), Mr Steve Pyott (public health) and Ms Carol Windsor (nursing).

The background to the formation of AARNG is that in July 1991 the Aus- tralian Industrial Relations Commis- sion (AIRC) ratified an agreement between the Australian Higher Educa- tion Industrial Association (AHEIA) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) on behalf of academic staff unions.

The agreement rationalised and

granted salary increases to academic staff to be phased in over 12 months.

It also addressed a number of employment issues relating to salary transla- tions to the new salary scale, incre- mental advancement, position classification standards and staff appraisal.

Mr Lovaas said it was expected that initiatives emerging from the consulta- tive process would be immediately im- plemented.

The AARNG meets each two weeks.

Representative for the Union of Aus- tralian College Academics Professor Guille said further meetings had been held on 17 February and 2 March.

"We're hoping to complete the process by May," he said.

As well as the salary increases which had been introduced, there were major changes made in several other areas. These included the application of position classification standards which dealt with the duties and skill bases of academics, tenure arrangements and, in particular, the agreement that institutions would move to 70 percent of equivalent full-time staff on tenured positions. There also had been changes

to promotion, probation and staff development, he said.

"We are negotiating how those are applied to QUT," Mr Guille said.

Mr Lovaas said salary changes for non-academic staff also were under consideration. Non-academic staff across all campuses were represented by three unions-the Federated Clerks Union, the Professional Officers As- sociation and the Federated Miscella- neous Workers Union.

Currently the ACTU, on behalf of those unions, was engaged in a debate with the AHEIA on whether non-academic staff should be under a paid rate or minimum rate award.

Once that was settled, non-academic staff would go to a unified salary system. Once affected staff had translated to the new salary scale a job evaluation process would begin, he said.

"In this we would look at the key points of positions within the university," Mr Lovaas said. "Once we've established those, we then will look at most of the jobs within the university using an evaluation system, probably of the points factor kind."

I usually read Inside QUT with enjoyment for its interesting and stimulating content and the picture of QUT as an institution of inquiry and research which it paints.

I also take it up with pleasure because I know of many young men and women who are now studying at QUT and I like to see that their intellectual and professional development is in good hands. I have not previously been disappointed.

Letter

uct" and the need for QUT to satisfy the expectations of

"the customers of higher education". Does the cartoon, intentionally or otherwise, interpret the vice-chancellor's comment into the terms QUT students and staff really understand it? I fear it might.

However, I have to say I am troubled by the cartoon on page two of the 18 February edition (see tearout below), and the thinking behind the survey referred to in the article on page five. Universities are under in- tense pressure to relinquish liberal scholarly and intellectual ideals in favour of the pursuit of marketable product and profit. The vice-chancellor's comment, next to the cartoon, refers to the "delivery of a quality prod-

Page 2 INSIDE OUT, 17 March 1992

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The danger I see is that, in Australia, the ideal of the university as a place of ideas and ideals is being sacri- ficed in the interests of crass commercialism and that the highest ideal of a QUT graduate will soon be to make more money. It might be said that the survey, article and cartoon all refer to QUT business graduates and not to the students in other faculties. However, the models we endorse and the images we promote in one area might well become the models and images of the greater body, the noble-minded, free and serious research and reflection which has characterised the university may well be lost in the pursuit of research and learning tied to making money.

Is this really the kind of university QUT aims to be?

Is this the kind of graduate it wants to produce? If so, the greedy 80s are still alive and well in George Street.

John Spring, MA PhD,

Chaplain, Anglican Church Grammar School.

Editor: The aim'> ofQCT a; '>tated by 'ice-chancellor Profe'>sor Denni> Gibson are for the univer;ity to become a high quality teaching in>titution producing graduate> with a high level of em- ployability and to enhance its re'>earch performance.

Imide QUT did not commission the '>urvey we merely reported its results. The cartoon was. in fact. intended to point out the disparity between money available in the community for busine'>S purposes and that supporting the am.

1 'Student say ,,

•••

This issue of Inside QUT asked students if taxes should be levelled on tourists to help pay for the preservation of national parks.

SUSAN GOLLSCHEWSKI

Bachelor of Business-Accountancy

"A small fee would benefit the up- keep of the park.

"Perhaps it would limit the amount of people going there and the parks wouldn't be abused.

"You can't differentiate between local and overseas tourists. If they are going to charge a fee it would have to be for everyone."

DAVID FRANCIS Bachelor of Business - International Business

"I fit is going to kill the tourist trade that is bad.

"The idea of charging local people is repugnant. A nominal fee would be acceptable.

"If the park is in risk of destruction from people raping it then a fee should be charged. If money is needed to pre- serve the resource so it can be used by future generations then that's fair enough. But, it shouldn't be just another tax."

VICTOR WANG Master of Ap- plied Science - Built Environment

"Tourists should pay a little amount.

If you don't pay, the national parks have to rely on the government for money.

"If tourists pay money it will give them the chance to request improve- ments within the park."

LEANNE CHARMAN Bachelor of Business - Marketing

"I don't like the idea.

"Nine times out of ten it is locals going to the park. We are hit for just about every tax the government can think of.

"If it is to use a facility be it camp grounds or showers, yes, but not just to enter the park."

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Sizi'ng up the enemy

Cane toad threat has been exaggerated: researcher

Mr Rob Clerke comes face to face with a cane toad. {Photo: Tony Phillips)

International honour for f tures professor

Director of the Communication Centre within QUT's business faculty Associate Professor Tony Stevenson has been appointed secretary-general elect of the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF).

Currently an executive councillor, Professor Stevenson will take up duties as secretary-general at the end of 1993.

The appointment followed his election to the position at an executive council meeting held in Barcelona, Spain, in September last year. Professor Stevenson said the position was unpaid and part-time, and he expected to be able to fulfil WFSF responsibilities with no interference to his QUT teaching duties.

"In fact, the appointment should bring credit and very real benefits to QUT, allowing the university and the Com- munication Centre to become the hub of a truly global body,"' Professor Stevenson said.

"WFSF members are institutions and individuals from more than 80 nations and many disciplines. They include scholars, policy-makers and professionals seriously involved in anticipating the future."

The organisation's secretariat was located in the Turku School of Economics, at Turku, Finland. but would move to the Communications Centre at QUT.

His appointment had been made well before the handover

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date to allow for a smooth transition between opposite ends of the world. Professor Stevenson explained.

WFSF credited former hosts of its secretariat as sponsor- ing organisations including Mankind 2000, The Club of Rome, IRADES. Futuribles (France), the Secretariat for Futures Studies (Sweden), the University of Hawaii (USA) and the Turku School of Economics.

Former secretaries-general were: Peter Mencke-Gluckert (Germany) I 974-75, Eleonora Masini (Italy) 1975-81, Goran Backstrand (Sweden) 1981-83, Jim Dator (USA) 1983-90 and Pentti Malaska (Finland) 1990 to the present.

Professor Stevenson said his appointment would bring the secretariat into ·the southern hemisphere for the first time, and close to Asia.

Founded in 1975 in Paris WFSF was established under French law as a non-profit making, independent and international association of cultural, scientific and educational character. It was a member of the International Social Sci- ence Council and was classified as a category II non-government organisation with the United Nations, he said.

WFSF also had consulting status B with UNESCO and enjoyed a close working relationship with that organisation, the United Nations University (Tokyo) and other UN agencies.

, ' , , ' , I , I • ' ' • ' ' ' • ' • ., ' ' •

Cane toads have been unjustly accused of causing major damage to Queensland's environment says a QUT researcher. Preliminary studies have shown the extent of cane toad infestation of southern Queensland is less extensive than previously believed.

"It could be a case of one or two be having a detrimental effect on many toads being seen somewhere 10 years native frogs species simply because ago but of no one having seen one they use the same water bodies as cane since. These sightings may have been toads for breeding," he said.

wrongly interpreted as indicating the "So even though adult frogs may be presence of a breeding population," able to avoid direct competition with the researcher said. cane toads in the water bodies in which PhD student Mr Rob Clerke is con- they lay their eggs direct competition ducting his study of cane toad breed- between tadpoles, for food for exam- ing areas in southern Queensland pie, cannot be avoided."

through the Centre for Biological Mr Clerke said although most Population Management. records showed around I 0 000 eggs The cane toad, Bufo Marinus, was per laying, one fema~e was recorded introduced into Queensland earlier this as laying 35 000 eggs in a single ses- century to control sugar cane beetles. sion. It was this proliferation of cane Currently, research in Venezuela, the toad tadpoles that made it difficult for toad's original homeland, hopes to lo- native frog tadpoles to survive.

cate a natural enemy that may help "Not all of those eggs are going to control toad numbers in Australia. hatch and not all the tadpoles are go-

Mr Clerke said the specific direc- ing to survive but it's still an awful lot tion of his research was not yet final- eggs and tadpoles in the one pond," he ised. More than likely it would con- said.

centrale on the relationship between "Australian frogs may lay up to 3000 cane toads and native frogs on the Dar- eggs at a time so, although most are ling Downs. less prolific breeders, you would ex-

Last year the Commonwealth Sci- pect their tadpoles to become grossly entific Industrial and Research Organi- outnumbered."

sation (CSIRO) said they believed He expected his study to last at least there were three regions in urgent need a further two years or "summer field of research relating to cane toads. seasons". There was considerable dif-

These were the "Top End" (north- ficulty in getting funding, especially em Queensland and the Northern Ter- for travel expenses.

ritory), the east coast of NSW and the Mr Clerke said most of the study Darling Downs. Mr Clerke said it had was being conducted on the Darling been suggested that cane toads may be Downs, a relatively long way from capable of extending their range as far Brisbane.

as South Australia. The aim of his study was two-fold

"Their original habitat is thought to Mr Clerke said - to find out how the be tropical savannah country but I cane toad was affecting frogs and other would expect them to have little diffi- wild life but also to learn more about culty in adapting to the cooler condi- the life histories of native frogs be- tions of the Darling Downs," he said. cause very little was known of their

Although involved in the study for ecologies.

nearly nine months, it was too early Campaigns to freeze cane toads or for him to draw any conclusions but take the family out on toad-killing other researchers had suggested the sprees were more than likely a waste cane toad was not as menacing as had of time, he said.

been believed. "Psychologists always reckon that

"A lot of people believe that they're when people feel a sense of helpless- ravaging the countryside out there but ness regarding a problem they feel this does not appear to be the case," more stressed out. In doing something, Mr Clerke said. rightly or wrongly, they probably feel

No scientific data was yet in place a Jot better about it.

to prove the cane toads threatened lo- "Needless to say, I don't think cane cal frogs with extinction. toads are anywhere near as nasty as

"But you would think they would people commonly believe."

Charleville

NEW SOUTH WALES

PACIFIC OCEAN

Shaded area shows the extent of cane toad infestation in southern Queensland.

Ca!J1pus quickies

Nominations closed last Friday for positions on the Gardens Point Campus Club management committee. The poster calling for nominations stated that if required a BALLET would be conducted from 30 March to 3 April between I lam and 4 pm daily. It forgot to suggest that only marathon dancers need apply.

:J :J :J

Planning and budget director Mr Doug Brown will chair the equity board's capital development committee on child care. Asked whether the post might damage his tough, one-man-razor-gang image around the campuses, Mr Brown said he had an obligation to look after the little people too.

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Office of Educational Services manager Mr David Stent sends greet- ings from darkest Africa (Nairobi at night) where he's visiting Univer- sity of Cape Town and others on student recruitment business.

Page 3 INSIDE QUT, 17 March 1992

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Dr Noel Preston (left) and Dr Colin Symes. (Photo: Suzanne Burow)

A c adem i cs l ook at the concept of 'cleverness'

Dr Noel Preston and Dr Colin Symes envisage an Australia that is not only a "clever" country but one in which the nature of "cleverness"

is open for debate.

Dr Preston lectures in applied eth- ics. Dr Symes is a philosophy of education lecturer. Both are QUT academics.

Together, they have written a book arguing for a more intellectual approach to teacher education.

It also seeks to "raise consciousness about what education can be".

They claim that in more recent times teachers have been valued in society when they have been seen to be producing good and productive citizens.

Education became valued for its economic usefulness.

They contend thar the status of teaching and education slips when education fails to produce economic an- swcn •.

Former federal education minister Mr Dawkins had been trying to make education a component of micro-economic reform, Dr Preston said.

He and Dr Symes claimed the current concept of clever related to re- ducing the nation's balance of pay- ments. By contrast they say a clever country is "one that is prepared toques- tion the directions of the whole society".

Schools a11d Classrooms: A Cultural Studies A11alysis ofEducatirm, recently

Students' night

International Nile on 21 March will be a gala event for overseas and Australian students.

The International Student Club has a line of top quality entertainment with an 8-course banquet at the Golden Pal- ace Restaurant in Fortitude Valley.

The Club has attracted Singapore Airlines as the major sponsor for the evening. The major prize for the Lucky Draw is a return ticket to Singapore with Singapore Airlines.

Tickets are available from Interna- tional Student Club members. Inter- national Student Services, Garden'>

Point and Kedron Park. and QUT Stu- dent Guild Offices on all campuses.

published by Longman Cheshire, sug- gests the value system of modern society is being cultivated in the classroom.

"In the past education has served to discipline and maintain the status quo and oil the wheels of the kind of society we have," Dr Preston said.

"We think education should be a much more transformative agency in society challenging existing practices and values - an emancipatory rather than a disciplinary approach."

Dr Symes said many of the every- day practices of schools were geared to producing a diligent workforce rather than a questioning citiLenry.

School timetables cultivated a re- spect for time. Children were urged to finish their work in a set time which led to the notion of industriousness.

The layout of the classroom which fa- cilitated the gaze of the teacher was part of the process of surveillance that went on in schools and, later. offices and factories.

"These practices often have very little to do with learning but serve to introduce students to a pecking order so they will accept their place in society." Dr Symes said.

"We argue that a clever country i'>

not one in which the citizenry '>imply serves the gross national product. They are able to question what's going into this GNP, ask why they are doing this and what their purpose is as a nation ...

Dr Preston and Dr Symes agreed the text was ideal for education students but said it had wider applications.

"At a theoretical level it dra\\ s on some of the debates going on regarding so-called economic rationali'>m with a reference to education. Beyond that. because education is so much a part of everybody's life a lot of people. parents for example. would find it interesting:· Dr Preston explained.

He said one of the points they made was that a teacher needed to be '.een a' a kind of intellectual within the community.

Dr Symes said that if teachers were regarded as intellectuals the basis for their occupation would not be so dependent on judgements of their economic worth.

Page 4 INSIDE QUT, 17 Marc.h.1.9~2 • . . .

.- • • # • • • • • • • • • • • ,1' . . . ' • • • •

Student-industry

research promoted

A company specialising in bring- ing together students and industry to develop mutually beneficial research programs now has a representative at QUT.

The company Expert Access Pty Ltd has appointed Mr Graham Willet as its principal consultant. He was introduced to QUT by managing director Dr Gil Stokes.

Expert Access is contracted to several universities, including QUT, to manage the Cooperative Education for Enterprise and Development (CEED) program.

The CEED program began in 1985 at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Dr Stokes described it as a program with a dual mission.

Its educational mission was to create the opportunity and environment for graduates to become a driving force in public and private sectors.

The industrial mission was to produce graduates with skills matching the strategic needs of employers. The CEED program also provided a link between industry and the expertise and resources of universities.

"We have support from the Federal Government through the Department of Employment Education and Train- ing (DEET), which funds universities,"

Dr Stokes explained.

"The successful application which went from this university, QUT, to DEET called for I 0 projects this year, 20 next year and rising to 50 projects coming in each year for students who will be entering honours."

Each student would be involved with the program for 18 months, he said.

It was a substantial exercise but was

specifically for training undergradu- ates.

Mr Willett said his responsibility was to run the CEED program at QUT.

"It is run in a number of universi-

ties and there are a number of consult- ants to various institutions but QUT will be run as one unit.

"I will be on and off the campus.

My work will be canvassing industries to line up the projects and then to search within the university to find the appropriate supervisors and students to run them," he said.

Dr Stokes said he wanted to make it clear the CEED program was not a fund-raising exercise.

"It is an opportunity for the univer-

sity to build links with industry and, particularly, for its academics to build links with companies," he said.

"And it is an opportunity for students to have industry-relevant and substantial projects. We train the students in how to respond to the demands of a project. We teach them how to plan, how to determine what the client wants and how to respond with what amounts to a detailed grant application."

Expert Access spent a semester with each student in preparation. The students spent vacation time and their honours year working on the project, which was co-supervised by an academic and a company supervisor, Dr Stokes said.

"This provides students with a bridge between their academic training and the expectations of the workplace," he added. "They work at very high levels in the company, the company supervisors are way up the corporate totem pole and far beyond

where a new graduate would ever be operating normally.

"It gives the students the confidence that they can contribute usefully and effectively to industry. They go out from this program not only with excellent references but with the kind of confidence the average student does not get the chance to build."

Mr Willett explained: "The first the students hear of the projects is when they already have been worked out between the client company and the chosen supervisor, and a project brief or description will be posted. Students apply for that around mid-year, so they need to be watching the notice boards for that information around June."

The best candidate for each project would be selected. Students were per- mitted to apply for several projects.

"Those selected will come on board and have their training through that second semester," he said.

Dr Stokes explained that students were selected by academics. Expert Access was not involved in that process. The university agreed that any intellectual property coming out ofthe projects belonged to the client company, unless negotiations were entered into and finalised before the student began on the project.

"But the university reserves the right for first refusal of any additional work coming out of a project," he said.

Mr Willet has returned to Queens- land after working in Perth W A. He was the project manager there for the development of the Rare Earth project, a $100 million program for the min- ing, extracting and processing of rare earth metals, which are used in all areas of electronics.

Ch1nese ~ scholar

Four scholars from the People's Republic of China are spending a semester at QUT studying Queens- land pre-school education methods and discovering a little about Aus- tralian culture in the process.

Chinese university lecturers Mr Luo Lihui, Ms Li Shenglan, Mr Wang Yuguang and Mr Zhang Bo have been selected by UNICEF to participate in a program jointly or- ganised by the Queensland Depart- ment of Education and QUT's School of Early Childhood.

The scholars are attending classes at Kelvin Grove campus and discuss- ing pre-school teacher education theories with QUT lecturers, then visiting schools to see how these theories are put into practice.

The four scholars all play key roles in early childhood programs at their respective universities throughout China, and had never met before being selected for this program.

They each specialise in a different field and all are eager to carry out research in these areas while in Australia.

Mn L'uo specialises in management, Ms Li in curriculum development, Mr Wang in teaching strate- gies and Mr Zhang in research meth- odology.

They are also interested in attending any forums or conferences relating to their respective fields and would welcome any enquiries from QUT academics.

The visitors hope to continue their research when they return to China and compare the results with paral- lel studies conducted by QUT.

QUT's Centre for Applied Stud- ies in Early Childhood (CASEC) is conducting a longitudinal study, where children return annually for up to seven years and their various

Down

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,.

Chinese scholars (from left) Mr Luo Lihui, Mr Wang Yuguang, Ms Li Shenglan and Mr Zhang Bo. (Photo: Tony Phillips) areas of development are assessed.

Early childhood lecturer Ms Di Nailon said the possibility of the Chi- nese researchers establishing a similar study in their home country was being considered.

"The idea is only in its early stages but it would be fascinating to be able to do a cross-cultural comparison,"

Ms Nailon said.

"It's not simply a case of the visitors observing our methods and teaching alongside our teachers.

There is a real emphasis on research.

"Basically the research will centre around what we're teaching in the institution and what we're trying to achieve."

. ...

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With a controversial new book School of Media and Journalism senior lecturer Dr Stuart Cunningham has tried to bridge the gap between contemporary cultural and media studies, and the way public policies are debated in Australia.

Dr Cunningham said it was his be- lief that university educators should take a greater account of how cultural issues were decided out in the

"real world".

To address the issue he has written Framing Culture: Criticism and Policy in Australia, which looks at the way contemporary culture is

"framed" in the new approaches employed in university education and how these compare with approaches in the public policy process.

Dr Cunningham was compelled to write the book while working as a researcher and policy adviser at the Communications Law Centre- an independent legal, policy and research facility based at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. The centre contracted with the Austral- ian Film Commission to conduct a series of research, policy, liaison and organisational projects over a two- year period, and Dr Cunningham was appointed as manager.

"Spending a few years with a research unit dedicated to representing the public interest in national policy development debates convinced me that academic programs in media education need a lot of rethinking,"

Dr Cunningham said.

"All too often academic researchers and production and policy people are talking at cross purposes, even though they have more in common than each group imagines."

In his book, Dr Cunningham high- lights several current issues of cultural policy in Australia as case studies, including the introduction of pay television, violence on television, the mquiry into Australian content on commercial television and TV ad- vertising.

He spent two years researching and writing the book, which is due to be released early next month by pub- lishers Irwin & Allen.

Initial re~ponse to the book has been encouraging-Dr Cunningham

Dr Stuart Cunningham

has received several invitations to speak about his findings at national and overseas conferences.

American Professor John Fiske, internationally recognised as one of , the leading authorities in cultural studies, described the book as "su- premely timely ... (it) condenses an impressive historical and theoretical account of both cultural studies and the process of cultural policies into a tight argument".

But because of the controversial nature of the book, Dr Cunningham is also expecting a certain amount of flak from some critics.

"I expect people to defend the oppositional stance that cultural and media studies has taken to media organisations and the role of the state as controller in powerful, influential and profitable industries," Dr Cunningham said.

"You have to be very careful when you're making judgments about the direction an educational field is taking, that your judgments are fair.

"In some ways it could be called whistleblowing, so you must be certain you know what you're talking about if you're going to do that.

Whistleblowers have a history of not being necessarily appreciated.

"But I think overall it's a very con- structive critique which is really about reconnecting these areas of the humanities with public policy and political processes.

"And it has, I think, great signifi- cance for the mission of a university like QUT."

Chips still top of students' menu

Students' eating habits have improved in recent years but the refectory at Gardens Point campus still sells more than 150 kilograms of chips each week. Finding foods to satisfy around 12 000 hungry students each day is the challenge faced by catering manager Ms Elaine Pelling.

But now that Spotless Caterers have contracts for all QUT campuses operations manager Mr Ken Morgan has to keep sustenance flowing for anything up to 23 000 hungry mouths.

1r Morgan was catering manager at Gardens Point campus for more than three years before taking responsibility for the Spotless operation across QUT's four Brisbane campuses.

The resident managers are Mr Maurice O'Mara (Kelvin Grove), Mr Jim Green (Carseldine) and Ms Sue Lindsay (Kedron Park). Spotless has held the Gardens Point contract for more than 17 vears but took over at Carseldine a year ago and included Kelvin Grove and Kedron Park in January this year. Over the four campuses Spotless employs about 70 full-time staff and offers part-time employment to a number of students.

Mr Morgan said the company had introduced a "whole meal" policy at each campus, meaning that proper, balanced meals such as fresh salads and a roast of the day were available rather than a majority of snack or junk foods.

Since he first took up his post at Gardens Point students had demanded more good quality food, leading to the introduction of the health food bar, he said. But he added: "They still love their chips and hamburgers.

If we took those away we'd have a revolt."

Spotless also caters for functions at all campuses. Mr Morgan said the refectory managers at each campus were always available to students and staff and would welcome any suggestion for improving menus or services.

Academics advised to think Asian

QUT's academic community has been urged to act and think internationally to ensure graduates play a key role in Australia's push into world trade - especially in Asia and on the Pacific Rim.

Educational services manager Mr David Stent said if Australia was to trade effectively in Asia and the Pa- cific the country would need graduates with first-hand experience of the region and, preferably,language skills.

QUT was now actively building links with universities, particularly in south and north Asia. To make effective use of these growing contacts faculty staff should give thought to ways in which they could use them.

Late last year Mr Stent attended a Sydney conference at which the "internationalisation" stage of the tertiary education market was emphasised.

Titled Exporting Editcation the conference pointed to the changes Aus- tralia's international education emphasis was going through.

For many years it was regarded pri- marily as a vehicle for aid. In more recent years it moved into a trade - or export commodity-phase with the en- couragement of federal trade promotion service Austrade, he said.

The result was an influx of international students, particularly Asian, at Australian universities. QUT, for example, had gone from very few to nearly 1000 students in five years.

Mr Stent said emphasis now was being placed on international ising the thinking of the university, particularly through staff and student exchanges with overseas institutions, research and consultancy arrangements, training services and offshore teaching.

"This influx of international stu-

dents has reminded us we are part of a global system of education and a global employment market," he explained.

"We are realising that Australian students should be encouraged to undertake part of their study overseas.

Thus our own curriculum needs to be developed with consideration of the future employment possibilities of graduates.

"Academic staff must realise it is not just the international student who is going to be working in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia, but our own students. Therefore our curriculum must be more international."

Some suggestions Mr Stent offered faculties included giving staff and student incentives to spend time in the Asian region and recognising English language competency as a credit towards a degree.

"If our students are going to study in Korea, for example, they would expect to get credits for the Korean they must learn to do the course," he explained.

"Likewise, students who have to study English to attend university here should be given a credit for that. We can't be chauvinistic about the Eng- lish language."

Vice-chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson visited Hong Kong and Singa- pore early this month to attend graduation ceremonies. Mr Stent described the graduations as "a demonstration of our commitment to the overseas students".

He said QUT had benefited greatly from the presence of international students. They had been an important pre- cursor to the internationalisation now underway.

Overseas graduates

QUT has held graduation ceremonies in Hong Kong (2 March) and Singapore (6 March) for 90 international students who completed courses at its Brisbane campuses last year. Vice-chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson attended the ceremonies. He said QUT was now one of Australia's largest universities. It had its sights set on becoming a truly international- ised university, involving student and staff exchanges, joint research projects and formal agreements with overseas universities. Agreements were in force or being finalised with 30 universities worldwide and a number of QUT students were now studying overseas under these agreements.

Addressing the Hong Kong ceremony, Professor Gibson said studying in Australia was not a lonely experience for international students.

"For a start, at QUT there are 1000 overseas students from 50 countries," Professor Gibson said. "Also, Australia is a multicultural society with only 75 percent of its 17 million population born in the country.

Fifteen percent of those not born in Australia are from south-east or north-east Asia."

Migration patterns had changed markedly in recent years so that in 1990-91, 42 percent of immigrants came from south-east and north-east Asia.

Only 18 percent came from the United Kingdom and Irish Re- public and a further nine percent from Europe. "Of course, the UK was the original source of immigrants in the 18th century, mostly convicts."

A former maths and comput- ing head, Professor Gibson him- self came from the UK 10 years ago.

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Student Ms Monique Dawson (left) with Mr Ken Morgan and Ms Elaine Pelling. (Photo: Suzanne Burow) Page 5 INSIDE OUT, 17 March 1992

(6)

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Chemistry ' School top class

Senior lecturer in chemistry Dr Serge Kokot has returned from a six-month personal development program (PDP) research stint in Europe confident QUT's chemistry school ranks with the world's best.

Dr Kokot completed a visiting professorship at the Free University· of Brussels in Belgium, where he worked with a world authority in the field of chemometrics, Professor D.L. Massart.

step, you minimise the chance of anything being introduced which might mask or interfere with the analysis."

The drawback of the technique is that because the information collected is highly complicated, it needs to be processed and this is where the area of chemometrics comes in.

Massari also analysed infra-red data of minute textile samples, such as those found in forensic cases. They wished to determine if they could discriminate between slightly different textile samples from a typical garment, and if they could match various samples from the same garment.

"In all these places the response to the research we're doing at QUT was very favourable," Dr Kokot said.

"The Zurich people in particular were very keen to establish some sort of collaboration between our universities. When you consider the Swiss institute is regarded as the premier university in the world in this field - it received notification of its fifth chemistry Nobel Prize while I was there - it was a tremendous compli- ment."

Chemometrics is a comparatively new field, involving the use of computers to carry out sta- tistical and mathematical techniques in analys- ing chemical data.

"The added difficulty in this analysis was the minute size of the samples. It was very meticu- lous work collecting the spectral data," Dr Kokot said.

Dr Kokot is an analytical chemist whose work at QUT has specialised in research and development useful to industry, in areas such as petroleum products, textiles, concrete and dye mixtures.

In recent years he has been particularly interested in what could be described as "direct analysis" of complex chemical samples and mixtures, using spectroscopic and electro-analytical techniques.

Before his trip to Brussels, Dr Kokot had found the chemometrics approach particularly useful in his petroleum study and realised it had obvious applications not only to the petroleum industry but in other areas as well.

"But we successfully demonstrated we could discriminate between different parts of a garment. For example, we could take a sample from a shirt collar and discriminate from that taken from a shirt sleeve. Other samples from the collar also could be match with the first set."

Dr Kokot said his overseas experience made him realise QUT was fortunate to be in the position where it was continuing to travel forward in the field of research.

"At the risk of oversimplifying the issue, the idea is to have a suitable measuring device, point it at the sample, press a button, collect a signal and receive an analysis," Dr Kokot said. "The advantages of this philosophy of direct measure- ment are pretty obvious. You do not have to separate a sample into its chemical components and measure the components individually.

In order to broaden his knowledge of chemometrics, Dr Kokot travelled to Brussels last July to work with Professor Ml!ssart, who was able to arrange a visiting professorship under the aus- pices of the National Scientific Fund of Bel- gium. By applying novel techniques of chemometrics to data gathered by Dr Kokot's research group at QUT, the pair successfully demonstrated how to select the best methods for preparing various geological samples.

Dr Kokot said the joint study was a great suc- cess, with the two scientists producing five papers detailing various recommended analytical techniques, which were submitted for publication to international journals.

"I came back very encouraged by the reaction our work received," he said.

"I had the opportunity to compare a number of institutions with ours and I found that just about all of them were simply marking time because of the tough financial climate.

Dr Kokot also presented two papers at an international conference in Germany. They were well received and he was invited to address several seminars throughout Europe as a result.

"Even the Zurich institute did not have the funds to support its own rese'arch grants in the past two years.

"And because you eliminate the separation

As part of an Australian Research Council- supported project, Dr Kokot and Professor

These included lectures at the Wool Research Institute in Aachen, Germany, and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.

"But here at QUT we're still able to create something new, whereas in many other Austral- ian and overseas establishments its a matter of coping as best you can."

Emergency evacuation procedures highlighted

New emergency evacuation procedures have been posted throughout university buildings. The new posters have been provided by the health and safety section (HSS) to standardise evacuation procedures across all university campuses.

The evacuation alarm may sound for various reasons such as fire, chemical spill or other hazardous events in buildings or on floors.

HSS adviser Mr Myron Williams says the university has a duty of care under sections nine and II of the Workplace Health and Safety Act and Regulations of 1989 to all staff, students and visitors to the various campuses.

All staff, students and visitors have a responsibility to follow and adhere to policies and instructions to ensure their own health and safety as well as the health and safety of the staff.

All full-time, part-time, temporary or casual lecturers and staff must be aware of their responsibilities in the event of an emergency evacuation.

Permanent staff on each floor and in each building usually are appointed as wardens but each lecturer is responsible for the orderly evacuation of their classes.

When an evacuation alarm sounds all personnel in the affected area should follow and comply with instructions from the building and/or floor warden.

In the absence of a building or floor warden, someone must take charge and clear the floor or building. This is especially important after normal business hours when lectures are scheduled but daytime staff are not available to direct the evacuation.

Actions

When the evacuation alarm sounds the following actions must be taken:

• Cease other activities

• Switch off power and fuel sources

• Close windows and doors but do not lock them

• Leave the building by the most direct route

• Proceed to the designated assem- bly area for your building

• Remain clear of entrances and fire exits

• Follow all directions from the building and floor wardens

• Follow all directions from Fire Bri- gade officers

During an alarm, building and floor wardens have the authority to direct students and staff to leave the build-

Mathematics staff alarmed by trend

Mathematics staff at QUT are alarmed that students in years 11 and 12 at high schools are being advised against studying Maths II because of aspects of the recommendations of the Viviani Report, says Associate Pro- fessor Helen MacGillivary. The report, compiled by a team of educationists led by Professor Nancy Viviani, then of Canberra, was compiled in 1990. It recommended radical changes to the tertiary entrance scheme.

Professor MacGillivary, of QUT's School of Mathematics. said that Maths II enrolments were suddenly down. Anecdotal evidence from parents and teachers was that students were being advised against studying the subject because of the structure of the fields devised in the Viviani Report.

"The most worrying aspect of this is that students doing engineering. physi- cal sciences and similar courses are severely disadvantaged without Maths

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even if it is not compulsory for some courses," she said.

Last year was the final year of the tertiary entrance score system. This year· s Grade 12 students will be the first matriculating under the new system resulting from the Viviani Report, which places greater emphasis on results in a particular field. Referring to the Table of Subject Weights for Fields Professor MacGillivary explained that "Maths I and Maths II are disadvantaged compared with many other subjects because of the lack of recognition of the roles of language. reading comprehension and expression in mathematical thinking:

expression and problem solving".

"Note that the new maths syllabi, in particular Maths Band C. which aim to replace Maths I and II, rate better," she said. "This is probably because they include a fuller description of what is involved in maths."

Professor MacGillivary warned that until either Maths B and C came in. or some guidance was given on Maths I and II, there was a danger that.even the most mathematically inclined students were going to be discouraged from doing Maths II. The value of Maths II in science-oriented courses was not just the material studied. she said, but the experience and exposure in maths that it gave students.

Page 6 INSIDE OUT, 17 March 1992

ing, clear exits and stay out of the way of fire fighting services.

Building wardens will be identified by white helmets and loud hailers.

Floor wardens will be identified by red helmets.

Re-entry to buildings is not permit- ted until the alarm has ceased and the building warden or fire brigade officer has authorised personnel to return.

People with disabilities will be moved to safe locations near evacuation stairs. People with disabilities will be accompanied. If necessary, they will be carried down stairs. Unless the situation dictates otherwise, people with disabilities will be evacuated by Fire Brigade personnel.

The decision to evacuate people with disabilities will be made by the floor warden after consultation with the building warden or other relevant people. People with disabilities will not be evacuated during regularly scheduled drills.

When any alarm sounds, however, it must be taken as a real situation until proved to be a drill.

Any question about evacuation procedures specific to your campus should be taken up with the campus administration for classification or change.

Students or staff found tampering with emergency equipment or sound- ing false alarms will be disciplined by the campus registrar and could face prosecution under the Workplace Health and Safety Act.

Inaugural lecture ;

Dean of QUT's arts faculty Pro- fessor Paul Wilson, who joined the university late last year, will give his inaugural lecture on Wednesday 8 ApriL

As the subject of his lecture Pro- fessor Wilson has chosen Beyond Political Correctness: Dealing with Issues uf Sex, Race and Gender in an Open University.

Professor Wilson will deliver his inaugural lecture in the new nursing school building on Kelvin Grove campus, starting at 8pm.

Before joining QUT Professor Wilson already was established as one of Australia's leading research criminologists. His publications and addresses have earned him a reputation for being outspoken on controversial social issues.

Overseas links established by

teaching unit

The QUT Practice Teaching Unit (Primary), based at Carseldine campus, is pioneering international exchange programs and establishing important overseas links for the university in the process.

Unit director Dr Allan Yarrow is responsible for coordinating the program of practical teaching experience that all primary pre-service students must undertake.

He has worked for 23 years in teacher education and has adminis- tered practice teaching at four different institutions - Kedron Park Teachers' College, North Brisbane College of Advanced Education, Brisbane College of Advanced Edu- cation and QUT.

Dr Yarrow and his unit have de- signed a program - with the assist- ance of a practice teaching advisory

committee-to ensure students have

meaningful and systematic teaching experiences, not only in Brisbane but in remote areas of the State and overseas.

The Practice Teaching Unit's overseas exchange program is unique among Queensland universities. It involves three separate programs - with Northern Illinois Uni- versity (NlU) in the United States, Christchurch Teachers' College in New Zealand and Salatiga in central Java and Jakarta.

The US program originated 13 years ago and since then about 150 American student teachers have been placed by the unit in Queens- land schools to study Australian teaching methods and learn a little of our way of life.

OrAl/an Yarrow

"Spinoffs from the American exchange program have had benefits for the faculty in a wider sense, in that an exchange agreement has since been developed," Dr Yarrow said. "The Indonesian program is something we're very excited about.

It gives the students invaluable experience in a different language and culture.

"It has only been running for 12 months and we hope it's something that we can continue."

More than 120 Australian students have travelled overseas through the unit to gain practical experience in other environments.

A research project monitoring the program shows that the students, su- pervising teachers and accompany- ing lecturers all believe it provides real gains in both educational terms and in the wider awareness of other cultures.

The unit has also received great support for its Queensland country program, which involves posting students in centres as far afield as Longreach, Cloncurry and Cairns.

"With Queensland being such a big state, it's important that students know what to expect if they happen to be posted to country centres," Dr Yarrow said.

"Students can seek placements in one-teacher settings, or other alter- native areas that appeal to their particular interests, such as church schools."

Despite the current situation of a nationwide over-supply of teachers, Dr Yarrow said enthusiasm was still high among students.

"Certainly towards the end of last year you could detect some gloomy feelings about job prospects," Dr Yarrow said.

"But the students' attitude and approach to practical teaching has always been very positive. Motiva- tion has never been a problem and the reports from schools have always been favourable."

Dr Yarrow said that the students' attitude had made his position as director of the unit extremely satis- fying.

"One of things I've found most enjoyable about the job is the in- credible variety that stems from the range of people you come into contact with," Dr Yarrow said.

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