My administrative experience started during my MA studies at Maastricht University,
where I was a student member of the governing body of the department of Business
Administration. In my subsequent positions at the Universities of Heerlen,
Tilburg and Maastricht, my administrative duties were mostly related to teaching
development. In addition, I was secretary of the "Science vs. Practice" committee
of the NVP (Dutch Association for Personnel Management) for 1.5 years.
My recent administrative duties include the following:
At the University of Melbourne I have volunteered to take part in a large number
of departmental, faculty and university level committees. In addition, I have
acted as a member of five selection committees, am the initiator and organiser
of a monthly ladies lunch in the department and regularly attend social gatherings
for the programme I am most heavily involved with (Masters in International
Business).
Department of Management
PhD director (February 2005-current)
My most significant administrative task in the department is the directorship
of the PhD programme. Currently about 75 students are enrolled in our PhD
programme. I am responsible for selection of candidates and am Chair of both
the Confirmation (defense of research proposal at the end of the first year)
and Examination Committee. I am also coordinator of the PhD coursework modules.
In my role as PhD director I have introduced the following significant changes
to improve the programme:
Tighten up the confirmation requirements, a process that was started
by the previous PhD director. I have introduced written comments on
the Confirmation Report in the form of memos ranging from 2 to 5 single-spaced
pages. Students are normally requested to submit a revised confirmation
report before they are confirmed.
Provide significant academic support to students by circulating information
on conferences, journals, academic positions, useful websites, etc.
Introduce two PhD coursework modules, a process that was started by
the previous PhD director. These modules were first offered in 2005
and there is general agreement in the department that they have significantly
improved the quality and consistency of our students' work. They were
also available to older year students. As there are more than 20 academics
teaching into the coursework, coordinating it is a very significant
administrative task.
Some representative student comments:
Congratulations on doing a great job and raising the standard of
the PhD course. I wish I had the benefit of some courses as "refreshers"
early in my PhD studies and I wouldn't be on extensions now.
Thank you for an unforgettable period of stimulation, enrichment
and exposure to some incredible academic role models. These courses
have been the highlight of my candidature at Melbourne University.
In my role as PhD director I also organised the daylong 2005 ANZIBA doctoral
colloquium in which 12 students from all over Australia as well as four
international students participated.
Other administrative functions:
Member of the Research and Graduate Studies Committee (February 2005-current)
Chair of the Psychology Liaison Group (February 2005-current)
Member of the Department Executive (January-December 2002; January-June
2004). The department executive assists and advises the HOD in the implementation
of the existing University, Faculty and Departmental policies; reviews
and approves recommendations from the other departmental committees; makes
recommendations to the relevant Faculty Committees and develops and reviews
the strategic direction of the department.
Member of the Departmental IT Advisory group (June 2002-July 2004)
Faculty of Economics and Commerce
Member of the Faculty IT Committee (October 2001-August 2002)
Member of the Faculty International Committee (January 2002-March 2003)
Mentor for UG students (May 2002-July 2004)
University of Melbourne
Member of Language Advisory Group (February 2005-current)
Member of the Advisory Committee, School of International Communication
and Languages (Melbourne University Private) (March 2003-October 2005)
Member of the Intercultural Working Party (IWP) (May 2001-May 2002). IWP
is a formal sub-committee of the Access and Equity Committee of the University.
The diversity of the University community, coupled with the policy of
internationalism pursued by the University, has raised issues in the areas
of cultural and cross cultural education and understanding. The IWP has
worked consistently since its inception to provide support to students
and staff from culturally diverse backgrounds, to raise policy and practice
issues with the University and to expand opportunities for staff to receive
further training.
Initiator and chair of the Cross-Cultural Interest Group (May 2002-current).
This is a group of some 15 academics and support staff from the Faculties
of Economics & Commerce, Education, Arts and Medicine, covering 9
different academic departments. The group meets regularly to discuss issues
of cross-cultural research and teaching. It differentiates itself from
IWP by having a research-oriented focus and its long-term aim is to facilitate
inter-departmental research projects.
The International Management Division is conscious that many of its members
- especially those living outside the USA - might find it difficult to be
fully involved in the Division's activities. The Executive Council therefore
felt that steps were needed to increase the involvement of individual members
in the Division. The Membership Involvement Committee was established to assist
the Executive Council in identifying and addressing issues regarding member
relations and involvement.
As the Founding Chair of the MIC I recruited some fifty country representatives
and eight regional representatives, collected their
bios, and together with the IMD Executive developed the job descriptions
for the MIC members. We also designed the MIC logo that you see at the top
right.
At the 2002 Denver AoM meeting, the MIC organized a professional development
workshop called Doing International Research.
In November 2002, the Austrian branch of the MIC held its first seminar in
Vienna, Austria, called Successful Submissions to the International Management
Division of the Academy of Management. Furthermore, we started the tradion
of a Roadmap to the Academy for New and International Members session,
a professional development workshop held every year on the Friday evening
before the main AoM conference.
In October 2003, Gerhard Apfelthaler succeeded me as Chair of the MIC; for
the current membership details and activities, please see the International
Management Division web site.
This function, which I initiated myself, is aimed at facilitating foreign students'
integration into the British culture and educational system. The Coordinator
International Students has the following roles:
Providing a series of seminars (3-4 a year), starting in the introduction
week. These seminars cover topics such as the British culture and educational
system, coursework and exam techniques, culture shock and any problems
that students identify themselves.
Being the first point of contact for problems related to adaptation to
the British culture and educational
system. A weekly office hour is provided during term time. In addition,
students can make individual appointments for more involved questions/problems.
Being a spokesperson for international students in terms of, for instance,
further improving the international content of courses.
Acting as an intermediary for students who (partly because of their cultural
background) find it difficult to contact lecturers directly.
Acting as initiator for social activities that are organised in collaboration
with the programme secretaries, the MA/MBA Chairs and the student representatives.
The International Dinners
web site was created to support these activities.
Information for international students is provided under Living
Abroad.
Other administrative functions
Active membership of the Management Centre's Research Committee. In this
role I have organised a day-long Research Symposium for all staff and
coordinated the construction of a new Journal Quality
list.
Member of the Doctoral Research Board. The DRB ensures quality control
of our doctoral programme and members of the DRB act as tutor for a group
of PhD students.
Management Centre member of the University's Research Implementation Subcommittee.
This committee's main responsibilities are to conduct mock RAEs (Research
Assessment Exercises) and to advise departments on their RAE submission.
Acted as the non-professorial member on the selection committee for two
professorial recruitment rounds.
Selected as Management Centre representative for a young researchers ESRC
Research review meeting and a new researchers meeting for HEFCE Fundamental
Review of Research Policy and Funding.
Founder member of Northern
LAWN (Local Academic Women's Network), UK. Women are still under-represented
in science, technology and engineering (SET) and associated disciplines such
as business and management within both academia and industry. Northern LAWN
is a network of support and shared research interest for female researchers
and lecturers in the SET and business environment. It was established by,
and for the benefit of, young, less experienced women academics, who, with
the help of more established senior colleagues seek to develop and enhance
their careers within these predominately male-dominated areas of academia
and industry. The key aims of Northern LAWN include:
To promote the work of less experienced female researchers as well as
established female academics in the participating higher education institutions
(HEIs). This is intended to improve institutional practice relating to
support offered to research staff in general, and to women in particular.
To increase cross-disciplinary collaborative opportunities between researchers
in different departments within and between participating HEIs.
To increase association between academia and industry, offering mutually
beneficial potential research opportunities.
To offer a formal and informal support network for women academics within
participating HEIs.
Northern LAWN aims to achieve these objectives by the following activities:
Quarterly seminars delivered by respected female academics and practitioners,
open to all university employees, postgraduates and undergraduates, and
other interested individuals
Quarterly meetings to identify opportunities for collaboration and new
research initiatives
Skills awareness, professional and personal development between members
Annual seminar geared towards female undergraduates to encourage careers
in academia and stimulate and broaden the learning process.
University
of Melbourne (2001-)
Membership
Involvement Committee, AoM (2001-2003)
Bradford
University (1997-2001)
Local
Academic Women's Network (1999-)