Professor Jane den Hollander appointed as Deakin University’s next Vice-Chancellor

The Chancellor of Deakin University, Mr David Morgan, announced today that the Council of Deakin University approved the appointment of Professor Jane den Hollander to succeed Professor Sally Walker as Deakin's Vice-Chancellor and President. Professor den Hollander will take office as Deakin's sixth Vice-Chancellor on 19 July 2010.

Professor den Hollander is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia. Amongst external appointments relating to higher education policy in Australia, Professor den Hollander is currently a board member of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister.

In making the announcement, Mr Morgan said "The Council is delighted with this appointment. Professor den Hollander brings the qualities, experience and credentials required to continue Deakin's trajectory of growth, innovation and quality in teaching and research; to build on the outstanding record of achievement under Professor Walker's leadership."

Professor den Hollander has a deep commitment to excellence in teaching and research, the student experience, access and participation, and regional engagement. She believes in orienting a university's services and resources to delivering excellent teaching that translates into a desire for life-long learning and doing excellent research that is strategically focussed and resourced to make a difference to the communities the university serves.

"The timing of Professor den Hollander's appointment is ideal as it gives her the opportunity to lead the development of Deakin University's next Strategic Plan and negotiate its Mission-Based Compact Agreements with the Australian Government in a time of significant change in the tertiary education sector," Mr Morgan said.

In accepting her appointment Professor den Hollander said "I am honoured to be given the opportunity to lead Deakin – a university that has established a distinctive position in higher education in Australia. Deakin is very well placed to respond to the Australian Government's higher education reform agenda and I pay tribute to the contribution Professor Sally Walker has made."

"I believe in the transformational effects of education generally and of higher education specifically, most particularly in relation to the contribution a university such as Deakin makes to a community's capacity for creativity, sustainability and resilience," Professor den Hollander said.

"I see my values to be entirely consistent with Deakin's. I embrace the complexity and competitive nature of our future. I look forward with great enthusiasm and energy to leading Deakin and working collaboratively with staff and the University's partners and stakeholders to advance Deakin's distinctive role. Ensuring the contribution this great University makes to its students' education and to the wider benefit of the communities it serves is a job well worth doing and I look forward to it."