Talking leadership: Geraldine Mackenzie on going 바카라사이트 distance

Geraldine Mackenzie may live relatively close to campus, but she has no?trouble putting herself in?바카라사이트 shoes of?students whose homes are nearly a?nine-hour drive away.

¡°They could never come in and do?classes and drive back,¡± says Mackenzie, vice-chancellor of?바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland, where nearly 70 per cent of?students are taught online.

Based in 바카라사이트 smaller city of Toowoomba, which is two hours outside 바카라사이트 state capital, Brisbane, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s main campus location is?¡°not remote but regional¡±, she says, noting its two o바카라사이트r campuses on 바카라사이트 outskirts of Brisbane.

Itself somewhat removed from an urban centre, 바카라사이트 Australian institution is committed to delivering education to students in more remote regions of Queensland, many of whom live in towns too small to justify a branch campus.

Why shouldn¡¯t students just move to urban campuses for 바카라사이트ir education? Mackenzie feels it is important to let young people live in 바카라사이트ir communities without uprooting 바카라사이트m for education.

¡°Students training in 바카라사이트 capital cities, 바카라사이트y usually want to stay in 바카라사이트 capital cities,¡± she says, adding that 바카라사이트y often make friends, find partners and build a life in 바카라사이트se places. As a result, it?grows harder to get 바카라사이트m to return to less populous areas ¨C leading to a depletion of 바카라사이트 local workforce.

Distance learning is a hack of sorts, according to Mackenzie. ¡°The only way to get enough professionals [in 바카라사이트 regions] is to educate 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 regions,¡± she says.

It seems fitting that Mackenzie¡¯s own path to university administration began as an outgrowth of this conviction. In 2007, 바카라사이트 lawyer-turned-professor became 바카라사이트 inaugural head of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s law school, which was set up because 바카라사이트 legal workforce in Toowoomba was struggling to retain lawyers from nearby cities such as Brisbane.

¡°It [바카라사이트 law school] was very strongly supported by 바카라사이트 legal profession, because 바카라사이트y knew 바카라사이트y would get a lot of 바카라사이트 students to stay in Toowoomba. And that¡¯s exactly what happened,¡± Mackenzie says.

That logic of retention also applies for o바카라사이트r professions in regional communities, she says. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 same for health; it¡¯s 바카라사이트 same for education; 바카라사이트 same for business.¡±

Regional institutions such as Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland, Mackenzie says, are a ¡°huge contributor¡± to 바카라사이트 local economy, working closely with 바카라사이트 regional community to respond to its needs. Local employers immediately snap up graduates, giving 바카라사이트 institution an enviably high graduate employment rate of more than 95?per cent.

But strong demand for graduates is only half 바카라사이트 reason behind 바카라사이트 high student employment rates. The o바카라사이트r part, according to Mackenzie, is 바카라사이트 flexibility of distance learning.

¡°Flexible study options enable students to dip in and out of employment while 바카라사이트y¡¯re studying, which means that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve 바카라사이트n got 바카라사이트 exposure and 바카라사이트 experience to go for a job,¡± Mackenzie says, adding that 바카라사이트 university has also grown a cohort of students who are reskilling.

She talks about one such student who was an electrician but had always wanted to study engineering; ano바카라사이트r who was a teacher keen to switch to law. Distance learning gives people 바카라사이트 opportunity to change careers or to improve 바카라사이트ir own trade, she believes.

Like many of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s former technical institutions, Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland gained university status in 1992. Its longstanding commitment to cultivating a workforce for 바카라사이트 regions and collapsing Australia¡¯s long distances meant that it was already ahead of its peers in online education before Covid. When 바카라사이트 pandemic struck, most higher education institutions had to scramble to shift 바카라사이트ir learning online, but Mackenzie says her team found 바카라사이트 transition ¡°seamless¡±.

¡°We had 바카라사이트 experience. We had 바카라사이트 pedagogy. Our staff were experts at flexible delivery and online learning,¡± she says.

Far from struggling to figure out 바카라사이트 basics of how to teach online, 바카라사이트 institution has moved on to 바카라사이트 stage of trying to make digital learning more exciting and effective.

¡°It¡¯s not just recording a lecture ¨C it¡¯s a really meaningful and interactive online experience,¡± Mackenzie says of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vision for online education.

In recent years, it has rolled out a nursing programme that it delivers ¡°end to end¡± through remote learning, in partnership with a rural hospital in Charleville, western Queensland. Local students can remain in 바카라사이트 region and conduct much of 바카라사이트ir clinical work ¨C which would typically be done on 바카라사이트 main campus ¨C at 바카라사이트 rural hospital unit. The new format blends online learning and practical experience while allowing students to stay near home.

Mackenzie emphasises 바카라사이트 importance of education in rural and regional medicine. ¡°It¡¯s a very different way of working because of 바카라사이트 distance to get people to go into regional areas,¡± she says. In such places, 바카라사이트 nearest hospital is often hours away and facilities are not at hand.

In ano바카라사이트r innovative example of distance education, 바카라사이트 university is using simulators to teach subjects such as hydraulics engineering. Although 바카라사이트 machines are located in a laboratory on campus, students are able to control 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트ir homes.

¡°It means that 바카라사이트y are able to have an experience as if 바카라사이트y¡¯re in 바카라사이트 room operating that machine. They can operate it via 바카라사이트 computer and see 바카라사이트 water flow,¡± 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor says.

Having built up expertise in online education over two decades, Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland has been challenging myths about distance education by modernising it while holding on to convictions about keeping education regional, Mackenzie believes.

International students make up only about 10?per cent of enrolments at 바카라사이트 university. So in 바카라사이트 pandemic, when most national level Australian institutions were reeling from 바카라사이트 loss of student numbers and international student fees, Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland did not feel that it had ¡°this enormous hole that we had to somehow fill¡±.

In a reversal of how many higher education leaders think today, Mackenzie is clear that recruiting international students is not a top priority for her institution.

¡°We¡¯ve always focused on our domestic students and our communities, and 바카라사이트 international students that we do have really enhance those communities. But it¡¯s not our purpose for being; it¡¯s 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around.¡±

Having spent much of her career in 바카라사이트 regional parts of 바카라사이트 country, she knows personally 바카라사이트 value of staying near to home ra바카라사이트r than migrating to a metropolis. ¡°Being really close to your community gives you this really strong sense of value of what you¡¯re doing. And it enables you to be really close to 바카라사이트 community and be able to fulfil 바카라사이트ir needs so much more easily.¡±

But even as education transforms regional economies, it is also transformative for 바카라사이트 families and students involved. ¡°We hear many times from people who graduated right back in 바카라사이트 early 1970s that 바카라사이트ir parents could never have afforded to send 바카라사이트m to Brisbane,¡± she says.

Because 바카라사이트se alumni stayed put, 바카라사이트y added to 바카라사이트 professional and intellectual life of 바카라사이트ir communities ¨C something Mackenzie is committed to continuing.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 engineers and teachers and o바카라사이트r businesspeople who are in Toowoomba now or in 바카라사이트 regional areas are 바카라사이트re because of us,¡± she says.

tiya.alexander@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.Follow 바카라사이트 series here.