Message from the Vice-Chancellor - February 2021

Dear Deakin community,

The new academic year is almost underway, with our first Trimester beginning on 8 March. In the week before that, students will be getting involved in the many activities and attractions of Orientation Week – a highly accessible, blended experience that will help all students make a great start at Deakin.

This is always an exciting time for first-year university students as they embark on an entirely new and transformative period in their lives. This year, perhaps above any other in living memory, all our students will have strong emotions about the resumption of their on-campus activities at Deakin, as they greatly anticipate the daily energy of our campuses and re-engaging with the people that make them such inspiring places to be.

Our staff are equally excited, myself included, at the prospect of starting 2021 with a better balance of on-campus and online learning and teaching. For those alumni considering a return to study, please be aware that there are significant discounts for postgraduate courses in Trimester 1 – we would love to welcome you back.

The recent shorter lockdown in Victoria, preceded by similar lockdowns in Brisbane and Perth, remind us that we need to remain flexible and patient. The return to the various planned events and happenings at Deakin in 2021 is something to celebrate.

We are especially eager to celebrate the achievements of our students in person this year. As such we are planning our 2021 ‘Grads on the Green’: a series of special events to be held across our Burwood, Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool campuses in April 2021. Students will mark their graduation in a relaxed outdoor setting with family and friends, have photographs taken in academic regalia, arrange to meet fellow graduates, browse graduations market stalls and engage in the fun of the graduation after party, in true Deakin style. A similar event will also be held later in the year for those students who would have been invited to attend a ceremony in June or October 2021.

There are many opportunities to connect with Deakin digitally again this year, particularly through our virtual events – some of which are featured in this edition, or you can visit our website to find out more. We’re keen to stay connected with you, share our endeavours and learn more about yours.

On 8 March we will be celebrating International Women’s Day, which continues to raise awareness and encourage action that helps create gender equality across the world – please get involved.

In this and the previous edition of dKin Times, we have emphasised the importance of partnerships for Deakin to deliver on its ambition. Partnerships enable us to build connections with industry, governments and community organisations, and achieve shared goals that would not be possible otherwise. I hope you enjoy reading about some of our latest partnerships and agreements, and their diverse and worthy aims.

Best wishes,

Iain.

Vice-Chancellor
Deakin University