[csaa-forum] CHASS newsletter #16: July 2006

Mon Jul 17 10:01:49 CST 2006

Dear csaa-forum

CHASS Newsletter Number 16, for July 2006.  Please feel free to pass on to
your colleagues.

1.  MINISTERIAL INTERVENTION ON ARC GRANTS
2.  "TO HELL WITH CULTURE"
3.  DIVERSITY IN UNIVERSITY SECTOR
4.  LEARNING AND TEACHING PERFORMANCE FUND
5.  OZCO: ARTS RIPPA and NEW MEDIA
6.  CHASS AGM
7.  THE RQF, IMPACT AND THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
8.  INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE ARC COLLEGE OF EXPERTS?
9.  CHASS MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
10.  PM: NO TO MEDALS - BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA?
11. CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PROJECT
12. WORKSHOP ON SCHOOL MUSIC

1. MINISTERIAL INTERVENTION ON ARC GRANTS
The Monthly has given us permission to post on our website Gideon Haigh's
article on the former Minster's role in scrapping ARC research grants.
Here's a sample:

"At the end of 2004, there'd been a bit of an attitude from the other
disciplines of: "Well, humanities people are wankers, Nelson was probably
right." But the second time, when the social sciences as well as the
humanities were questioned, there were rumours that science would be
scrutinised as well.

"Other people started saying: "What's going on?" In fact, the position I
took with people in science was to say: "What's the position going to be in
a few years on stem cell research? All you need's a shift in the politics to
be in the same position."  (Graeme Turner, quoted in the article.)

2.  "TO HELL WITH CULTURE"
How has culture fallen into bad odour with politicians? How can public
support be enlisted?  Why is culture important, and how can its value be
explained? Who has to be persuaded, and what are the best tactics for each
audience? Is it just Australia?

"To Hell with Culture" will address these questions, at an afternoon seminar
in Melbourne on Thursday 10 August.  Victoria College of the Arts; 3 pm to
6.30; optional drinks and book launch at 6.30 pm.  Registration is $55
(www.chass.org.au).

John Holden, Head of Culture at Demos in London, and Stuart Cunningham,
Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and
Innovation at Queensland University of Technology, are the main speakers.

There will be a discussion, a debate, a panel of respondents, and an
opportunity to comment and ask questions.  Further information at the CHASS
web site.

Demos describes itself as "a think tank for everyday democracy."  See:
www.demos.co.uk

3.  DIVERSITY IN UNIVERSITY SECTOR
Education Minister Julie Bishop announced on 7 July that the state,
territory and federal ministers of education had agreed to a new set of
protocols for approval of higher education institutions.  CHASS has
advocated that the excessive uniformity that has resulted from the unified
national system needs to be challenged, and it be possible for specialist
universities also to be recognized.

This has now been agreed upon in these new protocols, so we may one day see
specialist medical or creative-arts or theological universities.  CHASS sees
this as a healthy step towards a more diverse university sector. Despite the
theoretical example of a "Sydney University of Performing Arts", given in
Minister Bishop's press release, CHASS has not claimed any particular
present need for such a university, in Sydney or elsewhere.

4.  LEARNING AND TEACHING PERFORMANCE FUND
>From Ministerial release on 9 July:
"Last year excellence in teaching and learning was recognised on a
whole-of-institution basis. The most significant change will be to allocate
the $82 million available for 2007 on the basis of four broad discipline
areas:

*  science, computing, engineering, architecture and agriculture;
*  business, law and economics;
*  humanities, arts and education; and
*  health.

"The discipline-oriented format will encourage universities to play to their
strengths and focus their teaching and learning efforts in particular
areas," Minister Bishop said.

See:  http://www.dest.gov.au/Ministers/Media/Bishop/2006/07/b002140706.asp

5.  OZCO: ARTS RIPPA and NEW MEDIA
Arts RiPPA (Arts Research in Progress or Planned Across Australia) is a
publication of the Australia Council for the Arts.  Now it's going online:

See:  http://www.ozco.gov.au/research_centre/arts_rippa/

The new database will keep you 'in the know' about current research; enable
you to promote your own research findings; offer access to new publications;
and help identify who does what in this field.  There's also a newsletter.

Register your research project in the arts, by downloading the entry form.
To join the arts research network, contact Natasha Eves on (02) 9215 9175 or
evesn at ozco.gov.au 

The Australia Council for the Arts has released a discussion paper for
consideration and comment by interested new media artists, arts
organisations and arts stakeholders.

The paper may be downloaded at this URL:
http://www.ozco.gov.au/news_and_hot_topics/hot_topics/new_media_scoping_stud
y_discussion_paper_released/

Please note the closing date for written submissions is 3 August 2006. These
can be lodged at nmascopingstudy at ozco.gov.au

6.  CHASS AGM
Our AGM will be held at 4 pm on Tuesday 19 September.  The meeting will be
in Sydney, and the venue announced shortly.

According to CHASS practice, a search committee will recommend to the AGM a
slate of candidates for election to the Board.  This does not preclude any
Member nominating other candidates at the AGM itself.

7.  THE RQF, IMPACT AND THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
CHASS is convening a workshop in Melbourne on Tuesday September 26, at the
Victoria College of the Arts.  It aims to strengthen the network of
university-based peak bodies whose constituents are the major providers of
these courses.  The program will provide a forum for an update on
developments and discussion about issues of defining research, research
outcomes and the measurement of impact in the visual and performing arts as
it relates to the RQF.

More details and registration soon

8. INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE ARC COLLEGE OF EXPERTS?
The ARC is calling for nominations for appointment to its Collage of Experts
in 2007.  The Collage provides strategic advice and assesses and ranks ARC
grant applications.

For information and the nomination form, go to:  www.arc.gov.au

The ARC advises that nominees must be nominated by their primary employer,
because membership requires a commitment of time.

9.  CHASS MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS
We have written to all Members about the need to introduce a new
subscription rate:

"Now it is time for the Members of CHASS to become the major stakeholders in
our own enterprise. The initial stages of our operation have been supported
by a grant from DEST, but now we need to move to a new subscription model
which makes our organisation sustainable in the long term."

We will be issuing subscription notices for 2006-07 by July 31, once our
office has completed negotiations with Members.

10.  PM: NO TO MEDALS - BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA?
The PM's office does not want to institute a medal system to recognise the
achievements of people and organisations working in the humanities, arts and
social sciences, but suggested instead the Order of Australia, as a suitable
vehicle for this recognition.

So we did some research.  2200 people were nominated in 2006.  Male
nominations are double those of female and the success rate is about 60%.
The data was split into 30 broad fields and half the nominations were in the
category "community", with "medical" and "sport" the next biggest.

It is hard to identify HASS nominees from these categories, but
Architecture, Library, Law, Media and Communication and Religion totalled
about 0.7% of nominations.

We will soon be posting tips on our website tips on how to make an effective
nomination.

11 CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PROJECT
The draft report on collaborations between the HASS and STEM
(science-technology-engineering-medicine) will be delivered to CHASS by the
consultants next week.

After a period for comment and editing, the report is expected to be
launched in September.

The consultants report that 800 people responded to the on-line survey and
that interest in the project has been huge.

12. WORKSHOP ON SCHOOL MUSIC
Julie Bishop has announced that a National Music Workshop will be held in
August to consider the findings of the National Review of School Music
Education. ??

The National Music Workshop will be held in Melbourne on 27 and 28 August
2006. It will be organised by the Australian Music Association and sponsored
by the Australian Government.

The Government's initial response to the National Review of School Music
Education was released in November 2005. ??See:
?http://www.dest.gov.au/NationalReviewofSchoolMusicEducation

Yours sincerely

Malcolm Gillies
President
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********
The best way to keep abreast of activities in CHASS is to register to
receive our newsletter.  Add your name to our distribution list at the home
page of the CHASS web site:  Www.chass.org.au
********
Mr Toss Gascoigne
Executive Director
Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS)
28 Balmain Cres, ANU, ACT, AUSTRALIA

Postal address
PO Box 8157, ANU, ACT AUSTRALIA 2601

Ph: +61 2 6249 1995 OR +61 2 6230 7179
0408 704 442 (international +61 408 704 442)
Fax: +61 2 6247 4335
Email: director at chass.org.au
Web:  www.chass.org.au
ABN:  75 017 337 844
*********

********
The best way to keep abreast of activities in CHASS is to register to
receive our newsletter.  Add your name to our distribution list at the home
page of the CHASS web site:  Www.chass.org.au
********
Mr Toss Gascoigne
Executive Director
Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS)
28 Balmain Cres, ANU, ACT, AUSTRALIA

Postal address
PO Box 8157, ANU, ACT AUSTRALIA 2601

Ph: +61 2 6249 1995 OR +61 2 6230 7179
0408 704 442 (international +61 408 704 442)
Fax: +61 2 6247 4335
Email: director at chass.org.au
Web:  www.chass.org.au
ABN:  75 017 337 844
*********