STRATEGIC PLAN

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(BCSS)

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TRATEGIC

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LAN

2012-2016

Nura, Wajaarr, Koori, Gari

Sun, Earth, People, Language

HISTORY/ACHIEVEMENTS

Established in 2007, the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences (BCSS) at the University of New England (UNE) is a highly successful and collegial academic unit comprised of academic, administrative and technical staff. BCSS’s core business is teaching and research. The School offers a wide range of popular courses and degree programs (some professionally accredited) and all taught by experts.

BCSS has a diverse disciplinary composition of Geography and Planning, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology and Criminology that offers a mix of humanities, social and environmental sciences unique within UNE. The School’s diversity is a singular strength. It underwrites pluralist approaches to teaching and research and opens up fruitful research and teaching collaborations across the School’s disciplines.

BCSS CURRENT POSITION AND DIRECTIONS 1. BCSS RESEARCH

With identified research strengths in all of its four constituent disciplines, BCSS research informs and shapes theoretical and empirical inquiry both nationally and internationally. BCSS has world-renowned researchers in the fields of:

•Behavioural genetics of literacy and numeracy

•Climate change

•Aboriginal and Pacific languages •Resource over-consumption •River ecosystems

•Health and well-being

•Rural and regional development and population change

•Second language acquisition •Sexuality

•Rural crime and destructive patterns of behaviour

•Culture and Media

•Human and environmental planning and decision-making

•Language and the Law •Social theory

•Learning and Neuroscience •Forensic science

•Mathematical geography •Semantics of natural languages •Mental Health

•Language contact in pidgins and creoles

•Auditory localization and hearing impairment

A number of senior researchers in BCSS hold appointments at other universities or research centres, nationally and internationally. Some researchers serve on editorial boards for leading academic journals or on expert panels that assess competitive grant applications. Other researchers are regularly commissioned by government and industry to provide technical reports and authoritative opinions on environmental, social, policy and Indigenous issues. Across its disciplines, BCSS has a number of staff currently holding Australian Research Council (ARC) Grants.

Funds are provided by the School for research and professional development. They are: (i) BCSS Travel Grants fund up to $2000 for domestic conference presenters, and $5000 for

international conference presenters.

(ii) BCSS Seed Grants fund up to $12,000 for developing nationally competitive grant applications.

(iii) BCSS Research Infrastructure Block Grants (RIBG) fund research infrastructure e.g. equipment for research laboratories.

(iv) BCSS Internal Research Grants (IRG) award $1,000 per annum to academic staff to support incidental costs of

research.

(v) BCSS Early Career Grants fund up to $5,000 for research expenses are available to new

appointees who are early career researchers.

BCSS has a large and growing cohort of Higher Degree Research (HDR) students. The School provides generous financial and other forms of support for them. The School recognises HDR students’ need for community and connection and seeks to include them in social activities with staff and other students. BCSS staff organise HDR workshops and presentations and the School encourages their attendance at discipline research seminars. A BCSS Honours and HDR student portal will be developed in 2012.

2. BCSS TEACHING

BCSS offers professionally accredited degrees in Clinical Psychology, Psychology and Planning. In addition to teaching students enrolled in UNE-wide courses, such as the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc), BCSS also hosts a number of courses including, at undergraduate level, the Bachelor of Criminology (BCrim), the Bachelor of Psychological Science (BPsychSc), the Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc), the Bachelor of Sustainability (BSus), and the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP). At postgraduate level, BCSS offers a number of Graduate Diplomas and Masters degrees by coursework; among the latter are the Master of Applied Linguistics (MAAL), the Masters in Clinical Psychology (MPsych (Clin)), and the Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP). For regional students, access to tertiary education is available by non-standard entry through first year Pathways Enabling units offered by BCSS such as SOCY100,

CRIM100 and BCSS100.

In Psychology, enrolments have increased 52% over the past four years. In Sociology and Criminology, enrolments rose by 38% during the same period, largely due to popularity of the Bachelor of Criminology degree introduced in 2008. In Linguistics, the online Master of Applied Linguistics (MAAL) is the largest postgraduate degree on offer at UNE, drawing students from around the world. BCSS is the major provider for Professional Planning degrees. Introduced in 2011, the Bachelor of Sustainability integrates environmental and

Note_{: 2012 load} projections are based on % increase in Trimester 1 confirmed load

DISCIPLINE SNAPSHOTS

Discipline Teaching Research Geography

and Planning

•Undergraduate offerings split between human and physical geography units, majors offered in human and physical geography in the BA and BSc. •All degrees offered as part of the Urban and Regional Planning program

are accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA)and include: (i) Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (BURP).

(ii) Graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning (GDURP). (iii) Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP).

•The Geography and Planning discipline is a national provider of planning education, and occupies a unique niche as an external provider to practicing and aspiring planners.

•The Geography and Planning discipline is active in developing the

national geography curriculum at both school and university levels, and is set to benefit from the reinstatement of Geography as a core Higher School Certificate unit.

•The Geography and Planning discipline has developed a new applied geography course, the Bachelor of Sustainability, first offered in 2011.

•The Geography and Planning discipline has three sub-disciplines: Human Geography, Physical Geography, and Planning.

•A major research focus is on environmental, economic,

demographic and social issues affecting New England and other rural regions.

•Many current (and past) researchers have substantial international profiles.

•Many staff hold sizeable competitive research grants, including National Competitive Grants.

Linguistics •A Major in Linguistics is offered as part of the BA and other degrees •The discipline offers a highly successful online Master of Applied Linguistics

[MAAL] – a first in Australia – and a suite of related degrees – MAAL (TESOL) (Hons) and now M. TESOL. [TESOL stands for: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages]

•Linguistics has a steady supply of postgraduates.

•Linguistics successfully integrates a range of linguistic approaches

providing fertile ground for collaboration and cross-specialist approach to research agenda

•The discipline engages in collaborative ventures with other disciplines

•Linguistics is a small but highly productive discipline within BCSS. •It comprises expertise in descriptive linguistics, applied linguistics,

psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics.

•Linguistics has a high ranked research output, achieving a world-class ranking in the ERA 2010 exercise, with specialisms in:

(i) Aboriginal and Pacific languages

(ii) Applied Linguistics including SLA and aspects of TESOL (iii) Cross-cultural semantics

including Languages, Education, Law, and Psychology.

Psychology • Psychology offers the following courses: Bachelor of Psychological Science; Bachelor of Psychology with Honours; Graduate Diploma in Psychology; Master of Psychology (Clinical) [MPsych(Clin)]; Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical) [PhD (Clin.)].

• The Bachelor of Psychological Science is the largest enrolment unit in BCSS. The Graduate Diploma in Psychology is one of the most popular graduate diplomas offered by UNE.

• Psychology offers degrees that are professionally accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Students enrolled in the BA, BSc, and BSocSc can undertake an accredited three-year

psychology sequence as a major in psychology. Students seeking provisional Australian Psychological Society (APS) registration as a psychologist undertake a fourth year of Psychology.

• Research areas range from neuroscience and biopsychology to rural clinical practice. A major area of research is health and well-being.

• Psychology staff research laboratories include Biopsychology, Social Psychology, Auditory, Cognition, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience laboratories. In addition all staff have access to a Test Library.

• The UNE Psychology Clinic provides core clinical placement for UNE’s MPsych (Clin) and PhD (Clin.) students. It also offers a valuable Psychology service to the local community. Twice a year Professional Development days are organised for staff, local Clinical Psychologists and Psychologists as well as field supervisors in the area of Clinical Psychology. BCSS helps finance the cost of these days to help thank the external supervisors for their time with clinical placement supervision.

Sociology and

Criminology

• These two sub-disciplines share a common approach to the study of social order, social change and the individual’s relationship to society with criminology studying aspects of social behaviour deemed deviant or criminal.

• UNE is home to Australia’s second oldest discipline of sociology.

• Sociology can be studied as a major in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Science. The School offers a Bachelor of Criminology.

Criminology and Sociology can also be studied as part of a Bachelor of Arts/Law and Bachelor of Criminology/ Laws.

• Criminology is an area of strong growth within BCSS and for the University. The Bachelor of Criminology has proved popular from its inception in 2008 and continues to grow steadily from year to year.

• Staff are also active in national and international professional bodies, such as The Australian Sociological Association and The Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology.

• Staff research areas include consumption practices, media and cybersociety, power in discourse, qualitative methods, Western sexuality and the sexualisation of children, studies of skill and reasoning, ethnomethodology, deviance, crime and social control, sexuality and gender, health and illness, democratic governance, public policy analysis, international development issues, management and bureaucracy, the use of DNA profiling in the criminal justice system, policing and technology, sexual assault reforms, and civil rights issues.

VISION

In the years 2012 to 2016, BCSS will continue to deliver the high quality face-to-face and online teaching for which it is renowned, enhanced by the latest technology. This is in line with the University’s aspiration to be the nation’s highest quality provider of online and blended delivery courses and to offer resident students a high-quality collegiate experience (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 7). Across all disciplines, the quality of BCSS courses and units is consistently rated as excellent, offering students a rich flexible learning experience centered on their needs.

From 2012 – 2016, BCSS will provide the

same individual learning experience to an ever-increasing number of students while maintaining the outstanding quality of its units and degree programs. BCSS will endeavour to be at the forefront of innovations in online and blended learning (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 8) and undertakes to optimise use of the National Broadband Network and AARNet (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 9).

BCSS recognises that it is passion for and distinction in research which creates outstanding teachers. Accordingly, the School will continue to support established areas of research strength and will identify and nurture emerging and prospective ones in order to build the research capacity essential for all its academic activities. In doing this, BCSS will attract both talented staff and gifted higher degree research students, facilitate research through appropriate research infrastructure provision (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10), develop appropriate research partnerships (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 9) and strive for continued international distinction in all our specialist fields of research (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

VALUES

• BCSS is committed to principles of equity and respect for

diversity in the treatment of its staff and students. The School ensures its workplace is a fair one for all staff (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 9).

• BCSS seeks to maintain gender balance and aims to

strengthen Indigenous and minority group representation in all areas of its human resources.

• BCSS is committed to acknowledging and respecting diversity within its student cohort and to maintaining the same principles of equity and fairness for students as for staff (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 9).

• BCSS is committed to providing equity and access in education for low socio-economic students (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

• BCSS is committed to providing equity and access in education for international students (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 8).

• BCSS is committed to providing equity and access in education for students with a disability.

• BCSS supports staff and students from diverse ethnic, class and age groups and seeks to increase representation of these groups within the School.

• BCSS is committed to a collegial decision-making model and will strive to ensure that School structures and administrative processes are transparent, equitable and supportive of its core values in research and teaching (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

• BCSS is committed to fostering a positive learning environment for students with all its staff responsive to student needs (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 9).

• BCSS is committed to fostering co-operation and collegiality amongst staff and students. Senior staff and Emeritus staff will continue to promote these values by mentoring junior staff.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

1. Research Goals

• BCSS will support existing research strengths and identify and foster new ones in line with those identified by the University (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 6).

• BCSS will build expertise and institutional capacity in specific areas of excellence.

• BCSS will support increases in staff numbers to build specific research expertise.

• BCSS will support its research staff with high quality resources and infrastructure (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

• BCSS will promote and support research on regional and rural innovation (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

• BCSS will provide support for staff seeking externally funded grant opportunities.

• BCSS will continue to foster and promote research collaboration between its various disciplines as well as support wider links across the University and with other

institutions — both national and international (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 9).

• BCSS will offer Higher Degree Research (HDR) students the

opportunity to work with researchers amongst the best in their fields; specific efforts will be made to recruit more international HDR students (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

• BCSS will attract talented younger

researchers by investing resources in targeted research areas, particularly by trying to create more Level A positions.

• BCSS will offer targeted PhD scholarships in areas of research strength combined with Teaching Assistant roles so as to invigorate research opportunities and ease teaching loads (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 6).

2. Teaching and Community Engagement

• BCSS will maintain its leadership in professional development and delivery and look for innovative ways in which to serve the professions for which it provides

accredited degrees: Planning, Psychology and Clinical Psychology.

• BCSS will introduce new professional degrees in areas of potential demand, such as a Masters in TESOL.

• BCSS will continue

engagement with rural and regional Indigenous

communities.

• BCSS will work with the UNE ATSI employment and education officer and Indigenous community

leaders to persuade Indigenous parents and school students to consider UNE as a place of study and employment.

• BCSS will offer outreach sessions in Geography and Planning, Linguistics, Psychology and Sociology and Criminology at rural and regional high schools.

• BCSS will implement UNE’s goal to become a leader in rural and regional issues by building indigenous representation in its student population and its workforce (UNE Strategic Plan 2011-2015: 10).

• BCSS will endeavour to ensure better access to students with disabilities.

• BCSS will aim for more international on-campus Masters students, particularly in new Linguistics degrees like the M. TESOL.

• BCSS will provide resources to support special needs groups — Indigenous students/staff, International students/staff, students/staff with disabilities.

• BCSS will provide opportunities for targeting high–quality PhD students.

• BCSS will increase undergraduate numbers and courses as far as practicable, contributing to the diversity of its offerings, the range of PhD students staff can supervise, and administrative load sharing.

• BCSS will seek to boost its international student numbers in undergraduate courses and to attract international HDR students, e.g. by developing joint PhD programs