UTC eNews 201160 week6

VISITORS

A WELCOME to Prof Ross Chambers, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of CSU, who will be on campus this Monday. We will also be welcoming into our midst at this time two lecturers from Hannam University, including Professor Samuel Cheon.

Messy church will be all over the place this week!  Community Morning Tea on Friday will be served by ELM staff.  For Afternoon Teas and other times throughout the week, Self-serve Tea, Coffee, Fruit and biscuits will be available in the Atrium area. ELM is providing enough for anyone at the Centre, both In-service people and other members of the CFM Community. This will give everyone an opportunity to mingle and network. We hope you take the opportunity to start a conversation with someone you don’t know and network more widely! We simply ask that you do not take bundles of stuff home but consume it in company here.  On Tuesday Night, ELM is also providing all the Pizzas – both for the Tuesday regulars and all of In-service. Again, this will be an opportunity for people to mingle.

WHO WE ARE

The Burnie Kids Track

Thank you to the inspired labourers who envisaged and built The Burnie Kids Track, a walk that enables us to enjoy our bushland and creek. The path is clearly marked, there is a seat for rest and contemplation, and the bush felt alive with natives, of both the fixed and slithering kind, and with the occasional bird call. I went to school with many of the “Homes kids” (as we called them), including some from Burnside, and it is good to have a place where I can remember those friendships and create a space of hope in my mind for their lives today.

POSITION VACANT

We are looking for a tech savvy student or person in general for regular work updating the UTC website.  For details contact Joanne or Renee at the front desk: joannes@nsw.uca.org.au.

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION

Our series of meditations continues. Each session commences with some breathing exercises, followed by a guided meditation.  At present we are experiencing mantra style meditations.  The dates and times are

Thursday during semester 12.50-1.30

Venue: TBA in light of room allocation for the conference

FROM THE ACADEMIC DESK

STRESSES AND STRAINS of the shortened semester were discussed two weeks ago with students and some faculty.  A number of points were raised. 

1.    The shortening of the semesters, and the shortening of time between semesters, has had an impact on study.

a.     the on-time completion of assessment tasks has become more difficult:

b.    some subjects seem to have too many assessment pieces for the shortened semester,

c.     often material is not handed back before the next piece is due, leaving students without directives for improvement

d.    while word length and demand hours has been reduced, some of the essay questions themselves have remained unchanged, meaning that the question has become inappropriate for the word length and demand hours

e.    many assessment tasks fall due at the same time of the semester: after midterm break and final week of classes

2.    Can we allow essay to be due during exam week rather than close off assessment tasks on the last day of classes: this has consequences for extensions

3.    No undergraduate assessment task should be worth more than 60%

4.    Candidates can end up doing too many other things, leaving academics to the side

5.    There needs to be more comprehensive planning of the candidate year: if there are to be intensives in August (THL310 Ordination Studies will find a fairly permanent home there) then other parts of the program may have to be moved from there.

6.    There was praise for the use of learning cells when they did not use up inappropriate amounts of demand hours: William and Ben were given as examples of good practice.

Feedback on this is welcome, and further discussion will ensue.

FROM THE DEAN OF CANDIDATES

Carolyn and Gwen attended the National Rural Ministry Conference in Dubbo from late Thursday 11 August and Friday 12 August.  This keeps us in touch with what is happening in rural areas regarding the Uniting Church.

Commencement for Ministry Orientation is taking place four Monday Mornings across the Semester.

Ann Perrin, Apelu Tielu and Kwang Min Kim are visiting this Wednesday to present their Reflections on their first year of ministry.

Carolyn and Clive are visiting the Fijian Congregations this weekend to talk about candidating and UTC.

THIS WEEK

• Messy Church conference

UPCOMING EVENTS

• One event happening in Parramatta that may be of interest to staff and students is Building Bridges 2011, an initiative of Reconciliation Western Sydney. They're running Wednesday evening free seminars (incl free dinner) during August and September, at 7.30pm at Parramatta Town Hall.
• The Climate Crisis and the Crisis of Humanity conference with Ernst Conradie and Clive Hamilton: Tuesday 20^th September.
• The conference on Atheism is on later in October: See William Emilsen for details.

SECOND WEEK Promotion - NATIONAL SURVEY OF THEOLOGICAL STUDENTS

The Australian and New Zealand Council of Deans of Theology is conducting a major research study into theological education in Australia. As a key research strategy, the Council is inviting students currently enrolled in an Australian Bachelor degree in Theology, Ministry or Divinity to assist in gathering research data concerning their theological studies. We are hoping to hear the views of as many students across Australia as possible. You might be approached in class to complete a survey.  However students can also complete one of three online surveys that have been designed for this purpose:

·        First Year Students Survey (for those in the first third of their degree)

·        Final Year Students Survey (for those in the last third of their degree)

·        Longitudinal Survey (for students who are in a position to complete two stages of a survey over a period of 12 months).

If you can find around 15-30 minutes to complete one of the surveys, your contribution to this important project will be greatly appreciated. For information on the research project and how to participate in the surveys, please visit the project website at

          http://web.me.com/anzcdt

On the website, click on “Activities” to go to the details of the student surveys.

While the survey is to be completed anonymously, before participating you will need to read and complete the relevant Project Information and Consent Form, which is an ethical requirement for all such research. (Follow the link under “Activities”.)

Once you have done that, the survey may be accessed via the incorporated Survey Monkey Online Survey link. The survey itself is done online, is very easy to complete, and may be done at any time using any computer that suits you, although we would like it completed by 31^st August 2011 (with the second stage of the Longitudinal Survey by May 2012).

Your participation in these surveys will provide a valuable “voice of the students” which can then be used in the development of theological programs. The team sincerely hopes you will be able to take the time to let us hear your voice.  For further details contact Gerard Moore.

The newsletter is from the desk of Gerard Moore News items to him by 3.00 pm each Friday gerardm@nsw.uca.org.au