Christmas campus connections 71

ISSUE 61, FEBRUARY ‘13

Christmas Campus ConnectionsISSUE 71, DECEMBER ‘14

FOR UCOL STAFF

Christmas Campus Connections2

welcome

FROM THE CE .........................................................................................3wELCOME ...............................................................................................4SO MUCH SUCCESS .............................................................................5IN THE BACKGROUND ........................................................................6wE wERE THERE ....................................................................................7SHINING EXAMPLES .....................................................................8-11NEw DIRECTION ................................................................................ 12GOOD wORK ....................................................................................... 13FIRST CLASS ......................................................................................... 14ABOUT US ............................................................................................ 15

CONTENTS

ISSUE 71, DECEMBER ‘14 3

from the ceFROM PAUL

This is my last note in Campus Connections and I would like to convey my thanks to all of you who make UCOL the great learning institute that it is. When I reflect back on my twenty three years here, 20 as CE, there has been a huge amount of change in the sector, and we have adapted to it all. Plus at the heart of all our decisions and actions has been the student, and our fierceness about open access and fairness for all learners’ shines through.

I carry with me many memories and stories about the experiences and good people that I have come into contact with. The vocational learning that we provide is a valuable part of our communities and is something that I continue to believe strongly in. Each year graduations are testament to what we contribute. Our world is still evolving with new measurements of success being signalled about transitioning students into UCOL and then on to employment. That is ok, but at our heart is helping our students transform their lives through education and training, sometimes an employment outcome isn’t the only measure of success.

Having the opportunity to hand over to Leeza has been very valuable and I am very grateful to the UCOL Council for such a generous overlap.

While I am looking forward to having the time to do lots of activities outside of UCOL (yes this includes even more 4WD both here and overseas) and also spending more time with family, I will always be a strong supporter for what UCOL achieves through your commitment and professionalism.

All the very best for the years ahead, and thank you all for your support. I hope you all have a nice Christmas with family and happy New Year.

Cheers

Paul


welcome, LeezawELCOME TO UCOL’S INCOMING CE - LEEzA BOYCE

UCOL’s incoming Chief Executive, Leeza Boyce was welcomed with a powhiri on each campus last month.


so much successPOLISHED PAPERS Two staff from the School of Business & Computing received awards at the National ITx Computing conference in October.

The ITx Computing conference brings together leaders from the ITP, university, and ICT industry sectors and is a showcase for innovation, technology and education.

Dr Aaron Steele received the Best Paper Award for the conference for his PhD thesis paper titled The Cloud Assessment Learning Environment.

Sandra Cleland received a highly commended award for the same category for her Masters thesis paper titled DevShop: Bridging the gap between Academia and the real world.

Aaron and Sandra with their trophies from the ITx Computing Conference.

wINNING IN LAWhanganui UCOL Lecturer and singer/songwriter Daniel ‘DC’ Harding picked up the Best Male Pop Artist of the Year award recently at the Los Angeles Music Awards in Hollywood.

Daniel was nominated for two awards but says he didn’t expect to win.

“I was on the plane thinking, am I wasting all this money, am I doing the right thing? Well, apparently, I did!”

Daniel is the second New Zealander to win a LAMA in its 24 year run.

He plans on going back to the States next year to tour with a band from the US and promote his new EP which is due to be released in December. “Melodic Emotions is exactly that. They’re my emotions, my thoughts, my feelings, my ideas in a melodic form. It’ll be available for download and people can order hard copies if they want it.”

Daniel is headlining the Hawera Christmas parade on December 13.

Daniel ‘DC’ Harding - Best Male Pop Artist of the Year


in the backgroundCANvAS, PAINT AND MUSIC

The School of Photography, Arts and Design’s latest collaborative project is a mix of canvas, paint and music.

Working in pairs, the 3rd year Illustration Major students from the Bachelor of Applied Visual Imaging programme have designed and painted four large stage backdrops.

The brief for their assessment was to create three metre by two metre canvas backdrops suitable for a contemporary UCOL music band, based on the musical genres the music students study during the year.

The collaboration is just one of the projects Illustration Majors have undertaken under the guidance of Lecturer Steve Leurink.

The illustrators’ collaborative process began with an interview with the Certificate in Contemporary Music Performance students to discuss what images best represented the eight musical genres.

The creative brief also required simple and striking images that would transfer to a large

scale.

There was a very tight deadline so the illustrators had to work fast and smart.

They were limited to a palette of three colours and were also using a special type of fabric paint for the first time.

The backgrounds will be fixed to specially designed free-standing frames and used at the Music students’ future gigs.

“Collaborative projects like this are a perfect fit for the disciplines taught at SPAD,” says Associate Head of School Tricia Falkner.

“Whether it’s an in-house project like this one, or one with organisations such as Te Manawa, students are challenged with realistic client experiences.”

“whether it’s an in-house project like this one, or with organisations such as Te Manawa, students are challenged with realistic client experiences.”

“Collaborative projects like this are a perfect fit for the disciplines taught at SPAD.”


we were there

UCOL rewarded the efforts of twelve local school children at the recent 40th Fonterra Manawatu Science and Technology Fair.

UCOL’s Executive Dean of Trades and Technology Kelly Gay, presented prizes for projects that demonstrated excellence in metal construction, farming, automotive, electrical and carpentry or wood construction.

Heather Grady (Academic Leader Science) and Jessica Costall (Science Lecturer) presented six awards for projects in relation to animal and human health, including the best Laboratory techniques, best graphical display and the application of science to everyday life.

The science projects varied widely in subject matter from an Investigation into the Trends in

the Leaching of Nitrate, and Equine Eye Savers, to Safe Sunscreen Solutions and Winning Waterways.

PRIzES FOR PUPILS

Jessica Costall presenting the UCOL Certificate in Science and Health prize to zoe Glentworth of PNGHS for her project Safe Sunscreen Solution.

wHEELY GOOD RESULTFurniture Design and Making Lecturer Andy Halewood got trolleyed recently – and for less than $20.

As a fun project, Andy and the Trade Skills students built two unpowered racing machines for the annual Trolley Derby in Palmerston North. “I was happy to race one of them, and I talked one of our Furniture students, Andrew Brunskill, into racing the other,” says Andy. “Mine had borrowed long board wheels and Andrew’s had hospital bed wheels.”

Andy says the trolleys were designed ‘on the hop’ with a bit of trial and era and bike tube. “Along with random nuts and bolts from Dave Fell and some (already broken) chairs from FM, we built two trolleys for a grand total of $20.00,” says Andy. “And that was mainly spent on plywood.”

Andy got a second and a first and Andrew lost his wheel twice in two races. “It was a kind of winning doesn’t matter event - thank goodness,”

Andy says. “We had a fun day out despite leaving a little skin at Cashmere Drive.”

In a post-race interview, Andy was already planning a 2015 campaign. “I’m hoping to get the engineering students on board for next year. The Massey students had a very techy machine. We could put up a good challenge.”


shining examplesMEET THE NEwEST UCOL EXPERTS AND UCOL FELLOw“I would like to congratulate the latest recipients on their achievement. We have some shining examples of good teaching and good practice throughout UCOL. The people acknowledged through this process are very deserving of recognition.” - Bonnie Dewart, UCOL Deputy Chief Executive Academic.

Ian Rotherham, UCOL Fellow

Ian Rotherham is the latest senior staff member to be honoured with the status of UCOL Fellow, an award to academic staff who have achieved sustained excellence as educators and leaders within their field and the organisation.

Ian is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Photography, Art and Design & Paper coordinator for the Diploma in Photographic Imaging. He has a Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design (Honours) with distinction for academic achievement, and an Advanced Diploma in Photography. This year he gained a Bar to his Masters with the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography.

Ian started as a professional photographer in

1988 and has worked in many areas of the photographic industry, including running his own commercial studio in Wellington.

“I never thought I’d be a teacher but got a call from Joe Sing one day enquiring what I was up to (I was at Waikato University working as a photographer). As it turns out, all the varied/crazy things I’ve done in the industry is a perfect fit to be a lecturer. The work here is challenging because photography is ever changing, and so are the students,” he says. “But that is what makes it so interesting and not just a 9 to 5 job.”

In his 12 years at UCOL, Ian says the most rewarding part of teaching is seeing students putting what he has taught them, into practice. “Not only in assignments, but also out in the industry and in their lives - and then growing even more beyond me.”

Cheryl Murphy - UCOL Expert

Cheryl is a Senior Lecturer and 1st Year Group Coordinator for the Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science. She has a BSc in Biology

Ian Rotherham

Cheryl Murphy


shining exampleswhich included an Honours project in Ecology, “because I wanted to save the world”, she says.

She then did a Bachelor of Education, “because what I’d really always wanted to do was teach.

“Seven years of school-teaching disabused me of that notion so I went back to university for a Post Grad Diploma in Sport Science and then a PhD in Exercise Physiology.”

“I was living my dream working as a professional coach in Christchurch’s vibrant school rowing scene, then we had the earthquakes and the dream became a nightmare complete with fallen-down boat sheds and a river full of raw sewage.”

She did some relief teaching at CPIT, and while she was there, a job advertisement for a position at UCOL came through on the internal mail.

“Not ever having been to Palmerston North before, I decided to go for it, and here I am.”

Three years later, Cheryl cheekily admits her favourite part of teaching is being the centre of attention in a room full of people – “forcing all the students to listen to my witty anecdotes.”

“I love teaching and making a difference. I am passionate about my subject and my students’ overall wellbeing.

“Particularly on BESS, I really notice how much the programme changes some students’ lives for the better. They get involved in sports they’ve never tried before, they change their diets and their lifestyles to live healthier, and then carry the message to the world once they graduate.”

Peter Whitburn - UCOL Expert

Peter is Engineering Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in Engineering. He is a Toolmaker by trade and completed his apprenticeship in the Hawkes Bay.

In 1986 he moved to Palmerston North to work at Sunbeam Industries in Tremaine Avenue. After 17 years with Sunbeam, and rising to the position of Toolroom and Pad print shop supervisor, he discovered the company was moving its mechanical plant to China.

In 2003, he was invited to cover for a UCOL Engineering Lecturer who was unwell. “When the opportunity arose, I applied for a full time permanent position and after due process was appointed,” he says. “If anyone had said to me in 2002 that I would be teaching, I would have laughed. However, you never know what is around the corner.”

In 2009 Peter was appointed Engineering Programme Leader.

Peter says of teaching, “you are never bored. You are always in a state of reflection and need to be prepared for anything.”

Peter whitburn“....I really notice how much the programme changes some students’ lives for the better.”


shining examplesPeter Whitburn continued... He also says it is important to appreciate the students’ stand point. “I found that out after I received back my first submission for an assignment in ACAT paper 1,” he says. “That’s how a student feels - we need to remember that feeling.”

He says his favourite part of teaching is when a student’s hard work is rewarded. “It’s great to watch a student’s face when they ‘see the lights go on’.”

Phill Andrews - UCOL Expert

Phill is a Lecturer in Design at the School of Photography, Art and Design.

“As a Visual Communication Major back in the early eighties, I loved the enthusiasm you had as a student and the belief you could help contribute to a better world,” says Phill.

“Years later and on the other side of the desk (metaphorically speaking) that belief still stands true. However, the emphasis is now geared a little more to the next generation coming through.”

Phill’s association with UCOL goes back to 1998 when he was a Lecturer.

He left UCOL to work for Toyota NZ in interactive marketing from 2006 – 2010. He has a Masters in Design from Massey University, Wellington and has worked primarily in Advertising; Art-direction, design, illustration, web and interactive (agency, corporate and freelance) both in New Zealand and the UK.

“I saw a teaching opportunity at UCOL advertised while in Wellington. I always intended to move into teaching and jumped at the prospect of returning to UCOL.”

He started lecturing on a part-time contract in 2010, and became a full time member of staff in 2012.

“With an appetite for new media and digital design, Phillip has forged a reputation as a specialist in innovative light projection effects.

“My focus today is technology and education,” says Phill. “And helping students achieve their goals and in some cases… dreams.”

Marsha Racey-Stilwell - UCOL Expert

Marsha is a Senior Medical Imaging Technology Lecturer and Radiographer. She spent her formative years in Virginia ‘the South’.

Phill Andrews

Marsha Racey-Stilwell


shining examplesAfter leaving High School, she trained as a radiographer (MRT) at a clinical centre.

“I arrived in Aotearoa 25+ years ago (on invitation) to be with Myles, a darling, clever kiwi, (after his OE to VA).”

“I chose to become a UCOL MIT educator in 2003… a week later I began my own mature-student tertiary education journey on Tuesday evenings with ACAT and Jessie Summers and Gill Presland - after finishing a day of teaching,” says Marsha.

With the support of her family, UCOL, library staff, colleagues, and enthusiastic lecturers, Marsha has also completed a Unitec HST Postgraduate Diploma and graduated with a Master’s Degree of Education from Massey University two years ago.

“I tell students that my own tertiary study has kept me empathetic!”

Marsha says a career highpoint was an invitation to present at the 2012 Māori PPTA conference to support Māori students to study Medical Imaging. “As a Tangata Tiriti (an immigrant allowed here by the Treaty of Waitangi), my passion is lifelong teaching/learning (ako ako),” says Marsha.

“To instill in students that caring about, and caring for, patients and whanau, is first equal with providing safe radiological technical skills.”

Graeme Read - UCOL Expert

Graeme is a Lecturer on the ICT Degree and Foundation Level programmes. His association with UCOL goes back to 2005, from when he started studying for a Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology. (BICT).

“While I was a student on the BICT degree, one of my lecturers recommended me for a Distance Learning Support position that had become available at UCOL,” says Graeme.

Four years ago Graeme became involved in developing and delivering the Certificate in Tertiary Study Skills Level One programme which is currently half of his teaching role.

At the start of 2014 he was redeployed from Distance Learning Support to Lecturing on the Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology degree.

Graeme is presently studying towards a Masters in Adult Literacy & Numeracy Education at AUT University. He says the ‘light bulb moments’ are the best part of teaching. “It’s when the students suddenly ‘click’ with their understanding of the lesson content.”

Graeme Read

“I tell my students that my own tertiary study has kept me empathetic... As a Tangata Tiri (an immigrant allowed here by the Treaty of waitangi), my passion is lifelong teaching/learning (ako ako).”


MEET TONY GAN

UCOL Performing Arts Lecturer Jaime Dorner-Alvarez has been appointed Artist in Residence under the Visiting Artist Scheme for a second time.

In addition to teaching the Certificate in Performing Arts programme at UCOL, Jaime has his own theatre company, and has directed and produced several projects like Madame de Sade 2010, The River 2011 and Dance Until We Drop. He has also been the Artistic Director of the Festival of New Arts at Massey University in 2012 and 2014.

The Visiting Artist Scheme is a collaborative venture between the School of English & Media Studies at Massey University, in conjunction with Palmerston North City Council and Community Arts Palmerston North.

Three residencies of four months each are

new directionKING LEAR NEXT YEAR

Tony Gan recently took up the position of Associate Dean Vocational in Whanganui.

Tony comes to UCOL from the Private Training Establishment (PTE) sector and has a wealth of experience, having been in the tertiary education sector since 1989.

During this time Tony established a PTE on the Kapiti Coast, and was Chief Executive Officer of the NZ School of Acupuncture, and Deputy Chair of the China-NZ Business Council.

Tony has skills and experience in teaching, business development, and management in the education, tourism and publishing, events management, and regional economic and tourism development sectors.

Tony speaks English, Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia and Hokkien, and holds a number of qualifications, including an MBA from Massey University and a Bachelor of Science

(Information Science) from Victoria University.

Welcome to UCOL Tony!

Tony Gan - whanganui Associate Dean vocational

offered each year in Creative Writing, Film or Digital Arts and Theatre. Jaime’s Visiting Artist appointment began in mid-November and fits perfectly into the hiatus of the UCOL academic year. “The scheme is great for me and my employer,” says Jaime. “UCOL encourages its staff to keep in touch with our industries. This is the best kind of professional development.”

Jaime’s work has a strong physical component, and he is renowned for always looking for ways of physically embodying script, emotions and images on stage. During his Residency tenure Jaime will direct King Lear in the Summer Shakespeare season in March next year. Jaime describes his plans for the iconic play as a “unique and very physical take, on an old classic.”


good workSPORTING SUCCESS wIDESPREAD

Two UCOL Sports Science Lecturers were nominated for Manawatu Sportsperson of the Year Awards recently. Vaughan Antonio was up for Masters Sportsperson of the Year, and Tim Seaholme was nominated in the Coach of the Year category.

Although they weren’t placed in their Award categories, both Vaughan and Tim have had exciting years in their respective sporting codes.

Tim Seaholme went to the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in August as a Table Tennis coach. In December he is coach for the NZ Junior Teams at the World Junior Championships in Shanghai, China.

Since the beginning of 2007 Tim has been coaching the national junior squads with Table Tennis New Zealand (TTNZ) at training camps and has had international coaching duties at World Junior Circuit events.

Vaughan recently returned from the World Masters Brazilian Jiu Jitsu championships at Long Beach, California, where he won bronze in

the Gi super heavyweight category.

At the NZ Grappler no Gi (no uniform) national championships in Auckland he won silver to add to three golds and a silver at the NZ Sports Jiu Jitsu Championships.

vaughan (centre) at the Nz Grappler No Gi Nationals where he won Gold in his Division

CONGRATULATIONS

Lia Wood, a stalwart of the Martinborough Plunket committee, was presented with a New Zealander of the Year award recently.

Lia spearheaded Plunket’s side of the last UCOL Wairarapa house build, working in conjunction with UCOL, contractors, sponsors and the community to build the house for auction.

The house build was run in conjunction with the Upper Hutt-based Dugdale Charitable Trust and Masterton Mitre 10 MEGA. It raised $150,000 for charity. Of the $150,000 raised, $15,000 was donated to Martinborough Plunket.

Wairarapa UCOL Construction Programme Coordinator Brett Tickner says Lia was very

motivated, working behind the scenes to organise items from Martinborough businesses for a pre-auction.

“She has a fantastic community spirit and was a joy to work with.”


first classON THE DEAN’S LIST

Lecturer at UCOL Institute of Commercial Photography Auckland (UICPA), Leanne Miller has undertaken her own fair share of study in Arts and Design.

Leanne completed a Master in Art and Design thesis through AUT recently, titled The Visceral Metaphor: A contemplation on the invaded self.

Leanne was awarded a First Class Honours for the thesis.

“The focus of this thesis was an investigation into how visceral metaphors operate as an extension of the corporeal, through both still and moving image,” she says, “by discovering ways to communicate the way in which we visually process events in our lives, through seemingly unrelated imagery.”

“The images which exist, within our personal collected histories, reach where words do not.”

Leanne Miller - on the AUT Dean’s List 2014

Through investigating the potential of adding 3-dimensional depth to a 2-dimensional image through instantaneous sequencing, Leanne introduced a new genre called ‘moving stills’, borrowing from cinematic theory as a way of informing one’s photographic practice.

At an award ceremony held recently for AUT Art and Design Graduates who achieved High Academic Grades for their study, Leanne was awarded the Deans Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Study.

Palus (Swamp) and Anguilla Dieffenbachia (Eels) are still photographic images, which were also represented as moving images – or known within the thesis as ‘Moving Stills’.

Each image plays looping continuously, for 20 minute intervals.

MOvING STILLS


about usBREAKING DOwN BARRIERS

Whanganui UCOL staff are breaking down the barriers between different departments on the campus.

A series of “Find Out About Us” sessions were run in Semester two, hosted by a different department each month.

Whanganui UCOL Senior Lecturer Gina Guigou says the sessions were about making people aware of what happens in different areas.

“The sessions also gave people a chance to meet other staff members and share teaching practices.”

First out of the block was Hairdressing in August. Staff had the chance to look around the salon, some for the first time.

Second was the Learning Hub, with a game of Snakes and Ladders played to further staff knowledge about how the Learning Hub team can assist students and staff.

“One staff member even admitted that they sent students to take books out of the library as they didn’t know how,” Gina says.

The Business team hosted a lunch time quiz, in which staff from different departments had to answer four rounds of questions all relating to different teaching areas.

Most recently, staff were able to get their BMI done with the Nursing Education Team and have a play with the simulation lab equipment.

Gina says more sessions will be held in 2015, starting with Facilities Management in February.

More ‘find out about us’ sessions will be scheduled for 2015 in whanganui

“The sessions also gave people a chance to meet other staff members and share teaching practices.”


Christmas Campus ConnectionsISSUE 71 DECEMBER ‘14

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Christmas campus connections 71