Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
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* HERDSA Blog Post: Learning to Learn Differently: What Neurodiversity Taught Me About Inclusive Higher Education
* 2026 AAUT & HERDSA National Webinar Series: Indigenous Knowledges in Action: Transforming Higher Education from the Ground Up
* Voting for HERDSA PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT is now open
* CRADLE Seminar Series: ‘Is it time to move beyond grades?’
* Invitation to Participate in a Study About Resources to Support Academic Developers’ Mental Health
* New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
To submit an announcement for this list complete the online form at http://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-notices
A full list of HERDSA Notices is online at http://www.herdsa.org.au/latest-news
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HERDSA Blog Post: Learning to Learn Differently: What Neurodiversity Taught Me About Inclusive Higher Education
Aaron Saint-James, 25 March 2026
Aaron explores what neurodivergent learners reveal about higher education and educational design.
Read more: https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-connect/learning-learn-differently-what-neu...
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2026 AAUT & HERDSA National Webinar Series: Indigenous Knowledges in Action: Transforming Higher Education from the Ground Up
Thursday, 26 March 2026, 1pm – 2pm AEDT
The 2026 AAUT & HERDSA National Webinar Series launches with a panel discussion exploring Indigenous Knowledges in action within higher education. The series celebrates and amplifies the outstanding contributions of the 2024 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) recipients, providing a national platform for award-winning educators to share their innovative teaching practices, insights, and impact.
Chaired by Prof Corrinne Sullivan (Western Sydney University, 2017 AAUT Citation recipient), the panel features A/Prof Jessica Russ-Smith (Australian Catholic University – 2024 Citation), Dr Cat Gutsy (Charles Darwin University – 2024 Citation), and A/Prof Benjamin Wilson (University of Technology Sydney – 2022 Teaching Award).
Panelists will discuss how educators move beyond simply including Indigenous content to meaningfully embedding Indigenous Knowledges in curriculum, pedagogy, and institutional practice. The discussion will include examples from teaching and program design, reflections on respectful engagement with Indigenous communities and Knowledge Holders, and considerations of the roles and responsibilities of academics in supporting institutional transformation.
This 1-hour lunchtime webinar will feature a 45-minute interview-style panel discussion followed by a 15-minute live audience Q&A. The session forms the first in a five-part national webinar series designed to foster dialogue, share practice, and strengthen collaboration around teaching excellence across the Australian higher education sector.
Date: Thursday, 26 March 2026
Time: 1pm – 2pm AEDT
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Further information: Register: https://tinyurl.com/9ut2hx3t
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Voting for HERDSA PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT is now open
Closes 24 April 2026
Voting is now open for the next HERDSA President/President Elect and closes at 5.00pm AEST on 24 April 2026.
The position of HERDSA President requires a three year commitment. For the first year, beginning at the 2026 conference in July, the successful candidate serves as President Elect, or the current President when already holding that position. From July 2027 the nominee elected as President for 2027-2029 has two years as President before another election is required. The maximum a President can serve is 6 years.
All HERDSA members are encouraged to vote.
You must log into the HERDSA web site and be a current HERDSA member to be eligible to vote.
Vote online at https://herdsa.org.au/president-elect-election-2026
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Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 45 No. 2 is now available online
The Special Issue of Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 45 No. 2 (2026) on "Benefits and challenges of integrating lived experience in higher education" is now available from the HERDSA website at https://herdsa.org.au/higher-education-research-development-vol-45-no-2
Free online access is available to HERDSA members through your member dashboard.
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CRADLE Seminar Series: ‘Is it time to move beyond grades?’
Wednesday 15 April – 2.00 - 3.30 pm (AEST)
Is it time to move beyond grades? Register for CRADLE's seminar on 15 April to find out! CRADLE's Dr Juuso Nieminen will critically discuss why higher education systems continue to use grades, despite plenty of evidence on how they don’t work, and whether we should now move on.
Despite widespread historical criticism, grades continue to be awarded in most universities while gradeless courses and programs remain at the margins. Although recent years have seen extensive attention to assessment redesign, grading policies have not undergone systemic change. Why do universities – harbingers of knowledge, truth and critical thinking – keep using grades? This presentation will argue that perhaps it is time to move beyond grades, proposing a post-critical approach to research and practice on grades that moves our attention from ‘what doesn’t work’ to understanding and shaping the work that grades do in education.
To hear more about why it might be time to move beyond grades, join us at 2.00 pm (AEST) in person at Deakin Downtown or online.
Further information: https://cradle-seminar-time-to-move-beyond-grades.eventbrite.com.au/?aff...
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Invitation to Participate in a Study About Resources to Support Academic Developers’ Mental Health
We are a group of facilitators of the HERDSA Talking about Teaching and Learning (TATAL) professional learning program and we are passionate about supporting colleagues in the space of higher education teaching and learning. We are currently conducting a research study to explore resources to support mental health for academic developers in Australian universities.
If you self-identify as an academic developer working in a university setting, we warmly invite you to participate in this survey and potentially join a followup interview. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes. The interview will take up to 60 minutes.
To express your interest and indicate your preferred time for the interview, please complete this short form https://jcu.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8G7vCCfVot4GvOK
Your insights will contribute to a deeper understanding of how mental health is supported, and can be better supported, in academic development roles.
Thank you for considering this opportunity!
This project has received ethics approval by JCU HREC (Ethics approval NO. 25H-0519).
If you would like to learn more about the project please contact the researchers, Mei, Luk and Nicole at:
Principal Investigator:
Dongmei Li, College: Pathways, James Cook University
Phone: 07 4781 6542 Email: mei.li1@jcu.edu.au
Co-Investigator:
Lukasz Swiatek, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW
Phone: +61 2 9385 8535 Email: L.Swiatek@unsw.edu.au
Co-Investigator:
Nicole Reinke, School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast
Phone: 07 5456 5279 Email: nreinke@usc.edu.au
Further information: Further information about the project is in the participation information sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hVN0oZAp_PW
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New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
Gender-based violence in higher education institutions in Cuba and Mexico: A comparative analysis of awareness, institutional response, and policy gaps, Lillian Artz, Lisa Vetten, Harsha Gihwala, Nasreen Solomons, Daniele Vieira, Justine Sass, Matthias Eck, Elsa Soussan Burzynski & Daphnée Blanc, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2634268
Student satisfaction and engagement profiles and the probability of dropout determined by data mining, Juan José Sosa Alonso, Olga González-Morales, Cristina Ceinos-Sanz, María de la O. Toscano Cruz & Miguel Ángel Nogueira Pérez, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2639617
Co-creating writing support: reimagining students as pedagogical partners in a South African writing centre, Lutendo Nendauni, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2643245
Compassion as governance: neuro-ableism, benevolent pathology, and the moral economy of care in higher education, Edward Ademolu, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2643244
From coffee to collaboration: reflections and insights on lived experience in higher education teaching, Snita Ahir-Knight & Hazel K. Godfrey, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2627168
Powering my wheelchair through academia: an autoethnography of disability inclusive pedagogy, lived experience and lived expert teaching in higher education, Shane Clifton, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2617288
Bodily doubt and a pedagogy of refusal: a call to ‘be here now’, Claire Timperley, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2617277
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In the spirit of reconciliation HERDSA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australasia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.