Issue 172 ‘O’ what a week - QUT · 2016. 3. 3. · designer perfumes to working in the mining...

INSIDE QUT March 3-March 16, 1998

Young achievermines forsuccess

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Law goes onlineto offer greateraccess

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QUT Central Administration 2 George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 3864 2111 Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. QBF 4778

Journalists toface effectsof trauma

‘O’ what a week

Relaxing before the Vice-Chancellor’s orientation welcome … see Page 5 for more on O Week

by Glenys Haalebos

Turning nature on itself by manipulatingpredator/prey relationships is the principlebehind groundbreaking Queenslandresearch into controlling toxic blue-greenalgae in the State’s freshwater bodies.

The research — a collaborationbetween QUT, the Department ofNatural Resources (DNR) and theCSIRO — has received a major boostfrom a recent $237,000, three-yearAustralian Research Council StrategicPartnerships with Industry Research andTraining (ARC SPIRT) grant to QUT.

The grant, combined with DNRfunding of around $254,000 over threeyears and additional monies from CSIRO,directs an amount exceeding half a milliondollars to the research, elevating it to majorproject status. School of Life Sciences seniorlecturer Dr Chris King, pictured below, saidthe program would look at biologicalcontrol of nuisance algae.

“The idea is that, in freshwater bodies,there are microscopic animals calledzooplankters that feed on the algae,” DrKing said. “If you can boost zooplankternumbers so there are always enough toeat the algae before it blooms, you’vemanaged to control it.

“QUT will document thebiomanipulation aspects of the projectand develop a model which can predicthow effective this control measure isgoing to be under different circumstances.

“DNR and CSIRO are actually goingto test the effectiveness of biomanipulationusing freshwater bodies — Lake Moogerahand Maroon Dam.”

Dr King said blue-green algae was aproblem in Australian freshwater bodieswhen it bloomed and released toxins.

“Toxin-producing algae can harm stockand there is a possibility that humansswimming in or drinking toxin-pollutedwater could suffer some illness as a result,”he said.

“We’re trying a ‘clean/green’ method ofcontrolling the algae — using natural enemiesto help eradicate the problem. In the past,chemical approaches have been tried butweren’t successful. Often the chemicaltreatment caused the algae to break down,releasing tastes and odours into the water.”

Nature tofight algae

by Andrea Hammond

Young children are absorbing muchmore from television than either theirteachers or parents realise, researchat QUT has shown.

A three-year study has found adultprograms and the nightly televisionnews — rather than children’sprograms such as Play School andSesame Street — are informingchildren’s play and perceptions ofthe world.

TV news proves child’s playCentre of Applied Studies in Early

Childhood (CASEC) researcherCassandra Weddell and AshgroveWest Kindergarten and Preschooldirector Janice Copeland found youngchildren from two to five years of ageare “active consumers of popularculture” and profoundly affected bynews events.

News-savvy preschoolers devisedprops and elaborate story lines to re-enact major news stories in theplayground — such as the dramatic

rescue of British yachtsman TonyBullimore, the Thredbo disaster andthe death of Princess Diana.

The research, based on interviewswith 109 parents and 124 teachersand extensive observation of children,also found children between the agesof two and five years watch up to 17hours of television each week.

Ms Weddell and Ms Copelandpresented their findings at a CASEC

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Q u e e n s l a n d U n i v e r s i t y o f T e c h n o l o g y N e w s p a p e r ■ I s s u e 172 ■ March 3-16 1 9 9 8


From the Inside… by David Hawke

A fair go for Queensland

A word from the Vice-Chancellor

… TV news proves child’s play — researchFrom Page 1

seminar: How young children show whatthey know about the media at QUT’sKelvin Grove campus on February 23.

Ms Weddell said she believed parentsneeded to take a greater interest in whatchildren were watching, howeverperipherally, and to defuse violent ordisturbing images by teaching childrento become “critical viewers”.

“Our research indicates that even veryyoung children are not passive viewersand are able to discern political,economic and social influences bothwithin Australia and globally,” she said.

“They show empathy andunderstanding, are aware of culturaldiversity and are able to articulate in detailwhat they understand about certainscenarios, that are then replicated in play.

“The news genre is something thatchildren latch on to because news reportsare short, succinct pieces that have abeginning, a middle and an end, andthe pictures and the spoken text match.

“Shows such as the Funniest HomeVideo Show have an even greater impact

on children, simply because almost everystory has a child or animal being hurt orlaughed at.”

Ms Weddell said the study foundparents were often not aware of howmuch their children gleaned from newsflashes and promotions screened duringchildren’s television programs.

“We found children were able to piecea story together even when they had notseen the complete story. In householdswhere the television is part ofbackground noise — perhaps in anotherroom during the evening meal —children were easily able to understandand make sense of a story,” she said.

“Parents need to be aware thatcommercial television stations are onlyobliged to program one hour of televisionper day for children in the two- to five-year-old age group — hence youngchildren are watching many programsdesigned for much older audiences.

“Parents also need to be mindful thatyoung children will want to be wherethe family is congregated and that oftenthis will be in front of the television inthe evening. Once again, if parents and

older siblings are watching adultprograms, young children will absorbthe images presented on TV.

“What makes our research unique isthat we are acknowledging the negativeeffects of television but we are also sayingchildren’s viewing should not becompletely censored and restricted toThe Wiggles and Play School.”

Ms Weddell said strategies that parentscould employ included allocating a certainnumber of hours for children to selectand watch television programs eachweek, and pre-recording favoureddocumentaries shown late at night.

“I think parents can, and should, talkabout violent cartoons, even pre-recordthem and use the pause button to talkabout whether this is how we wouldreally treat someone, or the cartooneffects that have been used,” she said.

“Our research found even childrenwho haven’t seen (popular) cartoonsare persuaded into very anti-socialbehaviour and I think the reallyimportant thing is offering alternativeactivities that can engage the childrenin a positive way.”

by Andrea Hammond

Researchers at QUT’s School of EarlyChildhood are developing a teachingpackage to encourage young children toretain their positive view of the world.

A project supervised by the school’sAssociate Professor Susan Wright andsenior lecturer Dr Barbara Piscitelli, inconjunction with the QueenslandCatholic Education Commission(QCEC), aims to help youngsters keeptheir sunny dispositions longer.

Preschoolers to Year 3 students at twoCatholic schools in the Rockhamptondiocese will this year continue a specially-designed futures education package co-ordinated by QCEC senior research officerDianne Reardon and the RockhamptonCatholic Education Office.

“We are trying to develop strategies andprocesses to help children go beyond theirnormal mindset,” Professor Wright said.

“The underpinning philosophy of futureseducation is that all of us are individualswith minds that can have an influence in

our world. If we have a positive view onwhat this is, then we can shape society inpositive and productive ways.

“We are helping children realise thatthey are not simply the recipients ofsociety, but the shapers of society.”

Professor Wright said she hoped thefutures curriculum might be adopted byAustralian teachers and parents in theeducation of young children. She saidresearch had shown that from about sixyears old, children’s perspectives of theworld around them began to change.

“We are deliberately jumping in whilethese children are young and positive,while their minds are still quite pliableand open to a lot of experiences andinput from other people,” she said.

“I guess we are trying to counterbalancewhat is assumed to be, developmentally, anatural progression — that as people becomemore informed they can become cynical.

“We are increasingly finding that byabout eight years old children are sayingand feeling they can’t do anything tochange the world. If we can positivelyinfluence children’s attitudes and beliefsbefore this age, we may have a betterchance of helping children becomeempowered through positive attitudeswhich will, ultimately, benefit oursociety as a whole.”

Package to help kids staypositive about their world

Jamboree State School YearOne student Andrew Cox …

children need to learn optimism

Going from dreams of developing exoticdesigner perfumes to working in the miningindustry may seem like a quantum careerleap, but for QUT graduate Sharon Carvolthit has brought the sweet smell of success.

The move has seen her start her ownsuccessful business, break new ground inthe quality field and — the highlight to date— be named Queensland Career Achieverand Young Achiever of the Year in late 1997.

“I was blown away by the fact that Iwon,” Ms Carvolth said. “Winning mycategory (Career Achiever) was one thing,but to then win overall was just great.”

Ms Carvolth, who was nominated forthe award by the Queensland Businessand Professional Women’s Association,beat a field of 21 finalists.

“The judges look for people who arecontinually achieving, trying to motivatethemselves and growing,” she said.

As a chemistry student at QUT, MsCarvolth dreamed of creating the world’s

best scents, but it was her move into themining industry which won herprestigious accolades and mapped out herfuture career path.

Ms Carvolth became involved withmining through her vacation work as a highschool and university student, working withmining companies ACIRL Ltd and BP.

“BP offered me full-time work as soon asI finished my degree in 1991,” she said.

“I did quality control testing anddeveloped an interest in quality issues.”

Seeing a new career opening, Ms Carvolthundertook a Graduate Diploma in Qualityand then a Master of Business Quality atQUT. She is currently completing a Masterof Environment Management at theUniversity of Queensland.

Seeing a market niche, at age 23 MsCarvolth established Carvolth & Associates,a company offering quality managementconsultancy to the mining sector.

— Glenys Haalebos

Young Achiever has foundformula for success

The editorial deadline for next issue (March 17-30) is March 6.

About your newspaperInside QUT is published by QUT’sPublic Affairs Department and has acirculation of 15,000.

Readership includes staff, students,and members of the QUT community.

The newspaper is delivered tospecially-marked boxes in communityareas at the university’s Gardens Point,Kelvin Grove and Carseldine campuses.

It is also circulated to business,industry, government and the media.Media may reproduce stories from InsideQUT. Each story has been checked withthe source prior to publication.

Letters to the Editor are welcome viamail or e-mail (maximum of 250 words).

The Public Affairs Departmentaddress is Level 5, M Block, GardensPoint, or GPO Box 2434 Brisbane 4001.

The opinions expressed in Inside QUTdo not necessarily represent those of theuniversity or the editorial team.

If you know of a story which shouldbe told in Inside QUT contact one ofthe journalists in the Public AffairsDepartment:

Carmen Myler (acting ed) 3864 1150Andrea Hammond 3864 1150Glenys Haalebos 3864 2130Noel Gentner (p/t) 3864 1841Fax 3210 0474E-mail [email protected]

Photography: Tony Phillips

Advertising: Joanne Garnett 3864 1840

As successful applicants for highereducation places in 1998 begin theirchosen courses and the unsuccessfullook around for other options, a glanceat admission statistics for universitiesaround the country is instructive.

Since the cutbacks to previouslyannounced levels of Commonwealthfunding in 1996, the number ofoffers made to commencing studentshas understandably fallen nationallyfor both the 1997 and 1998 intakes.But, in most states, there has alsobeen a fall-off in demand for studentplaces.

The figures for applications for1998 places show that totalapplications fell over 1997 levels inall states except Queensland andVictoria. But only in Queensland wasthere an increase in applicationscombined with a decrease in offers.

For the prospective student, higherdemand for undergraduate places,combined with no or negative growth,simply means it will be tougher to getinto Queensland universities.

Students who are unsuccessful inQueensland of course have theoption of moving to a state withlower demand to get into universityor enrolling in a distance educationcourse, but these options can bedisruptive or unsatisfying.

Some years ago, the CommonwealthGovernment recognised Queensland’shigh population growth andhistorically low participation rates byawarding special “growth” places tothe State.

The latest application figures showthat the distribution of tertiary placesbetween states is still unfair.

The Government should look at afunding mechanism that responds tostudent demand by redistributingtertiary places to states and regionswith high demand.

— Professor Dennis Gibson


10x3 ad formobile taxaccountants

by Glenys Haalebos

Australia’s first “victims of trauma andmedia program” to be run in a journalismcourse will be launched at QUT today(March 3).

The result of a rare, cross-disciplinecollaboration between psychology andjournalism — and between American andAustralian universities — the program willbe launched by its US developer, ProfessorFrank Ochburg, clinical psychiatrist andoriginator of the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’.

(The Stockholm Syndrome is said tooccur when people held captive identifystrongly with — and sometimes fall in lovewith—␣ their captors.)

QUT’s School of Social ScienceProfessor Gary Embelton learned of theprogram being run at the University ofWashington (Seattle) and Michigan StateUniversity, while undertaking post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) researchat Harvard in 1996.

“As a psychologist, I realised traumaticevents which receive media coverage impacton both the victim and the reporter,”Professor Embelton said.

“The research being undertaken in the USprogram indicated American journalists,particularly those continually coveringtraumatic events, suffered on-going stress.

“This work has profound implications forboth social scientists and journalists in Australiain understanding and dealing effectively withPTSD in that profession locally.

“This is one of the cross-disciplinaryprogram’s most innovative features. Itdraws on the inside knowledge ofjournalism educators who understand thecultural milieu of the newsroom.”

Professor Embelton enlisted the supportof QUT School of Media and Journalismjournalism co-ordinator Cratis Hippocratesand the pair made successfulrepresentations late last year to ProfessorOchburg, as Director of the US DartFoundation, for funding to replicate theprogram in Australia.

Mr Hippocrates said the foundationhad allocated $US20,000 to establish aQUT program — an amount to bematched dollar-for-dol lar by localfunding.

Media students to witnesseffects of trauma first-hand

“The program has four stages,” MrHippocrates said. “They are: curriculumdevelopment; undertaking local research;developing in-house courses for journalists;and establishing emergency response teamsto debrief media in events like Port Arthur.

“Stages one and two will be done thisyear — the program will be introducedinto an ethics unit in the QUT journalismcourse this semester, and we will replicatethe US research in Australian media.“Stages three and four are longer-termtasks,” Mr Hippocates said.

He said the program would involvestudent workshops where victims oftrauma, particularly victims of crime,related their experiences of the mediaduring that event.

“By exposing students to these stories, wehope future generations of journalists willdevelop a greater awareness of the impact ofsuch traumas and their media coverage onboth the victims and themselves,” he said.“The workshops will be conducted underthe supervision of a psychologist.”

— Glenys Haalebos

Head of QUT’s School of HumanMovement Studies Professor Tony Parkerhas been appointed organising committeechair for the 2000 Pre-Olympic ScientificConference — the world’s largest sportsscience conference.

As the successful bidder for theconference over Melbourne and Perth,Brisbane will host around 3,500 local,national and international delegatesdrawn from a myriad of sporting andsports-related disciplines and interests.

Professor Parker said the conference,to be held in the week preceding theSydney Olympic Games, was organisedin conjunction with the InternationalFederation of Sports Medicine, theworld’s oldest multinational sportsmedicine body, which includes morethan 110 countries.

“We have managed to get justabout every professional and scientificdiscipline area in the field … holdingtheir meeting at this conference,”Professor Parker said.

“We will have sports physiotherapists,scientists, sociologists and psychologists,sports medicine representatives, physicaleducators, health educators, coaches andtrainers, to name a few.

“The scope of the conference isenormous, both in terms of attendees’professions and of the issues that willbe covered.”

Parker to chair pre-Olympic committeeProfessor Parker said he hoped

to provide the conference with acultural focus on sport and the artsin Brisbane.

“The Brisbane Festival will berunning at that time (September)and I would like to see it linked tothe Olympic Games — to sport,art and culture — so that we canexpress Australian culture to thethousands of overseas conferencedelegates,” he said.

“Discussions have already takenplace between the Lord Mayor andthe State sports minister in this regard.

“We’re hoping InternationalOlympic Committee presidentJuan Antonio Samaranch willofficially open the conference —he opened it in Dallas prior to the1996 Atlanta games.”

As first vice-president of theInternational Council of SportsScience and Physical Education,Australian representative to theExecutive of the InternationalFederation of Sports Medicine anda life member of Sports MedicineAustralia, Professor Parker appearsan eminently suitable choice fororganising committee chair of thePre-Olympic Scientific Conference.

“I felt very honoured to be invitedto undertake this role,” he said.

The nation’s most prestigious sportsmedicine body, Sports Medicine Australia(SMA), recently presented its highest award— the President’s Award — to QUT’s headof the School of Human Movement Studies,Professor Tony Parker.

In its 35-year history, the SMA hasaccorded this honour to only one otherrecipient.

Professor Parker said it was a greathonour to receive the award, which wasgiven in recognition of his “outstandingand continuing contribution to sportsscience in Australia, Oceania andinternationally”.

Professor Parker has been involved insports medicine in an official capacity for18 years in Queensland, as well asnationally and internationally.

He helped found, and is president of,the Australian Association for Exercise andSports Science — a body which looks afterthe professional interests of humanmovement studies’ graduates.

— Glenys Haalebos

Volunteers helpdetermine safe

level of exercise

Victims of traumatic events are not the only ones to feel the impact …journalists who cover their stories can also experience post-traumatic

stress disorder in the aftermath of tragedy

“It will be a team effort. I’m responsiblefor the organisation, but the host body isSports Medicine Australia and they have aconference secretariat, so we’ll be workingwith national and internationalcounterparts to pull it all together.”

Professor Parker said the Pre-OlympicScientific Conference had been held in the weekprior to the Olympic Games since the 1970s.

More than 80 people have volunteered to join a QUT WeightManagement Clinic study to determine their ideal level of exerciseintensity.

All of the volunteers are overweight and/or have high bloodpressure. They will receive expert advice on the exact level andfrequency at which they should exercise to improve their health.

The research project has been funded by Polar, a Finnish companywhich produces an extensive range of heart-rate monitors.

QUT School of Human Movement Studies researcher AndrewRamage (pictured, above, monitoring a volunteer) said the projectwould help people with special exercise needs to determine individualguidelines for their own exercise programs.

“It’s basically to try and optimise performance and the benefitsthese groups gain from the work they put into exercise withoutplacing them at increased risk of cardiovascular complications,” MrRamage said. Volunteers will participate in three one-hour sessionsof treadmill, lactate and gas analysis tests at the clinic at KelvinGrove campus.


Goddess in the machineby Carmen Myler

Writing about computers andtechnology seems worlds apart fromwriting about meditation and goddessworship, but QUT Computing Services’technical writer Jason Copeland hasmanaged to do both successfully.

Mr Copeland — whose usualQ U T p u b l i c a t i o n s i n c l u d enewsletters Computing News andT e a c h i n g T e c h n o l o g y a n d t h epopular Student Computing Guide— has recently signed a contract tohave his first book, God the Mother,published in electronic form on theWorld Wide Web.

The book is about meditation,kundal in i (pr imordia l energy)awakening, goddess worship andspiritual ascent as a basis for self-improvement, Mr Copeland said.

“I t ’ s a l so about the soc ia l ,psychological, moral and politicalimplications of seeing and feelingGod as female,” he said.

Mr Copeland said after having hiskundalini awakened in 1980 by aspiritual teacher, he discovered a“more correct and healthy” view ofGod as a feminine source of creation.

“ I f you ’ r e s t a r t ing f rom thepatriarchal perspective of the male

God, then it is a feminist view oft h e d i v i n e b u t r e a l l y i t i suniversalist, because the divine isabove, and anterior to, all humanattributes,” he said.

“It’s becoming obvious that theworld’s patriarchal, materialist, hardscience paradigm is radically wrong.

“We’ve got to bring back religionbut not a religion of belief. We don’tneed belief, we need experience.

“Through meditation, people candevelop intuitive, insightful experiencethat says ‘I don’t care if you worshipdifferently from me as long as yourecognise that my spirit is the same asyours and we have a joint duty to treateach other with love, courtesy,consideration and nurturing’.”

Mr Copeland said he had done alot of meditating, contemplationand cogitation in preparing thebook, which took him seven yearsto write.

God the Mother will be publishedelectronically by Brisbane-based webpublisher Infocis, which has a “virtualbookshop” site online at http:/ /www.infocis.com/

The author said he thought theWorld Wide Web was “a spiritualthing” and, therefore, ideally suitedas a vehicle for his first ventureinto publishing.

“The web is perceived throughmachinery — through computers,servers, junction boxes, wires andsatellites — but the web is not thosethings,” he said.

“It runs through all these machinesbut the reality of the web is that it ispulsating, electronic energy.”

From technology totransendence … QUT technicalwriter Jason Copeland (pictured,left, meditating in the CityBotanic Gardens) has written hisfirst book, God the Mother,which will be published on theWorld Wide Web later this year

“I would like to work closely with other lecturersfrom different faculties — learning from them,sharing some of my reflections and experiences withthem, and getting their feedback.

“Having identified some good practices, I canthen analyse why they work and, with thecollaboration of the individual lecturers, video whatthey are doing and ultimately produce resourcematerial and guides to various learning strategies.”

During his year with ASDU, Dr Watters willalso work with the Teaching, Reflection andCollaboration (TRAC) network groups, particularly“Genius” (Generic Skills in Undergraduate Study),PBL (Problem-based learning), CLATS(Collaborative Learning and Teaching Strategies)and the 2002 Teaching and Learning Plan.

The teaching fellowship comprises $25,000 forthe successful applicant’s faculty to fund 1998academic year teaching relief and $10,000 to thesuccessful applicant for project costs.

— Glenys Haalebos

Watters commences fellowshipSchool of Maths, Science and Technology Educationsenior lecturer Dr Jim Watters is the successfulapplicant for the Division of Academic Affairs’inaugural $35,000 Teaching Fellowship.

Dr Watters commenced his fellowship with theAcademic Staff Development Unit (ASDU) onFebruary 9.

ASDU acting director Dr Patricia Weeks (picturedbelow with Dr Watters) said applicants for the 1998Teaching Fellowship were required to make a writtensubmission, give an oral presentation to demonstratetheir teaching expertise and put forward a projectthey wished to develop.

Dr Watters’ project will explore student-centredand authentic learning practices such as problem-based learning, collaborative learning, peer teachingand the formation of learning communities.

“The project is looking at identifying goodpractice that already exists in the university andwhich takes into account contemporary views andbeliefs about learning,” Dr Watters said.

Study tourfinds QUT

leading edge

Child care facilities will not berestored to Gardens Point campusuntil mid-year, following fire damageto the building late last year.

Campus manager Paul Abernethysaid, in addition to repairing smokedamage caused by the small, after-hours fire, the university was takingthe opportunity to make otherimprovements to the facility.

Child care services, run by QUT’sStudent Guild, are available at KelvinGrove and Carseldine campuses.

Fire causeschild care wait

Going online in 1998 and achieving international accreditationlast year has contributed to the growing popularity of QUT’sGraduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education).

Academic Staff Development Unit lecturer Denise Scottsaid the course for practising postgraduate teachers withinQUT, was now an “internationally portable qualification”.

“Being available via the Internet now makes the coursemore accessible and flexible,” Ms Scott said.

“We have block teaching days at the beginning of eachsemester followed by individual contact with lecturers —or e-mail where desired. Two block teaching days wereheld in early February with the 50 staff enrolled this year.

“So far, we’ve had 70 graduates in the four years thecourse has been running.”

The course received accreditation from the UnitedKingdom’s Staff and Educational Development Association(SEDA) last year.

“Participants come from a wide range of teachingexperience — from beginning university teachers, tosomeone who has been a tertiary teacher for 25 years.

Head of QUT’s School of Media andJournalism Professor StuartCunningham has been elected as afellow in the Australian Academy ofthe Humanities’ newly-createdCultural and CommunicationStudies section.

He is the first — and so far the only— QUT academic admitted to theacademy, which accepts those judgedby their peers to have “outstandingscholarly achievement” and to be“outstanding in the profession”.

Professor Cunningham, also deputydirector of the Australian Key Centrefor Cultural and Media Policy, is a leaderin the development of specificallyAustralian forms of cultural studies.

His academic publications includeFraming Culture: Criticism and Policyin Australia (1992) — the first book-length contribution to what is nowknown as cultural policy studies.

Cunninghamwins accolade

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An international study program hasconvinced Academic Staff DevelopmentUnit (ASDU) acting head Dr PatriciaWeeks that universities worldwide aregrappling with similar problems andQUT is “up there with the best” indealing with them.

The 11-day program for senioracademics and administrators in highereducation —Transforming Teaching andLearning: Refocusing on the AcademicMission — demonstrated US examplesof best practice in teaching and learning.

Dr Weeks said she and colleaguesfrom tertiary institutions in Papua NewGuinea, New Zealand, Hong Kong andAustralia visited key private and publicNorth American institutions, majorresearch organisations, and multi-campus and community colleges.

“It was interesting to see theinstitutions we visited dealing with thesame issues QUT is facing,” she said.

“Funding, flexible delivery, largeclasses, student fees, overseas students,research, teaching issues, tenure,promotions were under review whereverwe went. But a major concern was howto improve the quality of studentlearning in an effective, efficient andflexible way, and how to use newtechnologies to maximum effect.”

Dr Weeks said contrasting QUT andAmerican university facilities, sharingcommon concerns, and gleaning“transferable” ideas had been among themain benefits of the tour.

“I am still convinced that ASDU andQUT are more active in many waysthan many of our overseas counterparts,and can confidently claim to beforerunners in educationaldevelopment,” she said.

— Glenys Haalebos

Educators meetonline for course


International student orientationactivities this year included thefirst QUT International Collegeuniversity diploma students whowere welcomed to the university onFebruary 5.

Based at Kelvin Grove campus,27 in te rna t iona l s tudent s haveenrolled in the University Diplomain Business and 23 will undertaket h e U n i v e r s i t y D i p l o m a i nInformation Technology.

On successful completion of thediplomas, the students will be able totransfer directly to the second year ofa degree program in the Faculty ofBusiness or Faculty of InformationTechnology.

An integral part of the university,QUT International College providesinternational students with bridging,foundation, diploma and Englishlanguage programs at Kelvin Groveand Carseldine campuses.

Orientation Week had something foreveryone, as QUT’s 7,500 new students,and many continuing students, exploredthe university and had some fun alongthe way.

O Week officially started on February10 with the university’s inauguralCommencement Service at St Stephen’sCathedral.

Earlier in the day, QUT’sinternational students were welcomedto the university at an internationalstudents’ lunch.

Despite the dark skies on February11, thousands of students poured ontoGardens Point campus for the Vice-Chancellor’s Welcome to enjoy food,music and entertainment, and to pickup some information and inspirationwith which to begin the year.

The event was preceded by theStudent Guild’s Clubs and SocietiesForum which showcased the wide variety

The weekthat was

Orientation Week 1998

of international, special interest,sporting and faculty-based groups(around 85 of them) for students to join.

In the days that followed, the Guildhosted a range of activities across thethree campuses including market days,breakfasts, parties and movies.

The week came to a close on Saturday,February 28 with an O Week concertfeaturing The Superjesus, Snout andWebster at Arena in Fortitude Valley.

As the party hats are replaced withthinking caps, Inside QUT pays apictorial tribute to the week that was.

A chance to eat and meet … 1998 International Students’ Director Hirokimi Nishio talks to newinternational nursing students at the international students’ lunch

Diplomateswelcomed

Left: President of QUT’sbaseball club Nathan Ezard,at Carseldine

Above: Double degree students have twice as much fun at O Week… just ask second-year electrical engineering/aerospace engineering

students Marisa Quinell, left, and Beth Agnew, and fifth-yearelectrical engineering/information technology student Ken Radke

Second-year student Angela Norcott tries out a mechanicalsnow board at Gardens Point’s market day.

Above: The Punk Fairies fromQUT’s Academy of the Artsspread their joy among newstudents (l-r) Lynda Lemmon

(drama), Manar Barakat(information technology) and

Fiona Bruce (science)

Right: Keeping an eye on herdaaaahrlings … Zelda embraces

new MBA (International)students (l-r) Shiv Kumar

Sultania and Kunal Bhargava

Below right: Investigating theproperties of the humble snag

… Faculty of Science Dean’sScholar Phillip Wuth is served

by staff member Jackie Diery atthe faculty’s “sausage sizzle” to

welcome new students

Third-year industrial designstudent Mitch Shakespeare


An international research team hasreleased an in-depth report comparingthe patterns of illicit drug use inAustralia and the United States.

The team — which was lead byDr Jane Maxwell , the Chief ofResearch at the Texas Commissionon Alcohol and Drug Abuse, who iscurrently visiting Australia — alsoincluded Australians Jeremy Daveyfrom QUT’s School of Social Scienceand Paul Dillon from the NationalDrug and Alcohol Research Centre.

Drug report released

All three researchers participate inan international think-tank, theCommunity Epidemiology WorkGroup, which meets twice a year todiscuss developments in internationaldrug trends.

Their report is available via theInternet (in Acrobat.pdf format) athttp://www.tcada.state.tx.us/research/Aus-a4.pdf and gives a picture of thedrug scene in both countries as well asusage by juveniles and adults in prisonand detention facilities.

It was a case of mostly all work and noplay on a South Pacific island for aQUT project team late last year.

Five final-year students and theirsupervisor from the School ofCommunication spent three weeks inSamoa producing electronic promotionmaterial for two universities.

The students — Julie Dickson,Michelle Harmsworth, Tamara Logan,Mette Lundorf and Jennifer Ng —were supervised by associate lecturerJudy Gregory.

“The students worked very long hoursto get through the entire project andactually only had two days off in the threeweeks they were there,” Ms Gregory said.

“I think that before we went overthere our idea of what the projectinvolved was perhaps a little smallerthan what the universities hadin mind.”

Ms Gregory said the studentsproduced promotional material for theNational University of Samoa and theUniversity of the South Pacific.

She said six television and two radioadvertisements were produced for theNational University to promote itscourses to the local market, and a 10-minute promotional video was developedon the educational facilities offered bythe Agricultural College within theUniversity of the South Pacific.

Ms Gregory admitted the group hadhad some preconceived ideas for

Respecting ethnic and culturalheritage in an education environmentcan be a challenge.

But the challenge is far less daunting formore than 100 academic and general stafffrom Australian universities who haveattended special two-day REACHworkshops at QUT over the past two years.

The third such workshop was run recentlyby QUT Academic Staff Development Unit’sPatricia Kelly in conjunction with twoworkshop facilitators from the United States,Colleen Almojuela and Gary Howard, andGriffith University’s Glenys Charlton.

For the first time, Ms Kelly said,around 10 per cent of the 40 staff fromeight higher education institutions whoattended this year’s REACH program— Leadership for Diversity: AchievingEquity in the Educational Workplace —held senior positions.

“It’s really important for there to be high-level understanding of what we’re trying toachieve, so we are particularly pleased to seethese managers,” Ms Kelly said.

Professor William Renforth, whoheads QUT’s School of Marketing andInternational Business, was one of theparticipants in the December workshop.

He said it was important for educatorsto be “more responsive to thecommunities we serve”.

The Director of Research at theSchool of Indigenous Australian Studiesat James Cook University, Dr SueMcGinty, said diversity was a keyconcern for JCU in its daily dealingswith students and staff.

“For instance, we have a rapidlygrowing proportion of Aboriginalstudents, the largest in Australia in fact,”Dr McGinty explained, “And what we’restriving to create is a more culturallyinclusive curricula”.

Mallika Prasad-Chowta — the CulturalDiversity Services Manager at the StateLibrary of South Australia — said she hadcome to the REACH workshop to gatherideas and to evaluate her own culturaldiversity training approach.

Equity Co-ordinator at CentralQueensland University Robert Mainsaid his university was seeking to‘indigenise’ and ‘internationalise’ itscurricula and general operations.

“What I’m taking away with me (fromREACH) will be ideas for small changes,but I can see they will provide big results.”

Tracking patterns of illicit drug use … Chief of Research at theTexas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Dr Jane Maxwell is

part of an international research team which includes JeremyDavey from QUT’s School of Social Science

promotional material produced alongWestern lines, with “slick and fast”advertising concepts.

“However, what was suitable for theSamoan market was quite different,”she said.

“To our Western eyes the ads arequite slow, but interestingly, theSamoan people think they are very fast.”

Ms Gregory said the feedback shehad received was most encouragingwith the QUT students viewed thereas experts in their field.

Ms Gregory said the project was oneof a number of projects which hadbeen arranged by a former dean ofQUT’s Business Faculty, ProfessorBernie Wolff, who now works inSamoa for the National University.

by Noel Gentner

Students work hard in Pacific paradise

Leaders reach outfor diversity ideas

by Trina McLellan

With State and Federal governmentsjoining the majority of Fortune 500companies in adopting software giantSAP’s comprehensive R/3 suite offinancial management and humanresources modules, QUT has struck aunique educational deal to help meetthe demand for more trained users.

Director of the university’sInformation Systems ManagementResearch Concentration AssociateProfessor Guy Gable said QUT had,along with other universities around theworld, developed a partnership with SAPwhich was formalised in December.

According to Professor Gable, thecollaboration with Sapient College —the education and learning division ofSAP — was born out of the realisationthat an increasing number ofinformation technology graduates wouldneed to become familiar with morecomprehensive software packages.

(SAP’s R/3 features financial, logistical,human resource, project management,manufacturing, workflow and a number ofindustry-specific modules.)

at the earlier planning and later reportingstages,” Professor Gable said.

He said Sapient College hadsupported QUT to the tune of $2million worth of R/3 software, whileDigital and local R/3 reseller Data#3combined to help QUT in funding theimplementation of Digital Alphahardware, Microsoft software productsand installation services.

A third, advanced undergraduatesubject will be introduced this year basedon the SAP fourth-generation languageused to create R/3, Professor Gable said.

“A business process re-engineeringsubject is to be introduced from secondsemester and we have other new subjectsunder development.

“Already there has been early interestfrom other universities in running similarprograms involving SAP and industry.

“I believe these real-life approaches — toforging useful links with industry, providinginteresting and relevant project work forstudents across suitable timeframes andinvolving experts to work closely withstudents — epitomises QUT’s continuedcommitment to quality teaching andlearning,” Professor Gable said.

So, earlier last year — with supportfrom Sapient College and QueenslandTreasury’s Financial InformationSystems Branch, a large local R/3 user— QUT’s School of InformationSystems installed the R/3 enterpriseapplication software for educational andresearch use.

Last semester almost 100 studentscompleted the first two subjects involvingR/3: a capstone undergraduate subject,Information Systems Management, and amasters-level subject EnterpriseApplication Software.

In the masters subject, Professor Gablehad students undertake eight separateR/3-related empirical projects for real-world users, including QueenslandTreasury, Queensland Transport, PriceWaterhouse, BHP IT, Coopers &Lybrand, and the Department of PublicWorks and Housing.

“By involving our undergraduateInformation Systems Managementstudents as one of the stakeholder groupsin our postgraduate EnterpriseApplication Software projects, I entrustedour undergraduates with a formalevaluation of the graduates’ work, both

Software giant forges close linkswith university in educational deal

Promoting education in paradise … associate lecturer Judy Gregory (front left) and ProfessorBernie Wolff with the Samoan Minister for Education, the Honourable Fiame Naomi Mataafa

(centre), (then) final-year communication students (l-r) Jennifer Ng, Tamara Logan, Julie Dickson,Michelle Harmsworth and Mette Lundorf, and locals

Whether it was making slime, watchingworms turn sewage into fertiliser orclambering down a mine shaft, for 460budding science buffs it was three days offull-on science.

The Siemens Science Experience, heldearlier this year, was a program to show

Year 10 students the wonders of scienceand encourage them to consider science-related degrees and careers.

School of Physical Sciences associatelecturer Steve Coyne said the program wasoffered to academically-able science studentsand included workshop and site visits.

“Sites visited were the Department ofNatural Resources Effluent Re-useProject, the Redlands Shire CouncilBiosolids Re-use Project, the Departmentof Primary Industries Animal ResearchInstitute and the University ofQueensland’s mine,” Mr Coyne said.

Budding science buffs enjoy experience


Check out What’s On at http:// www.qut.edu.au/pubs/02stud/whatson.html.Send your What’s On entry to [email protected] or via fax on (07) 3210 0474.

FROM THE ACADEMY

Mar 11 The Solo Drummer. Graduate Grant Collinsperforms a wide variety of contemporary andtraditional drumming styles. KG/M Block MusicStudio. 1.05pm. Free. Leanne Cutler [email protected] OR (07) 3864 3685.

Mar 18 Night Music for Lunch. Virtuoso pianist EugeneGienger will perform Chopin Noctourne Op. 9 no. 1and Brahms Sonata in F minor Op. 5. KG/M BlockMusic Studio. 1.05pm. Free. Leanne Cutler [email protected] OR (07) 3864 3685.

Apr 1 Li Ling Chang, Soprano. The aria from Monteverdito Puccini. KG/M Block Music Studio. 1.05pm. Free.Leanne Cutler at [email protected] OR(07) 3864 3685.

Apr 22 Metebelis Trio. Helen Travers (violin), Iseult Clark(horn), Andre Dutoit (cello), Mitchell Leigh (piano).Featuring the Brahms horn trio and the MitchellLeigh piano trio. KG/M Block Music Studio. 1.05pm.Free. Leanne Cutler at [email protected] OR(07) 3864 3685.

Apr 29 Topology. Christa Powell (violin), Bernard Hoey(viola), John Babbage (saxophone), Kylie Davidson(piano), Robert Davidson (contrabass). Works inminimalist and post-minimalist styles by PhilipGlass, Terry Riley and Robert Davidson. KG/M BlockMusic Studio. 1.05pm. Free. Leanne Cutler [email protected] OR (07) 3864 3685.

May 13 Electra. Romano and Rudolf Crivici — electricviolin, viola and lexicon sampler. Accessible,ambient jazz-based works including originalmaterial composed for the group by Romano Criviciand Linsey Pollak. KG/M Block Music Studio.1.05pm. Free. Leanne Cutler [email protected] OR (07) 3864 3685.

May 20 Contemporary Jazz Hypnosis — Music by PeterWalters. Mark Turner (guitar), John Zappia(saxophone), Peter Walters (bass), Paul Hudson(drums), David Skelton (piano and keyboard). KG/M Block Music Studio. 1.05pm. Free. Leanne Cutlerat [email protected] OR (07) 3864 3685.

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

• Justice Studies

July 8–10 Australian and NZ Society of Criminology 1998Conference — “Crime, Criminology and Justice:Current Trends and Future Directions”. An opportunityto hear the world’s leading criminologicalresearchers. ANA Hotel, Gold Coast. Katerina Ginisat [email protected] OR (07) 3864 3188.

STUDENT GUILD EVENTS

March 3 International Women’s Day Celebrations — KGMarch 4 International Women’s Day Celebrations — CAMarch 5 International Women’s Day Celebrations — GP.

Noon-2pm. Includes free music, vegetarian food andmassage in a celebration of International Women’sDay in the lead up to the main event, a rally at EmmaMiller Place on Saturday March 7. Women’s ServicesDepartment on (07) 3864 5528.

March 12 Aussie Beer Fest . Kidney Lawn. GP. 11am-3pm.Recreation on (07) 3864 4716.

March 13 St Patrick’s Day Celebration . Campus Club. GP.

March 20 Beach Volleyball — QUT Cup. Oz Sports, Lang Park.12noon-4pm. Recreation on (07) 3864 4716.

April 5 Biathlon . QUT Sports Centre. GP. 6.30am-8.30am.Recreation on (07) 3864 1688.

April 24 QUT Swimming Carnival . Sports Centre. GP. 11am-4pm. Recreation on (07) 3864 2934.

May 22 Basketball — QUT Cup. CA. 12noon-4pm. Recreationon (07) 3864 4716.

May 28 End of Semester Bash. Victory Hotel. 7pm onwards.Recreation on (07) 3864 4716.

July 5 Concert. River Stage. Band lineup to be advised infuture What’s On).

July 5-9 NCUSA Games hosted by QUT. Includes baseball,basketball, beach volleyball, golf, hockey, netball,rugby league sevens, rugby union, short courseswimming, soccer, softball, squash, tae kwon do,tennis, touch football, volleyball, water polo. Brisbane.Recreation on (07) 3864 5536.

QUT has allocated $675,000 to the1998 Teaching and LearningDevelopment Grants Scheme.

Of that sum, $600,000 has beenawarded to six Teaching and LearningDevelopment Large Grants and$75,000 to 10 Teaching and LearningDevelopment Small Grants.

For 1998, applicants were asked totarget the development of flexibledelivery in teaching and learning.

• 1998 TEACHING ANDLEARNING DEVELOPMENTLARGE GRANTS

Professor Ken Bowman andDr MaryLou O’Connor-Fleming(Faculty of Health) Implementing flexibledelivery in large undergraduate classes inthe Faculty of Healthusing across-faculty teaching teams— $145,155

Professor Vicki Sara and Dr Al Grenfell(Faculty of Science) Problem-baseddelivery: A flexible approach to developinggeneric skills though problem-based learning in introductory scienceprograms — $157,049

Professor Weilin Chang and Dr JanelleAllison (Faculty of Built Environmentand Engineering) Using flexibledelivery to develop and enhance aProfessional Development Program forBuilt Environment and Engineeringstudents — $136,800

Professor Malcolm Cope and ProfessorBill Duncan (Faculty of Law) Flexibledelivery of the LLM coursework programin collaboration with the legal profession— $84,249 (see story this page)

• Cross-faculty projects

Professor John Gough (Faculty ofInformation Technology), Dr ChristineBruce (Information Systems) Facultiesinvolved: Arts, Built Environment andEngineering, Business, Health, andScience. Information literacy resources forQUT postgraduate students via a self-paced flexible delivery package — $20,000

Professor Roger Scott (Faculty of Arts),Suellen Tapsall (Media and Journalism)Faculties involved: InformationTechnology, Arts and Education.Technological literacy: Buildinga foundation for flexible delivery— $149,207

• 1998 TEACHING ANDLEARNING DEVELOPMENTSMALL GRANTS

Dr Graham Jenkins and AshanthaGoonetilleke (Civil Engineering)Enhancing the application of theory andpractice in engineering design using acomputer-based hydraulic designmanual — $7,769

Dr Elizabeth Parker, Melinda Service,and Dr MaryLou O’Connor-Fleming(Public Health) A multi-purposeinteractive video package on contemporarypublic health issues for flexible deliveryteaching and learning — $6,419

Professor Judith McLean (Academy ofArts) Mentoring and supervision inaesthetic education: a project/partnershipto create powerful drama teachers— $7,919

Joanne Foster, Associate ProfessorRobyn Nash, Karen Theobald , BelindaFentiman, Jackie Cunningham andLindy Humphreyes-Reid (Nursing)Development of an integrated self-pacedlearning package to promote quality on-campus clinical education for pre-registration nursing students — $7,807

Jill Franz (Architecture, Interior andIndustrial Design), Dr Luis Ferreiraand Professor David Thambiratnam(Civil Engineering), Jack Williamsonand Kristine Jerome (Architecture,Interior and Industrial Design),Donna Pendergast and MelindaServ ice (Publ ic Hea l th) Howto ident i f y s tudent s ’ concept ions— $7,919

Ross Brooker and Pam Dickson(Human Movement Studies) Profilingstudent teacher achievement duringpractice teaching: a developmental process— $7,891

Dr Janel le Al l i son (Bui l tEnvironment and Engineer ing)Social ly and culturally responsivecurriculum — gett ing sy s tematic ;broadening the perspective — $7,919

P r o f e s s o r B i l l L i m a n d J a c kWillaimson (Architecture, Interiorand Indus t r i a l Des ign) , Judi thMatthews (Division of InformationServices) Creating a web site forc o l l a t i n g a r c h i t e c t u r a l d e s i g nexemplars as reference materials tofacilitate teaching and learning ofarchitectural design — $7,919

Dr Abdul l ah Shanab leh (C iv i lE n g i n e e r i n g ) , D r B h i s h n aBajracharya (Planning, LandscapeA r c h i t e c t u r e a n d S u r v e y i n g )Interdisciplinary col laboration onsustainable development: A teachingand learning initiative within theFaculty of Built Environment andEngineering — $5,794

Dr Wageeh Boles (Electrical andElectronic Systems Engineering),Dr Hitendra Pillay (Learning andDevelopment) Matching students’cognitive styles to computer-basedinstruction for enhanced learning— $7,639

— Andrea Hammond

by Andrea Hammond

QUT’s Faculty of Law aims to have 15postgraduate courses on-line by 1999,in a move that is a direct challenge tothe supremacy of intensive lawpostgraduate courses offered bysouthern universities.

Faculty of Law assistant dean(postgraduate studies) Professor BillDuncan said the project would give

alternative dispute resolution, wherestudents have to participate in role play.

“So all our courses, except thosewhich require active participation andphysical presence of students, could bedelivered on-line or flexibly.”

Grants for teachingand learning targetflexible delivery

QUT set to offer Australia’s first onlinepostgraduate law course

QUT has awarded an $84,0001998 Teaching and LearningDevelopment Large Grant for theestablishment of a server linked toTHEMIS and the upgrade of existingcoursework units.

people working in rural areas access toQUT’s highly-regarded postgraduatelaw courses for a fraction of the cost.

The project, a joint venture with theQueensland legal profession, would usethe Queensland Law Foundation’s IBM-managed computer network THEMIS.

“Not only will the connection withTHEMIS give us access to people whoare working in legal, Government andcorporate offices in remote and

provincial Queensland — because IBMlinks up to Malaysia, Indonesia, Fijiand Papua New Guinea — it will betheoretically possible to do a QUTpostgraduate subject from eitherupstate, interstate or overseas,”Professor Duncan said.

“And, by offering courses this way,we can update our courses very quickly,in fact instantaneously, so what we willhave to offer our students will be themost relevant and up-to-date legal dataavailable in Australia.”

He said postgraduate students wouldneed only a computer to downloadlectures, tutorials and assignments, talkto lecturers and fellow students, andhave access to a “virtual library”.

“THEMIS only began about 12months ago but already has about 700users. In two or three years time it willbe an enormous legal resource␣ — onceyou are on the network you havecomplete access to statutes and loose-leaf textbooks related to Queenslandand it is expanding all the time,”Professor Duncan said.

Online postgraduate courses were “astepping stone” to offering a range ofundergraduate law courses on-line tostudents throughout the world, he said.

“Obviously the implications for theundergraduate external courses haven’tescaped us — once we have this up andrunning for postgraduate students, wewill use it as a template for theundergraduate course,” ProfessorDuncan said.

“We can deliver any course flexiblyexcept one or two, such as advocacy or

Faculty of Law assistant dean (postgraduate studies) ProfessorBill Duncan … law going online to offer greater access


by Noel Gentner

While QUT’s student body hasproduced several champions in recentmonths, some members of theuniversity’s staff are also proving to besuccessful in the sporting stakes.

QUT staff have among them a worldchampion, a newly formed Triathlonteam which has tasted success in its firstcompetitive outing, as well as manyother staff active on the Australian andinternational sporting scene.

World champion Mark Kingston, aSchool of Human Movement Studies’administration assistant, has a busyschedule planned this year, contestingthree major overseas titles.

Mr Kingston won the world title, inhis age group, of the Powerman short-course championship held in NewZealand last November.

This year, Mr Kingston is taking hislong-service leave to meet hiscommitments.

This month, he begins five weeksof preparation and competition in aPowerman short-course duathlonin Hawaii.

The Hawaiian duathlon consists ofan 8km run, 90km bike race plus a15km run.

Mr Kingston said he saw the event asa “warm up” for the world long-coursechampionships at Zof ingen Switzerlandon June 7.

Last year, Mr Kingston finished 12thin the amateur section in the 30- to 39-year-old age group in the Swiss event.

“The Hawaiian competition won’tbe anywhere near as hard as theZofingen event which is called thehardest one-day race in the world,”Mr Kingston said.

“The Zofi ngen race begins with an8.5km run, a 150km bicycle ride andfinishes with a 30km run.

“I remember last year, the day of therace it was minus three degrees, it waswindy, it was cold — you do questionyour sanity sometimes but I’m goingback for more this year.

“I don’t know why I push myself,but I like a challenge — a physicalchallenge.”

Mr Kingston said he spent about 25hours a week training and was uppractically every morning at 3am.

Staff set their sights onsuccess

World chamption duathlete and human movement studiesadministration assistant Mark Kingston … preparing for Hawaii

of human resources’ strategic servicessection).

They won the corporate teamscategory of the Br ib ie I s landTriathlon Series with a t ime of1:00:08 for the 750m swim, 20kmcycle and 5km run.

Mr Ryan said “the effort was not toobad as an opener,” because the race’sIndividual Open winner’s time was54 minutes, recorded by a professionalathlete.

He said the team hoped to competein further events later in the year and flythe QUT corporate banner.

“Our program so far includes theAustralian Triathlon championships atMooloolaba in May and the NoosaTriathlon later in the year,” Mr Ryan said.

Staff and students on QUT campuseswill experience a new era in theprovision of food, drink and facilitiesthis year.

Coffee shops, cafes offering a greatervariety of food and better services areamong initiatives to be implementedfollowing new contract arrangementssigned late last year.

SSL Education Services (Spotless)won the contract from about nineother tenders and will continue as thecore refectory caterer on QUT’sthree campuses.

QUT Registrar Ken Baumber saidthe new contract provided greaterpotential for diversificationand flexibility.

“The previous contract withSpotless was pretty much all-inclusive,providing sole exclusive rights to dealwith everything — while the newsituation keeps our options open in anumber of areas,” Mr Baumber said.

“For example, the university will beable to establish specialist facilities suchas coffee shops, and campus users willbe able to select their own caterers forfunctions held on campus.”

Mr Baumber said negotiations werealready underway with coffee shopfranchisees to build and operate shopson QUT campuses.

He said there were at least twoopportunities for coffee shops: one wasat Kelvin Grove campus, where theuniversity was offering a franchisesimilar to a Coffee Club-Aromasoperation.

The facility would fill a gap on thecampus and offer “a pleasantenvironment for a cup of coffee, aslice of cake or a light lunch,”Mr Baumber said.

He said the QUT Student Guildhad also been approached with aproposal to expand the Gardens Point-based Degrees Cafe concept toKelvin Grove.

“Renovations are being carried outin the Community Services buildingat Kelvin Grove and, when complete,an area will be offered to the StudentGuild for a Degrees Cafe and

QUT enters bravenew world in

campus cateringassociated liquor bar outlet,” MrBaumber said.

There was also potential to establishspecialist facilities in the formerConservatorium of Music building, orX Block, at the Gardens Point campus,he said.

“When the QUT Theatre i sfully operational there will needt o b e s o m e t y p e o f s e r v i c eprovided for the theatregoers,” MrBaumber said.

“If a service is set up for theatrepatrons at night, you may as well haveit operational during the day.”

QUT’s manager of capital works,Mr Tom Moore, said the Brisbanefirm, Peddle Thorp Architects hadbeen appointed to provide aconceptual design for the building.

He said the design work would alsoinvolve the concept of a “dedicatedentrance” to the building andredevelopment options for the areabetween X and Y Blocks.

Mr Moore said a preliminaryconceptual design was expected to bereceived from the architects at the endof March.

Mr Baumber said there was also achange in the provision of food anddrinks in the 45 vending machines onQUT’s three campuses.

“Previously the management ofthese outlets had been part of the corecontract, but a separate contract hasnow been let and the vending machineswill be provided by an independentoperator, Quick Quench,” MrBaumber said.

“This will result in a much widervariety of goods to be stocked in themachines.

“What we are doing is respondingto what people want and what theywant is a range of facilities and adiversity of goods available.”

Mr Baumber said he believed therewere also possibilities on the GardensPoint campus for a staff club.

“I guess we are talking about two orthree years down the track,”Mr Baumber said.

— Noel Gentner

Colleagues, friends and formerstudents of recently retiredhumanities lecturer andhistorian Bob Leach have beenshocked to hear of his suddendeath on Christmas Day.

Mr Leach was a dedicatedmember of the NationalTertiary Education IndustryUnion and retired from QUTin the middle of 1997.

According to a close friend,School of Media andJournalism’s Gary MacLennan,Mr Leach was a seasonedcampaigner and well-knowncitizen of West End.

“Though he dedicated his lifeto political causes, Bob’s was amulti-faceted personality,” MrMacLennan said in a tribute toMr Leach. “He was … a greatconversationalist. He enjoyed lifeand his family and his friends.”

Mr MacLennan said Mr Leachhad taught at QUT and itspredecessor institutions, comingto Kelvin Grove when theColleges of Advanced Educationwere amalgamated in the 1980s.

Leach’s legacy lives on

Winner of the Robert Leach MemorialPrize Daniel Ingram, right, with head ofQUT’s School of Humanities ProfessorWayne Hindsley … the prize is awarded

to the best student going into theBachelor of Arts (Humanities) program

Staff learned a valuable lesson incomputer security last week, via theQUT community e-mail group.

The group frequently featuresaccommodation notices, but early lastweek it carried an accommodationnotice that couldn’t be missed.

An e-mail arrived from a “sparky”research assistant seeking a private

house, near the CBD, for a couple ofhours after work. Seems the staffer waslooking for a place to have an “off-campus quickie” with their partner.

The same staffer e-mailed the groupa bit later on to explain that s/he hadbeen the butt of a practical joke afterleaving an e-mail account open on anunattended computer terminal. Oops!

Premier awards new studentsTwo commencing QUT engineeringstudents have been awarded Premier’sAwards.

Shaun Bellamy, who is studyinga Bachelor of Engineering (Electricaland Computer Engineering), and

The list of racial and sexual harassmentcontact officers at QUT has been revisedfor 1998 and the university’s EquitySection is notifying staff and studentsvia posters and the Internet.

These officers are available toprovide confidential advice to staff orstudents involved in a complaint ofdiscrimination or harassment —

Help is at hand for harassmentincluding people who feel they may haveexperienced discrimination, those whomay have had a complaint made againstthem, or supervisors conciliatingcomplaints.

Visit http://www.qut.edu.au/daa/equity/r& shcont.html for a full list ofcontact officers or phone Equity on(07) 3864 2699.

Noel Kay, who i s s tudying adouble degree Bache lor ofEngineer ing (Civi l ) /Bachelor ofAppl ied Sc ience (Maths) , wererecently presented with their awardsat a special ceremony.

Families who have had a newborn inthe past decade may recall a yellowbooklet they received in the hospitalwhich encouraged them to introducebabies to reading from the earliest age.

That booklet, Reading ... your baby’sfuture, was produced by a group of QUTearly childhood education students.

Their project was overseen by lecturerKaye Throssell, who is the co-author ofthe booklet’s sequel, Reading ... yourchild’s choice, for parents and guardiansof children aged three to six years of age.

Its authors, from QUT’s School ofEarly Childhood — Ms Throssell,Bev Broughton, Rod Campbell,Cassandra Weddell and Jenny Mobbs— officially launched a small initialprint run of the new booklet last month.

Head of school Professor GeraldAshby said the project would not havebeen completed but for the dedicationof its authors, particularly Ms Throssellwho had recently retired. The projecthad some funding from the Departmentof Education and the Faculty of EducationCommunity Services Committee.

Booklet targetsyoung readers

He said for the Hawaiian event hehad been cycling about 400km andrunning about 70km a week.

“I will have a week off after the eventand then begin training for Switzerlandwhich will involve about 600km a weekon the bike and running about 90 to100km a week,” Mr Kingston said.

“The world short-course championshipsin Japan at Kyoto on October 4 will be mylast race, win, lose or draw.”

Meanwhile, at the other end of thesporting spectrum, the newly formedQUT FlyByes triathlon team had theirfirst outing last month.

The team consists of cyclist PeterSullivan (finance manager), runnerBrian Fenn (facilities manager), andswimmer Bill Ryan (associate director

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