The first six months of Brigid Heywood's five-year term as Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of New England have been satisfying, she says, given that she was taking up a big job in a place she didn't know well.
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"It's a great thanks to the warmth and generosity of the people of the region - particularly the people of Armidale - for really embracing me as the new Vice-Chancellor. Through that, I take it they're embracing the university. I see it as one and the same thing, to some extent," she said.
The start of her term has been hard work but enjoyable. "We're making progress slowly but surely, in the middle of some very difficult times for the community."
Professor Heywood said she has been most satisfied by connecting with her staff, and with the wider community.
"UNE staff are passionate about what they want to do, and recognize that UNE is on a journey to recalibrate some of the things it does," she said.
They have been extraordinarily generous with their time, giving her the opportunity to delve into units and departments, and get to know what drives her people, what is important to them, and what they want to see in the future.
Professor Heywood is herself passionate about what she calls gown with town: campus and community working together for the benefit of all.
UNE staff are passionate about what they want to do, and recognize that UNE is on a journey to recalibrate some of the things it does.
- Brigid Heywood
That might mean holding a co-sponsored exhibit at NERAM (a social and cultural connection with town), or helping the community with drought and bushfires.
Fire volunteers stay in campus accommodation each week; more than 80 staff are themselves volunteers; and many of the staff help in the community, she said.
"I think that speaks well of the university, and well of the kind of people that we recruit," Professor Heywood said.
"Obviously, we can't solve the drought problem ... but we've all got to work together to be drought resilient."
The Vice-Chancellor hopes to step up that conversation as part of the Resilient Armidale meetings that sit alongside what the region's agencies do.
The 2020 agenda, Professor Heywood said, contains 365 very busy days. The university will complete the master plan for the Armidale campus - a large capital works program which, she said, needs both to take account of future requirements and consider maintaining and upgrading existing facilities.
"Like most institutions at the moment, we have a lot of estate that's been severely affected by the ongoing drought," Professor Heywood said.
"It's time we started taking assessment of some of the damage to the estate. Some of our buildings are struggling because of settlement. So we have some maintenance and improvements to do, but we've also got to look to the future."
That includes regenerating college accommodation, and rescoping and redeveloping sports facilities so they can be used in all weather.
"We really want to share the facilities of the campus better, but we also hope that we can be more present in the town," Professor Heywood said.
The library or academic departments could, for instance, be in the heart of Armidale. That would bring more business into the town. Some buildings in the city centre are in better condition than old buildings at UNE. Making better use of them, rather than building something new, would lean into conservation and sustainability.
On that note, Professor Heywood invites the community to plant trees around the UNE solar farm so that they feel connected to it.
UNE will also develop its new strategic plan for 2021. "We really welcome the opportunity to share our planning conversations, our strategy development conversations, across the community," Professor Heywood said.
That will mean working with creatives, business, and the wider community. "We look forward to relationships with different groups in order to see that."
The Vice-Chancellor also wants to redevelop UNE's Parramatta campus, and in Tamworth develop partnerships with New England agencies.
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UNE, she points out, is the largest corporate business in New England; it should, she believes, work for economic development and ensure that its research benefits the region and Australia.
That could mean a digital hospital for education and community support in regional and remote areas; or expanding the SMART Region Incubator in Armidale and Tamworth.
'Domestic projects' include partnerships linking to industry, building on the university's success in developing the workforce of the future, and ensuring that their graduates are valued and gain workplace experience while studying.
Professor Heywood is also looking at UNE's international presence. She will travel to India in February to visit institutions with which UNE has signed Memoranda of Understanding, and will likely also go to Indonesia, Bhutan, and China before the end of the year.