PP324494/0062
The Australasian
Victoria University of Wellington University of Western Sydney University of Tasmania University of Otago St Marks College Macquarie University CQ University Australian National University University of Sydney University of Newcastle University of Adelaide NMIT, Nelson, New Zealand Griffith Emmanuel College Flinders University University of Ballarat College House Christchurch University of New England Australian Catholic University Victoria ersity ACUHO The of Western Australia University of Sout AA ustralasia’s pre mier student housin g Gordon Otago University College J association Dunmore Lang College Waikato Uni Charles Sturt University University of South Australia University of New South Wales AACUHO International House Darwin Massey University, Wellington supporting global Lincoln College Edith Cowan University Central Queensland communities University Campion College Auckland University of Technology University of Technology Sydney University of Queensland Swinburne University of Wollongong Monash University James Cook University Deakin University University Of Wollongong Charles Darwin University University Of Auckland Massey University, Aquinas College Palmerston North La Trobe University Curtin University of VOLUME 7 N 2 University of Technology Sydney Trinity College o.
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Melbourne Office Neil Muir Ph: (03) 9758 1433 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: neil@adbourne.com
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Adelaide Office Robert Spowart Ph: 0488 390 039 Email: robert@adbourne.com Production Sonya Murphy Tel: (03) 9758 1436 Email: production@adbourne.com
Marketing Tania Lamanna Tel: (03) 9500 0285 Email: tlamanna@bigpond.net.au
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Checking into UTS Housing Community
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Deakin Borneo Trip
Kokoda
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ACUHOi Experience
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is published by Adbourne Publishing in conjunction with AACUHO, the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers Inc., and UCA, University Colleges Australia.
The Cart Before The Horse in Leadership Development
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The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
UCA National Conference Details Conference 2013 Adelaide
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Front cover: Photos from University of Ballarat Residents’ Kokoda Trip, the Global Highway Event University of Wollongong and Deakin University Residents Volunteer program in Borneo
Message from the President of University Colleges Australia
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Administration Robyn Fantin Tel: (03) 9758 1431 Email: admin@adbourne.com
Message from the President of AACUHO
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Formalising Your Head Resident Training Program Wellness Contract There Never Was a Cap On The Potential Of Your RA Global Highway Cultural Diversity Minimising the operational cost and environmental impact of Student Accommodation Laundry How to kill Bed Bugs without chemicals – Steam
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Murdoch University Village Reaches out to all
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Product News
DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication. Adbourne Publishing and The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal reserve the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication.
AACUHO
All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers, or the publisher.
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Message from the President of AACUHO A very warm welcome to this 2012 spring edition of the Student Residences Management Journal. The most recurring theme in terms of feedback we receive from our membership is that you would like to feel more connected to peers within the profession, as it is only these colleagues who truly understand the work you do and just what it takes to create vibrant, engaged and purposeful Student Residential Communities. A great spirit of collegiality, collaboration and contribution exists across the profession with AACUHO very much at the centre of this conversation. AACUHO members continue to contribute to the SRMJ and this edition is no exception. Thank you to Edwina Ellicott, Tom Mitchell, James Kelly, Andrew Renfree, Amit Mitra, Nick Merrett, Melissa Suckley, Kasia Quail, Matthew Cane, Joanne McRae and Philip Dutton for their editorial content which makes for very interesting reading. I trust you will find the articles both insightful and helpful and perhaps lead to the generation of new ideas, initiatives and activity that can be shared with others. This year with lifting of caps on Australian University places, a new Higher Education Landscape has emerged. Tertiary institutions across the country continue to face significant challenges in an ever changing political and economic landscape. As a direct result our Colleges, Halls and Residences are impacted too, in ways which may challenge, reward or confound us. How will we respond as a profession? One thing that is for certain – respond we must. I am pleased to report that AACUHO continues to work collaboratively with a number of partners on projects and initiative’s that will benefit the profession and I look forward to sharing detail with our membership as we continue to make progress. Join us in Adelaide in 2013 from 10 -12th April for the AACUHO annual conference (details on page 11). An international study tour will precede the conference and will take in a number of universities, colleges and residences across Victoria and South Australia. Visit the AACUHO website for regular updates www.aacuho.edu.au Are you a current AACUHO member? If not then I encourage you to join today and start connecting with your association. I wish you and your team all the best for the remainder of 2012.
All the best, Colin Marshall AACUHO President Director Campus Life University of Ballarat
AACUHO The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
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Message from the President of University Colleges Australia On behalf of the Executive of University Colleges Australia, I am delighted to I welcome you to this edition of the Student Residences Management. Once again, University Colleges Australia is pleased to be associated with the journal and thanks the publishers for their ongoing support of colleges in Australia. This edition of the journal is published to coincide with the 2012 national conference of University Colleges Australia. For the first time in many years, the conference will be held in the national capital. In recent years, the Executive of University Colleges Australia has worked towards the advancement of four key objectives: advocacy, collegiality, leadership and communication. With this in mind, the Executive has met with colleagues around the country and has learned much about the unique factors at play on different university campuses and in different college communities. Through these meetings and conversations we have worked to enhance relationships between the Association and its members and to provide support for individual members. Our regular e-newsletter has also kept members informed about developments within higher education, residential communities and opportunities for professional development. An important strategy has been the survey conducted during 2012. The survey gathered data on members’ contractual arrangements. The results of the survey will soon be shared with members. It is the strong view of the Association, that a survey of this kind should be conducted on a regular basis. For the past twelve months members of the Executive of University Colleges Australia has been working with members of the Executive of AACUHO to develop a collaborative working relationship. While recognising that each of the two organisations has its own purpose and membership, we also recognise that there are some issues that are of mutual interest, relevance and concern. Together with Colin Marshall, President of AACUHO, I look forward to sharing the outcomes of our discussions with delegates at the conference in Canberra. It is with pleasure that I thank the Canberra organising committee for their work in putting together such an interesting conference program. I thank our sponsors for their support. And, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Canberra conference and to sharing the experience of ‘Expanding Minds and Horizons’, and to renewing professional friendships. Barbara Green President, University Colleges Australia
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE Expanding Minds and Horizons Living, Learning and Leadership in University Residences Hyatt Hotel Canberra 24–27 September 2012
From the Convenor In the leadership and management of our university residences we all seek to provide not only the best possible facilities and services for students and guests, but a range of opportunities for intellectual, social, cultural, sporting and, in many residences, spiritual engagement. From this comes the added value and reward of expanding minds and horizons!
Programme Outline (as at 24th August 2012)
Inspired by the discoveries of our Opening Dinner speaker, Professor Brian Schmidt FRS, 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, the UCA National Conference 2012 theme is ‘Expanding Minds and Horizons: Living, Learning and Leadership in University Residences’. The Canberra convening committee has put together a program that we hope will be stimulating, challenging and informative as we focus on areas such as trends in university enrolments, teaching and learning; risk and crisis management; the use and abuse of social media; the challenges of business and development; mental health and wellbeing; and the special needs and expectations of international and postgraduate students. Panel discussions and Q&A will follow a number of keynote presentations.
7.00
Of course, one of the great benefits of a conference such as this is the opportunity to gather with colleagues, to share experiences, and to renew or make friendships and professional connections. It is also an opportunity to meet again or for the first time with sponsors who are our partners in providing services to our residents. All this in the great atmosphere of the Hyatt Hotel and in Canberra’s wonderful 25th anniversary ‘Floriade’ season! There will be some excellent dinners, and receptions at the National Portrait Gallery and at Government House, Yarralumla.
Monday 24 September 2012 2.00pm + Registration at Hyatt Hotel 5.00
Bus to National Portrait Gallery (approx. 15 min walk from Hyatt)
5.15-7.30 Conference Welcome – National Portrait Gallery: Ms Louise Doyle, Director Bus to Hyatt (time might change – including perhaps for transport via Manuka/restaurants, and other transport arranged for later departures if required) Own arrangements for Dinner Tuesday 25 September 2012 8.00am+
Registration at Hyatt Hotel
9.00
Conference Opening – The Hon Sharon Bird MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills (Federal Member for Cunningham)
University developments, challenges and opportunities 9.30
Professor Glenn Withers AO – ANU Crawford School (former CEO, Universities Australia) Panel Reflection/Discussion (incl. Prof Bruce Chapman AM, designer of HECS)
10.30
Morning Tea
10.50
Sponsor
11.00
Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington – ANU DVC Academic
11.50
Dr Tiffany Donnelly, Vice-Principal, The Women’s College, Sydney University: The long-term benefits of mentoring: a pilot survey.
Panel Reflection/Discussion
I very much look forward to seeing you at our national conference in our national capital.
12.30pm
Lunch@Hyatt
1.50
Sponsor
Dr Ian Walker Head, Ursula Hall & Toad Hall, the Australian National University
Risk & Crisis Management 2.00 Mr Harry Rosenthal – Regis Unimutual (former Director of Risk Management UNSW)
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Risk & Crisis Management continued…
4.40
Buses to Government House, Yarralumla
2.00 cont. Ms Lisa Oldham – Education Division, McInnes Wilson Lawyers (legal, ethical/moral issues re cyber bullying etc.)
5.00
Governor-General’s Reception (*Attendees must have invitation)
6.00
Buses to Burgmann College ANU (via. Hyatt Hotel)
7.00
Dinner: Mr Peter Garrett AM, Federal Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth; alumnus of Burgmann College.
9.30
Buses to Hyatt Hotel
Panel Reflection/Discussion (incl. Commodore Bruce Kafer AM CSC, ADFA) 3.30
Afternoon Tea
3.50
Sponsor
4.00
Adjunct Prof Iyla Davies, Head, The Women’s College, University of Queensland: Steering a course through the college minefield using negotiation and conflict resolution techniques. Dr Bob Cope, The Women’s College, Sydney University: The use of program evaluation to improve the college experience and business. Free time
6.10
Pre-Dinner Drinks
Thursday 26 September 2012 8.50am
Sponsor/Notices
International Students 9.00
Buses to University House ANU
HE Mr Biren Nanda - High Commissioner of India to Australia
Pre-Dinner Drinks
Dr Helen Szoke – Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
7.00
Opening Dinner – Great Hall, University House ANU: Professor Brian Schmidt FRS, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 2011
Panel Reflection/Discussion (incl. Mr Jonathan Granger, ‘Granger Australia’; Dr Erik Lithander, PVC International & Outreach ANU)
9.30
Buses to Hyatt Hotel
Wednesday 26 September 2012 8.50am Sponsor/Notices Social Media, Connection and Community 9.00
10.30
Morning Tea
10.50
Sponsor
Postgraduate Students 11.00
Dr Andrew Leigh MP – Federal Member for Fraser
Panel Reflection/Discussion (incl. Dr Emma-Kate Potter, post doc student at ANU & Dean, Burgmann College Postgraduate Village; Mr Areti Metuamate, Deputy Head, Toad Hall ANU & Vice-President, Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations)
Mr Stephen Collins – Founder/CEO ‘Acidlabs’ Panel Reflection/Discussion 10.30
Morning Tea
10.50
Sponsor & Mr Jono Willis (‘Paper Monkey’)
Development & Outreach 11.10
Ms Judy Ford – Director of Development, University of Canberra
Professor Trevor Cairney OAM – Master, New College UNSW (incp. New College Postgraduate Village)
11.45
Panel Reflection/Discussion
Mr Luce Andrews, Director ANU Residential & Campus Communities: Griffin Hall – a non-residential Hall at the ANU Dr Jane Williamson, Principal, The Women’s College, Sydney University: Developing Student Leadership Profiles
11.45
Mr Andy Gourley – ‘Red Frogs’
11.55
Reports: NAAUC & AACUHO
12.30pm
Lunch@Hyatt
12.45pm
Lunch@Hyatt
1.50
Sponsor
2.00
UCA Annual General Meeting
2.00
Ms Susan Pascoe AM - Commissioner-elect, Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission
3.30
Afternoon Tea
5.10
Associate Professor Jane Burns – CEO, Young & Well Co-operative Research Centre, Melbourne
Buses to Burgmann College for (optional) Interdenominational Service
5.30
Panel Reflection/Discussion (incl. Ms Heather McLeod, Head ANU Counselling Centre; Mr Luce Andrews, Director ANU Residential & Campus Communities; Mr Bruno Aloisi, ACT Mental Health Services)
Inter-denominational Service (optional) Burgmann Chapel: Assoc Prof Scott Cowdell, School of Theology, Charles Sturt University
6.10
Buses to Bruce Hall ANU
Afternoon Tea
7.00
Closing Dinner: Speaker TBC
Free time
9.30
Buses to Hyatt Hotel
Mental Health and Wellbeing 2.30
3.30
Free time
The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
Pre-Dinner Drinks
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National Conference 2012 – Speakers, Presenters & Panelists HE Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO, Governor-General of Australia and previously Governor of Queensland and Principal of the Women’s College, University of Sydney. Her Excellency will host a Conference Reception at Government House, Yarralumla. Ms Louise Doyle is Director of the National Portrait Gallery and will speak at the Conference Welcome to be held at the Gallery. Louise is an alumnus of Wesley College, University of Sydney. The Hon Sharon Bird MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills, and Member for the Federal Seat of Cunningham (NSW), will officially open the Conference. Sharon is a former high school and TAFE teacher, and was a Senior Project Officer, Department of Juvenile Justice (NSW). She is a graduate of the University of Wollongong. Professor Glenn Withers AO, Professor of Public Policy in the Crawford School ANU, and foundation CEO of Universities Australia. He is a graduate of Monash and Harvard universities and has held numerous government and consultancy roles including in the areas of population and higher education policy. Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) ANU. Marnie was formerly Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching) at Monash University and has held academic positions in history at the University of Seattle and Macquarie University. She is a graduate of the University of Tasmania and was a Rhodes Scholar and member of Merton College, Oxford. She is a recipient of the Prime Minister’s Prize for University Teacher of the Year. Professor Bruce Chapman AM, Professor of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, and ‘author’ of HECS. Bruce is a former resident of Bruce Hall ANU and a PhD graduate of Yale University. He has been President of the Economics Society of Australia and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences of Australia. Mr Harry Rosenthal, Regis Unimutual General Manager, Risk Management Services, and former Director of the Risk Management Unit at UNSW. Harry is a past President of the Australasian Universities Risk and Insurance Management Society, and is a business graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology. Ms Lisa Oldham, Solicitor with McInnes Wilson Lawyers (Brisbane), who practices extensively in the area of education and the law. Lisa is a consultant to various school and university-based institutions, including St Leo’s College UQ.
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Commodore Bruce Kafer AM CSC, Commandant ADFA. Bruce Kafer has seen active service in the Persian Gulf; served four years as Hydrographer for Australia; and has been Chief, Combat Support Group for the Australian Navy. He assumed his role at ADFA in December 2009. Professor Brian Schmidt FRS, Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics ANU and winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics. Brian Schmidt commenced work at the ANU in 1995 and has since won prizes such as The Australian Academy of Sciences Pawsey Medal 2001 and the US Shaw Prize for Astronomy 2006. He was this year elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, London. Brian is also a successful wine-maker, with a vineyard on the outskirts of Canberra. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Federal Member for Fraser (ACT), and former Professor of Economics ANU. Andrew is a graduate of Sydney and Harvard universities, and has published books including Disconnected and Imagining Australia: Ideas for Our Future. He was elected to the Federal Parliament in 2010, and in 2011 was awarded the Economic Society of Australia’s Young Economist Award, given to ‘honour that Australian economist under the age of forty who is deemed to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge’. Mr Stephen Collins is founder and CEO of Acidlabs, a company providing consultancy in social media and communication. He is the Canberra organizer of TEDx, and founder of the Social Media Club Canberra. He has been described as one of the most prolific thinkers and doers in the social media space. Ms Susan Pascoe AM FACE, Commissioner-elect and Chair, Implementation Taskforce, Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). Susan Pascoe is a former CEO of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and Commissioner with the Victorian State Services Authority. She was Commissioner to the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission and Chair of the Australian National Commission to UNESCO. She was a member of the Senate of the Australian Catholic University and is a past President of the Australian College of Educators. Ms Judy Ford CFRE FFIA ADAPEF is Development Manager at the University of Canberra and was previously Manager, Individual Donor Programs, at the ANU and Philanthropy and Relational Marketing Manager at Anglicare Canberra & Goulburn. Judy is President of the Fundraising Institute of Australia (ACT). www.adbourne.com
The Hon Peter Garrett AM MP, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth and Federal Member for Kingsford Smith (NSW).
Associate Professor Jane Burns is CEO of the Young & Well Cooperative Research Centre, which is an international research institute led by the Inspire Foundation. Jane holds a VicHealth Principal Research Fellowship at ORYGEN Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne and an Honorary Fellowship at the Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney. In February this year she addressed the National Press Club, Canberra. HE Mr Biren Nanda, Indian High Commissioner to Australia. Prior to taking up his appointment to Australia in April this year, Mr Nanda was Indian Ambassador to Indonesia (2008-2012), Head of the Division for South East Asia and the Pacific (2004-2008), Deputy Chief of Mission in Tokyo (2000-2004) and Consul General, Shanghai (1996-2000).
Associate Professor Scott Cowdell, School of Theology, Charles Sturt University, and Canon Theologian, Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. Scott is a former Principal of St Barnabas’ Theological College, Adelaide; Rector of St Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka ACT; and a former Fellow of St Paul’s College, University of Sydney. He was a Resident Tutor at the Griffith University Housing Village. Other participants will include: Mr Luce Andrews, Director, Residential & Campus Communities ANU; Dr Dierdre Pearce, Project Manager, Student Enrichment Programs ANU; Dr Ashvin Parameswaran, Residential Life Manager, Unilodge ANU; Mr Bruno Aloisi, ACT Mental Health Services & former Senior Resident, Fenner Hall; Dr Emma-Kate Potter, Dean, Postgraduate Village, Burgmann College ANU; Mr Areti Metuamate, Vice-President, Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations & Deputy Head, Toad Hall ANU + Members/Guests Papers (to be noted on the Conference Program)
Dr Helen Szoke is Race Discrimination Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission, and was previously Commissioner with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. She is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Centre for International Mental Health, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne and in 2011 was awarded the Law Institute of Victoria Paul Baker Award for contribution to Human Rights. Dr Erik Lithander took up appointment in June this year as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International & Outreach) at ANU following positions as Director of International Affairs, University College Dublin, and Associate Director for International Relations, University of Auckland. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Cambridge University. Mr Jonathan Granger is Director/Founder of Granger Australia, a migration and education agency and is currently Vice-President of the NSW/ACT Branch of the Migration Institute of Australia. Professor Trevor Cairney OAM, Master & CEO, New College UNSW, which includes the New College Postgraduate Village. Trevor was previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research & Development), Dean of Education and Director of the Centre for Regional Research and Innovation at UWS. He was a Director from 1997 of the NSW State Chamber of Commerce and President 2001-2009, overseeing its formation into the NSW Business Chamber in 2007. The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
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2013 AACUHO CONFERENCE Be Brave, Be Bold, Be Amazing – Student Residential Communities Taking Centre Stage 10–12 April 2013 – Hilton Hotel, Adelaide
AACUHO
EDWINA ELLICOTT | AACUHO VICE PRESIDENT | UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG MELISSA SUCKLEY | AACUHO SECRETARY | FLINDERS UNIVERSITY
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arlier this year, AACUHO welcomed over 130 delegates from all over Australia and the world to its conference in Wollongong. The theme “The Caps Are Off, Changing Landscapes” captured the shift in the higher education and housing industry sector and the program featured many prominent local and international speakers. In 2013, AACUHO will continue to lead the way for the student housing industry by holding an annual conference that recognises how far our industry has come. Increasingly, other departments within our universities are recognising the value of student residential communities, and how we make a significant and positive impact to the student experience. Student Residential Communities have come of age and are providing a competitive edge to our institutions. It is time to take centre stage, and the theme “Be Brave, Be Bold, Be Amazing – Student Residential Communities taking Centre Stage” is already generating excitement from our Australian and International colleagues. The conference committee held its first meeting in August and the members are: ■ Edwina Ellicott, AACUHO, Vice President, Marketing and Occupancy Manager, Accommodation Services, University of Wollongong ■
Melissa Suckley, AACUHO Secretary, Associate Dean, Flinders Living, Flinders University
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Michael Braithwaite, AACUHO Treasurer, Aquinas College, South Australia
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Raphaela Oest, St Mark’s College, South Australia
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Alyson Emery, Accommodation Services, University of Adelaide
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Alice Chuah, Accommodation Services, University of Adelaide
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Marilyn Palmer-Firth, Lincoln College, South Australia
Diarise these dates now, 10–12 April 2013 and get ready for a contemporary, vibrant and informative conference in Adelaide next April. Plans are also underway for another study tour which will visit Victorian and South Australian student residential communities. Kasia Quail from Deakin University will be coordinating the tour which has already generated interest from the UK, USA, Asia and Australia. Dates and other details to be advised soon. For more information contact the AACUHO Executive Officer, execofficer@aacuho.edu.au
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AACUHO
Checking into the UTS Housing Community AMIT MITRA | AACUHO MEMBER | UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY
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ommencing its first year with a full house of over 1140 residents, UTS Housing has had an exciting first semester in 2012. As always, the social events within UTS Housing have garnered great support from all residents. The beginning of the year saw the ever popular Residents Dinner of 2012 which was held in the newly refurbished Great Hall of UTS with a theme of ‘Magnificent Monte Carlo’. Due to the expanded population of Housing this event was held over two nights catering for over 750 residents who were treated to an evening of fine food and wonderful entertainment from their more extroverted peers! The VC and DVC, and some deans and senior staff were present on both evenings to lend some pomp and ceremony to the proceedings, presenting awards to members of the Housing community.
The VC, Professor Ross Milbourne, and DVC Shirley Alexander with residents at the Residents Dinner of 2012
UTS Resident band at Dinner
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Residents’ DVC Sporting Cup Just over a month later the residents of UTS Housing gathered again for the annual DVC Residents Cup, the sporting event of the year. With all four residences represented in force it was evident from the start that the rivalry from the previous year between Gumal and Bulga had not been forgotten… From early on Saturday morning till late in the afternoon residents battled it out among a range of sports from badminton, chess, volleyball and even tug-o-war. The soccer finals were a very exciting and the invited guests, VC and DVC and other senior staff will testify to the fighting spirit of the competitors and spectators. At the end victory went to Gumal residence with a great second place showing for everyone’s favourite underdog, Geegal residence.
Upcoming With the beginning of another semester fast approaching UTS Housing is gearing up to cap these successes with a fantastic exhibition of culture and diversity during our Residents Carnival. Aiming to make this year’s bigger and better than ever before the staff at UTS Housing are pulling out all stops to put on an event that will be the envy of UTS!
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AACUHO
Deakin University Residential Volunteer Project KASIA QUAIL AND KERRY O’LEARY | AACUHO MEMBER | DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
On Thursday 21st June, 7 Deakin University Residential students from the Geelong Campus and two members of staff, Kerry O’Leary and Kasia Quail, set off on the volunteering trip of a lifetime.
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e began by spending 24 hrs. in the bustling capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, where we experienced the excitement of an oriental capital at its frantic best. This was also a great chance for the group to get to know one another before we set to work. From KL we flew across to the island of Borneo and settled into a couple of days of cultural immersion in the Sabah capital of Kota Kinabalu. We visited the museum, the Cultural Centre and the University, all of which gave us invaluable insights into the culture and people of Sabah. On the Tuesday it was time to travel to our village, Kampung Tiga where the students were to undertake their volunteer project. Kampung Tiga is approximately 3 hrs. by car inland from KK and is a small village of about 200 people, at the end of a winding road though the jungle.
All the students were eager to get to the village and begin their work. We were to lay a concrete slab floor and paint the inside and outside of the preschool. The students stayed in very rustic surroundings, sleeping on mattresses in the old church hall and bathing each day in the river. The village women cooked our meals and also showed the students how to collect the vegetables for the meals and how to cook the food. The weather was hot and the work was hard, but the students persevered and had a wonderful sense of achievement at the completion of the project. Many new friends were made, language barriers were overcome, and the students achieved things they never would have thought possible. The villagers for their part gained confidence in dealing with “foreigners” and enjoyed the interaction much more than they expected. We were delighted to learn that they would love to have us back!
Painting the Pre School
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Before we began the work www.adbourne.com
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Dancing with the villagers at our farewell dinner Before returning home we spent a couple of days relaxing, snorkelling, and visiting the renowned Orang-utans before flying home in time for the start of lectures. All in all, this has been a most successful venture, both for the students and for the village that we had the privilege of staying with. We plan to take another group again next year, and building on our success, it is our aim to spend more time with the children of the village, teaching them some English. At this early stage, we anticipate that the program will be an ongoing annual excursion, and that the opportunity to attend will be offered to residential students at all the Deakin University Campuses. Laying the concrete
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AACUHO
The cart before the horse in leadership development TOM MITCHELL | AACUHO MEMBER | TRINITY RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE, UWA.
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n this article is my intent to ask the question “are we getting it right?” when it comes to education in general but specifically education of our young people for life and for leadership. The following quote is from the book by Stephen Covey called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. (Covey, 1989) “I’ve set and met my career goals and I’m having tremendous professional success. But it’s cost me my personal and family life. I don’t know my wife and children any more. I’m not even sure I know myself and what is really important to me. I’ve had to ask myself – is it worth it?” I am sure that this is not a statement unfamiliar to you at least in some configuration. We all know highly intelligent people who are dysfunctional in their homes, relationships and oftentimes in their work environments. People who should be highly successful have not reached their potential oftentimes because they have lacked the personal and interpersonal skills that underpin success. Without wanting to sound cynical, especially as an ex-teacher, I question the simplistic focus of governments and the education system on literacy and numeracy. When rates of depression are reaching the point were it could well become the most serious noncommunicable disease within the next 20 years why are we not focusing on personal and interpersonal skills that would enhance the resilience of our young people as they face the myriad challenges of life.
You may well have come across the following text: “I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt”. As my young daughter would say, “I’m just asking the question!” Clearly as an educator I do believe that literacy is an important skill. I do believe that it needs to be an integral part of the curriculum. However, I also believe that giving it some sort of sacred status above life skills and competencies at the emotional and social level is an imbalance that needs to be redressed. I look at the academic and business credentials of some of the so-called leaders such as Tony Abbott and George W Bush and enjoy juxtaposing these credentials with the often ill-informed and inappropriate conduct of these same leaders. Their ability to empathise and to read the play is often so poor that it creates the material of great humour. Unfortunately, we have placed
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enormous confidence in such people and in the absence of credible alternatives, we will continue to do so. In contrast there are some amazing leaders in the world who were dismal failures in the school system but have developed the requisite competencies at the emotional and social level to be able to be champions in their field of endeavour. A glaring example would be Richard Branson’s Virgin success. He is an enigmatic entrepreneur and his worldwide business interests represent an incredible triumph. The following quote is by John Shepler: “Richard didn’t breeze through school. It wasn’t just a challenge for him, it was a nightmare. His dyslexia embarrassed him as he had to memorize and recite word for word in public. He was sure he did terribly on the standard IQ tests...these are tests that measure abilities where he is weak. In the end, it was the tests that failed. They totally missed his ability and passion for sports. They had no means to identify ambition, the fire inside that drives people to find a path to success that zigzags around the maze of standard doors that won’t open. They never identified the most important talent of all. It’s the ability to connect with people, mind to mind, soul to soul. It’s that rare power to energize the ambitions of others so that they, too, rise to the level of their dreams.” Without a firm foundation of social and emotional competencies, when the pressures of life / leadership mount, we are all prone to depression, under-performance, and possibly acting out inappropriately (e.g. in domestic violence situations). www.adbourne.com
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Leadership also requires many of the competencies that are required to deal with the myriad challenges our residents face in life. It is on this understanding that we have made a decision at Trinity University College to focus primarily on the emotional and social competencies of our young people when conducting our leadership development courses. Stephen Covey (1989) explains that he researched over 200 years of writing about success in leadership and the more that he investigated the literature the more he felt that there had been quite a dramatic change in the emphasis being placed on the skills of leadership beginning about 60 years ago. For the first 150 years or so of the literature that he researched the focus tended to be on what he defined as the “character ethic”: things like integrity, humility, fidelity, temperance, courage, justice, patience, industry, simplicity, modesty, and the Golden Rule. In contrast, shortly after World War I, the basic view of success and leadership shifted from the character ethic to what Covey (1989) describes as the “personality ethic”. The personality ethic essentially took two parts, one was centred on human and public relations techniques and the second was on positive mental attitude. While Covey acknowledges the worth of these techniques and attitudes when built upon a solid basis of character, he finds them very fragile otherwise. He describes them as secondary, not primary traits. He raises the point that we may have forgotten the foundation of success in leadership. He states that only basic goodness gives life to technique. Covey (1989) states that parts of the personality approach were clearly manipulative, even deceptive, encouraging people to use techniques to get other people to like them, or to feign interest in the hobbies of others to get out of them what they wanted, or to use the “power look”, or to intimidate their way through life.
discipline allows me to sit in metacognitive judgment on my own actions and develop strategies to move ahead. “The triad of self-awareness, self-management, and empathy all come together in the final EI (emotional intelligence) ability: relationship management. Here we find the most visible tools of leadership – persuasion, conflict management, and collaboration among them. Managing relationships successfully boils down to handling other people’s emotions. This, in turn, demands that leaders be aware of their own emotions and attuned with empathy to the people they lead.” (Goleman, 2002, p. 64). Unfortunately the areas of persuasion, conflict management, and collaboration, are where many leadership development courses begin and I believe that it is absolutely putting the cart before the horse because all of these, as Goleman clearly states, are underpinned by the other emotional intelligence competencies. Daniel Goleman states that the “… Emotional task of the leader is primal – that is, first – in two senses; it is both the original and the most important act of leadership… the leader acts as the group’s emotional guide” (Goleman, 2002, p. 9). When a leader drives emotions positively they bring out everyone’s best. We call this affect ‘resonance’. When a leader drives emotions negatively they spawn ‘dissonance’, undermining the emotional foundations that let people shine. (Goleman, 2002, p.6). The voracity with which emotions spread within a group environment should clearly indicate to us the importance of managing those emotions both at a personal and group level.
In the 1990s, Daniel Goleman took the interpersonal intelligences identified by Howard Gardner and begun an exploration which has generated a whole new paradigm of personal and leadership development that focuses on emotional and social intelligence.
Our emotions tend to be centred in the limbic system of the brain and scientists now refer to that system as having an open loop nature. An open loop system depends largely on external sources to manage itself. Research in intensive care units has shown that the comforting presence of another person not only lowers a patient’s blood pressure , but also slows the secretion of fatty acids that block arteries. The open loop design of the limbic system means that other people can change our very physiology and so our emotions. Scientists have captured this attunement of emotions in the laboratory by measuring the physiology – such as heart rate – of two people as they have a good conversation. As the conversation begins their bodies each operate at different rhythms. But by the end of a simple 15 min conversation, their physiological profiles look remarkably similar – a phenomenon called mirroring. (Goleman, 2002, p. 7-8). On the negative side, a less positive relationship can be devastating. Cardiac care units where the nurses’ general mood was “depressed” had a death rate among patients four times higher than on comparable units where the nurses were very positive, empathetic and nurturing. (Goleman, 2002, p. 21).
I must be clear that my keen interest in emotional and social development was spawned in a Masters degree that I did in Educational Leadership and the stark realisation that as a young man, I was emotionally illiterate and incompetent. I now spend a lot of reflection time trying to unlearn the poor emotional habits that I developed in my youth. Having a theoretical knowledge of this
Of course the limbic brain, which houses the emotional centres, is also the most primitive part of the brain in the sense that the neo cortex has evolved around it in mammals. The neo-cortex is the region in which we do high level cognitive tasks. The neo cortex learns quickly and is very adaptable while the primitive brain with its deep-rooted emotions and habits takes a lot more work.
So what are these competencies I am referring to? The genesis of the discussion on these competencies, was probably as a result of the work done by Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences back in the 1980s. His work identified a number of fields in which humans could display intelligence, fields well beyond the narrowly defined academic measure of intelligence quotient. His work looked at the two standard academic intelligences: literacy and numeracy, as well as other intelligences such as spatial, kinaesthetic, musical, and the “interpersonal intelligences”.
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“While emotions have guided human survival through evolution, a neural dilemma for leadership has emerged… In today’s advanced civilisation, we face complex social realities (say, the sense someone isn’t treating us fairly) with a brain designed for surviving physical emergencies. And so we can find ourselves hijacked – swept away by anxiety or anger better suited for handling bodily threats than the subtleties of office politics.” (Goleman, 2002, p. 35) It is important to recognise how situations affect us and to manage the emotions in a productive way. “Without recognising our own emotions, we will be poor at managing them, and less able to understand them in others.” (Goleman, 2002, p. 37) We live in a world that is driven by an obsession with hard data. And yet many of us would recognise that there is such a thing as intuition. Women, who are far more in tune with their bodies and their emotions have a much more finely developed sense of intuition than males, but it nonetheless exists in males also. There are times when we make decisions because it “feels right”. Throughout our lives the brain soaks up life’s lessons and stores them. The brain is constantly registering ‘decision rules’ about what seems to have worked and what has not worked in given situations and although the details of those situations fade with time the associated wisdom and rules get stored in the brain far away from the reach of words and images and data, “in the basal ganglia, a primitive part of the brain atop the spinal cord… Leaders need to learn to trust their intuitive sense to access their life wisdom... The circuitry involved in puzzling decisions, in fact, includes not just the basal ganglia but also the amygdala, where the brain stores the emotions associated with memories. When it comes to drawing on a lifetime of silent learning as we face decision points again and again, it’s not the verbal part of the brain that delivers the best course of action – it’s the part that wields our feelings.” (Goleman, 2002, p. 54-55). “The amygdala, then, lets us know its conclusions primarily through circuitry extending into the gastrointestinal tract that literally creates a gut feeling.”(Goleman, 2002, p. 55). “In short, intuition offers EI leaders a direct pipeline to their accumulated life wisdom on the topic. And it takes the inner achievement of self-awareness to sense that message.” (Goleman, 2002, p. 55). When I was working as a deputy in a school in Brisbane, I drove a process that allowed us to overhaul the structures, processes, and curriculum, surrounding our pastoral care. The curriculum changes centred on a very deliberate aim of enhancing the emotional literacy of the young men in the school right through from year 5 to year 12. The term emotional intelligence was used with staff but not with the students. The programs they undertook were focused on developing the EI competencies but were under the guise of things such as: the Friends Program, the Resourceful Adolescent Program, the Lion’s Quest Program, the Year 11 Leadership Development Program, and culminated in the year 12s becoming the seniors at the College with a background of emotional and
social intelligence that served them well in all aspects of life but particularly in their role as leaders of the College. Unfortunately in university colleges and halls, we do not have the luxury of implementing an eight year program that begins with young malleable minds and attitudes. My experience at this level has led me to a particular approach in trying to get young people to become more emotionally aware, to develop an understanding of different perspectives and to overcome their own prejudices, and in the process to develop a sense of empathy that is so critical to any good leader’s repertoire. Interview data that I had collected during my own Masters research, had suggested that the activities that elicited emotion were the ones that had the most impact. Combining the cognitive with the affective was a powerful tool for reconfiguring the manner in which people assessed situations. “The problem is that most training programs for enhancing emotional intelligence abilities, such as leadership, target the neo cortex rather than the limbic brain… The design of the neo cortex makes it a highly efficient learning machine expanding our understanding by linking new ideas or facts to an extensive cognitive network. This associative mode of learning takes place with extraordinary rapidity: the limbic brain on the other hand, is a much slower learner – particularly when the challenge is to relearn deeply ingrained habits. This difference matters immensely when trying to improve leadership skills: at their most basic level, those skills come down to habits learned early in life. If those habits are no longer sufficient, or hold a person back, learning takes longer. Re-educating the emotional brain for leadership learning, therefore, requires a different model from what works for the thinking brain.” (Goleman, 2002, p. 130-131). There is a popular belief that starting in early adult hood, neural connections inevitably atrophy and cannot be replaced. Neurological research has shown quite the opposite. The brain can in fact create new neural tissue as well is new neural connections and pathways throughout adult hood. This is easier done in the neo cortex than it is in the limbic brain but it is nonetheless something which does occur with more effort and practice. So clearly leadership development involves learning, unlearning, and relearning, habits of a lifetime. In order for this process to begin and to give it some chance of success there needs to be an acknowledgement that there are other ways of doing things or seeing things. Even though we may have learnt effective ways to interpret situations, in the light of credible information to the contrary, we need to be able to change our approach or perspective and learn new ways of dealing with things or interpreting situations. Covey talks about the power of paradigms. He describes the character and personality ethics as examples of social paradigms. The word paradigm comes from the Greek. It was originally a scientific term and is more commonly used today to mean a model, theory, perception, assumption, or frame of reference. In the more general sense, it’s the way we “see” the world – not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving,
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understanding, interpreting. A simple way to understand paradigms is to see them as maps. We all understand that “the map is not the territory”. It is a theory, an explanation, or a model of something else. Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific destination in Central Sydney. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But suppose you were given the wrong map. Through a printing error, the map labelled “Sydney” was actually a map of Melbourne. One can imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach your destination. You could work on your behaviour – you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster. You might work on your attitude – you could think more positively. You still wouldn’t get to the right place, but perhaps you wouldn’t care. Your attitude would be so positive, you’d be happy wherever you were. Ultimately, the point is, you’d still be lost! If you have the correct map of Sydney, then diligence becomes important, and when you encounter frustrating obstacles along the way, then attitudes can make a real difference. But the first and most important requirement is the accuracy of the map!
Each of us has many many maps in our head which can be divided into two main categories: maps of the way things are, or realities, and maps of the way things should be, or values. We interpret everything we experience through these mental maps. We seldom questioned their accuracy; we are usually even unaware that we have them. We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. I use the phrase “Learn, Unlearn, Relearn” and explain why it is so important for leaders to be able to continually adapt the way that they understand people, situations, and indeed the world. This is about developing an openness and an ability to change the maps by which we negotiate reality. I will stress the need for leaders to be able to step out of the limitations of their own experience and to view things from many different perspectives. Through careful discernment, and with an open mind they should be comfortable in adjusting their original conceptualisations in the light of the available evidence. It was the futurist Alvin Toffler who stated that “...the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”. Perhaps the initial part of this statement is somewhat contentious in that it is difficult to be
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considered literate if you are not able to read and write. However, the need for people to learn, unlearn, and relearn is very deserving of exploration. The ability to adapt has been a key attribute for success in many areas, even in evolution. It was Charles Darwin who stated “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Unfortunately, what we learn at a young age is often incredibly difficult to unlearn. An example would be, in educational terms, a thing called “children’s science”. Despite most people in the first world having the benefit of a high school science education many are unconvinced about the use of scientific models (maps if you will) to explain the “real world” that they know and understand. Often times they will learn the scientific explanation in order to pass a test but their underlying understanding is often unaltered. Two common “children’s science” conceptions are: “Particles in solids have no motion” and “Sound can travel through space”. There is no denying however, that the process of “learn, unlearn, relearn” can be difficult and can be emotionally challenging. One of the great barriers to people changing their attitudes, beliefs, and ways of operating is something called ‘The Pit’. I learnt of the pit from Professor John Edwards from the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC). He conducted a seminar on change management that I attended in Perth about nine years ago. He described the pit as that period of diminished performance following the initial implementation of a change. He stated that there is unlearning of old habits and learning of new ones to occur and this takes a period of time and can be a physically and emotionally demanding phase in the change process. In this period of flux, one can expect diminished performance even though the change process, given due time, could be very successful. Professor Edwards said that with most significant change, we should expect the pit. Awareness of the pit is very important for leaders so that well planned out, well researched, and potentially very beneficial and significant change is not abandoned prematurely. Seeing this period as a natural part of the process allows us to weather the storm in a much more positive manner. In leadership development it is important to help people to challenge their own preconceptions (maps) and to be open to new ways of viewing the world. This also involves people going through the pit as they unlearn ways of understanding the world that have served them well to this point. Their security is challenged as they develop new paradigms that can serve them better moving into the future. Having been challenged to reconfigure the way in which they perceive the world, good leaders make a commitment to make this process a habit that they apply to each and every situation that arises, enhancing their decision making and conflict resolution skills immeasurably. Good leaders challenge their own understanding of the situation and attempt to place themselves in positions, metaphorically speaking, that may give them a different perspective. When I did some sessional lecturing at Notre Dame University Australia (Fremantle) I revisited the theory of Social Constructivism as a model for learning. It struck me as almost blindingly obvious
that this is exactly what we are doing in leadership roles when we are trying to come to consensus over an issue. We are trying, through the deliberate engagement of stakeholders in communication, to establish how and why our perspectives differ and then we try to find a new way of understanding that is able to be accommodated by each of the stakeholders. For some, the understanding will be assimilated easily as the interpretation will be in synergy with their experience and life world. For others, some accommodation will need to take place and a new perspective or at least a refined perspective will emerge. Where the life worlds of stakeholders are too disparate, finding a new negotiated perspective can be particularly difficult. It is at this stage in particular that good leaders invoke their emotional intelligence so that ideas in conflict do not lead to emotional or indeed physical conflict. It is important to remember though as we are developing young leaders that “self – growth is tender; its holy ground. There is no greater investment.” (Covey, 1989, p. 62). We need to be aware of vulnerabilities and sensitivities and to deal with these matters with compassion. We all develop maps of the way things are or the way things should be and we assess all incoming information according to how it marries up with these maps. The maps create a filter for information that is relevant, useful or important. The maps are created by us from our experience. They are a perspective forged through our history, influences and background. They are merely one representation of reality but we can be easily convinced that they are the only way of representing and interpreting reality. Our leadership development at Trinity University College seeks to challenge these maps and get the holders to question their universal validity. Fundamentally emotional and social intelligence underpin effective leadership. These competencies are about knowing oneself at a very deep level in order that one may also come to understand others at a deeper level. They are about understanding how interactions effect one another in bringing us to a point where we are conscious of our management of those interactions. They require an openness and ability on our part to challenge our personal perceptions and beliefs and to be adaptable in the face of ideas that are in conflict with understandings that we have held dear over the years. Challenging aspiring young leaders to develop these competencies and to feel comfortable in challenging their own prior learnings are key aspects to consider if one wants to develop robust and resilient leaders of the future. To focus on persuasion, conflict management, collaboration, conducting meetings, and public speaking, before situating them within a social and emotional competency context, is undoubtedly putting the cart before the horse in leadership development. Covey, S.R. (1989) The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc Goleman, D.J. Boyatzis, R & McKee, A. (2002) The New Leaders: Transforming the Art of Leadership inti the Science of Results. London: Time Warner Books
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University of Ballarat residents return from Kokoda ANDREW RENFREE | AACUHO MEMBER | UNIVERSITY OF BALLARAT
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group of 19 keen and eager students and staff from the University of Ballarat’s Halls of Residence recently embarked on a trek across the Kokoda Track with all 19 successfully completing what was to become a life changing journey. The Kokoda Track gains its significance in Australia due to the incredible military action seen during the early days of the War in the Pacific of 1942. Reliving the stories of endurance and sacrifice along the track provided incredible insight and respect for the heroes of the conflict and what they did for each other and Australia. The Memorial at Isurava, and the Bomana Memorial Cemetery, stand as profound testament to the incredible efforts of all those who endured the conflict on the ground across such unforgiving terrain.
its steep and unforgiving terrain, tropical heat and amazing wildlife, all the while your walking in the shadow of those who fought and those who fell in 1942. Some of our group were paying homage to relatives or mates, while others were simply heading there for an adventure. Regardless of motivations, we all came back with so much more. As part of the planning of the trip, I was keen to ensure the students gained an appreciation of the local circumstances and to come away with a deeper appreciation of our place in the world. A community project was a must for our program and Aidan Grimes from Brisbane based
company Our Spirit was instrumental in providing some guidance around what was achievable on the ground. Students and staff contributed at local villages of Efogi and Naduli (also called Naduri) assisting with construction and repairs to local village huts with opportunities to put their Uni training to use playing games with the village children. The students were actively engaged in fundraising before the trek to provide supplies and gifts for the children at ‘Stanley’s Orphanage’. We spent some time gaining an appreciation and understanding of life in the local villages for some of the families and children and did some repairs on their ‘school’. The trek provided the students with the opportunity to contribute
The idea for the trek came as a direct result of the AACUHO conference in NZ last year after hearing Aidan Grimes’ presentation. On leaving that session it was clear that this was the one to launch our international programs I had been working on for some time. It touched on so many of the ideals I have been looking for to expand our residential programs, but importantly, to challenge our residents with something worthwhile and potentially life changing. ‘The track’ is gaining significance as one of the great treks but also a rite of passage for Australians of all ages. It provides a rich cultural experience as well as a demanding physical challenge for those undertaking the 96 kilometres across the rugged Owen Stanley mountain range. It’s renowned for
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through shared experience with the local communities and a connection that isn’t achievable through simply walking the track. “It was a life-changing and unforgettable experience. I will encourage others to walk the track and experience exactly what our troops and the ‘fuzzy wuzzy angels’ went through to provide us with what we have today. The walking, the history, the significant sites, the locals and our great group of people, all played a part in making this the trip of a lifetime.” Student Luke Mirtschin.
adventure in a developing region, Kokoda epitomises so much of what Residential Life aspires to deliver to our students. Planning for the 2013 trek is well under way with students signing up for their chance to experience part of Australia’s history, to be a part of the UB legacy we hope to forge with the local communities, and of course, to journey across the Kokoda Track.
“The dedication the team put in to help rebuilding John’s house and to teach the local children some loved childhood games of our own will be cherished”. Student Maddison Tegelhuter “Retracing the footsteps of my Grandfather, Gordon King who fought in WW2, the Kokoda track pushed all the boundaries both mentally and physically. Exploring our history, step by step, battle after battle, it was a real eye opener and all up, an unforgettable journey”. Student Rebecca King This was the inaugural trip to Kokoda from Ballarat University Residence and we are planning on making this an annual event as part of a suit of enriching experiences for students during their time on residence. When combined with such an
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ACUHO-I experience JOANNE MCRAE | AACUHO MEMBER | CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
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ith funds from the ACUHO-I New professional scholarship, and also the support of my institution, Charles Sturt University, I attended the ACUHO-I International Study Tour, International Symposium, and Exposition and Conference in the United States during June-July 2012. I had my eyes opened to innovation emerging, not only from the USA, but globally, through the experiences shared with my “international tour family”. The tour group was drawn from Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Singapore, Mexico and Qatar, with some Californian locals serving as drivers and tour guides. The study tour visited seven institutions in Southern California. Consistent in all locations was a focus on supplying undergraduate accommodation: twin rooms with basic furniture (bed, desk and wardrobe). A common principle was evident: if beds are in demand, make a double a triple, or a triple a quad! Importantly, American students expect to share their space – a contrast to the most of the tour group’s home countries. In each setting the tour group ‘lived’ in student accommodation and enjoyed on-site dining, but the richest experiences came from the generous sharing of knowledge, experience and innovations with members of the host institution’s students and staff.
Sightseeing activities provided respite from an intensive program, and included visiting The Getty Museum, Hollywood Boulevard, Universal Walk, Hearst Castle and the Mission Inn. The tour group enjoyed an Angel’s Baseball match and Santa Barbara Land Shark Tour as well as local wine and beer tastings. Conversations over a meal (and maybe a drink or two) also allowed the tour group to compare and contrast our own ‘home’ settings with what we experienced each day. As described by Ian Jones from the University of Sheffield, “The study tour is a rare opportunity to learn new things from colleagues and build meaningful international relationships”. The University of Southern California (USC) allowed us great freedom in exploring their varied residences: viewing traditional dormitory style on-campus accommodation, nearby apartments and graduate housing facilities, and the university own Radisson Hotel adjoining the campus. Security and safety were
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residence priorities due to the location of the university in a highly urbanised and underprivileged neighbourhood, and USC has a close working relationship with the Los Angeles Police Department. At UCLA, the Greek Housing System was positioned in historical context. As we toured two sorority houses, we discussed the challenge of sorority and fraternity traditions clashing with increasing concerns about harm minimisation and social inclusion. UC Riverside arranged for an RA to take us on a tour of their campus facilities, and it was refreshing to hear about life on campus from a passionate and knowledgeable student. Here we also met the Culinary Chameleon (a self-contained mobile catering unit), Norm the Naval Orange (the Residences mascot) and were treated to a performance by the Illerside B-Boys while enjoying an excellent meal at the Culver Centre. For me, this seemed to be www.adbourne.com
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the most student-centred of all our hosts, although they didn’t necessarily have the money, status or history of other sites we visited. UC Riverside had a spirit and personality, which I found genuinely warm and welcoming. UC Santa Barbara generously shared their long-term strategic plans with the group – talking about buildings and finances, but also sharing how UCSB students contribute to developing facilities for future residents. Thus, ongoing building projects, construction noise, parking hassles and triple or quad rooms are accepted as part of the process of growing the campus and improving facilities for the future. Cal Poly treated us to a sumptuous poolside buffet; a student-led tour of the dairy, explained plans for food franchises on site and outlined their innovative plans for new theme communities for the coming year. At UC San Diego, we celebrated the 4th of July in style. From the 15th floor of our apartment building (also the location of the Chancellor’s Board Room), we enjoyed a 360degree view of the San Diego skyline. UCSD presented a modern and exciting view of campus catering with their facilities including an Asian Fusion a-la-carte restaurant, and new vegan/vegetarian cafe. Upon arriving at Anaheim, the International Symposium allowed perspectives from all over the globe to be shared by participants, prior to immersion in the ACUHO-I Exposition and Conference activities. The Conference itself.... well, that needs a whole article on its own. I look forward to sharing with the membership more about my trip during the 2013 Adelaide Conference.
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Formalising your Head Resident Training Program JAMES KELLY | AACUHO MEMBER | CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
We all put a lot of effort on an annual basis to ensure that the training we give our RA’s and Head Residents is the best that it can be. We make them relevant, interactive and enjoyable to get the most out of the time available, but let’s face it, the majority of us when we are planning our training programs are doing it on gut feel and what we believe is right for our college or hall. Right, I hear you say, but that the best way to do it, as who else is going to know what is best for our leaders. Personally, I couldn’t agree with you more. We at Charles Sturt University have been doing exactly the same for a long time, but have always had questions in the back of our minds; are we going in the right direction? and, How can we get the training that we do with our student leaders formally recognised? Finally, we have come up with a solution that we think can work for us, and maybe, just maybe, may help you get moving toward a formalised solution to your training!
Enter the Diploma of Management: This qualification reflects the role of individuals who are engaged to manage the work of others or to add value to or review management practices. Their role may be in any industry or organisational setting. Typically, people in these roles will have considerable experience in their respective industries or vocational areas and couple an informed perspective of the specific work requirements with their managerial approaches. The BSB51107 Diploma of Management requires a sound theoretical knowledge base and managerial competencies to plan, carry out and evaluate own work and/or the work of a team.(exert from CSU Training Brochure)
session that has been offered through CSU Training has proved to be highly successful as evidenced from feedback received through evaluations, have been some of the most popular and relevant sessions we have run. So we started talking the lovely Judy Doulman, the business programs coordinator with CSU Training, to see what would be possible. It was Judy who suggested the Diploma of Management. Naturally, as I said above, I was initially hesitant as how would they know what was best for my student leaders and how could it fit into something as generic as a Diploma of Management! But, not to be deterred, Judy convinced me that it could be customised to suit what I needed and being a work based qualification, would be on the job training, and therefore had to be relevant. She convinced me and we starting breaking down the role of the Head Resident and mixing them with the relevant modules available within the training guides and started to come up with a plan. As we started placing units in and out of the program, it was evident to me that working within the vocational training area, allows the flexibility in topic choice so that it can be relevant, timely and of great benefit to those doing the training, the university and our students living in residences. But the best thing is that the modules have within themselves been modified to be specific for the role that they are undertaking, so this way, there is no conjecture over relevance, as it is written directly for the role in a tertiary education accommodation provider environment. Anyway, what follows is what we have come up with: The program will be run from November to October. Units undertaken will be as follows;
Thats the advertising line that goes with the program and got us to thinking: Can this fit with our Head Residents? Can this be role specific for them? And In short, Can we make this program work for us?
BSBWOR502A – Ensure team effectiveness
It would appear with a bit of work and very helpful training provider, the answer to all of these questions is YES!
BSBMGT515A – Manage operational plan
For the last few years, we have been working with CSU Training to deliver a number of sessions, both to our head residents and RA’s in specific areas such as leadership and personal development. Any
BSBMGT502A – Manage people performance
BSBWOR501A – Manage personal work priorities and professional development BSBRSK501A – Manage Risk BSBMGT516A – Facilitate continuous improvement CHCORG627B – Provide mentoring support to colleagues BSBHRM401A – Recruit, select and induct staff
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Assessments for the program will be holistic and therefore carried out over the time of their tenure. There will be incremental assessment submissions set out across the time to help inform the learning process and application in the position. This program is briefly set out below.
The training commences prior to start of session, so that when Head Residents front up for our face to face training, a number of topics have already been covered in a self learning mode, increasing the time available during our face to face training for other opportunities. Every module that is included and the
Time line and activity for the program MONTH
ACTIVITY
November
Enrolment into program, Text sent out, Interact site established, e-copies of learning materials posted Start and timelines for the 12 months defined • Pre workshop activities • Complete identified assessment tasks in the Manage personal work priorities and professional development • Read and pre-workshop activities for the Ensure team effectiveness unit.
February
Head Res workshop – Facilitation of Ensure team effectiveness through workshop activities Complete Manage personal work priorities and professional development assessments Introduction to Managing operational plan, facilitate continuous improvement, manage people performance and mentoring (holistic assessment over the next 6 months) – Plan for completing units developed by each individual Manage risk introduced and discussed – event planning required to complete assessment
March
Assessments due – final activities after workshop Ensure team effectiveness Manage personal work priorities and professional development
April
Assessment tasks due – Developed operational plan including activities to inform continuous improvement, methods of managing people performance and mentoring Outline of event to inform the assessment for the risk management unit
May
Assessment due – Knowledge base for all units of competence Risk assessment carried out and actions to reduce risk identified and implemented
June
Assessment due – Progress report for operational plan including measurable progress, evidence plan is being used, people management skills, mentoring activities Revised plan to include changes informed by the outcomes to date
July
Introduction to recruit, select and induct staff Final assessment report for the risk management unit Continuing report for the operational plan and associated units
August
Final report for the combined units Recruitment for replacement staff started and start completion of the recruit select and induct staff
October
Completion of recruit select and induct staff unit Reflection report as defined by CSUT to allow ongoing activity and to complete the program. Reflection will be prompted questions.
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assessment tasks involve what our head residents do in their job. An example is the recruit, select and induct staff is done at the time when our head residents are involved in the culling, interview and selection of the residential advisors for the following year. It gives great benefit to place the framework behind what they are doing in their role to allow them to understand what and why each step is in the process, and hopefully, they will be able to offer suggestions to improve the way we do our jobs for future years. Some of the other benefits are achieved through the holistic assessment process whereby all aspects are taken in to consideration and the person and function as a whole are taken into consideration, rather than just an assignment at the end. Group work is encouraged and with our University having head residents over 4 geographically diverse sites, it encourages an increase in communication and information sharing across our campuses, which we facilitate through videoconference and multimedia technologies.
We commenced the process half way through this year with an opt in availability for the 10 head residents that we employ, and incredibly, all opted in. This has certainly given us all some extra motivation that from their perspective, it is valued and relevant to their roles, and their careers moving forward. The workload is not so intense that it is having any impact on their academic pursuits and as the study is self paced, they can focus on the Diploma when they have the time without the stress of having to have an assignment in by a set time on a set day We at CSU feel that working closely with CSU Training will ensure that our training is up to date, relevant, and specific to what we require. We are able to provide our Head residents with a nationally recognised qualification moving forward and we are providing real value to the level of expertise and management to deliver a quality service to our students living in residences. If you would like any further information about the diploma of management, please feel free to contact Judy Doulman at CSU Training (jdoulman@csu.edu.au or 0263384205)
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Wellness Contracts – Do You Need Them? NICK MERRETT | AACUHO MEMBER | VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON
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taff in Halls of Residence and Colleges can be confronted with residents who are presenting with physical or mental health illnesses that may require some ongoing support from staff for the student to achieve academically. This growing cohort of residents at times could also present with some behaviours that can be challenging to manage and have considerable impact on the wider resident community. When these situations occur it is important when evaluating the best outcome what the parameters are in regards to the level of support that can be provided. This support is likely to involve a number of elements and also likely to include ongoing support from other area’s like Counselling or Health services. One mechanism to ensure that the resident’s expectations of the Hall are realistic and that your expectations of the resident are clearly defined and articulated is to create a wellness contract. The wellness contract acts as a supplement to the residential contract. In the development of the wellness contract it is important to involve the resident in the process as it will be tailored to the individual and they will sign and agree to abide by the provisions within the contract. It is also important for the contract to have an overarching statement regarding the resident being committed to their own wellness with specific points about how this will be achieved. These points can include a range of provisions like the ones described below, depending on the reason for the wellness contract:
• regularly attending Counselling or Doctor appointments, • checking in regularly with a staff member, • abstaining from drinking alcohol, • abstaining from taking non prescribed medication, • eating regular meals, • notifying a nominated staff member immediately if feeling unsafe, • attending classes and tutorials, • attending sessions with student learning support, • agree for staff to keep in contact with family as needed
in the Hall will need to be evaluated. It is important to have this clearly stated so that the resident is aware it could be an outcome if they continue to be unable to manage their own health and wellness. This then provides a platform to be open and transparent regarding the process of transitioning the resident out of the Hall into alternative accommodation if required. It has been our experience that by having a wellness contract that clearly has expectations stated that resident is able to abide by the the conditions and successfully complete their year both as a resident and student.
One of the final elements of the contract will be that if the resident is unable to maintain their wellness that their continued residence
If you would like some further information regarding wellness contracts please contact me at Nick.Merrett@vuw.ac.nz.
AACUHO Mission To support the professional development of all staff working in post secondary education accommodation. To be the leading professional organisation providing our members access to information and resources. To be a leading Association that delivers professional development to its members. AACUHO Vision: To continue as the premier professional organisation for all who work in Post Secondary Education Accommodation in any capacity throughout Australasia. Benefits of AACUHO Membership A major benefit of being a member is the opportunity to come together and meet with others employed in the student accommodation industry at various conferences, workshops and other forums. Members attending these events share ideas and discuss latest developments and innovations, such as pastoral and technological, within the industry. There are opportunities to meet major equipment and service suppliers and to increase and broaden knowledge of the whole accommodation industry. Members obtain access through both individual network development and list serve facilities to assist them with any problems on which they may want advice. For further details and membership application, please visit www.aacuho.edu.au or contact the AACUHO Executive Officer on execofficer@aacuho.edu.au
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There never was a cap on the potential of your RA’s. MATTHEW CANE | AACUHO MEMBER | UNIVERSITY OF BALLARAT
T
here are new challenges facing Australian universities in the deregulated environment and like most changes in higher education Halls of Residence and Colleges have a role to play. This new landscape will see greater focus on not only the recruitment but the retention of students right through until graduation. To this end residential communities have a role to play and can be a catalyst for change within an institution. At the University of Ballarat (UB) changes were made in 2011 to the training of our Residential Support Team, which focusses on the welfare and support of our residents, that aimed to improve the first year retention rate.
outcomes were then divided between more simple theoretical outcomes that could be delivered online and more complex practical outcomes that needed to be addressed in a classroom setting.
The online training program was divided into 5 modules and a group discussion.
PreFAT was delivered through moodle the learning management system used at UB, which has the main advantage of being very familiar to students. Using moodle we were able to provide different learning tasks that included slide shows, interactive quizzes, videos, discussion forums and links to external resources. Moodle also allowed us to track and provide feedback on the progress of each individual.
• Module 2 covered in depth relevant university and residence policies including the code of conduct.
• Module 1 provided a basic overview of history, aims, mission and structure of the university.
• Module 3 discussed issues around attitude, expectations and ethics of being an RA. • Module 4 provided instruction on how to complete incident reports focussing on the language used and allowed
Like many universities much of our RA training period (we call it Formation And Training or FAT) was devoted to the learning of rules, procedures and policies. A review of the FAT program highlighted many new training sessions that we wanted to introduce but a produced a problem – there wasn’t enough time. So we augmented our expanded FAT program with an online component that was designed to be completed prior to the commencement of FAT, which we called PreFAT. PreFAT was developed by examining the RA position description and creating a set of 15 learning outcomes that would need to be achieved during PreFAT and FAT. These learning outcomes detailed all of the skills and knowledge needed to cover all core competencies. These learning
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practice writing incident reports after viewing youtube videos. • Module 5 allowed our new staff to complete the workplace discrimination and harassment training compulsory for all staff at UB. • The group discussion allowed our team to share thoughts and expectations on being an RA with the whole team.
culture of reporting. Anecdotally we saw an increase in the number of pastoral concerns reported, a better response and greater confidence in dealing with student issues, better decision making, (much) higher quality incident reports and greater awareness of support services. The effect our more professional team had on our students was evident from our first
year retention data. In 2011, 96% of our first years students completed their first year of studies, compared with 82% for the whole institution and similar rates at many other universities. While the caps on enrolments have only just been removed, there never has been a cap on the potential of your RA’s to support and provide a positive influence on a student’s transition to university.
PreFAT gave our team insights into their new roles, which in turn impacted their attitudes during FAT. PreFAT introduced a culture of knowledge and allowed us to set expectations early as well as meeting all of the requirements for staff induction and most importantly freeing up time in the busy FAT program. During the expanded FAT program we were able to include sessions with our student services, counselling and legal department as well as Youth Mental Health First Aid training, fire extinguisher training, first aid training, social activities and even an afternoon tea with the Vice Chancellor. An important part of the training was the feedback provided by the RA’s at the conclusion of FAT. When asked to rate their understanding of the knowledge and skill statements of the learning outcomes on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), the results returned a mean of 6.52. • “What these modules have provided me with is a really sound knowledge of the policies, procedures, Code of Conduct and the Licence Agreement.” • “I also have more understanding of where an RA is positioned in the University and that they are considered staff and should behave in such a manner.” The expanded training provided to our team brought in a strong
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Global Highway – Celebrating Cultural Diversity EDWINA ELLICOTT | AACUHO MEMBER | UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
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lobal Highway is an annual event organised by the students living in the university residences at the University of Wollongong. UOW has nine student residences which are owned and managed by Accommodation Services and houses over 1500 students, of which approximately 50% are international, making for a vibrant multicultural community. Students at UOW Living are encouraged to share their customs, traditions and interests with the rest of their community and Global Highway provides an opportunity for these students to do this. An initiative of International House, one of the student residences, whose mission statement is “Global Wellbeing Starts Here”, Global Highway was first organised in 2006 with nine countries participating. The most recent Global Highway, held in August 2012, had 24 countries participating: Australia, Canada, Thailand, Iran, Switzerland, Vietnam, Venezuela, Vanuatu, Pakistan, Spain, South Korea, Indigenous Australia, England, Italy, USA, Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, Kenya, Colombia, Japan, China, Singapore, Philippines, and New Zealand. Global Highway is such a wonderful opportunity for all students living in residences to get together and showcase our cultures to the rest of the UOW Community. We have such a diverse mix of nationalities and cultures living in the residences, and Global Highway is always a fun and informative event,” said Alison
Hemsley, Student Residence Manager, International House and Kooloobong Village. The event is held on campus at UOW and students living at UOW are encouraged to organise a stall that represents their country. At each stall there is an activity which may be traditional Thai dancing, or Chinese calligraphy, Vanuatuan sand drawing, trying on traditional Sri Lankan dress, playing Italian boccé and trying out some Kenyan dance moves. The stalls form a “Global Highway” along the campus grounds. All UOW students, staff and the general community are invited to travel along the Global Highway which is a free event. Attendees start at the UOW Living stand where they collect their Global Highway passport, which lists all of the countries participating. At each stall they participate in the activity and receive a stamp on their passport. Once they complete the Global Highway, they can collect a small branded token from the day, which might include a Global Highway T Shirt or bag.
Community Relations Commission, and recognises how the marketing strategy considers aspects of cultural diversity as a basis for marketing a product or service; the role that the culturally diverse workforce played in the marketing of the product or service; how the product or service impacted upon its target audience and the impression it created; and the originality and innovation of the product or service.
“Global Highway is important on two levels. Firstly, it allows everyone to have fun in so many different ways from around the world. Secondly, it shows how truly international the University of Wollongong and its residences have become,” said Alison Hemsley, Student Residence Manager, International House. “International students currently make up almost half of the residents in university student accommodation,” said Alison. In 2011 Global Highway won the Government Award at the National Multicultural Marketing Awards, held in Sydney. The award was presented by the
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Burgmann Ideally PHILIP DUTTON | AACUHO MEMBER | BURGMAN COLLEGE
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state capital universities had come together in solidarity for the first time to protect an ideal and not just an ideal size – an optimal life and not just an optimum size.
ust recently our new Chairman of Council Greg Mills asked me what an optimal size for a university residential college might be. He made it clear that he was not defining optimal as optimum by asking simply whether we might “build more beds” as Chairmen sometimes do. Neither was he ruling out the simple question of size of population. His question was more classical, somewhat reminiscent of the ancient, universal and adaptable question from Homer to Thucydides, from Socrates to Aristotle that so often engaged the ancient Greek mind and polis. At the true heart of this conversation was the question of the ideal size of a college for optimal community life.
In the late 1950s and early l960s, following the report of the Murray Commission and the setting up of the Australian Universities Commission, universities and their denominational affiliates could expect substantial support for the construction of new residential halls and colleges provided they were willing to increase the number of students for whom they would provide accommodation. Needless to say universities, existing and new, took advantage of such access to capital. The sudden phenomenal growth was such that, whilst it had taken a full century for 35 university colleges to be established, it took only two more decades for 50 more to be built before government funding was eventually withdrawn.
As Kitto (1957: 271) surmises: The Greeks thought of the polis (community) as an active, formative thing, training the minds and characters of the citizens; ...(whereas) we think of it as a piece of machinery for the production of safety and convenience. Greg Mills is intrinsically more interested in the former idea rather than the latter one. Davis McCaughey (1984:153), the long serving Master of Ormond College and eventual Governor of Victoria is most helpful in reminding us of an earlier time when this question was given serious attention. When the Australian Heads of Colleges met in l959 and in January l962 there was much debate about the optimum size for a College. Ormond argued that Colleges could be good and useful communities if considerably larger than had been customary in Australia. The general consensus, however, was that the ideal size was about 150 members. These first meetings of the Australian Heads of Colleges Association occurred at an interesting point in time. Until the postwar, Australia’s handful of universities were flanked by no more than 35 residential facilities virtually all of which were of the fully collegiate style; fully catered, supported academically and pastorally and most often based in denominational foundations. The Heads of Colleges from University of Melbourne, Sydney University, UQ and other
The initiatives of the Menzies government from the late fifties in expanding the higher education sector saw the establishment of a number of new universities such as Monash and La Trobe in Victoria, Macquarie, Wollongong and Newcastle in New South Wales, and Flinders in South Australia. This was accompanied by the building of numerous halls of residence in the years immediately thereafter. The tables on the following pages demonstrate these two contrasting periods of development. (Dutton: 2005: 21-31) As phenomenal as this provision of higher education became after 1955, the collegiate ideal as a model from the first 100 years was not deserted. This short sharp era of growth had to some extent cast off the clerical collar to try on a more secular gown. But the overall design features of the 50 new colleges were based largely on the structure and function of the first 35, incorporating the following facilities in their central floor plan. Generally they have a library, a large and a small common room, a Head’s residence, apartments and special rooms for residential tutors, a dining room, a television room, a piano or music room, and a games room. In essence, despite their secular origins, each incorporated in their own way all the notable features of the template for university colleges set up by the churches in the previous century. In fact, they strongly echoed the deeper traditions imported from English university College life.
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Table 1 100 Years of Australian University Colleges and Halls: 1856 to 1955 College
Year Est
University
College
Year Est
University
1 St Paul’s
1856
Sydney U
19 Sancta Sophia
1926
Sydney U
2 St John’s
1857
Sydney U
20 Smith House
1926
UNE
3 St Andrew’s
1870
Sydney U
21 Christ College
1929
U Tas
4 Trinity
1872
Melbourne U
22 Wagga
1930
CSU
5 Ormond
1881
Melbourne U
23 St George’s
1931
UWA
6 Janet Clarke
1886
Melbourne U
24 Duchesne
1937
U Qld
7 Queen’s
1887
Melbourne u
25 University College
1937
Melbourne U
8 Hawkesbury
1891
UWS
26 Currie
1946
UWA
9 Women’s
1892
Sydney U
27 St Catherine’s
1946
UWA
10 Emmanuel
1911
U Qld
28 St Ann’s
1947
Adelaide U
11 St John’s
1912
U Qld
29 Union
1947
U Qld
12 King’s
1912
U Qld
30 Aquinas
1950
Adelaide U
13 Women’s
1914
U Qld
31 Cromwell
1950
U Qld
14 St Leo’s
1917
U Qld
32 Jane Franklin
1950
U Tas
15 Wesley
1917
Sydney U
33 Lincoln
1950
Adelaide U
16 Newman
1918
Melbourne U
34 Bathurst
1951
CSU
17 St Mary’s
1918
Melbourne U
35 St Thomas More
1955
UWA
18 St Mark’s
1918
Adelaide U
Twenty-five or 71% of the earliest colleges listed above are denominationally based reflecting some key aspects of the imported English model and personnel. The denominational era gave way more to the secular establishments of colleges and halls after 1956. Thenceforward until 1974 and the establishment of Robert Menzies College at Macquarie University, only twenty or 40% of new colleges had church roots. In the thirty-eight years since from 1974, the number of church sponsored developments has been virtually negligible. The opening of Anglican based St Martin’s College (CSU Wagga) is a more recent development.
This model of university life, the Oxbridge style, has had a considerable impact on the development of residential colleges in the Australian university context. It can be argued, in fact, that traditional English universities provided an ideal of what residential colleges ought to be. This is the ideal community of scholars, masters and students living together in an environment that fosters the pursuit of academic excellence. In 1961, ANU’s Bruce Hall, a product of this period of growth, was opened as the first dedicated collegiate residence at the Australian National University. Yet it was the acting Master of ANU’s more multi-purpose University House, Professor A. G. Ogston, who enunciated the seemingly important principle to the Heads of Colleges in l962: There are two kinds of Virtue (sic) which you can have in a College: in a small College, up to 120 or 150, “everybody can know everybody”, in a larger College up to 350, “anybody can know anybody”. (McCaughey: 1984:154) Who needs or really wants a community where everybody can know everybody - and to what purpose? Is it not intrinsically more typical of a healthy community that would lead to a reversal of Ogston’s view? McCaughey’s uncertainty about Ogston is apparent in his expression of doubt in the words “apparently important
principle”. This is a doubt that I strongly share with the former Master of Ormond. Having known him personally in the period leading up to his state governorship in the mid-1980s, we can be certain that his acceptance of Colleges sized more than 150 residents was not based on reasons of expediency. Nor was it aimed at an unprincipled access to government capital. Whilst Ogston’s sentiment was enough to sway the Conference into agreeing with such an enunciation, it did not stop a number of existing and emerging colleges recognizing the reality. Extra numbers meant extra government funds and decisions after 1960 to design Halls for fewer than 200 residents also became fewer. Although there are exceptions to this around Australia, university colleges built thereafter tended to use the 200 or more collegiate model as a general benchmark. Apart from the obvious coincidence that Burgmann College, with 350 residents, seems at an optimum size in Ogston’s “anybody” category, two important points may be drawn from these observations and then perhaps some implications for the future of our College. Firstly, it is vital to understand the need to keep numbers at a level of collegiate viability; that is, where people can come to know others in academic, social and civic or pastoral support (whether this be “everybody” or not).
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Table 2 20 Years of Australian University Colleges and Halls: 1956 to 1974 College
Year Est
University
College
Year Est
University
36 I House
1957
Melbourne U
61 Mannix
1968
Monash U
37 Mary White
1958
UNE
62 St Paul’s
1968
JCU
38 Basser
1959
UNSW
63 Ursula
1968
ANU
39 Robb
1960
UNE
64 Capricornia
1969
UCQ
40 Bruce
1961
ANU
65 Drummond
1969
UNE
41 Deakin
1961
Monash U
66 Duvall
1969
UNE
42 I House
1961
UOW
67 I House
1969
UNSW
43 University Halls
1961
JCU
68 Medley
1969
Melbourne U
44 Earle Page
1963
UNE
69 New
1969
UNSW
45 Kingswood / Trinity
1963
UWA
70 Ridley
1969
Melbourne U
46 St John Fisher
1963
U Tas
71 St Albert’s
1969
UNE
47 Goldstein
1964
UNSW
72 Dunmore Lang
1970
Macquarie U
48 I House
1964
U Qld
73 Grace
1970
U Qld
49 St Hilda’s
1964
Melbourne U
74 Warrane
1970
UNSW
50 St Raphael’s
1964
JCU
75 Burgmann
1971
ANU
51 Burton & Garran
1965
ANU
76 Chisholm
1971
La Trobe U
52 Farrer
1965
Monash U
77 Roberts
1971
Monash U
53 Whitley
1965
Melbourne U
78 St Mark’s
1971
JCU
54 Howitt
1966
Monash U
79 University Hall
1971
Flinders U
55 Philip Baxter
1966
UNSW
80 Austin
1972
UNE
56 Glenn
1967
La Trobe U
81 Edwards
1972
Newcastle U
57 I House
1967
Sydney U
82 Ballarat
1972
Ballarat U
58 John XXIII
1967
ANU
83 Richardson
1972
Monash U
59 Colleges
1967
USQ
84 Shalom
1973
UNSW
60 John Flynn
1968
JCU
85 Robert Menzies
1974
Macquarie U
Secondly, it was the drive for government funding that created such discussions over fifty years ago and the need to protect the collegiate nature of a student community that comes with smaller numbers. One senses the need for deeper values and higher aims than Ogston’s simple measurement of everybody knowing everybody in a close community. Is his view, based on sociability as close community, just as likely to create a closed community? It may be argued, in fact, that a community too close in terms of everyone knowing everyone may bring with it some of the more undesirable characteristics associated with highly charged, youthful, peer group communities. In addition to the inward looking restrictions of academic rigour and deadlines, students too often are tempted to celebrate moments of freedom in comfort (or celebrated discomfort) of a close-knit peer group activities. If more open to public scrutiny or a larger, more diverse group, such activities would be totally unacceptable to the general community. Although unacceptable behaviour by residents of university colleges occasionally still make the headlines, the period from 1955 to 1974 and in the following decades, we have seen a gradual diminution of
such behaviour. This has especially been the case in the residential sectors of the post-war universities. Whether the number be 150, 200 or 350 or more, what is required to achieve the higher common factors of community (as distinct from the lower common denominators) is an opening up in order to broaden influences. These may include a mixture of lifestyles (catered and non-catered), age groups, greater numbers of postgraduates, cultural diversity and interaction with the outside community. For a more direct treatment of the aims of the educational role of university residences, this paper turns to Ryan (Ryan 2001) who, in his recent reflections upon the Yale experience, identifies five aims of residential colleges that seem both traditional and enduring in purpose. The identification of these attributes, pertaining to a collegiate way of living, represents a summary of the combined British, Canadian and the Australian experience. Ryan offers his overarching insights on the basis of his own surveys as follows:
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Ethics, citizenship, community, co-curricular programming and peer learning: these interrelated aims are ancient. ‌ They are by no means dependent on residence. But along the way, residence has been seen as a means of enhancing them. (Ryan, 2001: 71)
direct subsidies of any kind to residential colleges from government since 1984. Colleges that build facilities need to raise the money to do so and need to include a significant debt-service contribution in their annual budgets.
I am proud to say that Burgmann College has been in the forefront of the gradual shift in university college life since the l970s towards higher community values suggested by Ryan. This began over 40 years ago with the great leadership from its Council, masters, staff and the residents themselves. It was an egalitarian, pro-social formula that gradually militated against initiation practices and created an ethos based on cultural and political enjoyments as well as the more predictable social and sporting outlets.
Perhaps it was a marriage of perfect convenience and not simply the rationalist machinery of state that insisted that colleges from 1956 onwards be built larger than 150 beds because, in essence, such benchmarks were all aimed at supporting the great opening up of universities and university places to more post-secondary students in the post-war period of prosperity.
Residents today are more outgoing and with more pressure upon them to perform in their degrees. They are more often in paid employment as well as full-time study simultaneousy. They have travelled more, been engaged in the community more and established impressive personal portfolios even before entering university. No longer is it seen as acceptable to enjoy the luxury of completing a three year degree in four or five years in order to enjoy an extended university student life. There are no more Commonwealth Government Scholarships. Nor have there been
References
There may be no ideal size but there is an ideal.
Dutton, P. L. (2005). Shared learning: towards a model of academic support in the university residential context , Unpublished Doctor of Philosophy thesis, James Cook University. Kitto, H.D.F. (1957). The greeks. Penguin. McCaughey, D. (1984). Thirty years a-growing in Macintyre, S. (ed). Ormond College: Centenary Essays. Melbourne University Press. Ryan, M. B. (2001). A collegiate way of living. New Haven, Yale University Press.
AACUHO
Minimising the operational cost and environmental impact of Student Accommodation Laundry BY BRIAN CLARK
Communal Laundries in student accommodation villages are often equipped with top loading commercial washing machines. However, a quick look at manufacturer’s specifications shows that top load washers use a lot more water – as much as 130 litres a wash cycle more than front loading machines - and generate a significant amount of waste water. As university facility managers strive for greener campuses, it begs the question - what is the long term cost of operation and environmental impact of top loading vs. front load washers and what are other criteria to consider in building specifications for accommodation laundry? There are two factors to take into account when looking at water usage and associated costs. They are ‘water in’ and ‘water out’. ‘Water in’ is the water required to perform a wash cycle whilst ‘water-out’ is the waste water discharge generated. Water in/water out costs vary considerably, depending on your location and are priced as much as $7 per Kilolitre or more in some areas. 38
The exercise below shows estimated water usage and waste water discharge for an accommodation facility with 25 washing machines in the student laundries over a 4 year period. For the purpose of the exercise it is assumed that the machines perform 6 wash cycles per day over 260 days of the year. The ‘water in’ usage rates are based on the published manufacturer’s specifications of a commonly used 8 kg commercial top loading washer and a new generation direct drive front loading 10 Kg commercial washer supplied by LG™. As there are different absorption rates with different fabrics and water retention is a factor of spin efficiency, the ‘water-out’ is an estimation of 60% of ‘water-in’ in both cases. Water costs are based on 2011 Brisbane water rates of $2.61 per K/l and discharge of $1.31 per K/l. The exercise shows potential reductions in water usage of over 19.3 million litres of water and 11.6 million litres reduction in waste water over a 4 year period. Based on Brisbane water charges, there is a potential saving of over $65,841 dollars in water charges alone over the same period. The second part of the exercise looks at the replacement of powdered detergents with automatic detergent feed pumps which can be fitted to new generation washers. Detergent feed pumps are programmed to introduce liquid detergent and softener in the exact amounts required for the wash cycle and at the correct phase of the wash cycle. An automated feed system provides potentially significant operational savings, environmental and safety advantages in
particular, as user contact with uncontrolled chemicals and detergents powders is all but eliminated as the chemicals are supplied from a central locked storage area. As can be seen from the exercise, auto detergent feed systems have the potential to save approx. 9,360 kilos of powdered detergent over 4 years with a potential saving of $4,350after taking into account an allowance for the initial cost of the pump system. The detergent usage factors used in the exercise are taken from manufacturers recommended dosage per wash and it should be noted that there can be significant variations in price and dosage between products and that dosage is also affected by soil type, wash size and water hardness. Energy efficiency: Look for commercial washers with direct drive motors rather than the older belt drive type. Manufacturer data indicates that belt drive machines use up to 30% more power than direct drive machines and the regular maintenance requirement with belts, pulleys and gearboxes is eliminated in direct drive units, thus driving down operating costs and reducing energy consumption. The G-Force generated in the spin cycles is a key factor in machine efficiency and in reducing energy usage in communal laundries. It can vary from less than 220 G for top loaders up to 413G for Front Loaders. Basically the higher the G force the better the rinsing and fabric is far dryer at the end of the wash cycle, meaning less drying time and a dramatic reduction www.adbourne.com
in energy needed to run the dryer. An ideal spin force on a 10kg machine should exceed 400G on high spin. Capacity and power needs: Larger capacity washers and dryers mean more throughput. For instance a 10kg machine provides 25% more capacity than an 8 kg machine and students may be able to do their entire weeks wash in one load instead of two, providing more savings in water, energy and operational costs along with improved availability of laundry equipment.
required and it is important that you know the laundry system that you choose will take up minimal space. The easiest is to purchase stackable washers and dryers. Stack machines consist of a commercial dryer stacked on top of a commercial washer. Stacked machines use the floor space of a single unit and are only available in front loading configurations. Choose stack washers that can be assembled on site as large pre-assembled units may not fit into your doorway.
New technology in access control and remote laundry management has the potential to reduce water and energy usage and operating costs even more, but that will be the subject of another article.
Modernising the specifications for your student laundry facilities has the potential to save millions of litres of water, reduce waste water, minimise detergent usage and provide better wash results and improve user safety. It is an exercise worth doing
Making space - Stack or stand alone machines – The biggest cost in community laundry is the size and number of buildings
Brian Clark is a commercial cleaning consultant and free lance journalist. He can be contacted at brian@janitech.com.au.
Washer type
Brand A Top Load Washer
New generation Front Loader (LG)
No of washers on site
25
25
Stated wash capacity kg
8
10
Total site wash capacity per day (kilos)
1200
1500
Manufacturer stated Av. Water usage per standard wash program (lt)
173
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Water usage per kg wash capacity (lt)
21.6
4.9
Total Water usage/washer/yr (lt)
269,880
76,003
Waste water generation @60%/washer/yr (lt)
161,928
45,602
Water usage 4 yrs (lt)
26,988,000
7,600,320
Waste water at 60% 4 years (litres)
16,192,800
4,560,192
Total facility Water/discharge cost 4 yrs
$91,651
$25,811
DETERGENT FEED DATA
Brand A top load with manual powder addition
LG™ Front Loader with auto detergent feed
Detergent use per wash Kg/lt
100 g
40 ml
Est. Detergent usage per yr kg/lt/site
3,900 kg
1,560 lt
Est. Detergent Cost per kg/litre based on manufacturer RRP
$3.00
$5.00
Estimated Total cost per year
$11,700
$7,800
Est. Cost of Brightwell™ Detergent pumps
$0
-$11,250
Detergent usage cost lifetime (4 yrs)
$46,800
$31,200
Calculations
Est. savings with 10 Kg Front loader 4 yrs
$65,841
TOTAL COST CALCULATIONS
Total Cost of Water (4 yrs)
$91,651
$25,811
Total cost over 4 years
68,261
$77,032
Potential 4 yr SAVINGS LG Front loader inc water & detergent
$70,191
Environmental Impact for facility 4yr Water usage reduction Lt
19,387,680
Waste water generation reduction Lt
11,632,608
Potential Powdered Detergent usage reduction 4 yr.
9,380 kg
The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
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A Rebate for Replacing Your Old Downlights? In Victoria the Government rebate scheme for replacing halogens with LED is called VEET (Victorian Energy Efficiency Target) and its benefits extend beyond a rebate.
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ince the MEPS program was initiated for the quality control of fluorescent lamps, a similar program has been needed to police the import of LED lamps into the Australian market. Whilst programs such as VEET were not solely implemented for such a purpose, one side effect of the program is ensuring we are not ‘led’ astray by overzealous sales people and their creative packaging and marketing and is a good way to separate the ‘home show’ award winners from the internationally tried and tested commercial quality product.
Most LED lamps appear to perform miracles at first glance and is something we have all come to expect because of the amount of research, development and resources being used to produce the highest output at the lowest wattage. Shortly after journeying down the LED path, often confusion follows, leading to the result of most people leaving it to see what someone else will do, but using the VEET scheme under Schedule 21 for good quality product, eliminates the nasty imports. The VEET program can be shaped to suit your individual project, meaning you can use your own maintenance team if the appropriate measures have been taken or you can be given a turnkey solution as was recently carried out on the David Jones project nationally. This involved a team changing the lamps at night; store by store. Certain companies are even offering free installation and covering their costs by taking part of the rebate. This flexibility within the program ensures the smoothest possible transition to LED for the best possible peace of mind that you are installing a good product.
VEET Schedule 21 & 34 – So what are they & how do I get the rebate? Schedule 21 – offers the best quality LED lamps for retail, hotel, project based and residential applications (check with your LED manufacturer for approved applications).
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Under this schedule the LED lamps are going into Melbourne homes and Hotels thus the product needs to adhere to very strict guidelines including verified lab testing and lifetime reports. It also has to meet all safety and electrical regulations for the Australian market. When it comes time for the rebate, however, schedule 21 offers the easiest solution of only having to sign a form. The halogen lamps are then picked up for the required recycling once the LED lamps have been installed. Schedule 34 – provides the retail and project based applications (not residential or living areas) with a suitable LED but may not be of the same quality as those approved under schedule 21 as the requirements for product approval are only based on product safety and EMC, nothing else. Due to the ease in which an LED can be approved under schedule 34, getting your rebate involves a great deal more work and is more costly. For both schedules, there are certain LED lamps and projects that you can and can’t use; you will need to consult with your approved lamp manufacturer. The following describes in detail the requirements of LED approval for schedule 21 & 34 proving that a good LED is more than just how bright it is or the name on the packaging. In the end it’s up to the end user to choose what type of product, price, and quality suits the project. Remember, the end user does not need to get any product approved; this is already done for you.
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Schedule 21 Used for: Retail shops, hotels/motels, residential homes. Rebate creation process: Fill in and sign the form provided. Lamps picked up for required recycling. Testing & reports required: Detailed lab reports required (a report just from the chip manufacturer is not sufficient). Lifetime report (approved lifetime testing method reports only). Efficacy (how many lumens the lamp produces divided by wattage). Lumen output (raw output of the LED lamp). Power factor (used if the lamp is 240v such as with a GU10 base or if there is a driver/ transformer). Power consumption (How many watts the lamp is using including the driver/ transformer if used).
LED lamps in this category have not had to undergo the stringent approval process as in schedule 21. As long as you have safety and EMC approvals for Australia, then the product will most likely be approved but the process to create a rebate is much different. Testing & reports required: Electrical safety approvals for 240v lamps, drivers or transformers (such as SAA).
Lamp life (There must be a minimum of units tested, not just one on a test bench).
EMC compatibility approvals for 240v lamps, drivers or transformers (such as ACMA).
Colour temperature (Colour range of the whiteness of the LED chip being used).
The facts and fallacy about LED lamps and why lamp approval for Schedule 21 is strict.
Electrical safety approvals for 240v lamps (Such as SAA). EMC compatibility approvals for 240v lamps (such as ACMA). Compatibility information (The transformers and dimmers with which the lamps have been tested).
Wattage is the biggest cause of confusion when it comes to LED lamps as it is not only to do with the output of the lamp or how bright it is, wattage is how much power/electricity the lamp is using. Do not compare LED lamps by wattage alone as it doesn’t make sense, it is an unrealistic measurement.
Schedule 34 Used for: Commercial applications and projects. Rebate creation process: Lighting consultant required, ceiling plan, measurements and photographs taken before and after the project is completed.
LED lamp specifications are often taken only from the LED chip manufacturer and not measured with the chip in its housing as a complete lamp. Measuring performance this way makes it look as though the lamp as a whole is performing much better than it really is.
The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
Lumens or Candela? A GLS style lamp where the light comes out from all around the lamp is measured in lumens. Reflector lamps where all the lumens have been taken and shaped into a beam is measured in candela. Measuring directional lamps in lumens is like measuring how fast a car is going by how much it weighs and is inaccurate. If your LED downlight supplier has lumen (lm) measurements alone for their reflector lamps, it generally means the proper lab testing has not been performed and their stated values are incorrect or falsely advertised. There is no precise mathematical conversion formula between lumens and candela. Generally transformers and drivers lifetime does not last as long as the LED lamp. Make sure warranties also cover drivers or transformers being used. Next time you are told that “these are the best and brightest LED lamps” ask if they are approved under Schedule 21 of the VEET Scheme, and if they are a Lighting Council member, and if not, be wary. LED products under the VEET scheme have been approved since December 2011, so get started now, it’s not as complicated as you might be lead to believe. Contact Scott Gracie at Megaman Lighting on 0412 626 596. Email: scott@megamanlighting.com.au Web: www.megamanlighting.com.au
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How to kill BED BUGS without chemicals
STEAM BY STEVE ROBARDS | FULL STEAM AHEAD
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or a wingless insect Bed Bugs can sure get around. They would have to be the experts on hitch hiking from anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world and with their main host, humans, can do it faster than any other animal or insect. Bed Bugs have now ranged further than our beds and can be found anywhere humans congregate. Motels, backpackers, B& B’s, student residences, cinemas and aircraft are just some of the places they are found. They can change hosts mid transit hopping from clothing and baggage in the search of your blood. There are plenty of clinical reports and information on Bed Bugs including identifying the two main species found in Australia, their preferred habitats, feeding and breeding cycles here. Bed Bug infestations can be treated either by an expensive pest controller using approved insecticides, mainly synthetic pyrethroids that have a residual activity and they may not be effective and can even repel the bugs without killing them. They simply up stakes and move to an untreated area. Other chemicals used are carbamates and organophosphates that are far more effective but may not be recommended for use on mattresses and in most cases need several follow up treatments to break the breeding cycle. Some people may not be tolerant to chemicals like asthma and allergy suffers
(like myself) and will need a chemical free approach to the problem. I personally clean all my bedding including blankets, pillows and doonas with steam and vacuum on a regular basis. Not only to remove dust and pollens, dead skin and smells but also any bed bugs, fleas and other little nasties I have picked up in my travels. I have found myself more venerable than most people as I often pick them up in my course of work and bring them home. Treating bed bugs with steam is very effective as it only requires temperatures of 55 deg C to kill them, but it requires a complete and detailed approach using the correct accessories. It is not a job that can be rushed and every conceivable hiding spot must be treated. This includes under bed frames and wardrobes and other furnishings. Gaps around skirting boards and power points should be sealed. Use a steam accessory that will help encapsulate the steam allowing it to penetrate deep within the mattress and bedding as well as the carpet and curtains. Use a detail nozzle to treat around the piping and handles of the mattress and edges of furnishings and other tight to reach areas.
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A steam cleaner with a built in vacuum and water filtration system is preferred. Even a small unit will be suitable but the higher the pressure and temperature the deeper the steam can penetrate into the mattress and achieve a higher and faster kill rate. Adding a small mixture of ‘bio remedial’ to the vacuum waste water tank, made up of eucalyptus and tea tree oil will also be of benefit. On completion, suck a small quantity of hot water through the vacuum hose, flush the contents of the waste bin down the toilet, treat all tools and the waste bin and any foam filters with steam and rinse with hot water. Accommodation operators such as student residences, cannot be blamed for outbreaks of Bedbugs as they easily hitch a lift from anywhere in the world via baggage and clothing. The arrival of summer usually sees an increase in Bedbug complaints as the warmer temperatures promotes breeding as well as an increase in people travelling. Bedbugs arriving in our winter from the warmer northern
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hemisphere can after arrival lay dormant until our summer begins. Steam is by far the best and most efficient method of treatment to kill bed bugs, hence the recommendation for steam in the bed bug code of practice. With pest control companies charging up to four hundred dollars for each application, the cost of purchasing a steam unit for in house treatment is easily justified with the purchase price covered in treating several rooms.
Steam more than just bed bugs Steam can be used to clean an entire room either by itself or in conjunction with regular cleaning methods. Some operators may have several rooms that are only cleaned with steam for customers that suffer from Asthma or have other negative chemical reactions.
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The high temperature of steam provides a greater degree of sanitation for cleaning areas such as toilets and bathrooms again with little or no chemical use.
have found an overall cost saving in chemical purchases not to mention the negative short and long term affects on those doing the cleaning health.
Carpets can be vacuumed then treated with steam to remove odours from pets, urine and vomit. Residual smells from tobacco can be removed from all areas including curtains. Windows and mirrors are quickly cleaned along with fly screens and window tracks. Toilets can be cleaned and sanitised including those hard to get at areas with little personal contact.
Steam quickly cleans all areas in kitchens from ovens, range hoods, racks, trolleys and fridges and this is where steam units fitted with detergent injection can be of great benefit. Harsh cleaning chemicals are replaced with environmentally friendly detergents that with the high temperatures of steam break down the grease and grime and effectively kill all bacteria anywhere in a working kitchen.
Hard floors can be treated with the floor mop attachments eliminating the traditional and so ineffective dirty water, mop and bucket tradition again without the use of harsh chemicals. Users of steam
But more importantly it is the consumer who demands the highest level of cleanliness and hygiene particularly when your facility becomes their home for the night. â–
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The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal
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Murdoch University Village Reaches out to all
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urdoch University Village is a three hectare residential facility for students located on the west side of the university’s South Street campus in Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia. It accommodates more than 800 students in approximately 170 selfcontained apartments. The older part of the village was originally built in the 1980s and is in the midst of a refurbishment program. The newer Village South area was completed in 2009. The Village is owned and operated by Campus Living Villages (CLV).
signal path, automatically mitigating interference, to ensure the highest performing connection.” Other benefits of the Ruckus Wireless products include the absence of external antennas that can be incorrectly adjusted by residents, competitive pricing with lower total cost as fewer access points are required, the ability to handle a greater number of simultaneous connections than competing products can support, and the remote management and security features of the Zone Director controllers, commented Morel.
Ruckus technology marries the old and the new
Internet access is an important feature of modern student accommodation. Murdoch University Village previously offered fixed (Ethernet) access to residents through a system operated by BigAir, a company that specialises in the provision of fixed wireless connectivity to buildings and campuses.
Throughout the Village, 123 Ruckus ZoneFlex 7343 802.11n access points were installed, with one in every second or third room to provide coverage of the entire area. In Village South, the access points could be powered from the existing Ethernet switches as they were Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, but the older switches in Village North meant PoE injectors had to be added.
Wi-Fi with attitude!
A single Ruckus ZoneDirector3050 wireless LAN controller installed in Village South controls the access points throughout the Village. The only other change required was to upgrade the software on the existing gateway server to handle the expected increase in the number of users.
Chad Daly, General Manager of Murdoch University Village, explained that a growing expectation that network access should be available without being tied to the end of a cable - driven in part by the growing use of smart phones and tablets - led to the decision to add Wi-Fi access to the mix. The project was put out to tender, and Ruckus Wireless partner, BigAir, was chosen due to its history with the Village and the ability to roll out the new Wi-Fi network in the short period available during the summer vacation period. Jean Morel, General Manager BigAir Community Broadband, said the company’s previous experience with Ruckus Wireless equipment meant that it was clearly the only option to offer Murdoch University Village. “The products are very stable and reliable, and require very infrequent human intervention,” Morel said. “The range and penetration of the access points is far superior to that of anything else on the market, thanks in part to the beam forming technology. In addition to improving penetration, it also provides better performance with Wi-Fi devices that are fitted with less powerful transceivers.” Ruckus adaptive antenna array technology, unlike conventional Wi-Fi, uniquely addresses connectivity problems associated with new smart handheld devices. The constantly changing orientation of these devices makes it difficult for traditional Wi-Fi technology to deliver strong, consistent signals. “Ruckus technology ensures a wireless signal to devices that are continuously moving,” said Morel. “As these devices rotate or move, the Ruckus access points intelligently alter the polarity and
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“It’s a huge site with many buildings,” said Morel. “The project began with an area survey using predictive analysis software backed up by live testing. The survey took several days.” Installation was scheduled to take five days, but the job was completed within four. Morel stated that this was due to the straight forward installation, configuration and management tools of Ruckus. After the wireless network was commissioned, an audit revealed coverage and penetration was even better than expected. “We wanted to make sure there were no blackspots in students’ rooms or lounges, and we achieved that first time thanks to careful planning by BigAir’s technical staff and the quality of the Ruckus Wireless products,” said Daly. “Our focus is on getting users connected reliably by delivering strong signal coverage to a wide range of clients throughout the entire campus – and Ruckus proved it can do that for us simply and consistently,” said Daly.
Ensuring that access is simple, quick and cost effective “The Ruckus Wireless access points have proven to be very reliable with Ethernet serving as a backup if the wireless network is out due to a power source being disconnected in a particular area,” said Daly. BigAir provides and manages Internet access through the Ethernet and Wi-Fi network at the Village. The whole billing system is automated, and a new customer can create an account in less than 90 seconds. There are no contracts (beyond the period paid for) www.adbourne.com
and no setup or cancellation fees. BigAir provides round-the-clock customer support via a 1300 number and email. A single account can be used for Ethernet or wireless access. “Students typically get bursting speeds to 100Mbps on Ethernet and 54Mbps on WiFi on a good day, or around 4Mbps when the network is really busy,” said Morel. The two 300Mbps wireless links from the Village to BigAir’s Perth base stations operate at around 50 per cent of capacity by day, and about 80 per cent at night. Daly maintains that the links do not have an issue. “The performance is better than you’d get from any other provider in such a densely populated environment,” he said. “Internet access is an increasingly important feature of student accommodation. The Ruckus Wireless equipment has proved very reliable and has helped us provide a high quality and affordable wireless Internet service to residents of Murdoch University Village alongside the existing wired network. I am happy and the students are delighted”
Company Overview: Murdoch University Village is a three hectare residential facility for students located on the west side of the university’s South Street campus in Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia. It accommodates more than 800 students in approximately 170 self-contained apartments. Requirements: Ubiquitous network access for growing number of mobile devices Meeting an extremely short implementation window Ability to manage and administer remotely while offering the highest level of security Integration with existing infrastructure Solution: 123 Ruckus ZoneFlex 7343 802.11n access points One Ruckus ZoneDirector 3050 wireless LAN controller Benefits: High user density per access point ensures access for all students throughout the complex, freeing student movement Smart antenna technology delivers consistent performance and high data reaches at longer ranges Advanced authentication generates high levels of security without complexity for the users
Product News Direct Products: Roll Out/Lift Up Top Underbed Steel Storage Locker Direct Products will be releasing at this years AACUHO conference in Wollongong their latest space saving Roll Out/Lift Up Top Underbed Steel Storage Locker, which provides the ultimate storage area and most importantly easy access via its Roll-Out Design and easy Lift Up Top. Quality designed and manufactured in Australia, this storage piece provides the perfect solution for Student Residential Proprieties where space is at a premium. The locker is lockable by use of a regular pad lock. Heavy duty piano hinge construction ensures long term durability. Designed to be used under the Balmoral Steel Commercial Bed – Single/Long Single/King Single models. Also for release at Wollongong is the “new” EASY MOVE’ glide, which is now available as an option for use with the Balmoral Steel Bed. This new adaption enables the Balmoral Bed with mattress to be moved across a carpeted floor by Housekeeping staff, a long awaited solution for the Student Residential sector. See both of the above new products on our display stand 20/21 at AACUHO at Wollongong, along with new Tub Chairs, Task Chairs and ‘Fairmont’ Feature chair. All inquiries can be directed to Phil Ellis at Direct Products – 0412 357 499 or email phil@directproducts.net.au
Maytag Commercial Laundry is well recognised as the industry standard for quality and dependability. Maytag is also continually looking for ways to improve equipment performance and lower operational costs because we understand that equipment efficiency is directly related to profitability in laundry operations. “Maytag® Commercial Laundry now has an energy-efficient solution to meet all commercial laundry needs,” said Bob English, general manager of global commercial laundry at Whirlpool Corporation. “With the introduction of the latest stack washer/dryer, the all electric MLE20P and the MLG20P with gas heating. With a focus on low energy usage, the washer qualifies for the highest USA energy efficiency tier (CEE Tier III). Its highspeed spin extractor removes excess water, providing users with a dryer laundry area and reducing owners’ energy and water bills. The clothes come out of the washer very well rinsed and wrung out, so the dryer then needs to do less work to finish the process. Customers will notice a dramatic savings in detergent, water and a definite improvement in cleanliness of clothes. Equipped with a 180° heavy-duty hinge, the washer’s door design allows easier access when loading and unloading laundry and is larger than competing brands. Its porthole door glass on both the washer and dryer also allows you to watch your clothes spin around to check on a specific item. .Due to its extremely robust construction the washer is sturdy and will not unbalance no matter how many towels you’re washing. A user-friendly microprocessor control panel, angled for easier reading, operates both the washer and dryer. The washer offers a variety of different wash cycles and the dryer has multiple heat settings. The single control panel offers one-touch cycle selection and displays operating instructions, as well as remaining cycle time. The gentle action of the front load washer conserves everything it touches: water, electricity, and especially your laundry.
Best warranty in the business: Additionally, the 8.5kg capacity washer and 9.0 kg dryer unit come standard with the industry-leading Maytag® Commercial Laundry five-year limited parts warranty. Phone 1300
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788 250
Web www.equipesolutions.com.au
Email care@equipesolutions.com.au
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