With the current situation impacting everything from teaching and research to partnerships and the personal lives of staff, disruption as a catalyst for innovation has never been clearer, and Flinders’ teams are rising to the challenge.
As the surge of closures and restrictions rolls on in our local communities, the curve of creativity on campus is ascending. Faced with an unknown endpoint and supported by an unwavering IDS team, we are embracing technology and alternative ways of working to stay informed, connected and to deliver our services.
On Friday 27 March, the Southgate Institute held the virtual launch of its collaborative report: SA: The Heaps Unfair State: Why have health inequities increased in South Australia and how can this be reversed? Special guest speaker Professor Ron Labonte streamed from his office at the University of Ottawa, Canada, while many people chimed in to its #SAHeapsUnfair Twitter Festival.
This was followed on Monday 30 March by the Flinders University Museum of Art’s (FUMA) live-streamed conversation with performance artist Stelarc and Strategic Professor in Palaeontology John Long – exploring hands, limbs, evolution and technology, all via Facebook which attracted 1,033 active viewers – a record!
Our library services have moved online, and computers dispersed throughout the Hub to support learning in a time of social distancing. Though the situation changes daily, the library is swiftly responding to ensure students get the best possible support to continue their studies.
Sport and Fitness wasted no time establishing a Facebook group for members. Its online content strategy is underway, and in the meantime immune boosting tips and short video tutorials are being shared on its main page.
Regular University commentators on the COVID-19 situation have been assisted by OCME to transition to virtual media interviews via Skype, while the research team has tech-powered its training and development with interactive online workshops and webinars – a strategy mirrored by others including Flinders Careers and Employability.
Flinders University / CDW studios have opened their internationally acclaimed digital illustration expertise to all, offering live tutorials each week on YouTube thanks to the talented Simon Scales – providing a fantastic, free learning opportunity for creatives or creative hopefuls with extra time on their hands.
Meanwhile, staff across colleges are imagining how they can contribute to conversations when all thoughts are COVID-centred, with fresh ideas emerging like grasping the opportunity of isolation to write a novel, physical distancing in terms of time as well as space, sharing the loss of smell as an early sign of infection, or staying mentally fit through periods of isolation.
Like a duck to the Flinders lake, our community has flocked to the COVID-19 challenge without pause or pallor, connected in our shared purpose and mutual empathy for those affected – around the world, in our nation, our families, on our campus.
When Matthew Flinders persevered in uncharted territories on a mission to map Australia’s coast with his guide and negotiator Bungaree, a dedicated focus on his purpose and his people underlined his success. And so too for us, as together we traverse the unique journey that 2020 has become.