Fast and Furious: How the VU Block model is revolutionising education
“Fast and Furious: How the VU Block model is revolutionising education”
As a University that has one of the most culturally-diverse student and staff communities in Australia, Victoria University has a clear mission – to provide outstanding educational opportunities to any student from any background, in the West of Melbourne and beyond.
In the 21st century, the world has changed. Graduates need to be prepared to address complex real world challenges in a changeable and uncertain future. This means they need different skills to succeed. It was clear to VU that the conventional way of teaching was no longer giving our students the chance to reach their greatest levels of success and satisfaction. To this end, Victoria University implemented the revolutionary VU Block Model, a cornerstone of The VU Way of learning and teaching, that delivers a more progressive, smarter and sharper way to undertake tertiary study. It is transforming the way students learn, with increased student attendance rates, student pass rates and greater satisfaction levels. VU is delivering a next generation education.
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Speaker: Prof. Peter Dawkins
Biography
Professor Peter Dawkins became the third Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University in 2011.
In 2017 he received an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Professor Dawkins was born in the UK and holds a BSc and PhD from Loughborough University (of which he became a Distinguished Alumnus in 2012). He also holds a MSc (Econ) from the University of London. He came to Australia in 1984 and became an Australian Citizen in 1988.
From 2005 to 2010 he held senior positions in the Victorian Public Service, including Deputy Secretary of the Department of Treasury and Finance and Secretary of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Professor Dawkins is also the Deputy Chair of the West of Melbourne Economic Development Alliance and also part of the West of Melbourne Advisory Committee, and the Vice-Chancellor Industry Advisory Board.
Professor Dawkins has developed and led the implementation of the 2012-2016 strategic plan, in which VU has positioned itself as the ‘University of Industry and Community’, ‘Australia’s Leading Sport University’ and most importantly, the ‘University of Opportunity’ – helping students from diverse countries, cultures, socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, to find true success.
In 2015, the University Council extended his appointment as Vice-Chancellor and President of Victoria University for a further five years, and he released a strategic plan which leads Victoria University into the 21st Century as the ‘University of Opportunity and Success’, building on the core promise to deliver learning opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds and ensure they find their own personalised success as measured by their employability, entrepreneurial mindset, and contributions to industry and community.
Peter is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia and an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Council of Educational Leadership.
He is married to Susan Sleep and has a daughter and a son, Emily and Mark.
He is a keen sports enthusiast. Having been a club cricketer and a coach, he continues to follow cricket with keen interest, is an occasional golfer, and follows the Western Bulldogs in the AFL, one of the University’s important partners.