Swinburne University of Technology 2020 Plan science technology innovation
Swinburne University of Technology 2020 Plan Embracing change This is an exciting time for Swinburne. Tertiary education is undergoing profound changes, both within Australia and internationally. The growing demand for education presents significant opportunities. Today there is a broader range of educational providers, with intense competition between public providers and growing competition coming from the private sector, as well as from international institutions making their programs available worldwide. At the same time, the student population is both larger and significantly more varied than it has ever been. This growth has come both from increased participation by Australian students in tertiary education as well as substantial increases in the number of international students studying in Australia. The result is a much more diverse student body with different expectations and experiences and different learning requirements. This growing demand for tertiary education, and in particular the growth of the non-traditional student population including working adults, non-school leavers and students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, has encouraged new delivery models and helped fuel growth in online education. The research environment is also changing. Institutions in our region are becoming more able competitors and more promising collaborators. These developments offer substantial potential for a new wave of international research collaboration to take advantage of the rising capability and growing needs in our region. Those institutions that are able to meet the changing needs of their students, their industries and their communities will thrive. This will require a willingness to embrace change and to take advantage of new opportunities. Throughout our history, Swinburne has demonstrated its ability to be innovative and responsive to change. Swinburne recognised decades ago the importance of giving students real world experiences through industry-based learning. We were among the first to develop clear pathways from vocational education to higher education to create lifechanging opportunities for thousands. We understood that technology is an essential part of our future and created a leadership position in online education that endures today. Swinburne is excited about the coming decade. We will continue to work with our stakeholders and communities to be a leader in delivering world class education in science, technology and innovation. Who we are Swinburne University of Technology was established as a university in 1992 a proud step in a history that commenced with our establishment as a technical institute in 1908. Throughout our 100 year history, Swinburne has been committed to innovative education, strong industry engagement and social inclusion. In recent years, Swinburne has progressed to become one of the world s leading universities, ranking as one of the top 400 universities in the world, as assessed by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, and one of the top 100 in the world in physics. Our emphasis is on high-quality, engaged teaching and research in science, technology and innovation teaching and research that makes a difference in the lives of individuals and contributes to national economic and social objectives. We work to advance and build our research through partnerships with industry, our communities and other universities within Australia and internationally, to achieve outcomes that are directly relevant to industry and society. At Swinburne, quality is never confused with elitism. We work to provide educational opportunities to capable students wherever we find them. Both as an early leader in international education and an early adopter of online education, Swinburne is expanding the educational opportunities available to a new generation of learners.
The 2020 Plan By 2020, Swinburne will be Australia s leading university of science, technology and innovation. To achieve this, we will: embrace a university-wide commitment to growth through excellence engage our students through quality, personalised education produce outstanding research that is relevant and internationally-recognised be the partner of choice for the industries and communities we serve. Our culture We will embrace a university-wide commitment to growth through excellence. Swinburne will continue its growth through improving the quality of our education, our research and our engagement with the industries and communities we serve. We will provide rewarding work environments that foster creative thinking, open communication, accountability and respect. We will attract and retain talented staff by supporting excellence and by providing opportunities to work with outstanding teams within Swinburne and through national and international partnerships. We recognise that good teams are strengthened by strong individual contributions. We will be an employer of choice for high-performing people, celebrating and enriched by diversity and individual difference, with a focus on trusted performance and continuous development. We will create safe workplaces characterised by: Innovation: We thrive on leading through our educational excellence, business and research innovation and creativity in solving real-world problems. Integrity: We expect honesty and the highest ethical standards in everything we do. Accountability: We are accountable to ourselves, each other and the communities we serve through transparency and evidence-based decision making. Diversity: We celebrate and respect the strength that difference creates. Teamwork: We encourage collaboration that underpins success through mutual respect, open communication and the sharing of responsibility. Sustainability: We foster positive social, educational and environmentally sustainable change. These values will be reflected in the practices of our staff, the positive outcomes that result from our relationships with industry and community partners, and our students achievements and attributes.
Our students We will engage our students through quality, personalised education. Swinburne will attract and develop students who are creative, motivated by a desire to be innovative and wish to make a difference. We will ensure that our students have access to high-quality education that enables them to be life-long learners and innovators, adaptable to change and ready to embark on successful careers. We will create innovative learning environments led by teachers and researchers that challenge students to achieve their potential. We will capitalise on global advances in tertiary education to meet the learning needs of our students. Our focus will be on: Engaged Learning: We will provide opportunities for students to participate in engaged learning by creating industry, research, community and international experiences. We will take advantage of new educational technologies to ensure that students are well supported in their learning. Innovative Teaching: We will support innovative teaching and personalised learning to meet the changing needs of our students. Our teaching will be founded on evidence-based curriculum design and teaching pedagogies that apply the latest innovations in good teaching practice and transformative approaches that incorporate new technologies. Reaching more students: We will continue to lead in the development of online and blended learning. We will be inclusive, accessible and supportive, ensuring that every student has opportunities for success through access to high-quality academic development programs and support services. Outstanding Graduate Outcomes: Our graduates will be forward thinkers able to adapt to global challenges and technological advances. They will reflect Swinburne s values: innovation, integrity, accountability, diversity, teamwork and sustainability. Our research We will produce outstanding research that is relevant and internationally-recognised. We will encourage, support and invest in research and development that: aspires for the highest quality as judged by peers and those who fund and use our research focuses on outcomes and impact through close engagement with industry and the communities we serve informs public debate and policy development enthuses our students and ensures the currency of our teaching. To achieve these objectives, we will: attract high quality research students and staff and support them within a vibrant intellectual community provide outstanding research infrastructure that supports high impact projects pursue strategic domestic and international partnerships that increase both our capability and our impact. We will focus our research, development and deployment activities in five outcome areas: Future manufacturing: integrating materials and manufacturing technologies with design, automation and information technologies to create new business opportunities. Sustainable futures: combining the engineering, social and environmental elements that address sustainability issues, inform public debate and influence government policy. Digital frontiers: changing the way we work, communicate and socialise through advances in information and communication technologies, business innovation and design. Personal and societal wellbeing: improving health and psychological wellbeing, tackling quality of life and social issues and addressing the needs of socially disadvantaged groups and individuals. Inspirational science and technology: capitalising on the University s strength in fundamental science and astrophysics to ignite the interest of the community and stimulate the next generation of leaders in science and technology. Our connections We will be the partner of choice for the industries and communities we serve. Swinburne exists to serve and inspire our communities, both within Australia and internationally. Our reputation and impact as an engaged university will be amplified by fostering productive, mutually-beneficial relationships that create solutions to challenging problems. We will be public spirited, providing a trusted source of expertise and thought leadership in science, technology and innovation. Our global impact will be enhanced through our international engagement in education and research and opportunities to enhance the mobility of our students and staff. We wish to be known as the most user-friendly and connected university in Australia and one which focuses on the needs of our stakeholders and partners. To achieve this, we will: Serve: We will maximise opportunities and outcomes for the university and our partners as an innovative tertiary education provider. Engage: We will establish and foster strategic alliances that advance Swinburne s standing and that of our partners, both locally and globally. We will engage our students, alumni and friends as advocates for the university to increase Swinburne s capacity to support teaching, research and the development of world-class facilities. Contribute: We will be a trustworthy knowledge hub with staff and students contributing their expertise from multiple disciplines to commentary and debate and to find innovative solutions to critical problems. science technology innovation
Staying on track Each year, we will measure our performance against a balanced scorecard of measures. We will track indicators of Swinburne s success in serving our students, delivering quality research, strengthening our industry and community engagement and sustaining our culture of achievement. Indicators include: results from Swinburne s staff survey Your Voice participation in performance and development processes ratings of student satisfaction, retention and graduate employment growth in online educational delivery Academic Ranking of World Universities ranking Excellence in Research Australia outcomes strategic partnerships established financial outcomes science technology innovation
Swinburne University of Technology 2020 Plan February 2013 swinburne.edu.au