The University of Western Australia

Values

The core values underpinning our activities are a commitment to:

• a high performance culture designed to achieve international excellence
• academic freedom to encourage staff and students to engage in the open exchange of ideas and thought
• continuous improvement through self-examination and external review
• fostering the values of openness, honesty, tolerance, fairness, trust and responsibility in social, moral and academic matters
• transparency in decision making and accountability
• equity and merit as the fundamental principles for the achievement of the full potential of all staff and students.

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Defining characteristics

The University of Western Australia will be recognised by the following defining characteristics:

• high quality, as the pervading criterion for all our activities
• comprehensive, with a broad teaching and research profile in the arts, sciences, and professions
• selective, within a comprehensive base, to develop particular areas of research strength and emphasis
• research-intensive, with a strong teaching and research nexus across all our disciplines
• internationally-focused, for both the content and standards of our activities
• technologically innovative, to maximise our flexibility
• responsive, to meet the needs of the community, our students and our graduates.

Achieving international excellence as a comprehensive teaching and research university calls for fully funded growth to achieve economies of scale. The University has set a growth target to exceed 20,000 students by 2010 and to move towards a 70 per cent and 30 per cent profile of undergraduate to postgraduate students.

More information in UWA in Brief 2007 - Statistical Summary.

A major step forward in positioning the University as a world leader is a reshaping of the relationship between our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. By implementing the New Courses 2012 set by our Review of Course Structures, the University will ensure that in every academic field, the quality of education provided will meet the needs of 21st century graduates at the highest international standard.

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Strategic priorities

The University has identified four priority strategic objectives of particular significance to achieving international excellence over the period 2009-2013:

• Teaching and learning – improve the quality of the student learning experience
• Research and research training – improve the quality and impact and productivity of research and research training
• External relations and community engagement – improve the University’s positioning and reputation and develop strategic relationships and community engagement
• People and resources – develop our people and resources.

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Research priorities

Strategic research areas include plant sciences and sustainable food production; ecology, evolution and the environment; energy and minerals; indigenous knowledge; medicine and health; and the mind and the nervous system.

Emerging and seed research priorities include Australian literature and post-colonial cultures; bio-engineering and bio-sensing; economic and regional development; future cities; measurement science; medieval and early modern studies; nano and bio-technologies; organisational behaviour; public and business policy; radio astronomy; science, engineering and mathematics education; theory and practice of education; and world economic growth and the role of the Asian region.

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Strategic and operational planning

The University of Western Australia operates a fully integrated system of strategic and operational planning, and systematically monitors performance against goals.

The integrated system includes:

• Strategic Plan
• Operational Priorities Plan
• institutional management plans
• Faculty strategic and operational plans
• Budget
• Cycle of planning and accountability.

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