Operating Plan engagement workshops: that’s a wrap!

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The final staff engagement workshops have been held as part of the first engagement phase of the University Operating Plan 2020-2024. Our digital engagement platform also wrapped up for this initial phase on Sunday, having seen 1539 staff contribute 162 ideas, 441 comments and 3205 votes.

The Vice-Chancellor joined the last workshop participants via Zoom to discuss the five key priority areas of the Plan. Key themes of last week’s discussions were reducing red tape to drive innovation and change, and the need to find a more uniform approach to processes.

Following completion of the initial engagement phase, the Vice-Chancellor will work with University Council and the Executive Group throughout April and May, using staff and student feedback to help inform the Plan and prepare for  implementation, including looking at new streams of work.

Here are some highlights from the final staff engagement workshops held last week.

Students First

“Some students feel like they have a close bond with people within their unit but once that unit is over, they don’t know who else they can connect with on a course level.”

“Students in our faculty are getting a good student experience as it has moved away from unit focus, to a focus on courses and majors instead.”

Ways of Working

“There’s a need for respect across the differences between different disciplines in their own domains. While disciplines need to respect the need for a consistent ‘Macquarie way’ of doing things.”

“There’s a lack of uniformity in work practices across the different faculties and the way they operate. Differences over where budgets sit and how they are controlled across faculties.”

Our People

“It’s difficult retaining and recruiting high-level research staff who want a career in both research and teaching. People are being pushed into one direction or another – how do we achieve a balance?”

“The University is losing good professional staff due to unclear pathways for development and promotion and restrictions in our system.”  

Coursework Suite and Delivery

“Courses need to have a greater focus on employability and have greater industry involvement when new courses are established or when current curriculum is up for review.”

“Currently there is a focus on units which suit the academics and not the students and their desired outcomes. There should be a focus on courses/majors not individual units.”

“There’s a proliferation of units – staff owning their own units is seen as important.”

Focused Investment in Research

“There is currently an over-prioritisation for Category 1 research grants. We need incentives and backing for researchers to chase Category 2 and 3 grants, such as funds and support from the University.”

“There needs to be a whole of institution engagement strategy for international philanthropists and other funding – they want to work with a University not a faculty or department.”

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