Seeking input to improve support from SIS for academic competencies and digital capabilities

15 Dec 2021

The panel will be meeting on 27-28 January 2022, and your input is requested!

The Australian National University (ANU) has a strong commitment to activities that ensure a world-class education experience for students.

Support services are provided across the University, including through the Scholarly Information Services (SIS) Division. These services were enhanced when ANU Academic Skills joined SIS in January 2021. Academic Skills and the ANU Library’s Digital Literacy Team have now formed a strong team supporting students in the acquisition of knowledge, digital, research and academic capabilities to support a high-quality educational experience.

Given this merger, it is timely to conduct a strategic review of the services provided by the Division for students around academic competencies. It is also opportune given changes in education; the new Academic Integrity rule; and the fast-evolving pace of pedagogical change in the higher education sector.

A panel has been appointed to undertake this strategic review, and provide advice on the future direction of these services. The ANU Strategic Plan, Education Plan, ANU Employability Framework, Graduate Attributes and Digital Masterplan are key elements of the review.

The panel will be meeting on 27-28 January 2022, and your input is requested!

Who can contribute to this review?

The panel would be delighted to hear from students and the academic community, in order to understand the University’s needs at this time.

How do I make a submission?

You can make a submission online or in-person at the focus group sessions.

To submit online, please send your input to Megan Easton by Wednesday 12 January. If you would like to be part of a focus group and meet the panel, please contact Margaret Prescott.

What should submissions look like?

Written submissions need only be a page or two in length and can address any part of the Terms of Reference (see below) or the following questions:

  1. What have been the changes in students’ needs for support over the past two years? (E.g. online delivery, research data needs, new capabilities and changes to academic integrity rules).
  2. What do you think the priorities should be for developing student capabilities for 2022-25 to align with ANU Strategic Plan?
  3. How do you think the program should evolve to meet the graduate attributes?
  4. What should the measurements of success/KPIs be?

Who is on the Panel?

  • Professor Sally Kift – President, Australian Learning & Teaching Fellows; Visiting Professorial Fellow, National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education; Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, Victoria University; and Adjunct Professor: JCU, QUT, La Trobe University
  • Prof Annemaree Lloyd – Professor of Information Science, Department of Information Studies, University College, London (UCL); visiting Professor in the School of Computing and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Scotland
  • Michael Gonzales – University Librarian, University of Technology Sydney.

Terms of Reference

  • Evaluate the current performance of Scholarly Information Services in providing research and educational support services to develop academic capabilities of students, including academic integrity, assessment writing skills, information skills and digital literacies.
  • Review the changing needs of the university in this area, including the need for digital delivery and meeting the needs of a diverse academic and student community.
  • Consider the international trends and best practice in this area.
  • Identify recommendations to improve performance.
  • Provide advice on the future strategic direction of these services, including education priorities, program direction and resourcing, noting developments within the University, relevant academic disciplines, wider industries and professions and the broader community.