Profile
Susan is Māori-Indigenous, with teaching experience gained from time at two Australian universities, a NZ tribal indigenous-university, and TAFE NSW. A very distant 'claim to fame' was as one of four official workforce training coordinators for the Sydney Olympic Games, with the added responsibility of being 'sport training coordinator for all 47 Olympic and Paralympic sports'. She brings several hats to her current and previous roles, including as STAR Lead for the Faculty of Arts social work programs [from 2011-2013), and Course Director Lead for Smart Learning: adult education; literacy, language and numeracy; human services and social work; management, and foundational studies. Her substantive position is as senior lecturer in the human services and social work discipline, with a teaching focus on cross-cultural competencies, case management, and communication subjects. As a previous course coordinator of the social work degree program at the CSU rural and regional campus in Dubbo, she was able to focus on a particular passion; on providing education opportunities for marginalised and LSES students. Her PhD research and thesis [UWS 2008] relates to Paucity Management Models in Community Services Delivery (in rural and remote areas in the central west of NSW). She has undertaken externally-funded community development evaluation projects related to rural service provision. Overall, research and publications address several interest areas, including ongoing collaborations with NZ, as well as Indonesian colleagues [following the successful international social work mobility program to the Bandung School of Social Welfare, Indonesia, in 2014]. Her Sub-Dean role has seen her successfully apply for New Colombo Plan funding for international short-term mobility programs to: Samoa, Malaysia, Seoul, South Korea, India, and Indonesia.
CSU Current Roles: Sub-Dean Partnerships, Faculty of Arts and Education; Smart Learning Course Director-Lead, Faculty of Arts and Education; Level C – Senior Lecturer Teaching & Research, Social Work & Human Services.
Qualifications & Education
- Doctor of Philosophy[commenced 2002; submitted March 2008, awarded 2008] – UWS, Penrith [Principal supervisors: Associate Professor Regine Wagner & Associate Professor Rosemary Leonard; second supervisor: Associate Professor Merrilyn Childs]: Final thesis - Paucity Management Models in Community Welfare Services Delivery. Empirical work included interviews with 15 managers from the central west region of NSW. The qualitative phenomenographic research applied a theoretical framework from: Giddens' structuration theory; Wagner's domain theory, and complexity and chaos theories from Gleick and Lewin. The study used a 'structure of awareness framework' to analyse categories of description related to professional practice including: communicating; ethical practice; structural boundaries, & innovation. Principal External Markers: Associate Professor Wendy Earles [JCU] & Professor Jo Barraket [QUT].
- Bachelor of Social Work[Commenced February 2009; Awarded 2010], CSU, Wagga Wagga: The degree program updated social work qualifications for Australian Association of Social Workers [AASW] membership, and for inclusion in all facets of teaching human services and social work curriculum.
- Master of Commerce(Hospitality Management) [commenced 1998; awarded 1999] – UWS, Hawkesbury: Subjects: Management and Leadership Process; Marketing Management; Strategic Management; Operational Management; Managerial Accounting; Human Resource Development; Properties and Facilities; Seminar in Cultural Diversity and Tourism.
- Master of Arts (Communication and Cultural Studies)[commenced 1996; awarded 1997] – UWS, Nepean: Subjects: Communication Management; Research Paper-Bilingualism & Identity; Issues in Indigenous Cultures; Women, Technology & Communication; Technology, Communication & Education; Ideas & Issues in Writing; Research Processes.
- Bachelor of Adult Education(Major: Literacy, language & numeracy major) [commenced 1993; awarded 1995] – UWS, Nepean: Subjects: Included major in Literacy, Language and Numeracy, plus Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL); Human Resource Development & Management; Workplace Communication; Ideas & Issues in Education; Project Management; Community Education; Language as Social Semiotics; Facilitating Learning.