ue-ensland - -.~niversity of Technology Newspaper

p ue- ensland - - .~niversity of

Technology Newspaper

378. 9431 103

Issue No 94 Gardens Point, Kelvin Grove, Kedron Park, Carseldine Campuses and Sunshine Coast Centre 27 October - 16 November 1992

Key industries boost

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson greets MBA graduate Chutima Arampongpun after the graduation ceremony at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex. {Photo: Suzanne Burow)

MBA graduate Chutima Arampongpun went to extraordi- nary lengths to attend her gradua- tion ceremony earlier this month - she flew back from Thailand.

After a 15-day holiday in Bris- bane with good friends she made during her four-year stay here,

Chutima will return to Thailand to work as a management trainee for a telecommunications company.

Chutima was among 300 graduates from Business, Law, and Built Envi- ronment and Engineering Faculties, who received their degrees at the 15 October ceremony

. (More on page 2)

Graduate feature

• a special QUT Convocation . report on

pages.& and 7

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

Re- search raises wool, beef value

Research projects underway at QUT could boost the competitive edge of two of Australia's key pri- mary industries.

Scientists in the Schoo l of Physics and the School of Chemistry have been awarded substantial grants to carry out

work which could improve the stand-

ard of meat for export and the market- abl e qualities of woo

l.

In the School of Physics a device to measure the fat content in livestock now being developed could increase the export earnings of the Australian meat industry by millions of dollars.

Researchers at QUT, the University of Queensland and CSIRO are work- ing in a joint project, funded by a

$39 000 grant from

the

Australian Re- search Council which aims to give beef, sheep and pig producers the abil-

to assess stock on the hoof prior to

feeding pattern s in the field, a higher percentage of their product would sat-

isfy the required standards set for over- seas export.

Associate Professor Brian

J

Thomas of QUT's School of Physics is work- ing on the pro ject with Dr Leigh Ward, of the Department of Biochemi stry at the University of Queensland, Dr Mar- tin Sillence, of CSIRO, Rockhampton

and Dr Robin Shorthose from CSIRO, Cannon Hill.

"The technique we are

proposi ng

allows for an assessment of lean tis-

sue, and by substracting

from body

weight,

some indication of the fat content of an animal," said Professor Thomas.

The research team has developed a technique that sends a low-level alter- nating current through the animal via an electrode inserted into the muscle

in the fore and hind legs and measures

the impedance or resistance between those two sites.

"Since lean tissue is a condu cting medium and fat and bone are non-con- ducting media the measurement of the impedance or resistance provides you with an assessment of the amount of lean tissue, " said Professor Thomas.

"Once the work has been done to develop the equations to convert the resistance you measure to lean tissue then it becomes applicable by the producer."

Professor Thomas said the device, about the size of an lap-top computer, had been used in tests on about 100 large animals after three years of trials on small animals in the laboratory.

"We have shown that our measure- ment does provide an indicator of lean tissues in laboratory animals with a - very high degree

-of precision but we

need to demonstrate that precision is obtainable with cattle, pigs and sheep.

Professor Thomas said there were a number of existing techniques which measured the fat content of slaugh-

tered animals and meat cuts after butchering at abbatoirs. Some were sophisticated, expen

sive techniques

and many were time-consuming.

"Ours is relatively simpl e and quite cheap compared to others in use," he

said.

Professor Thomas

said elimination

of the

"topping

up" process and the increased production of meat which met export standards would also mean more market opportunities for producers.

"And your prime meat could

be

sold at better value than standard meat."

QUT PhD

student,

Bruce Cornish and research assistants, Megan Lehnart and Stephanie Lemrn

are also work-

ing on the project, which has been al- located

a~

ARC grant for 1993.

• Wool researdt page 5

_ .._ ·--:mr: .. iiEliiiil

··:··-:-·;;

QUT calendar

This beautiful oil painting

Daphne and Still Life by Queens-

land artist Margaret Olley and pot- tery piece by Dr Carl McConnell are among 26 works highlighted in QUT's first art collection calender.

To be sold at a special price of

$12.50 to staff, students and gradu- ates through campus cashiers, the calender fea tures traditional and contemporary paintings, ceramics and sc ulptures by Queensland artists.

The works are among more than 900 in QUT's extensive art collec- tion, the fourth largest public hold- ing in Queensland.

The mail order price is $20. The calender is also available at selected retail outlets. Phone 864 2999.

In another initiative, visual arts students and graduates have released a limited edition of20 calenders fea- turing their original work. They will sell for $200 each. Phone

Mr

Brian Dean on 864 3254/3249.

~e~is!~red.~y.Au~tralia Post,. Publication-No. QBF 4778

Vice-Chancellor's comment Convocation_ an . invaluable I ink

QUT and its predecessor institutQ • lt\~e

n.,eiirly

-6.0 thm:i$and graduates who are part of the university community as ~e'mbers of Convocation which operates formally under the university's Act.

The institutions which form~ d QUT have given the university a unique heritage based on close cooperation with business, industry and the profes- sions in the development of teaching and research programs. They include:

• Brisbane College of Advanced

EdCtf4~\liU

. t . \J Q

• Brisbane Kindergarten Teachers College

·

• Brisbane Technical

College~-- · -- - - · - ·

• Central Technical College

• Kelvin Grove College of Advanced Education

• North Brisbane College of Advanced Education

• Queensland Institute of Technology

• Queensland Teachers Training College.

Convocation operates on a formal basis to appoint members to QUT's Council. In addition to this important role in the governance of the univer- sity, graduates are also a key part of QUT's links with the professions.

Our graduates form a special two-way conduit between the university and the professions.

Successful graduates are the most obvious indicator of a university's

Obituary

A pioneer of textile education in Queensland, former Kelvin Grove campus art education lecturer, Mrs Betty Grulke, died suddenly on 25 Sep- tember in South Australia.

Mrs Grulke (nee Pledger), a gradu- ate of the Kelvin Grove Teachers' College, taught

at the Kelvin Grove

campus from 1949 to 1989.

With colleagues Mr Jim Aitkenhead and Ms Cecile Falvey she set up in 1969 an associate diploma course in textiles. She was particularly known for her concern for the practical side of art education.

Mrs Grulke married Mr Lawrie Grulke, a former General Secretary of the Teachers' Union, in 1957.

Born in 1928 she died while hiking with her sister, Miss Phip Pledger, in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.

- Correction

Last month

Inside QUT

published a

story on first-year social science stu-

dents lodging submissions to the Elec- toral and Administrative Review Com- mission (EARC) in

support of a

Bill of Ri

ghts for Queensland (22 Septem-

~

issue no.92).

Inside QUT

has since received ad-

vice from EARC indicating the story

gave the wrong impression that a rec- ommendation in favour

of a

Bill

of

Rights was a fait accompli.

The fi nal paragraph of the

story

read: "After

a series of public

hear- ings and further

submissions,

EARC is due to put the Bill of Rights pro- posal to the EARC Parl

iamentary

Committee next April/May."

Although the story earlier outlined that EARC was seeking public input and debate on the "question" of a Bill of Rights for Queensland,

Inside QUT

acknowledges the word "proposal" in the final paragraph could have led to an incorrect impression. The word

"recommendation" would have been more appropriate.

Stop press!

The

next . . . .

o f , . OUr

wiiiMltbtiMI .... ...

EciiiOitel ... ..

. . . publlcMion 17

quality from the point of view of business and industry.

They take the university out into the world of work

.

Moreover, gradu- ates bring the world of work back into the university. They serve on faculty advisory committees and aca- demic boards. They participate in fac- ulty decision making in terms of course design, accreditation and gen- eral standards. They are an impor- tant force in policy development within faculties, ensuring that our courses and programs reflect profes- sional needs.

This kind of link is invaluable to a university like QUT with is

strong

professional focus.

Professor Dennis Gibson

-In brief-

Electrical engineering

students

have organised their own project expo on 2 November. Up to

50

projects will be dis- played on the day on level nine of the new Information Technology/Engineer- ing building. The projects form part of the students' final-year assessment and have a variety of "real world" applica- tions. Projects include a computerised vehicle anti-lock braking system

and a

real-time computer simulation of a rocket launch trajectory.

0 0 0

Christmas is just around the cor- ner and all staff are asked to keep 17 December free in their diaries for the first truly intercampus end of year party. The afternoon bash will kick off at 1pm in the Kelvin Grove cam- pus refectory in the community build- ing. Costs and further details will be published in subseqent issues.

For further information contact Ms Merrilyn Burrows.

0 0 0

Do you like go

ing to the movies? Then

why pay full price? The QUT Social Club has discount

adult movie

passes avail- able to its members for only

$7

each.

Any number

of passes

may be pur-

chased fo

r sessions at the following thea- tres: Hoyts Myer Compl

ex,

Forum Cin-

ema,

Vill

age

Twi n

(New Farm), Carindale 8, Toombul 8,

Hoyts Regent, Alb

ert Cine

ma, Pacifi

c

8 Logan Hyperdome and Indooroopill

y 8.

Contact Keith Done on 864 2

148 for

detai ls. Annual Social Cl ub membership is $5.

To the editor

As a teacher in the Law Faculty, I was somewhat surprised to see an advertise- ment in

Inside QUT

for

"do it yourself

legals" (No. 93, 6-26 October issue).

It

is my view that whil

st I would not

support any form of censorship in a uni- versity newspaper, I do not think that in a university which has the largest law faculty by numbers in Australia and a Legal Practice course intent on educat- ing professional lawyers, that advertise- ments should appear which encourage people not to seek professional advice

.

One of the catch phrases in the adver- tisement is "an understanding of what is involved". This would be about the last boast of the "do-it-yourself lawyer" .

Bill Duncan

Feez Ruthning Professor of Property Law, Faculty of Law

o<>

24 HOUR DISCREET SERVICE

-

• Police recruits provide safety escort- page 3

Top eye surgeon wins QUT honour

I

Professor Fred

H~lows,

the Aus-

tralian ophthalmologist

whose blindness prevention programs in Australia and the Third World have won him international recognition, was made an honorary Doctor of the University at the October gradua- tion.

Professor Hollows was unable to attend the ceremony due to unsched- uled medical treatment but his wife, Gabi, travelled to Brisbane for the occasion and the award was ac- cepted on Professor Hollows' behalf by his colleague, Brisbane ophthal- mologist Dr Glen Gole.

Born in New Zealand in 1929, Pro- fessor Hollows initially studied for the priesthood. After a string of jobs that included sinking bores in out- back Queensland, he decided to be- come an eye doctor.

Professor Hollows has been a spe- cialist at the Ophthalmology Depart- ment at the Prince of Wales Hospi- tal, Sydney for the past 25 years.

But he is best known for his pio- neering work setting up eye clinics in outback Australia and overseas.

In Africa, for example, where 3.5 million people go blind each year, he set up an inter-ocular lens fac- tory in Eritrea and trained locals to manufacture lenses and perform the necessary surgery. He is similarly helping the people of Nepal.

The Australian Embassy in Kathmandu, having heard about QUT's award, sent a telegram of congratulations which read in part:

"This is further recognition of his unselfish dedication to improve the eyesight of the citizens of this planet.

It

is hoped that his unswerving be- lief that all rich and poor; developed

and underdeveloped countries

should have access to the best oph·

thalmic treatment without preju- dice, will be realised."

Professor Hollows' current over- seas focus is in Vietnam, where 130

000 Vietnamese are blinded by cata-

racts each year.

Thr~mgboutl~is

ca_ -

Mrs Gabi Hollows, Or Glen Gole and Chancellor Mr Vic Pullar after the graduation ceremony. (Photo: Suzanne Burow)

reer, he has shown a strong commit- ment to Aboriginal health, helping to establish the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern and founding the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program which has since halved the incidence of curable blindness in Aborigines.

The doctorate is the latest in a long list of honours for Fred Hollows in- cluding the Human Rights Medal .

^.

.

.

. . .

and Australian of the Year in 1990, and Humanist of the Year, Compan- ion of the Order of Australia and an honorary doctorate from the Uni- versity of New South Wales in 1991.

A remarkable Australian, Profes- sor Hollows has established a repu- tation for solving seemingly impos- sible problems by inspiring his col- leagues and galvanising support across all levels of society.

~

"

Police recruits provide campus security patrol

Security for students and staff at QUT's Kelvin Grove campus bas been boosted by an escort service staffed by Queensland Po- lice Service recruits.

Recruits are working in teams of three to operate a security es- cort service 6-9.30pm Monday- Thursday nights until 6 Novem- ber.

They work from Ievell, A Block and provide students with safe travel from a designated central point to major car parks and nearby streets. They are also avail- able to escort students from other points around the campus and can be contacted on ext. 3754.

Campus Registrar, Mr David Spann, said the service bad been an initiative of police recruits.

"It

increases the positive public profile of the Queensland Police Service within the guidelines of community policing as well as pro- viding a service for students and staff," be said.

Mr Spann said the service com- plemented existing security ar- rangements on campus, including the night security bus which op-

e r a

t

e s

6-IOpm Monday to Friday in se- mester and the contract security escort service based in E Block and the Nursing Building which operates between 5.30pm- 10.30pm Monday-Friday

all

year round. He said he expected the service to recommence in semes- ter one next year.

Police recruits complete a six- month certificate at QUT as part of their training.

'Medicos' in 'appeal'

Law students joined University of Queensland medical students in a unique "real world" experience dur- ing three

simulated cases before the

Administrative Appeals Tribunal last month.

Six final-year medical students as- sumed the role of orthopaedic special- ists giving medical reports in the cases.

Each case involved an appeal against a refusal by the Department of Social Security to pay a disability pension.

Six QUT law students acted as so- licitors, while another six acted as barristers.

The medical students were exam- ined and cross-examined on their medical reports by the "barristers".

Last month the matters were heard in the Administrative Appeals Tribu- nal Court Room in Adelaide St before a tribunal of AAT Deputy President Des Breen, Dr Barry Smithhurst and Registrar John Mathieson.

The exercise was organised as part of the legal practice course which pre- pares students to become solicitors of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Senior lecturer

Mr

Allan Chay said it was the fust time such a joint advo- cacy program had been run in Queens- land involving both law and medical students.

"It gave the law students an oppor- tunity to enhance their advocacy skills and it gave the medical students a taste of what it is like to be cross-examined in a court room on their expert opin- ion in a matter," Mr Chay said.

In another legal practice course ini- tiative, 38 students combined to save themselves some money in a joint pub- lic notice in

The Courier-Mail on

14 October.

Under a legal requirement, all in- tending solicitors must make a public notice of their forthcoming admission to the Supreme Court. Previously, these notices have been handled indi- vidually at significant personal finan- cial cost.

Right: Police recruit John Henderson escorts nursing student Valerie Purdon. (Photo: Suzanne Burow)

Fairlie, Lindy media treatment queried

Media coverage of two of Austral- ia's most notorious cases involving women -the baby Azaria Chamber- lain mystery and "abduction" of Fairlie Arrow - both illustrate

"deep-seated problems" for women in relation to crime, according to media lecturer, Ms Helen Yeates.

They also highlight an "inverse re- lationship between excessive media exposure and fragile authenticity".

Her views were put at a seminar at the School of Media and Journalism on 22 October.

Titled Victimless Crimes and Crime-

less Victims: Media Representations of Fairlie Arrow and Lindy Chamber- lain, the paper explored the issue "In-

nocent or guilty: the double bind" and the nexus between gender, crime and the media.

It argued that both cases challenge the way the mainstream media posi- tions women and their "reliability" in relation to fundamental issues in our culture, specifically motherhood, sexu- ality and crime.

Both Arrow and Chamberlain have been constructed by the media as

"transgressive mothers", says Ms Yeates.

"The media's current celebration of the minute details of Lindy Chamber- lain's latest love affair provides us not with a spectacle of a strong woman wronged, but with a caricature of both a mother and a sexual being," argues Ms Yeates.

Although she has been acquitted and paid about $1 million compensation

"apparently the shadow of doubt will never be lifted by the media". This was made clear by a television inter- view earlier this year in which· a tel- evision reporter asked Lindy Cham- berlain how she felt about the "fact"

that one-third of the Australian public still think she committed murder, said Ms Yeates.

"The trivialisation of Lindy Cham- berlain continues and her

visib~lity

and

credibility are still problematic, at least as far as the Australian media are con- cerned," she concludes.

As with the media's representation of Lindy Chamberlain, Fairlie Arrow's maternity and sexuality "sit in unre- solved and uneasy conflict with each other", says Ms Yeates.

She argues that the media "dis- played her exploits as pretence while reinforcing traditional masculinist val- ues about women and society".

"From one feminist perspective .. it could be argued that her hoax involved serious regressive behaviour," she said.

"An alternative, more sympathetic feminist reading of her construction by the media raises interesting questions.

"While the extensive exposure ap- peared to increase her earning capac- ity, her image was appropriated and exploited because of its commodity value. Thus she became the fantasy victim of countless voyeurs."

Ms Yeates said the Arrow case showed in a telling way "the spurious kinds of ladders of opportunity soci- ety permits women to climb".

Ms Helen Yeates

.·

Tourists want dinkum Aussie serv1ce: •

A more flexible homegrown ap- proach to personal service would in- ject new prosperity into the Austral- ian tourism industry, according to QUT academic, Diana Best.

Ms Best, a lecturer in marketing in the Faculty of Business, said tourism operators should stop equating quality service with five-star personal service and drop American-based training schemes.

"The quality of service and the level of service are two different things.

"You can have quality service with- out going right up the scale."

Ms Best said there would always be a large percentage of people who wanted five-star service but there was a tendency by the tourism industry to assume that everyone wanted it.

"A lot of international tourists want to experience the 'real' Australia. They want to experience our culture, our food, our Australian way of speaking.

"They don't want a standardised, disinfected five-star service that's the same all over the world."

Ms Best said there was a real op- portunity for small businesses to grab those customers who preferred a more low-key approach to service.

She said it was not just money that influenced people to drop back a rung in the personal service ladder. Re- search in the UK had shown when price and time factors were withdrawn, many people still preferred not to have the highest level of service.

"It's just something in yourself, in your background or for simple reasons Hke being afraid or making a fool of yourself."

Ms Best said tourism operators should look for a niche in the market.

"You're far better segmenting your market and going for the level of serv- ice you can cope with and doing it well."

She said three-star hotels "trying to behave like five-star establishments"

created antagonism with visitors.

"If

you raise expectations and you

don' t deliver, people get really an- noyed."

Ms Best said most training courses

-In brief-

QUT photographer

Ms Suzanne Burow

is

staging an exhibition of

her

images from Expo'92 in Seville at the Carseldine

Gallery

from 9-13 No- vember. Ms Burow said the exhibi- tion would highlight a series of peo- ple shots, architectural and abstract images - all reflecting a typically Spanish theme.

She

said many images captured Se-

ville's scorching summer afternoon sunshine. All

images

will be avail- able for sale during the exhibition.

0 0 0

The last week in October is QUT Child Care Awareness Week, with ac- tivities planned for all four Brisbane campuses.

Organisers have asked staff and stu- dents to bring their children to campus to help raise awareness about the need for increased child care services at QUT. They also want parents to show their support for child care by display- ing children's art and photo displays in work areas, raising child care issues as they affect work and study at the uni- versity and wearing a Child Care Awareness badge (available at student information centres).

Barbecues and a range of entertain- ment for the kids

are

also planned. Cam- pus events: Kedron Park (Monday, 26

October,

noon-2pm), Kelvin Grove (Tuesday, 27 October, 10.30am-2pm),

Carseldine

(Wednesday, 28

October, noon-2pm), Gardens Point (Thursday,

29 October, 10.30am-2pm).

... ... ... ... .

'

... . ..

, "'. ,.

expert

Ms Diana Best

taught a high level of personal service that was not appropriate for some ho- tels and resorts.

She said the tourism industry should build local training schemes to suit Australian staff and drop American- style programs that incorporated an American culture.

Training programs worked when employers asked staff to pinpoint prob- lem areas and suggest areas of im- provement, she said.

"Empower the frontline staff. Ask

them to work it out. Let them have ultimate latitude as to how to please the customer.

"It's the frontline where customers get their first impressions."

Ms Best, who is doing her PhD on the characteristics and determinants of personal

service, said service

was an important area of research which had been neglected in Australia and over-

seas.

She said it was a myth that Austral- ians were bad service providors.

"This myth has arisen from anecdo- tal evidence. Despite all the hype very little true research has been done and we are not able to make international comparisons.

"Australians can do it - but we've got to get it right."

Campus quickies

If

Kieran O' Brien (Head of Inter- national Relations) tells you he's been overseas sliding down airport slippery slides -believe him! While on a Paki- stan International Airlines flight to Lahore airport recently, our fearless overseas representative was forced to make a hurried exit down an emer- gency aircraft shute after a bomb scare was raised. What started as a routine half-hour flight from the Pakistan capi- tal, Islamabad, to Lahore turned into a five-hour saga waiting at the airport until the aU-clear was fina11y given.

Thankfully, the report that 300kg of high explosives was on board turned out to be a hoax ... and Kieran eventu- ally made his afternoon seminar ap- pointment in Lahore. Kieran returned to QUT earlier this month after the business tour and a holiday to Ireland brandishing a copy of

The Nation

Eng- lish-language Lahore daily newspaper as proof of his airport adventures.

0 0 0

QUT

has a policy which encour- ages a gender balance on staff selec- tion panels. However, one head of school was not sure the guidelines in the university's manual of proce- dures made the position totally clear:

"Where persons of one gender con- stitute more than two-thirds of the membership of a proposed selection panel, the Equity Coordinator's con- currence must be obtained."

• • I o • o o o f # I # I l , , , , , - · ,

....__~---=--T~aching development initiatives

Law · faculty review ^{Ta~eaway items}

P romises 'new look' ^on lnf~technology

materials menu

QUT' s Law Faculty is confident of achieving its ambition to be the best at teaching in Australia with a major overhaul of its curriculum and teaching and learning methods un-

der way.

;::

Law Dean, Professor Davi d Gardiner, says the "new look" fac ul ty will be ready for students by the begin- ning of 1994.

While the curriculum review has been in progress for some time a total overhaul has been made possible by Professor Gardiner's winning one of four large grants under QUT's fi rst teachin g

·

and development grants scheme.

The $54 000 grant will allow em- ployment of a full-time education con- sultant to continue an appraisal ofteach- ing and learning objectives and meth- ods which has already begun within the faculty.

Combined with the curriculum re- view the new model for teaching and learning would provide the school with an opportunity for change usually avail- able only to a newly establishing school, or on a piecemeal subject-to-subject basis, said Professor Gardiner.

He said although the system was being given a complete overhaul QUT was well regarded already.

"Our reputation has been objectively audited in a number of places includ- ing the 1987 Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission review of all law schools in Australia," he said.

"The other independent ratings came from the Good Universities Guide and more recently we were one of the two faculties that went through the first of

David Gardiner

two QUT quinquennial reviews.

'This confirmed our strong national reputation for our undergraduate courses, teaching and employability."

A significant finding from the quin- quennial review was that students them- selves wanted more responsibility for their own learning rather than feeling they " were in Grade 13" .

Professor Gardiner said the faculty started looking at its teaching and learn- ing to move away from the old concept that lecturers imparted knowledge and students learned.

'There has been a bit of a move over the past couple of years to Socratic lec- tures, engaging in dialogue with stu- dents," he said.

"However, they fall short of what became the biggest innovation in law teaching this century, the introduction at Harvard Law School in the United

States of the Harvard Casebook method, made famous in book and movie,

The Paper Chase."

Under this method, explained Pro- fessor Gardiner, the class was expected to read in advance then engage in a much more intense dialogue about the case using question-and-answer and discussion techniques.

"We believe we can achieve more with methods such as student-centred self- paced learning so they can progress at their own pace," he said.

•

Professor Gardiner said research clearly indicated the advantages of a move from "additive" to "interactive"

phases of learning. The new model would seek to increase staff awareness of the dynamic relationship between teaching methods, student learning and learning outcomes.

"We'll be exploring a variety of dif- ferent assessment methods and utilis- ing new technology, such as computer- based education (CBE)," he said.

A benefit of such technology would be improved feedback techniques to show where weaknesses lay "because the reality is we can't always give as much individual feedback as we would

lik,

e .

Other assessment changes might in- clude a move to open-book examina- tions. The review would also give stu- dents more choice. Orientation Week would come under the microscope with the whole faculty helping new students understand what was involved

in

study- ing the law. An intensive two-week in- duction program would probably re- place the superficial induction provided in orientation.

First came takeaway foods. Now the latest addition to our t im e-is- money conscious society is takeaway computer courseware.

As a reci pient of one of QUT's first teaching and learning deve lop- ment grants Information Systems lectur

er, Ms Sylvia Willie,

is seek- ing user -fri endly computer access for students to lecture notes and other teaching materials.

The $50 000 grant will be used to create the initial stage of a multi- platform database of teaching and learning materials, including takea- way computer courseware, in ma- chine-readable form. Associated delivery systems will also be devel- oped.

Ms Willie said the widespread ownership of personal computers made the development of portable study materials a desirable option in an environment where time was a major consideration.

Research had also shown that ma- terials which could be

used at home

as well as at university had advan- tages for the student.

"The integration of takeaway

computer courseware with the In- formation Tehcnology Faculty's computer-managed learning initia- tives expands the student's options as well as promoting exploratory learning," said Ms Willie.

The project has two facets. The first involves finding ways to store materials electronically, such as uni- versity examination papers. The sec- ond will develop ways to store the

information centrally so that it can be accessed across different compu- ter types.

" In the ITE building alone we have a number of different kinds of computer s," explained Ms Willie.

"We have the IBM PC ty pes, Unix machines and on campus we have the VAX mainf ram e. Each of these has a differ ent way of storing that material."

Ms Willie said the examination paper project, being carried out in

conjunction with the librar

y, was very relevant to the same prob- lem.

"At the moment the papers can be scanned by the image informa- tion but each page takes a lot of disk space," explained Ms Willie.

"We are looking to convert the scanned image in a more compact way by converting words to smaller storage sizes.

"H

we can find a solution we will be able to save both shelf and disk space for collections such as the ex- amination papers."

Ms Willie said this was relevant to the whole project because

if,

for example, hand-written lecture notes could be scanned and translated into character form they could be made much more compact.

Ms Willie hopes that before too long a student will be able to tap into any of the university networks

at any campus to access a variety of

study materials and to be able to download that material for off-cam- pus use.

fllJ'I, II()()JiSJJ()I, Solar power ald. s

carpark security

Amstrad Notepad Computer

* Word Processor

* Address Book I Calculator Calendar I Diary I Alarm

* 80 Character 8 Unes LCD Display 64 Kb User Memorey

Only$ 399.00

LaserMate Internal CD-ROM Drive

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Staff & Students ... ^~ 575.00

Ql ¹ T Bookshop Cotnputer & Software Phone Stuart or Alex on 07 86..t 2..t02

·.pa:ge' 4

r

lNSID~ QUT;

'27

·Oeto'bef .:..,

16: Nolietnt:>e t

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Solar-powered lights in- stalled in the Gardens Point carpark are not only solving a security problem, but are set to assist r esearch in en-

ergy-saving technology.

The first light was installed last month in a prev iously poorly-lit area of the carpark in a joint pro ject between QUT, SEQEB and Brisbane City Council. Two more solar lights will be installed this month.

The light already installed is controlled by a mi cro-proces- sor, the first of its kind to be installed in Australia.

Manufactured by Sunstruck in Brisbane, the heritage-style light is monitored by the mi- cro-processor lodged in the light pole.

It

turns the lights on at dusk and off at dawn by monitoring broad spectrum ultra- violet light.

It

therefore automatically adjusts to seasonal sunset/sun - rise time differences.

The mi cro-processor also keeps a check on battery volt- age and temperature to prevent battery damage.

The four 24 amp/hour bat- teries installed at the base of the pole will store solar energy to compensate for three days' continuous rain.

Electrical and Electronic System s Engineering lecturer Dr Kame Khouzam said QUT students would monitor the lights during a 12-month period to test the effectiveness of the micro-processor and the differ- ent bulbs in the other two light J it!i!lgS

;·. ·. ·. , . . .. '.

Dr Kame Khouzan. (Photo: Suzanne Burow)

"Analysis of results must be made to predict the long-term performance of the overall sys- tem," Dr Khouzam said.

He said the testing arrange- ment was initiated with gradu- ate Mr Grayden Johnson, who now works in the research and deve lopme nt section of SEQEB.

Mr Johnson, who is a lso studying his masters degree at QUT,

sai~ ~he.

micro-proces-

sor control function was ex- pected to boost cost-effective- ness and reliability through bet- ter battery maintenance.

He said the installation of the solar lights was a low-cost, sim- ple operation whi ch avoided the usual cable-layi ng excavation involved in conventional light- ing. The project is worth

$12 000. SEQEB is co ntribut-

ing $8000, while BCC is pro-

viding a further $4000.

Improving primary products ~ lFaCHities audit

• From page 1

A vibrational spectroscopy sys- tem purchased by the School of Chemistry with the help of a

$160 000 Australian Re

searc

h Council large equipment grant is being used in research to make wool more cons umer-friendly.

The school has won a $33 000 grant from the Wool Research and Development Corporation to look

at the

way the chemical structure of wool changes during processing.

A further grant of $35 000 is expected next year to allow re- search to continue.

Senior lecturer Dr Peter

Fredericks described the vibra- tional spectroscopy system, which probe s the vibrations of bonds in the molecule s to reveal their chemical composition, as

"the

best in the country".

"We hope to be able to get a lot more

information about

t he structure of wool usi ng the sys- tem," he said.

Dr Fredericks said the surface of wool fibre was a series of little scales.

"W hile nothing can beat pure wool for warmth and durability it's a fibre with many problems,"

he said.

"A lot of surface modification has to take place to improve the marketing properties of wool."

Dr Fredericks said the scales on wool caused shrinking. Once the fibre contracted under cer- tain conditions, such as washing in hot water, the scales locked together.

Wool was attractive to moths because it was composed of pro- tein. Cotton on the other hand was made of cellulose.

Dr Peter Fredricks

To achieve marketable quali-

ties in wool such as shrink-proof- ing, moth-proofing, and even col-

ouring, varying degrees of chemi- cal processing had to take place.

chemical structure the more

ef-

fectively the improvements can be made," he said.

"The more we know about the

QUT signs space contract

Scientists at QUT have joined a national initiative to put Aus- tralia on the international space industry map.

QUT Vice-Chancellor Pro- fessor Dennis Gibson signed a contract in October with the Australian Space Office to es- tablish the Space Industry De- velopment Centre for Satellite Navigation at QUT. Research conducted at the centre will help Australia develop space prod- ucts and services which can compete for opportunities in the growing space industry fie ld.

The QUT centre is one of two which have been established in Queensland and another in South Australia which work as partnerships between universi- ties, industry and government.

The Gardens Point centre is a collaboration between QUT, the University of New South Wales,

the Defence, Science and Tech- nology Organisation and the CSIRO's Divisio n of Radiophysics, together with the Canberra-base space and de- fence communications com- pany, Au space Pty Ltd as the industry parti cipant. Its key role will be to develop ad- vanced Australian satellite navigation and positioning sys- tems.

The directors of the centre are Professor Miles Moody, Head of the. School of Electri- cal and Electronic Systems En- gineering and Professor Kurt Kubik, Head of the School of Surveying.

Global Positioning Systems use signals from constellations of Earth-orbiting satellites to calculate position on or above the Earth's surfaces.

They have many uses, in-

Oyster alert

eluding the monitoring of ve- hicular movements (cars, trucks , boats and aircraft), navigation, geological survey- ing, environmental monitoring and the collection of data for map making.

The advantages ofGPS tech- nology lie in its global appli- cability, all-weather availabil- ity, 24-hour a day access and nil cost to the user. Competi- tion for the SIDC partnerships was high with the centres be- ing chosen from 30 submis- sions (23 first-round and seven second-round applications).

The Federal Government will provide $500 000 annu- ally in funding for each SIDC, with equal commitment from industry partners. The Austral- ian Space Office will provide

$25 000 annually for adminis- trative and marketing costs.

Oyster lovers who fossick for their own fresh supplies along Queens- land beaches are warned to be wary of seasonal marine algae which could turn their catch into a toxic mouthful.

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Associate lecturer in biochemistry Dr

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"There is evidence to suggest that the algae may be linked with ciguatera fish poisoning, although confirmation of this awaits more analysis of the algal toxin chemical structure," Dr Hahn said.

He warned that oyster eaters would be wise to avoid fossicking for their fa- vourite morsels while such algae blooms were evident off the coast.

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reveals $16m repair backlog

The first audit of all QUT build- ings and facilities has uncovered a deferred maintenance bill of $16 million.

Operations Manager (Facilities) Mr Brian Fenn said althoug h the mainte- nance backlog was itself a serious chal- lenge, the university needed to pour extra funds into ongoing an nual main- tenance allocations as a first priority.

Without prompt action to address routine preventative and corrective maintenance, the deferred backlog would spiral to an even more unman- ageable level, he said.

An electrical engineer and former assistant operations director at the Uni- versity of Queensland, Mr Fenn con- ducted the audit last semester as one of his first tasks since joining QUT in January.

The audit has been a major post- amalgamation initiative of the Depart- ment of Finance and Facilities.

It

now stands as a strategic document which will drive the development of a much- needed maintenance management policy across the entire university.

Mr Fenn said a major recommenda- tion was to fund the university 's on- going maintenance operation at an in- ternationally accepted level of I .2 to 1.5 percent of current replacement value (CRY) of university facilities.

"Based on the university's $260 mil- lion worth of building and infrastruc- ture assets, 1.2 percent of CRY repre- sents about $3.2 million," Mr Fenn said.

The increase in funding of$1.2 mil- lion a year was recommended to be phased in at $400 000 increments over the next three years, he said.

"At $2 million a year we could over-

come the problem by the turn of the century."

But he said the $16 million backlog bill would only bring buildings up to their original condition and not address

"functionality" issues.

Campus by campus, Gardens Point has a backlog bill of $8.6 million, Kelvin Grove $4.2 million, Kedron Park $2.4 million, and Carseldine

$0.9 million.

Major problems exist with window systems ($1

.9 million), external walls/

painting ($1.6 million), internal walls/

painting ($ 1 .3 million), air-condition- ing ($1

.3 million), roofs ($1.3 million),

floor finishes ($1

.

1 million), electric light and power ($1 million) and fire protection ($0.5 million).

Q Block at Gardens Point alone has a deferred bill of $1 million, while most window fittings at Kedron Park are considered beyond economical repair.

Mr Fenn said the auditing process uncovered "quite unbelievable" dete- rioration in some buildings.

He said leaking roofs had become such a way of life for staff in some buildings that buckets were kept handy in cupboards in case of rain.

Other examples included growths of stalagmites and stalactites within buildings.

He said that although only $500 000 was required to address fire protec- tion problems, it represented one of the more serious and urgent mainte- nance issues.

The Operations Section is also draft- ing a set of university-wide design and maintenance standards.

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What is Convocation, how does it work and who is involved?

It is a body defined in the univer- sity's Act aimed at representing the interests of QUT graduates and pro- viding an avenue for· graduates to contribute back to QUT.

The Act provides a wide agenda of activity - in fact, to make recom- mendations to QUT Council on "any matter relating to the university".

Those involved seek to ensure that courses and programs at QUT main- tain a high standard and that cur- riculum is relevant to industry, pro- fessions and the community in gen- eral.

Convocation elects two members to QUT Council, the chief decision- making body of the university.

Warden and QUT Council Convocation Warden is Mr Paul McGahan, Warehouse and Distribu- tion Manager of Castlemain Perkins Ltd. (Telephone: (07) 361 7586).

(See story on page 7)

He is also a Convocation repre- sentative on QUT Council, along with Ms Merline Muldoon, princi- pal of the Royal Children's Hospi- tal State Special School and graduate of Kelvin Grove campus (Telephone: (07) 253 7457).

Committee

The Convocation Standing Com- mittee meets every six weeks and is chaired by the warden

.

It includes QUT Council repre- sentative Ms Muldoon and five elected Convocation members. They are Leonie Hayes (also on Educa- tion Faculty Academic Board), Neil Baker

(Science

Academic Board), Malcolm Cathcart

(management

consultant), Cyril Morgan

(retired

engineer) and June Dunleavy (QUT marketing lecturer).

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson is an ex officio mem- ber. QUT Development Office man- ager Mr Rodney Miller is

a

non-

voting member. Foundation Alumni

representative is Ms Sally Pitkin.

Committee secretary

is Mr Dick White, of QUT Secretariat.

Telephone (07) 864 1785.

Faculty Academic Boards A Convocation member also sits on each of the eight university fac- ulty academic boards to advise on course/subject reviews and academic matters. The representatives are:

• Suzanne Parker (Arts) - Corpo- rate Media Adviser, Australian Taxation Office. A 1989 Graduate of BCAE Kelvin Grove in Visual Arts. (07) 222 5147.

• Leonie Hayes (Education)- Jam- boree Heights State School teacher.

Graduate of BCAE Mt Gravatt with Diploma of Reading. President of Education Alumni. (07) 376 5551.

• Neil Baker (Science)- Consult- ant with Hines Management Con- sultants and 1982 graduate in Medi- cal Laboratory Science. (07) 832 2788.

• James McCrea (Law)- Partner of McCrea and Jones Solicitors.

1981 law graduate and president of Law Alumni. (07) 236 1255.

• Peter Hall (Business) - Esanda Finance district manager. 1979 Graduate of Business (Manage- ment). (07) 228 3562.

• Sonja Chandler (Health) - Oc- cupational Health and Safety Ad- viser for the Metal Trades Industry.

Member of the Brisbane South Re- gional Planning Authority. Twice graduate of QUT -Diploma of Ap- plied Science (Community Nursing) 1984 and Bachelor of Business Communication 1986

.

(07) 831 2305.

• Robin King-Cullen (Built Envi- ronment and Engineering) -Brisbane City Council Principal Town Plan- ner. 1982 graduate of Urban andRe- gional Planning. (07) 225 4235.

• Philip Roberts (Information Technology) - Department of Fam- ily Services and Aboriginal Affairs library manager. 1977 Graduate Di- ploma in Library Services. (07) 224 6Q75.

·y

Graduate- feature - Convocation

Broadening · your horizons

G raduates should take ad van tage of continued contact with the university to broaden their professional and per- sonal development, according to QUT Council member Dr Cherrell Hirst.

Dr Hirst, medical director of the Wesley Hospital Breast Clinic, is an intriguing example of an experi- enced professional who makes an enormous contribution to QUT ...

but who is not a graduate herself.

Her first link with the university was forged when she became a state government appointee to QUT Council in June 1990.

She has since embraced a range of involvements which not only draw on her extensive medical experience but also her keen commitment and interest in education generally.

Describing her honorary position at QUT as a "positive privilege and responsibility", Dr Hirst says she derives a great sense of satisfaction and enrichment having contact with highly-motivated staff, not only within the health/medical field, but in a wide range of discipline areas.

Dr Hirst's role involves being a member of the Planning and Re- sources Committee, a powerful group which makes important fund- ing and resource recommendations to Council.

Dr Cherrel Hirst

at all levels."

Dr Hirst is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

She says her QUT involvement has continued to provide a broad and thereby valuable non-medical perspective on life and the general community.

"In any medical area, and prob- ably in most professional areas, as yo· u go through your career struc- ture there's a tendency to become more and more focused and more narrow.

"I think for graduates who are

tending to start down that narrow- ing pathway, to be associated with the university does bring a diversity of experience and widens profes- sional interest."

Dr Hirst says the QUT link has also given her new insights into man- agement practice and research av- enues which directly apply to her work at the Wesley.

A working parent with three teen- age children, Dr Hirst says her in- volvement has also impacted posi- tively on her family life.

"So often people, particularly women, limit themselves in what they try to do. My philosophy is 'get involved id all you can and enjoy doing it'."

Since graduating from the Uni- versity of Queensland medical school in 1969, Dr Hirst has worked in general practice in Brisbane and also in London and Toronto.

She is also a member of the com- mittee's review panel for action planning and chairs a new short- term expenditure review committee which expects to be highly active during the next three to six months.

As acting Deputy Chancellor from December 1990 to May 1991, Dr Hirst conferred certificates to hun- dreds of graduates in the April1991 ceremonies, including QUT's first doctorate.

Health Faculty. As a Council mem- ber she is also automatically a Con- vocation member.

council, Dr Hirst had obtained a bachelor degree in educational stud- ies.

She became medical director of the Wesley Hospital Breast Clinic eight years ago and has developed a clinic deeply committed to patient- centred service and education.

Although she says the QUT Coun- cil appointment came as a surprise, Dr Hirst says she was delighted to take it on as it seemed an ideal way to extend her already keen interest in education.

"I did that degree because I

am

very interested in the role of educa- tion in medical practice," Dr Hirst said.

"So here we are not just provid- ing a medical service.

It

is our inten- tion that each woman who attends goes away with a better understand- ing of her breast problems and breast changes generally."

She has also served on various se- lection panels for senior appoint-

ments, particularly within the Just prior to her appointment to

"But through that degree, I have become much more interested in the process of education in institutions

lnvolvement ~ sparks

benefits both · ways

Science graduate

Mr

Neil Baker says in- volvement in Convo- cation is definitely a two-way street.

A consultant for Hines Management Consultancy in Bris- bane, Mr Baker gradu- ated from QUT with a degree in Medical Laboratory Science in 1982. He is now Con- vocation representa- tive on the Science Faculty Academic Board.

He says that while he feels his involve-

ment makes a positive . contribution to the uni-

Mr Net/ Baker

versity, be firmly be-

lieves he reaps benefits as well.

"When you finish your de- gree, your education doesn't end there," Mr Baker says.

"By being a part of the in- stitution, I am learning a lot about the functioning of a large organisation.

"I am able to contribute by giving my opinions and ideas, but at the same time, I am able to mix with like-minded people, and if I'm perfectly honest, people who one day might help me.

"That's certainly not the reason I got involved. it wasn't until later that I started to realise somr of the

spin-

offs."

Mr Baker's involvement in

Convocation was act'ually sparked by a concern over the fate of medical laboratory sci- ence as a result of amalgama- tion and faculty restructuring.

He said he attended his first annual general meeting of Convocation to voice his con- cerns over the move of medi- callaboratory science from the Health Faculty into the School of Life Science in the Science Faculty.

He signed up as an active Convocation member that night.

"I obviously saw

then that

there was a role for people like me external to the university to make a contribution."

Mr Baker says graduates now working in the "real

world" have

'a vital role

simply by being exter- nal to the university.

"I think the mere fact that there is someone from outside contribut- ing adds something to the university ... the fact that it's not purely an internal operation."

Mr Baker first worked in Marybor- ough Base Hospital as a laboratory scientist for three years, and then joined the Queensland Medical Laboratory on the Sunshine Coast.

Some years later he returned to Brisbane to work at the Royal Women's Hospital in the Haematology Department.

While on the north coast, he studied a business degree in human resource manage- ment externally, and merged his science and business inter- ests two years ago as a con- sultant.

"I tend to specialise in the medical and science field. I recruit a lot of health care peo- ple, like people with nursing backgrounds, and science graduates who want to get into a sales career with various companies."

He

said

he felt he could make a specific contribution at QUT raising awareness in sci- entists to be more business- minded and better communi- cators.

Teachers urged to . maintain link

A teacher at Jamboree Heights State High School, Ms Leonie Hayes says university status has brought a new avenue of involvement for teaching graduates through Convocation and Alumni.

She says this opportunity, and indeed the benefits of contin- ued graduate contact, still needed to be encouraged two years down the track since amalgamation.

"Because Alumni

and Convocation are university terms, this kind of involvement is probably quite foreign for educa- tion graduates from the training colleges," Ms Hayes.

"But in the light of the training they have had, teachers can contribute in so many ways and they have a lot to offer gradu- ates under the new system (of teacher education)," Ms Hayes said.

She says education graduates have an important contribu- tion to make simply because a "university is education per se".

"We in Education are responsible for upholding the

stand-

ards of education," Ms Hayes explained.

"The Faculty of Education reaches across a very broad span were we start influencing students

from pre-school on.

"The impact and the success of all other discipline areas at university level really depends on how well our teachers are trained."

Ms Hayes, who began her teaching career in New Zealand in the 1960s, joined QUT Convocation when it was created in 1989 just after completing a Graduate Diploma in Reading through BCAE in 1987.

She said it carne as an ideal opportunity to contribute to on- going teacher education.

She has since become Convocation member on the Educa- tion Faculty Academic Board and member of the Convocation Standing Committee. She is also a nominee for the next Coun- cil election.

Ms Hayes encourages teachers to consider playing a more active role contributing back to QUT, the state's largest teacher training institution.

She says the more influence educationalists out in the field can have back in QUT, the more excellent teacher training will be upheld.

Short courses

QUT will conduct more than 100 professional updat- ing and short courses

from

December 1992

to

Marcb 1993. For a brochure telephone (07) 864 2915.

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