UQ has been awarded six citations for excellence in teaching in the latest round of Australian Learning and Teaching Council awards. I am proud to congratulate Dr. Stephen Anderson, a senior Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences, as one of the recipients of these citations. Dr. Anderson won his citation for “inspiring and motivating veterinary science students through a creative, relationship-centred approach.” The citation includes a grant of $10,000.

I would also like to congratulate Dr Kristy Weir and Dr Karin Borges for winning UQ new staff T&R start-up grants. Dr Weir was awarded $12,000 for a project entitled “A marsupial model of the skin stress response.” Dr Borges was also awarded $12,000 for her project “The role of hilar neurons and astrocytes in the development of epilepsy.” Dr Terry Tunny has been successful in obtaining a new staff Scholarship of T&L grant of $11,230 for the project “Do emotional intelligence scores in medical students correlate with their clinical reasoning skills?”

A lesson is learned from Dr. Adrian Bradley and PhD student Sarah Bell who have been investigating alternate funding opportunities for research projects. They were successful in obtaining a grant of $21,000 from the estate of Winifred V. Scott to investigate “Eco physiology of the Marsupial Squirrel Gilder; The costs and benefits of Island Life.” Well done to Sarah. She invested a lot of time into this grant application.

The School has been very busy in first semester in rolling out the new Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedical curricula for 2nd year. There has been considerable pressure on people across the whole School as we have introduced new courses with new lectures and practicals. This has been compounded by the introduction of Unifi with its teething problems. I must acknowledge everyone’s hard work in ensuring that the delivery of our services was maintained at high standards. It was pleasing to note that the Faculty of Biological Sciences has performed admirably in the 2008 Annual Student Feedback Report which has just been released by TEDI (Teaching & Educational Development Institute). There were only two areas of concern in the iCEVAL reports. Only 55% of students agree that they obtain sufficient feedback on their assessment and 54% of students feel their workload is too high. UQ has a benchmark minimum standard of 70% and an expected standard of 80% for these iCEVAL questions. The feedback issue was also highlighted in the TEVALs for the Faculty. While these scores may not relate directly to our School it is important to consider them while we are still developing our curricula.

The School has finished its submission report for its review. This is an exhausting process which relies on the good will of many people to accumulate and analyse our performance during the period between 2003 and 2008. While many people have contributed to this process I would like to thank Professor Shaun Collin for his tireless work in driving the submission. I must also thank Michelle Hall, Tim Hazelton and Robyn Humphreyes-Reid for ensuring the high quality of the final document. The review committee will be visiting the School during the week beginning August 17th and there is an opportunity to talk to members at the School lunch at 12:00 noon on the 18th August in the Alumni Court. Please come along and introduce yourself to the committee. Their preliminary report will be outlined to the School in Physiology Lecture Theatre (63-358) at 3:00pm on Friday 21st August. All staff and students are encouraged to attend this meeting.

On a rather sad note I must inform staff that Professor Geoffrey Molyneux, the Head of the Department of Anatomy for 18 years from 1971 died in Hobart on July 28th 2009 at the age of 83 years. A man of many research interests the main thrust of his research was the study of the structure of arteriovenous anastomoses (the microscopic blood vessels that connect the arterial and venous systems directly) and their role in regulation of body temperature. His interests extended to oral pathology, bacteriology, experimental surgery, zoology neuroanatomy and temperomandibular joint function. When Geoffrey Molyneux took up the Headship of Anatomy in 1971 he recognised the need to build its research profile. Undergraduate programs were introduced in the Science Faculty so students could do science, but major in anatomy and then go on to postgraduate work in this field. A broader range of disciplines were represented including veterinary science, dentistry, medicine, the therapies and science. The School acknowledges the strong contributions that Professor Molyneux made to the Department and University and we send our condolences to his family and friends.

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A new school policy now exists relating to student exemptions, a quick summary is below. For further information on this policy, please visit.

Summary

• Extensions rather than exemptions are the preferred means of responding to students who have missed assessment due dates for valid reasons. If extensions are not possible, then suitable alternative assessment should be provided.
• Where extensions and alternate assessment are not logistically possible, exemptions may be granted for assessment items equal to or less than 15%.
• Exemptions can only be for assessment of material that is covered adequately by other forms of examination in the course.
• All requests for extensions or exemptions will be made within 5 working days of the assessment due date or examination.
  

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August Courses

Obligations of Managers
Occupational Health & Safety for Supervisors & Managers
26th August 2009- 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Duhig Building 2, Conference Room

Workplace Safety
Chemical Risk Assessment Database Training
20th August 2009 10:30am – 12:30pm Building 33 Rooms 102 & 104

Safety with Analytical X-Ray Equipment
26th August 2009 2:00pm – 4:30pm AIBN Bldg # 75, Level 4, Seminar Room

Biological Safety
Requirements for working with biological material
11th August 2009 9:00am – 11:00am QBI Auditorium # 79 – Level 7

Two new policies exist on the SBMS website. Please take the time to look at these:

> Faulty Equipment
> Liquid Nitrogen/Flammables

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Stephen Anderson - Recreation September 28 - 29 (2 days)
Karin Borges - Recreation September 7 - 11 (5 days)
Adrian Bradley - LSL August 17 - 21 (5 days)
Shaun Collin - Conference August 24 - 26 (3 days), September 4 (1 day), September 14 - 18 (5 days)
Shaun Collin - Recreation September 22 - 25 (4 days), September 28 - October 2 (5 days)
Nathan Hart - Conference September 3 - 4 (2 days)
Brian Key - Conference August 25 - September 3 (7 days)
Justin Marshall - Conference September 24 - 1 October (6 days), September 10 - 23 (10 days)
Ethan Scott - Recreation August 20 - 21 (2 days)
Ricarda Thier - Conference September 3 - 23 (15 days)
Wally Thomas - Conference August 24 - 26 (3 days)
Elizabeth Gillam - Maternity to September 18, 2009

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Applying for Conference Leave

When applying through ESS for conference leave (this includes field trips, meetings with collaborators etc), in the ‘additional information’ box in ESS, you should provide details of where you are going, your contact details, and your risk assessment database ID number/s. Leave applications without this information should be rejected and returned to the applicant.

Additionally, staff with a teaching load (undergraduate and postgraduate), for any type of leave application, should use the ‘additional information’ box in ESS to advise:

• whether you have any teaching commitments during the period of absence
• what arrangements you have put in place to cover your absence.
  

Tracking Chemicals in Unifi

A customisation of UniFi has been completed that will enable UQ to capture storage location and custodial information as is required by legislation.
The UniFi system has been configured to identify trackable chemical items once they have been input. When ordering chemicals through the Chemical Store, you will select a catalogue item from the catalogue in the Requisition or Purchase Order. When a trackable chemical catalogue item is selected, it will link to an additional details screen.

Upon clicking the ‘Save and Submit’ button, the system will automatically take the user to the new screen where they will be required to complete details regarding ‘Campus’, ‘Location’ and ‘Custodian’.
Once details are completed the required information will be recorded and the system will submit the Requisition or Purchase Order.

These changes will be introduced to UniFi on 31 August 2009. Demonstration sessions of the new customisation will be held for all Chemical Store staff and Accounts Payable staff.
A Quick Reference Guide will also be made available to all UQ Finance staff via the eLearning website.
A reminder email of the changes that will come into effect on 31 August 2009 including the new screen shots will be sent to all Finance staff the week prior.

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Upcoming Confirmation Seminars

Wednesday 26 August - 10:30am

Ahilya Mathew (MPhil) - Molecular mechanisms underlying the maturation of the neuromotor circuit during the period of developmental motoneuron cell death

Thursday 3 September - 11:30am

Nicole Davies - Fine-scale habitat use, physiological condition and genetic structure of western koala

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Can you Carpool?
I have just discovered that I could have been catching a lift every morning for the past year and a half, which would have halved my transport costs and emissions as I headed to work. Ask the person next to you in the office or in your lab where they travel from and see if you can carpool too. If you are sick of traffic and live close enough why not give cycling a go.

CoralWatch is nearing the completion of a new publication, Coral Reefs and Climate Change: the guide for education and awareness, providing a timely resource for educators and the interested public and a new way of reaching out to students - our future researchers and leaders.

Thank you for the opportunity to share ideas with you all. I finish up as CoralWatch project manager and SBMS Green Office rep on August 14th. A few people have expressed interest in the SBMS Green Office representative position, and if you are also keen please contact Vanessa at greenoffice@pf.uq.edu.au. Keep recycling and don’t forget to turn off that switch.

Dave Logan
CoralWatch Project Manager
Ext: 54080
E-mail: d.logan@uq.edu.au

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