Aims: The Heads of Service group is a forum for discussion of issues relating to the management of student support services.
Contact Details:
Dr Kitty Vivekananda Ph.D. MAPS
2007 Convenor of the Heads of Service Special Interest Group for ANZSSA.
Chief Psychologist, Coordinator (Counselling Service)
RMIT University
54 Cardigan St, (Building 43)
Carlton, 3053
Phone: (03) 9925 4365
Email: kitty.vivekananda@rmit.edu.au
Listserv: The main means of communication and contact between members of the Heads of Services Group is through the listserv, an electronic mailing list.
The Heads of Service listserv is currently administered by Annie Andrews. This listserv is only open to current ANZSSA members who are also members of the Heads of Service Professional Interest Group. Heads of Service Professional Interest Group members who are not currently subscribed are encouraged to contact Annie Andrews via email on a.andrews@unsw.edu.au Annie will facilitate your subscription to the listserv.
Following being subscribed to the elist membership, Heads of Service members are able to post to the elist using the following email address: anzssa-hofss@explode.unsw.edu.au
Professional Development Activities: There is a biennial meeting. Previous meetings have discussed issues such as team leadership, strategic planning and clinical governance.
'Organisation and structure of student services departments within Australian universities' was a paper developed on the basis of responses sent by 19 different university heads of student services to a questionnaire sent out as part of the 2006 Heads of Student Services conference. The questionnaire asked the heads to identify their university, the services they manage, and issues that were current at the end of 2006.
The information must be seen as a snapshot of how things were then. Structures have already changed in some universities since then. This information will be useful to heads of services who want to identify the many different ways in which student services can be organised within the Higher Education sector.
Hot topics: In 2004, the Group prepared 'Guidelines for the Provision of Counselling Services in the Post-Secondary Education Sectors of Australia and New Zealand'. The Guidelines outline the principles and standards of practice for Counselling Services in this context. The information is useful for managers and staff in the establishment and functioning of these services, and for the proactive management of risk in their delivery.
Meetings: There is usually a short planning meeting held at the Biennial ANZSSA Conference, and in alternate years, there is a 2 day professional meeting/ training.