Let’s get networking – it is worth it!

…I can’t help but confirm that the recent budget here in New Zealand did virtually nothing for the tertiary sector, as I suggested last month. That may be a bit unfair as we did get a one per cent increase in per-student funding, but that was after years—I think almost eight—of no funding increases  across the board, or cost of living adjustments! So, I will be grateful for about two minutes and then get on with it. I do however despair for my Australian colleagues and what it looks like they will be going through for a while yet in terms of reforms and funding.

Now, on to more important things…

One of the more significant events in the AAIR calendar each year is the AAIR SIG Forum, which this year is being held at Macquarie University in Sydney. If you haven’t attended an event like this, I can assure you that it is worthwhile, particularly for the practitioner-oriented nature of the presentations, and the networking opportunities and exchanges that go on as part of the event. I would urge all of you to consider attending and taking a colleague along if you can.

Registrations are open, and the theme this year is, Creating Connections & Exploring Possibilities. To entice you event more, I will now hand over to Don Johnston, our hardworking Vice President, to give you some details about our theme, the action packed program we have prepared for you, and the social activities we have in store at this year’s AAIR SIG Forum.

Kathie Rabel

AAIR President

Thanks Kathie. Our theme, Creating Connections & Exploring Possibilities, offers you the chance to spend time connecting with your colleagues and making some new and valuable connections. You can discover new ideas in your field of expertise, explore some of the innovative changes that are taking place in this space, as well as indulge in interesting projects.

We are also very excited to have Peter O’Donnell (Monash University) and Monica Ikladios (Toyota) as our two keynote speakers this year. It’s wonderful to have an industry speaker who can offer you a perspective on institutional research from outside the higher education sector. We also have a number of quality presentations scheduled across the two days (26–27 July), which will cover areas such as data analytics, business intelligence, data warehousing, surveys, student feedback, load planning and government reporting. So, it is expected to be a full and informative program.

The dinner on the Wednesday night will be held at the wonderful Curzon Hall (an iconic sandstone castle located close to Macquarie University). There will also be some casual drinks on the Tuesday night (before the formal proceedings commence on the Wednesday), to provide an opportunity for new attendees to meet other delegates, as well as offering a great opportunity for you to start networking with colleagues from around Australasia who do similar work to you.

The full program will be available shortly, so be sure to check the AAIR SIG Forum website for more information and to register.

Don Johnston

AAIR Vice President