MAKING CONNECTIONS:
​Future proofing the Australian BA

The current national innovation agenda offers opportunities to raise the profile of graduate outcomes of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS), despite a focus on STEM. An innovative economy requires workers who can demonstrate logical thinking and argument, emotional intelligence and capacity to adapt to new ideas – all skills inherent to HASS. However, HASS disciplines have tended to operate in isolation, ​competing for status and resources. This status quo makes it difficult to articulate a value proposition for HASS education that speaks to students and employers.  This status quo  was the motivation for a Australian Teaching and Learning Fellowship program proposed by Deanne Gannaway.
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Making Connections: ​Future Proofing the
Australian ​Bachelor of Arts

This fellowship program, Making Connections: Future Proofing the Australian Bachelor of Arts aims to foster a community to develop strategies for enabling cross-discipline, whole-of-program conversations.  By linking with peak HASS bodies, students and teachers, this fellowship program aims broaden focus to program-level, re-imagining the place of the generalist BA.
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Program Deliverables

The following deliverables will result from the program of activities:

• A sustained and sustainable network of teachers, senior leaders, students and alumni concerned with broadening conversations across disciplines and program.
  • A series of state-based colloquia to identify and test strategies that enable a program-level focus amongst HASS colleagues and to share practices and address common questions
  • A BA teaching and learning conference that facilitates sharing of innovative practices and broadens conversations HASS teachers who teach into BA programs.
• A value proposition for graduate outcomes of the BA aligned to the current innovation agenda that can be articulated with conviction
• Broadly applicable guidelines to address the challenges and opportunities of taking a whole-of-program curriculum approach in generalist programs
• A final report that identifies effective mechanisms to promote and enhance whole-of-program teaching and learning practices and innovations

Australian Teaching and Learning Fellowship

Making Connections is program of activities as a National Teaching and Learning Fellow, a program  funded by the Office for Teaching and Learning and the Australian Commonwealth Government. The Fellowships program advances learning and teaching in higher education by supporting a group of leading educators to undertake strategic, high-profile activities in areas of importance to the sector. Through their fellowship activities, Fellows have a positive and lasting influence and impact on higher education practice in Australia. More information about the program can be found on the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows website.