Institute of Teaching and Learning
Deakin University
Welcome to the casual academic staff at Deakin website.
Casual academics play important roles such as lecturers, tutors, lab/prac demonstrators, markers, clinical facilitators, curriculum developers. In these roles, casual academics contribute significantly to teaching and learning at Deakin.
This site is designed to provide information for not only casual academics but also for those who are involved in the process of recruiting and supervising them in their work at Deakin.
The process of inducting casual academics into the university begins at school level. The casual academic signs a Recruitment Authority Casual Academic and Research Staff form 
, which is forwarded by the school to Human Resources Services Division (HRSD).
If the school believes that the new casual academic qualifies to be exempted from Deakin's Professional Development for Casual Academics program (PDCAS), the relevant sections of the PDCAS Advice Form are completed, and forwarded to HRSD. The same form is used by the school to nominate casual academics for enrolment into the PDCAS program.
HRSD forwards the PDCAS Advice Form to the Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) who then enrol the casual academic into the program. Once enrolled, the casual academic is notified by mail to his/her home address and by email to his/her Deakin email address of details of how to access the program.
For forms and associated information sheets for the employment of sessional and casual staff go to: http://www.deakin.edu.au/hr/employment/casuals.php
The PDCAS program was originally introduced in Semester 1, 2005 to assist new staff who are relatively inexperienced university educators. The program offers useful information and strategies that are aimed at stimulating ideas that will enhance teaching and, through this, the learning of our students.
The program has been developed with an emphasis on a student-centred/learning-centred approach to teaching - an approach that will lead to deep (rather than surface) learning. It is premised on current educational theory, but is designed to be practical in nature.
The PDCAS program has been developed by staff within Deakin's Institute of Teaching and Learning, in association with staff from Human Resources, the Division of Student Life and the Faculties. It also draws on materials available in similar programs at other Australian universities.
The intention is that the program is to be completed in the first semester of employment as a casual academic - Tutor, Demonstrator or Marker.
Each module takes notionally 2 hours and staff are paid for this time. A certificate signed by the Director of the Institute of Teaching and Learning and the Program Coordinator is provided for tutors who successfully complete the program. Demonstrators and Markers also receive a certificate upon completion of the relevant module.
Individual progress through the program is monitored by the Institute of Teaching and Learning, who authorise payment to casual academics once they successfully complete the relevant modules of the program. The casual academic does not need to submit a timesheet for this payment.
| Category of staff | Role | Compulsory module |
| Demonstrators | Lab/prac classes |
|
| Category of staff | Role | Compulsory module |
| Markers | Marking |
|
| Category of staff | Roles | Compulsory modules | Optional modules |
| Tutors | Tutoring Lecturing Marking |
|
One of:
|
Tutors complete a total of five modules: four compulsory modules and one optional module.
The Teaching in Tutorials module together with the Teaching with DSO module are offered as a package in face to face sessions (4 hours) in the first three weeks of semester, at each of Deakin's major campuses.
For those casual academics unable to attend these face to face sessions, equivalent versions of both modules can be completed online during the period of the semester.
All the remaining modules in the program are completed online through Staff Development Online (SDO) via Deakin Studies Online (DSO).
| Date | Campus | Time | Location | Module |
Thursday |
Burwood | 10.30am - 12.30pm | he2.018 | Teaching in Tutorials |
| 1.15pm - 3.15pm | he1.021 | Teaching with DSO | ||
Wednesday |
Waterfront | 10.30am - 12.30pm | ITL Seminar Room (D2.139) | Teaching in Tutorials |
| 1.15pm - 3.15pm | ITSD Training Lab (D2.130.1) | Teaching with DSO | ||
Fri 1 Aug postponed new date to be advised |
Warrnambool | 11am - 1.00pm | D2.32 | Teaching in Tutorials |
| 1.30pm - 3.30pm | D1.29 | Teaching with DSO | ||
Monday |
Waurn Ponds | 10.30am - 12.30pm | jb2.107 | Teaching in Tutorials |
| 1.15pm - 3.15pm | ic2.419 | Teaching with DSO | ||
Wednesday |
Burwood | 10.30am - 12.30pm | GA2.26 | Teaching in Tutorials |
| 1.15pm - 3.15pm | GA2.28 | Teaching with DSO | ||
| Friday 15 August 2008 |
Burwood (Greenwood ) | 10.30am - 12.30pm | GA2.26 | Teaching in Tutorials |
| 1.15pm - 3.15pm | GA2.28 | Teaching with DSO |
To register for one of these face to face sessions please email Terry Timberlake (t.timberlake@deakin.edu.au) at the Institute of Teaching and Learning. Please let us know your full name, your Deakin email address and the session you would like to attend. In the event a session is cancelled you will be notified via your Deakin email address.
Resources to support teaching and learning at Deakin are available from the ITL site at:
http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/index.php
Casual academics may also be interested in accessing a set of Teaching Tips at:
http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/teaching-tips/index.php
The program is coordinated by Terry Timberlake at the Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL), Waterfront Campus:
Email: t.timberlake@deakin.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5227 8167 (ext 78167)
Email: itl-support@deakin.edu.au
Phone: (03) 5227 8127 (ext.78127)
Web: www.deakin.edu.au/itl/contact/contact-us.php
