Big attendance at successful VC symposium

More than 120 staff attended the Vice-Chancellor’s Symposium at the Wellington campus on Tuesday.

Regarded as the premier event on the university's professional development calendar, the annual symposium's theme this year was "What defines academic scholarship at Massey University in the 21st century?" It was selected in the context of the university's new research strategy and approval of a new framework for teaching and learning.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey and Assistant Vice-Chancellors Professor Ingrid Day (Academic and International) and Professor Brigid Heywood (Research and Enterprise) sponsored the symposium, held in Te Ara Hihiko.

Mr Maharey said defining what is meant by academic scholarship is a big issue – "one of the ways we move forward...very much at the centre of what needs to be happening right now”.

More than 40 posters were presented and discussed in response to the question, "How are we defining ourselves as 21st century scholars?"

There were three presentations in the afternoon, from Professor Anne Noble on reforming academic scholarship from an art and design perspective; Professor Heywood on reframing academic scholarship in a digital world; and Professor Day on mapping the research-teaching nexus. Breakout sessions were also held to explore several questions including: What would a Massey model of academic scholarship look like, how can Massey foster, recognise and reward a greater breadth of academic scholarship, and how should Massey access the outcomes and evidence of academic scholarship.

National Centre of Teaching and Learning director Professor Mark Brown, who chaired the symposium planning committee, said it was an extremely successful event. A judging panel will select the best and most innovative posters over the next week.

Staff and students can access video footage of presentations, photographs, digital posters, interviews and tweets from the event via Stream, the university's online learning community. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PXX6337