Tuesday and Wednesday were long and intense days for the Curtin University accreditation panel, where I was joined by the ALIA Panel Members Cheryl Hamill FALIA, Constance Wiebrands AALIA and Dr Heather Brown AALIA (CP) , as well as the panellists representing the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) and the Records and Information Management Practitioner Alliance (RIMPA Global). Together we met with university leaders, academic staff, sessional lecturers, support staff, alumni, employers and others over two days.
ALIA currently accredits five universities (three with ongoing courses), so that students who graduate from these degrees are confident that their qualifications will be recognised for Association Membership (AALIA). In between the panel visits (normally every five years) there is constant reporting through annual course returns, and assessment of significant changes to courses.
A highlight of the trip was celebrating Panellist Cheryl Hamill’s birthday! With a cake procured by Curtin Placement Coordinator Bec Shillington and a card sourced from Chair of the Advisory Board Karen Anderson, we all celebrated Cheryl’s happy day and dedication to library and information services.