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Fit for the future
University of New England VC Brigid Heywood . Photo : Supplied
The importance of personalised learning and its role in UNE ’ s new strategy .
Brigid Heywood interviewed by Martin Betts
In this episode of HEDx , Brigid Heywood outlined her journey into the role of VC and CEO at Australia ’ s oldest regional university in New England after she was plucked from a planned retirement while visiting Easter Island .
She outlines a new strategy for the University of New England built on a long tradition of distance education and on recent advances and radical ambitions for personalised learning journeys at the heart of differentiated student experiences . She also outlines her unique approach to leadership , and the shaping she seeks to bring to the culture of teams within her university .
In combination with external partners in diverse regional precincts , the university is releasing its vision for a world-class , future-fit university .
MB : Tell us how you came to be appointed at UNE and what that represented as a step in your career . BH : I was deputy vice chancellor for research at UTAS , and I came to one of those big life moments that we all have where I was approaching my 60th birthday , and I was also recognising 40 years in educational research . I think I had a mid-life crisis with the number 100 sitting there in the middle of my thinking and came to the realisation that I was ready for a change ; that I ’ d done the big pieces of the work that I was recruited into Tasmania to do .
Intuitively , emotionally , psychologically and socially , I was ready for a break and I took the opportunity to say , ‘ I ’ m going to actually retire ’. I ’ ve always wanted to travel to Rapa Nui ( Easter Island ) so I trained to go to Patagonia and go and walk Rapa Nui and look at the statues and study the island .
When I was there I was asked if I would consider applying to be the vice chancellor of UNE . The people that asked me had done their homework and worked out that my background was in distance education and regional economic development .
The social purpose of the University of New England and my own interests aligned really well , and we started the conversation when I was looking at the artefacts of another culture from a completely different point in the planet ’ s life .
It was a really good moment just to reconnect with what was important to me ; to recognise that over 40 years I ’ d had the opportunity to gather a range of different experiences , and that someone was giving me the opportunity that I hadn ’ t really thought about beforehand . It was all about distance education , 70 per cent of our students are women , something I ’ m deeply passionate about , which is the opportunity of education to give people opportunities in life .
All of a sudden , I ’ d been given this new lease of life . I ’ ve experienced a drought , bush fires , pestilence and plague here in New England . But the opportunity to be part of an amazing institution and to fulfil a particular role and in doing so to have
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