The Curtin Academy (CA) was established in 2014 as “an active, honorary network of exceptional Curtin staff, passionate about and committed to the collaboration and dissemination of teaching excellence“. Based on a model from the National University of Singapore it was part of a wider strategy to support teaching academic positions at Curtin and to celebrate teaching excellence.
CA provides expert feedback on matters relating to learning and teaching (L&T) at Curtin, and offers mentorship, professional development and advocacy for staff with teaching responsibilities. In addition, Curtin Academy Fellows serve on relevant committees, working parties, awards and grants assessment panels and promotion committees.Selection of CA Fellows is via an annual stringent nomination and selection process requiring submission of evidence of L&T excellence. To continue in the CA, Fellows are required to resubmit a nomination after three years of service. Since 2015, 26 staff have been considered as excellent in T&L and consequently inducted into the CA.
In 2018, following restructure of central L&T support areas and significant change at Curtin, the CA undertook to review its goals, objectives and sense of place. The review included three phases: (I), planning, (II) self-evaluation including an environmental scan, and (III) an external review to interrogate the views of the key stakeholders.
This presentation shares insights from the self-evaluation phase including interview, SWOT analysis and survey data from the CA Fellows. The survey of CA Fellows showed they valued the collegiality of other Fellows but struggled to find time to participate. Others were frustrated by lack of appreciation for the contribution they made as a CA Fellow, and felt that Curtin University senior leaders did not capitalize on the potential to partner with CA for improved student outcomes. The ideal organizational location of the CA is still unresolved for many CA fellows.