Leading engineering learning and teaching in Australia

The drive for improved leadership in learning in teaching in the Australian tertiary sector is well established with the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and the funding of the Leadership for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Program by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). A core feature of TEQSA is to ensure that the predicted increased participation in tertiary education is accompanied by an improved quality of university teaching and learning. The major outcome of the ALTC program is to enhance the quality of learning and teaching through better leadership capacity. The Federal Government has set aside $57 million to have TEQSA be fully operational by 2013 and the ALTC has invested many millions into projects on leadership in learning and teaching. This paper explores the role of the associate dean-learning and teaching as a pivotal point to improve leadership, in the context of engineering education.