University Council Update
Hello! My name is Satine Winter and I am the recently elected postgraduate member on the Griffith University Council. I am currently doing my PhD on autism, policy and human rights in the School of Education and Professional Studies, AEL, at Mt Gravatt.
So what happened at the last Council meeting in May and what does it mean for postgrad students? A meeting of Council may be likened to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – all very mysterious! Those engaged in this mysterious meeting sometimes remind me of the professors and governors in Hogwart’s castle with perhaps our own Harry Potter, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian O’Connor who champions for the causes of Griffith University. I must admit I am yet to meet any Lord Voldemorts.
Council is the University’s governing body and Council has the power to do anything necessary or convenient to be done for, or in connection with, its functions, that is in the best interests of the University. Members meet, discuss and decide upon key issues affecting the University. At the May meeting, Ms Brownyn Dillon gave a presentation, highlighting the fantastic work of the Gumurri Student Support Centre; I highly recommend dropping into the Gumurri centre to see how they may support you in your learning or by visiting their website here.
Updates on Areas of Strategic Investment (ASI) within the University revealed direct outcomes of the University securing a top 400 placing in the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities and was also ranked 9th in Australia for research publication points submitted through the Higher Education Research Data Collection 2011. The University’s achievements affect you in that they improve the reputation of the University and confirm that the University is competitive on a global level – you can be truly proud of your University!
The rest of the secret chamber business resulted in Council agreeing to a range of appointments within the University and key policy amendments, updates or changes. You can find the details of those appointments and changes in the Council News, which is published after each meeting. The Vice Chancellor’s report to Council is also available on the Griffith University site and can be found here. This report is given at every meeting to update members on the University’s activities and provides a summary of highlights and achievements.
The opportunity to represent students on University Council is an honour and a role that I take seriously. I look forward to giving all of you more updates on Council.
Satine Winter
Satine Winter is the postgraduate representative on University Council, elected in March to fill the causal vacancy that arose when her predecessor resigned the position. Satine will be writing periodic reports on Council and other Griffith University events. Council meets about 5 times a year, the next being on 6 August.
