And that’s a wrap!
What a week it’s been. We’ve reached the end of our first week as the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success.
Here’s a look back at some of the moments that made this week one to remember:
Monday: The big day finally arrived as Curtin University Vice-Chancellor and ACSES Advisory Board Chair Professor Harlene Hayne officially unveiled our new brand at the Universities Australia Plenary Session, marking a significant milestone in our mission help Australian universities close the gap for our marginalised students. It was a day that capped months of behind-the-scenes hard work by a very talented and committed team.
Tuesday: ACSES hit the ground running, with our media team Miriam Fisher, Anna Will, and Lucien Wilkinson fielding a flurry of queries. Professors Shamit Saggar, Ian Li, and John Phillimore have spent the week speaking with reporters from The Guardian, The Australian Financial Review, Times Higher Education, Campus Review, Business News, University World News, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) (to name a few), about the outcome of the recently released Australian Universities Accord and all the innovative equity initiatives ACSES has on the horizon.
Wednesday: It was all about community. Shamit Saggar was in Canberra connecting with partners, stakeholders, and supporters at the timely Universities Australia Solutions Summit, spreading the word about the Centre’s renewed focus and dedication. Meanwhile, back in Perth Professor Ian Li (Research and Policy), Assoc. Professor Gemma Cadby (Data), and Assoc. Professor Lien Pham (Trials and Evaluation) have been hard at work progressing their respective programs.
Thursday: The positive feedback has been overwhelming. We’ve been touched by the positive responses and encouragement from everyone who has embraced our new identity. Dr Paul Koshy, Canki Yuan, and Indu Rani have been instrumental in keeping the Centre’s operations running smoothly throughout the transition from NCSEHE to ACSES.
Friday: Today, intrepid team members Ian Li, Miriam Fisher, Gemma Cadby, Gobinath Subramani, Canki Yuan, and Shamit Saggar began the 10,000 Steps Challenge, an annual initiative focused on health and wellbeing which is a key value held by Centre staff. Each step is not just a stride towards better health, but also signifies our movement forward, as the Centre grows stronger and makes strides towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all Australians.
As the week comes to a close, we would like to thank our valued supporters and request that you join us in celebrating with a look back at some of the highlights from an internal launch we held at Curtin University’s TL Robertson Library.