In early 2012, Professor Margaret Mazzolini is taking on the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning & Teaching at Victoria University, contributing to VU’s mission to provide excellent, engaged and accessible tertiary provision in Melbourne’s West and beyond. Margaret will be responsible for developing and implementing a new VU framework for excellence in learning and teaching, together with fostering an institutional culture of scholarly practice in support of VU graduate outcomes.

Margaret previously carried out a range of learning and teaching and curriculum development roles over an extended period at Swinburne University of Technology, another multi-sector institution. Most recently, she was Pro Vice-Chancellor and inaugural chair of Swinburne’s multi-sectoral Academic Senate. Prior to that role, Margaret carried out a range of Swinburne leadership roles including that of Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning & Teaching, with responsibility for monitoring quality in Higher Education educational outcomes, together with managing a five-year curriculum renewal process across all undergraduate programs. Margaret also designed and implemented Swinburne Astronomy Online, which was Swinburne’s first major online program and still teaches into a number of countries around the world.

Margaret’s research interests have spanned physics, astronomy, online education, and internationalisation of the curriculum. Recently she has been involved in two ALTC Leadership projects, together with researching the course experience and academic success of diverse student cohorts including students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and from Vocational Education pathways.

As Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Janet Verbyla has overall responsibility for the University’s academic programs, and provides executive leadership for faculty-based strategy, programs and course development. Professor Verbyla’s portfolio includes the University’s five faculties (Arts, Business and Law, Education, Engineering and Surveying, and Sciences) and three campuses (Toowoomba, Springfield and Fraser Coast) as well as the Open Access College, Centre for Australian Indigenous Knowledges and Queensland College of Wine Tourism. Professor Verbyla provides a range of strategic advice and specialist support to the Vice-Chancellor on the strategic positioning of USQ’s academic policy, planning and management relating to learning and teaching content and quality, program management and delivery, student learning, academic development and related academic matters. Professor Verbyla also serves as the standing deputy in the position of Vice-Chancellor and acts in the role during the absence of the Vice-Chancellor.

Brief Biography:
Prior to commencing in the role of Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Verbyla held a range of roles at USQ, including Dean of Faculty of Sciences, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Management), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise) and Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Learning). Professor Verbyla came to USQ from Flinders University in South Australia, where she held several positions including Head of the School of Informatics and Engineering, Deputy Executive Dean and Associate Head (International) of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Professor Verbyla’s discipline background is in software and information engineering.