• HERDSA 2010
  • CONFERENCE THEME
  • KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
  • INVITED SPEAKERS
  • NEWS
  • IMPORTANT DATES
  • VENUE
• CONTRIBUTION
  • CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
  • FORMATTING GUIDELINES (PDF - 101kb)
  • TEMPLATE FOR FULL REFEREED PAPERS (DOT - 51kb)
  • TEMPLATE FOR SHOWCASES (DOT - 33kb)
  • TEMPLATE FOR WORKSHOP(DOT - 33kb)
  • TEMPLATES FOR POSTER (DOT - 33kb)
  • GRANTS AND PRIZES
  • INFORMATION FOR REVIEWERS (PDF - 75kb)
• PROGRAM
• REGISTRATION
• ACCOMMODATION & TRAVEL
  • ACCOMMODATION
  • TRAVEL
• SPONSORS
• CONTACTS
• ABOUT HERDSA

HERDSA 2010 program: Major sponsor address

Doctor Carol Nicoll

Chief Executive Officer, Australian Learning and Teaching Council

Doctor Carol Nicoll took up the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Learning and Teaching Council in February, 2010. She has a range of experience in the education sector, including as a secondary school teacher and university academic. She joined the Commonwealth public service in 1999 and held positions as head of the team that developed the higher education reform package, Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future, manager of Funding Branch in Higher Education Group, Minister-Counsellor for Education, Science and Training (DEST’s senior representative in Europe, based in Brussels), Group Manager of the Industry Skills Development Group, and Group Manager of National Education System Group and National Coordinator of the Building the Education Revolution program in the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. She has degrees in Arts, Law, a Graduate Diploma in Education and a Master of Educational Administration from the University of Queensland, and a doctorate from the University of British Columbia. She was awarded a Public Service Medal on Australia Day 2004 for outstanding public service.

New challenges and opportunities for the ALTC

The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) is mapping a new direction as the higher education sector prepares for the introduction of new educational architecture including the creation of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). TEQSA is just one of the elements in this new student-centred approach being introduced by the Australian Government. New challenges as well as opportunities for learning and teaching are likely to emerge as this concentrated focus on improving the student learning experience strengthens.

The ALTC must consider how to best position the organisation to respond to these challenges so that it can continue to support Australia’s higher education sector through its programs and range of activities.

As the leader of the Learning and Teaching Standards project, the ALTC has been working as the independent broker between the sector and the government bringing together discipline communities, professional and accrediting bodies to develop discipline-specific threshold learning outcomes. This demonstration project is on track to deliver outcomes by year-end.

The development of academic standards is a core responsibility of the ALTC and strongly aligns with its focus on enhancing the student experience. This work is particularly relevant for ensuring the operation of a quality system during an era that is likely to witness a pronounced increase in student participation.