Southern Cross Matters

Our work in research is going from strength to strength, with continued growth in research funding and a greater and greater proportion of our research publications appearing in the highest quality journals. Our rankings outcomes reflect this very strong performance, and give us a very strong sense that we are making greater and greater impact through this work.

Our sustainability journey is continuing apace, with a further expansion of our investment in solar energy taking place over coming months, and we are making really significant strides in enhancing our capabilities in technology, data and analytics – with a particular focus on driving an enhanced student experience.

Whilst these are very challenging times, our efforts to orient ourselves towards fulfilling our purpose and living out our University values is paying dividends. Wherever we are and whatever our role, we share so many challenges in common and it is through a continued commitment to resolving them together that we will continue to swim successfully against the tide.

Thank you for all of your very hard work and dedication over the first half of this year. I hope you find the stories in this edition of Southern Cross Matters genuinely inspiring and that they fill you with a sense of hope and aspiration for what we can accomplish together as we hurtle towards the spring and summer seasons.

Warmest wishes,

Tyrone

“This is delivering on the University’s purpose and values, which are at the heart of all we do and strive to do. Our core strengths in sustainability allow us, as a small regional university, to move among global leaders in research and learning,” affirmed Professor Carlin.

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Mary Spongberg travelled to Washington DC to receive the ‘Most Improved – Oceania’ Award from QS Senior Vice President Ben Sowter during the QS EduData Summit 2024.

“Being recognised as Oceania’s most improved university in the QS rankings – given the size of the region and the fact we’re a young, regional university – is a great reflection on the quality of our teaching and the global impact of our research,” said Professor Spongberg.

Another source of pride is the latest results of the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS). This Australian survey, which sampled 116,000 recent graduates across the country from both undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs, positions Southern Cross in Australia’s top 10 public universities for salary and employment outcomes.

Southern Cross graduates of undergraduate programs reported an 82.8 per cent full-time employment rate, well above the national university average of 79.4 per cent, and a $72,500 median full-time salary, again above the national median of $71,000.

Graduates of Southern Cross postgraduate coursework programs reported a 92.6 per cent full-time employment rate and a median starting salary of $110,000, with the national university averages at 90 per cent and $97,000 respectively.

These QS and GOS outcomes mark back-to-back ranking achievements. In May, Southern Cross placed 100th in the world in the Times Higher Education Young University Ranking 2024.

Throughout an eventful few years of COVID restrictions, a temporary flip to online learning, and major flooding in our campus regions, the University has constantly moved forward, adapting our teaching and learning along the way. 

In 2022 the Southern Cross Model was introduced, revolutionising the way we teach. With tireless work and dedication from both academic and professional staff to restructure timetables, learning material and modes of teaching, we have seen a positive improvement not only in students’ academic success, but in their overall learning experience at Southern Cross.

The $140 million redevelopment mapped out in our Lismore Master Plan will see our foundation campus continue to grow and transform, enriching our research, teaching and learning, culture and connection, and supporting student and staff growth.

Dr Yeo was joined by Southern Cross researchers-turned-intrepid-explorers, Associate Professor Joanne Oakes and Senior Research Fellow, Judith Rosentreter, along with 12 other volunteers. They all embarked on a journey to 36 estuaries spanning four states across the north from Australia’s southeast coastline to the southwest of Western Australia. The team was supported in data analysis by Associate Professor Kai Schulz.

“The University’s biggest boat, La Niña, was towed over 16,000km around the country cumulatively over two of the three fieldtrips,” Dr Yeo said.

“For the seven estuaries in Western Australia, we had the support of the State Department of Water and Environmental Regulation for field logistics and transport and, of course, their invaluable knowledge of the local estuaries.

“Our gear was shipped across the country on a pallet and together with collected samples, were then shipped back.”

Four months of data collection across three field trips resulted in 1253 samples, close to 800,000 datapoints across all variables and some surprising findings.

“We traditionally understand disturbance to have a blanket effect over estuarine carbon dioxide emissions,” Dr Yeo said, “but our results show that disturbance effects affect various estuary types differently, due to their unique characteristics.”

“Contrary to what we hypothesised, carbon dioxide emissions in Australian estuaries are higher than of global estuaries and this is mainly driven by the large extent of intertidal environments and the large tides that we see predominantly to the northern coastline.”

According to Jacob, if drivers for carbon dioxide production and emissions are better understood, governments can more effectively target conservation efforts, to ensure good water quality and climate change mitigation.

Dr Yeo’s work to increase this understanding is far from over. A second paper on methane from the study has just been accepted for publication, while his third paper, on nitrous oxide, is in the pipeline.

“The fourth, and final, paper will revise global emissions estimates with this updated Australian estuary database, and will also include estuary disturbance classes, which has never been done before at the global scale,” Dr Yeo said.

He is excited by the interest from Nature.com – recognised as the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal, showcasing the finest peer-reviewed research – as he is driven by a desire to grow local and global understanding of natural environments.

“We always thought about greenhouse gas emissions as man-made, but natural environments can also release, and absorb GHGs,” Dr Yeo said.

“People tend to think of nature as something that is separate from humans, but we are interconnected in many ways and this research shows how connected they are.”

The program supports the Southern Cross University Strategic Pillar of ‘Outstanding people’ by investing in staff development and empowering them to live the University’s values; in particular, care, excellence, commitment to keeping our word and building trust through action.

“The program’s other basic premise, which I'm fairly evangelical about, is to build a good relationship with your team,” Kath said. “If you focus on building trust, everything else about leading becomes easier.”

That was a key takeaway for First Year Advising Coordinator, Alice De Innocentiis, who is one of 15 participants invited to be part of the first cohort.

“Day One confirmed for me that it is always better to address ‘the elephant in the room’, even if that leads to having awkward or difficult conversations, as it fosters transparency and builds trust within the team,” Alice said.

Participants have the opportunity to build a network of new leaders that they can continue to tap into after the program, to share ideas and to use as sounding boards.

Feedback from the program’s opening sessions has been energising for organisers.

Program participant Office of Engagement CRM Campaigns Lead, Dani Chittick, was impressed by the diversity of people and roles represented in the group.

“People from different parts of the University are bringing different perspectives and problems to discuss in a supportive group environment. It’s been great to meet new people,” Dani said.

While appreciating different views, the group also found plenty of common ground.

“One of the participants said, ‘It's becoming clearer to me that we all have the same issues’,” Kath said. “That realisation builds a sense of camaraderie - a problem shared is a problem halved.”

Participants commented on the program’s fun, safe and welcoming environment from the long-table lunch, to the personalised music playlist and the crazy cat stationery station.

“Kath managed to create a safe space where everyone felt free to share without judgement,” Alice said. “I am very much looking forward to the next session!”

“Once people feel comfortable,” Kath said, “they start asking questions and opening up and it becomes a really great conversation.”

Elements of Leading at SCU is delivered across four sessions. The next cohort of 20 participants will begin in August, with that program already fully booked.

For enquiries about this program, please contact [email protected]

The rare Mountain frog faces extinction from climate change and introduced species, particularly pigs, in the Gondwana World Heritage national parks of northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland.

Inside the container, purpose-built tanks house tadpoles and baby frogs hatched from eggs that have been collected in the field. Once they reach adult size, they are transported and returned to their natural habitat, a process called conservation translocation.

“These frogs reach maturity very slowly, it can take up to four years for them to grow to adult size. This funding will help us keep going so we can release more adults,” said David.

He has spent more than twenty years researching amphibians in the Gondwana rainforests and has pioneered the use of bioacoustic surveys to assess frog numbers in remote areas. This involves placing sound recorders in remote locations and capturing frog calls over long time periods.

“It has been disturbing to witness populations of these unique frogs vanish in the wake of climate drying events, so the development of applied conservation actions like GRASP offers some hope. 

“The project will require a long-term commitment from multiple agencies if we are to prevent further losses. The support from the Commonwealth will help us achieve the project goals,” said David.

Summerland Christian College emerged as the overall victor, while Ballina and Alstonville also impressed the judges by winning their respective cases.

Summerland Christian College teacher, Aaron Grosse, expressed his gratitude for the event. 

"The Mock Trial gave my students an opportunity to experience something different and transfer their content knowledge into a practical outworking. 

“My students were made to feel special on the night as they were stunned that local judges/magistrates/professional would give up their time to adjudicate their trial. Since the event, my class are more engaged and have a better understanding of the NSW legal system."

The success of the event has set a promising precedent, with plans already underway to expand the competition next year. The mock trail showcases Southern Cross University’s commitment to providing real-world experiences for students and to inspire and engage the next generation.

The trees are often found planted on Australian university campuses, and in days gone by, the time of their blooming was associated with the end of the year assessment period – the flowers a reminder to all that it was time to really seriously focus on study!