Making Connections

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.

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.

Australian Teaching and Learning Fellowship

Making Connections is program of activities as a National Teaching and Learning Fellow, a program funded by the Australian Teaching and Learning Fellows (formally the Officers of 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.

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