Draft #2-Faculty Position Paper-Business Graduate Attributes and Differentiating ‘Brand You’

Abstract

To paraphrase Carew and Therese (2007) it has long been the case that there is perceived to be a series of hurdles preventing engineering academics from seriously engaging with and embedding graduate attributes.

These hurdles included, for example: strong rewards and incentives to concentrate on activities other than teaching; lack of individual skills and knowledge related to what a set of graduate attributes and graduate attribute teaching entails ; cultural attitudes amongst colleagues and students that undervalue ‘soft’ skills; lack of time and resources to develop and deliver new approaches to teaching; shifting institutional policies; and ongoing debate and confusion about the terminology and philosophy of graduate attributes...There is an implied need for substantial stamina and support to clear such a succession of hurdles and implement changed teaching and assessment, or new curriculum structures. (Carew and Therese, 2007:4)

These same set of hurdles are to be found in other disciplines as well. Our research within a Business school reviewing a flagship undergraduate program and seeking to define and establish a set of discipline specific graduate attributes documents similar objections from academic staff. Such sentiments can be found in academic departments across the globe in our experience. Thus these largely ‘teacher-centred’ views have much credibility and support across academe. For a rounded understanding these opinions do need to be balanced with a view from the other side of the university learning equation: the students. So we will discuss the relevant issues and show how we have attempted to get over such hurdles in our project at ASB.