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St Mark’s was delighted to formally welcome this year’s new members into our College community at our Admission Ceremony, held on Thursday 20 February 2020. Over 200 students, family and friends filled the Grenfell Price Dining Hall to witness each new student sign the College Roll.

The Head of College, Professor Don Markwell, led the proceedings, with an Acknowledgement of Country followed by a motivating address on the value and purpose of a College education. Reflecting on the vision of the College’s founders, Professor Markwell observed:

“This College was founded 95 years ago, largely by people who had had the benefit of experience in the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge in Britain. They wanted students here in Adelaide to have the same benefits they had had of integrating learning and living together in a college. They saw a college as a residential academic community, in which it is possible to bring together a variety of elements alongside what each student gained within the wider university – college elements such as academic support, broader intellectual stimulus, activities such as sport, music, drama, and more, community service, opportunities for spiritual reflection in this Anglican Christian foundation, and social activities.

“This, they rightly recognised, would enrich the all-round education and personal growth of university students in a community where every student could have a sense of belonging and was supported and challenged to be their best, in which leadership and teamwork skills could be further developed, and in which friendships flourish. That was the goal of our founders in 1925, and that remains our goal today.”

Professor Markwell discussed the significance of signing the College Roll. Signing the College Roll is a time-honoured College tradition. In signing the Roll, each new student officially becomes a member of St Mark’s College, and a member of a special community to which they will belong for the rest of their lives. It also indicates a commitment by each and every member of our community to live and conduct themselves in accordance with the College’s values. The Roll reads as follows:

“Upon my enrolment as a member of St Mark’s College, I agree to be bound by, and obey honourably, the by-laws, values and guidelines as set out in the College Handbook, and do all in my power to promote the honour of the College.”

In making this commitment, Professor Markwell asked each student to reflect on the College’s values and what it means to live as an adult in a values-based community.

“This is a values-based community in which every member must accept responsibility for living by and helping to uphold our values… Our values include a commitment to integrity and a commitment to service. At the heart of our values also is a commitment to respect and dignity for all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other attribute. We are committed to upholding a culture of respect, of genuine inclusion, and of safety.”

Professor Markwell reflected on the generosity and commitment of earlier generations to building the College that stands today. He called on all students to recognise the debt of gratitude we have to Old Collegians and other friends of the College who have made the opportunities we enjoy today possible. More immediately, he also encouraged students to appreciate and acknowledge the love and support of their parents and family members who had supported them in reaching this point in their education journey.

You can read the full text of Professor Markwell’s address here.

2020 College Club President Mr Nicholas Marzohl also welcomed the new students into the St Mark’s community and reflected on his experiences at College. He emphasised the value of the friendships he has made and the importance of embracing the opportunities that College provides to try new activities, learn leadership skills and expand your horizons.

The Director of Learning, Dr Rachel Buxton, then introduced the new student cohort to the Head of College, inviting each student to shake hands with him before the Dean, Professor Peter Tregear, invited them to sign the College Roll.

The ceremony concluded with Professor Markwell wishing the new students the warmest of welcomes and the best of luck for the year to come. The Admission Ceremony was followed by a BBQ for family and friends on the College tennis courts and Grenfell Price Dining Hall veranda.

Following the resignation of the Dean, Dr Ari Metuamate, for family reasons, the College has appointed a former Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and former Dean of Trinity College in the University of Melbourne, Dr Peter Tregear, to serve as Dean for 2020.

Dr Metuamate and his wife, Dr Jessa Rogers, are expecting their first baby together in March. With Jessa’s health issues during her pregnancy, and to ensure they have the necessary family support, Ari has made the very difficult decision to finish up at St Mark’s so that he and Jessa can move to be close to their family in New Zealand throughout Jessa’s period of maternity leave.

At Ari’s request, his last day will be on Friday 7 February, the week before student leaders return, so that a new Dean can be in place ready to welcome students to the 2020 academic year.

Dr Tregear will commence as Dean on 3 February, giving him and Ari a week of handover to ensure the he is well briefed on the role and key matters relevant to students. Dr Rachel Buxton, currently Senior Tutor of Merton College, Oxford, will also commence as Director of Learning at St Mark’s on 3 February.

“I am confident that 2020 will be a superb year under the outstanding leadership of Professor Markwell, supported by an excellent team of student leaders and staff including, of course, Dr Rachel Buxton, who I am sorry I will not get to work with as she is an inspiring person, deeply committed to supporting students”, Dr Metuamate said.

“It has been a privilege for me to work at St Mark’s with such an amazing community of students, staff, and Old Collegians. This is a very special community and the people here will always have a place in my heart”, he said.

The Head of College, Professor Don Markwell, paid a warm tribute to Dr Metuamate. “Ari has been an exceptional Dean and a superb colleague, to whom I am deeply grateful for his support and friendship”, Professor Markwell said.

“We have also greatly appreciated Jessa’s contribution as Indigenous Scholar in Residence at St Mark’s. The establishment of an Indigenous Advisory Committee for the College was in large part due to her leadership, and the College looks forward to continuing its good work.

“Ari and Jessa will be much missed at the College, and we wish them all the very best for the safe arrival of their baby and beyond”, he said.

Dr Peter Tregear is a graduate of the University of Melbourne in music and arts, and secured his PhD in Musicology at Cambridge in 1999.

As a student at the University of Melbourne, he was a resident student at Ormond College and a resident tutor at Trinity College before going to King’s College, Cambridge, to undertake his doctoral studies.

At King’s College, Peter Tregear was elected President of the Graduate Society, taught undergraduate students and was Tutor to the Choristers at King’s College School – and secured a Cambridge Blue in Athletics and was Silver medallist at the British Universities Marathon Championships.

As a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, from 2000 to 2006, he was college lecturer and Director of Music at Fitzwilliam and Churchill Colleges.

Dr Tregear served as Dean of Trinity College, the University of Melbourne, from 2006 to 2008. Subsequent roles have included Executive Director of the Academy of Performing Arts at Monash University, Professor and Head of the School of Music at the Australian National University, and as a Teaching Fellow and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Peter Tregear has an impressive record as a teacher in several universities, singer and conductor, author of many scholarly works in music and musicology, and as an arts and academic administrator and entrepreneur.

“A scholar, performer, teacher, and academic leader of distinction, and with wide cultural and sporting interests, Peter Tregear is profoundly committed to ensuring the best student experience, both academic and extra-curricular, for all students”, Professor Markwell said.

“His extensive experience in colleges in Cambridge and Australia, including as Dean, will help him to enrich the residential student life of St Mark’s, and to promote the well-being of our students and uphold the College’s values.”

Dr Tregear said that he looked forward with enthusiasm to working with the students, staff, alumni and friends of the College to ensure that the College offered all its students the best all-round educational experience that it could.

Photographs: Dr Peter Tregear; Dr Jessa Rogers and Dr Ari Metuamate

The College is deeply grateful to Honorary Fellow Ian Wall AM and Pamela Wall OAM for their generous commitment to enable the addition of an extra two levels to the College carpark.

The carpark extension, to begin in February and be completed mid-year, will increase our total number of spaces in the College carpark by 60, from 98 to 158. This will enable a clear majority of St Mark’s students to park securely in College.

Ian and Pamela Wall’s remarkable generosity in making this possible follows their quite exceptional support to the College in other building projects – including the Ian and Pamela Wall Academic Centre and the Wall Flats, amongst other projects – and to support St Mark’s students with scholarships.

Ian, who was a student at St Mark’s from 1950 to 1954, explains his support for the College this way: “If it weren’t for St Mark’s College, I would not have had the success I have had in my life.”

Being deeply grateful for this, Ian and Pamela are committed to handing on the opportunities Ian had while at St Mark’s even better for current and future generations.

The Chair of the College Board, Ms Linda Matthews, and the Head of College, Professor Don Markwell, have both expressed the College’s profound thanks to Ian and Pamela for their continuing outstanding support for the College in this way.

The College’s architect and Honorary Fellow, Professor Rob Cheesman AM, along with Eva Olak of Cheesman Architects, are working closely with the College to oversee the carpark expansion.

Tenders for the project were called and received in November and, after careful assessment, the College is engaging Mossop Construction + Interiors (the builders of the original carpark) to undertake the building project.  Mossop will include electric vehicle charging in the extended carpark.

Some current carparking spaces will be unavailable during the construction phase, and the College is actively seeking alternative carparking spaces for this period before the greatly expanded carpark is available in semester 2, 2020.

Many thanks again, Ian and Pamela Wall!

Photo: Board Chair Ms Linda Matthews, Mr Ian Wall AM and Mrs Pamela Wall OAM, architect Professor Rob Cheesman AM, Head of College Professor Don Markwell

The St Mark’s College Leadership Week has just concluded after a week of training for our 2020 student leaders.

At St Mark’s College our highest priority is the wellbeing of our students. We want our students supported to thrive at university and have the best possible transition from high school to an independent adult life. As part of this, we have developed an extensive support program, incorporating student leaders, staff and external training providers. Last week our 2020 student leadership team began their training.

Our student leadership team comprises three streams, who work closely to meet a range of student needs. Firstly, we have the Residential Advisor Team. Led by the Assistant Deans, who are the most senior student leaders, the Senior Residential Advisor and Residential Advisors provide pastoral care to all students living in the College. Each Residential Advisor is assigned a floor, and they are the first point of call for their students, helping them manage the day to day challenges and opportunities of living away from home. They are part of the College’s 24/7 support system, along with our residential staff. The Residential Advisor team are appointed by the College for their empathetic, proactive and mature approach to supporting their peers.

Next, we have the Academic Team. Led by the Senior Academic Tutor, our team of Academic Coordinators are the mentors and role models of academic achievement at College. Each Academic Coordinator is responsible for supporting every member of their academic faculty to thrive, and is appointed by the College based on their own history of outstanding academic performance and their demonstrated capacity to encourage achievement in others. The Academic Coordinators manage a team of subject tutors, organise career events and guest speakers, and help new students adjust to university life. Between all the excitement of growing up, moving away from home, and enjoying all the things College has to offer, the Academic Coordinators are here to keep our core mission of pursuing academic excellence at the forefront of students’ minds.

We also have the College Club Committee. These students are elected by their peers and drive the social, sporting and cultural life of the College. They also represent and advocate for student interests. Led by the College Club President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, this team includes male and female Equity Officers, Sports Officers, Social Officers, Arts and Cultural Officer, Charitable Officer and Merchandise Officer.

Every member of our student leadership team is ready to support all students and help them to have the best possible College experience.

Before starting their roles, we provide all our student leaders with a comprehensive training program to help them promote the physical, emotional, social and cultural safety and wellbeing of all our students. This begins with a one-week intensive program in December each year called “Leadership Week”, with further training modules to be completed over the summer and a second training week in February. The aim is that every student leader is confident to be a proactive promoter of cultural renewal and is equipped to respond to whatever situations they may find themselves in.

The week kicked off on Sunday with an inspiring opening address by new Head of College, Professor Don Markwell, on values-driven leadership. Professor Markwell spoke to students about what it means to be a leader upholding the College’s values and about the moral and legal duty of care that comes from holding a position of responsibility. Delving into College history, he looked at the values stressed by our College founders, including the College’s first Master, Sir Archibald Grenfell Price. He then challenged students to think about what it means to be values-driven, encouraging students to ask of everything they do: “What are we fundamentally trying to achieve?”, “Is this promoting the wellbeing of all our students?” and “Is this consistent with a culture of respect, genuine inclusion and safety?” Building good character in our future leaders is fundamental to our College’s goals, and understanding what is means to be a values-driven leader is something that develops with guidance and maturity.

Next, our students spent an afternoon with Steve Lacy from Leading Teams, looking at effective leadership dynamics and how to hold yourself and your peers accountable to your shared values and goals. Together the team came up with their shared purpose for 2020, “to make everyone proud to call St Mark’s home”, and their trademark for how to achieve this, PRIDE. Standing for Passion, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Empowerment, the student leaders identified these as the key qualities they needed to achieve their goals.

On Monday our students spent the day learning positive bystander behaviours to help lead cultural renewal. This built on the skills they learned earlier in the year through the MATE Bystander program. In a workshop with Shawna Marks from Flinders University they looked at sexual violence, consent, power and vulnerability, what is missing in conversations around consent, and how communities can change their culture to become safer for everyone. After lunch they worked with counsellor and educator Kirsty Brady on how to support peers experiencing grief and loss. Then, before dinner, they had a lively workshop with Caleb Maru and Akash Patel from YLab on racism, cultural diversity and bystander intervention strategies to make our communities inclusive and safe for everyone. That evening students shared a dinner with guest speaker Linda Matthews, chair of the St Mark’s College Board, who spoke about some of the key elements of effective leadership.

On Tuesday our student leaders had a full day workshop on Drug and Alcohol harm minimisation with Alcohol and Drug Education Specialists (ADES). ADES is the leading provider of alcohol, drug and wellbeing education in Australia, and have had a long involvement with the College. Over the summer new student leaders will also undertake their Responsible Service of Alcohol certification to further their education in this space, and early next year they will have further training around their liquor licensing responsibilities when running student events. Afterwards the team went offsite to AFL Max where they pushed themselves physically and mentally in a series of rigorous activities.

On Wednesday student leaders have a Mini Masterclass with Dr Tom Nehmy from Healthy Minds, looking at positive strategies for building the mental wellbeing of themselves and their peers. In the afternoon they had a briefing from Areti Metuamate, the Dean, on communication, risk management and event planning, building on an earlier session from Kathy Radoslovich, the Director of Learning, on Child Protection. Finally, to finish the week’s training, student leaders had a workshop with Dr Tessa Opie from In Your Skin, looking at ways of promoting respectful relationships among their peers.

Our student leader training does not stop here. Over the summer our student leaders will undergo their Working With Children Checks, complete their Responsible Service of Alcohol certifications as required, and undertake Provide First Aid training. In February 2020 the training will continue, with a Mental Health First Aid course, Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Assault training by sexual assault support service Yarrow Place, LGBTI+ awareness training, Bystander Intervention training, Fire Warden training and more. They will also support our new and returning students in their training program.

We are proud to equip our student leaders with a structured and extensive training program, preparing them to help every student have the best experience possible at St Mark’s College.

 

The Head of College, Professor Don Markwell, was delighted recently to welcome back Old Collegians who were students at St Mark’s College over 50 years ago, and their partners.

The reunion luncheon provided an opportunity for Old Collegians to reminisce and catch up with their peers, to meet the new Head of College and hear how valuable a collegiate education at St Mark’s continues to be to university students today.

Old Collegian Dr Ben Robinson (1959-62, 1968) proposed a toast to the College and spoke warmly about his involvement with the College over the years, how the College has evolved, and its promising future.

In his response to the toast, Professor Markwell said that “like everyone who has come before me in my role in the College, from Sir Archibald Grenfell Price to my friend Rose Alwyn, I have a profound personal commitment to the educational value of collegiate life… As you will know, almost all, if not all, of the truly greatest universities in the world remain collegiate or essentially residential universities because the benefits to students are so great.”

Quoting from Sir Archibald Grenfell Price’s history of the College, Professor Markwell reflected on the founding vision and ideals of the College – “to be an educational institution in the great collegiate tradition derived from Oxford and Cambridge, which had helped to shape so many of the founders of the College (including Archie and CAS Hawker), and in the great tradition of Anglican collegiate education”.

“My view is that these are noble ideals which remain relevant always, and that we should aim to give the best effect we can in our time – in the 21^st century – to these great ideals for which the College was founded.”

“We must do all we can to give our students, here in Adelaide, the best opportunities we can for all-round education and personal growth in this collegiate environment”.

Professor Markwell spoke of the success of the collegiate experience for St Mark’s students in 2019, demonstrated through their strong academic performance, leadership development opportunities, sporting contributions, engagement in cultural and musical activities, and their service to others, within both the St Mark’s community and the wider community.

Old Collegians who took part in the 50 year reunion lunch have positively impacted the broader community in many diverse ways, including through their literary works, medical and dental advancements, contributions to key primary and other industries, Christian ministry, and more.

Professor Markwell thanked the Old Collegians for their continuing support as many have continued to engage with the College and our students in a variety of ways since their university days.  Some have been tutors and mentors to students, some have been advisors to the College and members of various College committees, guest speakers at events, and philanthropic donors.

Old Collegians have supported College building projects and scholarships to enable current and future generations of students to have the life-changing opportunities which they had at St Mark’s.

 

The Senior Tutor of Merton College, Oxford, Dr Rachel Buxton, has been appointed Director of Learning at St Mark’s College, Adelaide, from early 2020.

The Director of Learning is responsible for the College’s academic program – including an extensive tutorial program, faculty events, mentoring of students, and visiting scholars – and for promoting the academic success and personal well-being of all students.

Dr Buxton has served as Senior Tutor of Merton College, Oxford, since 2015, and also held that role in 2009-10 before serving as Domestic Bursar and Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, in 2010-15.

As Senior Tutor at Merton, Dr Buxton manages all academic-related activities in one of Oxford’s academically most successful colleges, and devotes considerable attention to supporting individual students in their academic and personal development.

Rachel Buxton was a C.A.S. Hawker Scholar at St Mark’s College in 1993-97, and served as College Club President in 1997, when she was also awarded the Collegians’ Prize. She graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1997 with First Class Honours in English Literature, and the University Medal.

Rhodes Scholar for South Australia for 1998, Rachel completed a Masters and a Doctorate in Oxford in English language and literature. Her thesis on the influence of Robert Frost on Northern Irish poetry – a topic inspired by a suggestion from the then Master of St Mark’s College, Robin Ashwin – was later published by Oxford University Press.

Rachel was Wilkinson Research Fellow and Assistant Dean at Worcester College, Oxford (2001-2), and Salvesen Junior Fellow and Tutor for Women at New College, Oxford (2002-5), also undertaking internships with McKinsey & Co. and at the UK Cabinet Office.

While serving as Senior Lecturer in American Literature at Oxford Brookes University in 2005-9, Rachel completed an Executive MBA with Distinction, again topping her year.

Recalling the positive difference which St Mark’s made in her life, Rachel said that she was excited to take on the role of Director of Learning at the College, seeing it as “a terrific opportunity to make a genuine difference at a critical stage in the lives of young people”.

Rachel looks forward with enthusiasm to doing all she can to help and support the students of the College in their academic and personal growth, saying that she is “excited to participate in the next chapter of the life of the St Mark’s community, working with students, colleagues, and others to further the College’s commitment to inclusivity, well-being, and academic rigour and aspiration”.

The Head of College, Professor Don Markwell, said that Rachel Buxton has an outstandingly impressive record of achievement, leadership, and service, both in Adelaide and in Oxford, and that her commitment to working with and helping students was profound.

He looked forward to welcoming her back to St Mark’s most warmly, and to working with her from early 2020.

Professor Markwell also paid tribute to the work of Ms Kathy Radoslovich, who has served as Director of Learning since May 2018, and who has made a valuable contribution to the academic progress of St Mark’s students. Kathy, who is completing her doctorate at the University of Adelaide, will continue as Director of Learning until the end of January 2020.