| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.44 |
| Liaison | William Van Ausdal |
| Submission Date | July 9, 2024 |
Flinders University
EN-6: Community Partnerships
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
7.00 / 9.00 |
6.1 Sustainability-focused community partnerships
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the institution’s sustainability-focused community partnerships:
The City of Marion Council and the Oaklands Park Wetlands
One of our local sustainability-focused community partnerships is with the Marion Council. There is a longstanding collaboration with the City of Marion Council on multiple facets. One of the key collaborations is around the Oaklands Park wetlands.
Infrastructure in the Oaklands Park wetlands captures storm water from the Sturt Creek (which passes through Flinders University lands), which is then filtered through the wetland. The wetlands clean the water, after which the water is then either used for irrigation of local sports fields (including Flinders University sports fields), or returned to the groundwater aquifer through Managed Aquifer Recharge and subsequently used in dry periods for irrigation of sports fields. The Oaklands Park Wetlands recycled water makes up 20% of our water use. Developments are underway to use this recycled water in the new Health and Medical Research Building at Bedford Park: the infrastructure is all in place and is currently awaiting approval of water quality.
An educational centre (field lab) located at Oaklands Park is part of Flinders University’s campus. It is used for research, student projects, community outreach activities, and school projects (mostly projects that meet secondary and tertiary education curriculum requirements) related to water management and water recycling.
Stormwater harvesting:
- City of Marion press release: https://www.marion.sa.gov.au/about-council/news/marion-waters-5-6m-pipeline-extension-delivering-a-greener-city-
https://www.marion.sa.gov.au/things-to-do/wetlands/oaklands-wetland
Oaklands Park Education Centre:
https://www.marion.sa.gov.au/space-bookings/room/oaklands-education-centre-
https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/schools-teachers/oaklands-wetland
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
6.2 Partnerships to support underrepresented groups and vulnerable populations
Description of the institution’s community partnerships to support underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations in addressing sustainability challenges:
The Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP)
This is a collaboration between the Northern Territory Government and Flinders University's School of Medicine. The program is based at Charles Darwin University and the Royal Darwin, Alice Springs and Katherine Hospitals, with outreach to general practices and community clinics across the Northern Territory (NT).
The primary goal of the NT Medical Program is to improve the quality of health care in the NT through education and research, with specific emphasis on remote and Indigenous communities.
The Northern Territory (NT) is characterised by major health inequalities. A high proportion of the population is Indigenous, with low socioeconomic status and a high burden of disease. The relatively small NT population – 1% of the total Australian population – is dispersed over one-sixth of Australia’s land mass. Given this very low population density and the geographical isolation of many small communities, access to services is often difficult. Medical workforce recruitment and retention has been a persistent problem for the NT. Prior to 2011, NT residents who aspired to study medicine had to leave the NT. This was the only state or territory that did not have the capacity for students to complete an entire medical degree within the jurisdiction.
This addresses the sustainable development goal 3.8.1
The objectives of the program are to:
- provide high quality medical teaching and training to medical students to prepare them for future medical practice in rural and remote areas of Australia, particularly the NT
- provide high quality pre and postgraduate support to allied health students to prepare them for future practice in rural and remote areas of Australia, particularly the NT
- contribute to the evolution of clinical and allied health education through innovative curriculum development and identification of contextual learning opportunities in the NT
- undertake education and research activity that will contribute to improved health outcomes and quality of life for Territorians
- enhance the workforce stability, capacity and diversity of the NT in primary, secondary and tertiary health care settings
- promote rural and remote medical and allied health practice as positive and rewarding career options for all students of the program
- maintain an organisation that reflects best practice and excellence in administration, people management and operational efficiency.
https://www.flinders.edu.au/study/courses/postgraduate-doctor-medicine/northern-territory-entry
The Up the Hill Project
The Up the Hill Project encourages the participation of adults with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disability, in the social and educational life of Flinders University.
The Project aims to provide an inclusive and supportive opportunity at Flinders University enabling people with a disability, with support from a Peer Mentor, to access the University environment, develop social skills and social networks, and experience a range of educational opportunities and activities.
https://www.flinders.edu.au/engage/community/clinics/up-the-hill-project
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
6.3 Community partnership assessment
Publication that includes the community partnership guidelines:
Online resource that includes the institution’s community partnership guidelines:
Are all of the institution’s community partnerships for sustainability subject to an assessment process that includes joint evaluation by the institution and its community partners?:
Description of the institution’s approach to community partnership assessment and how the results are used to improve reciprocity and mutual benefit:
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Flinders University follows the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders, called the Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities: Guidelines for researchers and stakeholders. https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/resources/ethical-conduct-research-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples-and-communities
It provides a set of principles to ensure research is safe, respectful, responsible, high quality and of benefit to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, It includes a section on Reciprocity (page 7), describing what this entails for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples. The Flinders Research Integrity policy refers to this document.
Additional documentation for this credit:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.