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Introducing the "Top Third" Program

Universities seem to be subject to constant change. At Deakin, when you add our high aspirations for our future development, there always seems to be 'a lot happening'.

I am writing to tell you about a new and very important program which aims to bring the changes together and, at the same time, to help Deakin University to move into the top third of Australian universities in a range of measures including teaching, research and the wellbeing, morale and development of our staff and students. We have secured federal government funding for the program which will support work spanning at least the next three years.

The Human Resources Services Division is leading a range of projects in a number of areas such as systems and processes, academic performance, and people management. The role of the Top Third Program will be to support the achievement of the goals in our new Strategic Plan - Delivering Effective Partnerships, to unite the activities of current projects and to develop a number of specific initiatives and measures of progress towards the ultimate objective of reaching the top third.

There will be monthly updates about the progress of the Top Third Program and announcements of major milestones as they are achieved. An information site will be set up on the internet so that you will be able to see the latest news and register any comments or feedback you might have. You will be advised when this site is established.

Our partners in this program are the consulting firms SACS Consulting and Insight SRC. Both of these firms are very experienced - SACS has expertise in organisational development, and Insight are specialists in organisational measurement such as the conduct of surveys.

One of the first major activities in this Program is the development and conduct of a new organisational survey, which will be conducted annually and which you will be asked to complete for the first time in August. This will enable us to develop a baseline for a number of measures of success, as well as to gain your opinions on a range of important issues. This will replace the employee survey which we previously used.

The survey results will provide information that will help us to develop a range of activities for the coming year which will begin our journey toward the top third.

To provide guidance to the program team, including feedback from colleagues, we are assembling a team of approximately 60 staff members (academic and general) who will act as 'Change Champions' for this Program. These members of staff will:

• Inform the Program team about what staff members are seeking from it;
• Act as crucial points of communication, both for the dissemination of information and the gathering of feedback to and from staff;
• Act as sources of information for staff - answering queries from staff and letting the Program team know what information is needed;
• Guide the Program team; and
• Gain involvement and participation from other staff at relevant stages of the program.

We are around half way through the process of developing this group - we have a number of staff who have already volunteered to act as Change Champions and there will be further opportunities to register the interest of others. If you would like to become involved please contact Leanne Klahsen on extension 72099 or Helen O'Connor on extension 68289 from the Human Resources Services Division. A list of those who have already volunteered is at the end of this message - my personal thanks to you all - your role and contribution is very important for the success of the Program and to Deakin's success.

Please look out for updates on this Program and get involved in any way you can. The Program has the potential not only to improve our University, but I am confident that it will also provide participants with positive experiences and opportunities.

Professor Sally Walker Vice-Chancellor

Current 'Change Champions'