HERDSA 2011 Conference

Within the academic community there is a notion of disciplinary 'tribes' with clearly bounded territories. How should we conceptualise disciplines and disciplinary ways of knowing? This address will posit a critical view of disciplines, disciplinary differences and their power and significance as seen from a social practice perspective, situated within a summary of some of the forces acting on higher education around the world to interrogate the changing and developing sites of practice in which 'discipline' is re-contextualised and then deployed. What are the resulting implications for the quality of the student experience and the range of practices in the university oriented to learning and teaching enhancement?

The academic profession is rooted in long historical tradition but situated in contemporary realities. In countries across the world, significant factors are affecting the meaning of academic work, the nature of academic workplaces, and the framing of academic identity. This address explores these changes and challenges, as well as their implications for those aspiring to academic work and for those already holding academic positions. Within this changing context for academic work, what innovative approaches might strengthen graduate education as the location for preparing future academics? And how might higher education institutions support academics as they engage in professional practice in such a dynamic environment? Sponsored by Southern Cross University.

Speaker: Profesor Ian O'Connor, Vice Chancellor and President, Griffith UniversityGriffith University is proud to host the HERDSA 2011 conference Higher Education on the Edge at the Radisson Resort on the beautiful Queensland Gold Coast. Our delibera