Together with Avette Kelly, I will be conducting two Academic Promotions Workshops in late June both at the Grafton and Tamaki campuses. If you are thinking of applying for promotion or wish to know more about the process please try and attend, particularly as there are changes to the standards and application forms this year for some grades. Please note a separate session will be held for Professional Teaching Fellows.

The workshops will be held as follows:

• Monday, 24 June 2013 1-2pm at Tamaki Campus, Function Hall (730-220)
• Monday, 25 June 2013 12noon-1pm at Grafton, Manaakitia (503-033)

At the Faculty Meeting held in May, there was discussion and suggestion from committee members to change the timing of the Faculty meetings in 2014. These are important events and are useful for keeping staff informed and involved with happenings here at FMHS, and so it is important to try to get the timing of these right in order to enable as many to attend and participate as possible. To help us do so, we ask that you take a few minutes to answer a few relevant questions in an online survey. Your responses will be collated and I will announce the outcome of the results at the Faculty Meeting in June. The survey closes on Tuesday 4 June at 4pm.  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FTS286J

Associate Professor Peter Jones has indicated that he will be resigning from the role of Phase 3 Director of the Medical programme at the end of December 2013. Peter has done an outstanding job in this key academic oversight role of the final year of the medical programme.

There is now an opportunity for a medically qualified academic to take on the role of Phase 3 Director and chair of the Phase 3 curriculum group which has academic oversight of the final year of the Medical Programme, reporting to the Board of Studies (Medical Programme). The appointee will be part of the Medical Programme Directorate (MPD) and supported by the professional staff of the MPD. This is a 0.2 FTE role, 1/10th funded by the MPD and a service tenth from your existing role. If you are interested in applying for this role please send a covering letter and CV to Associate Professor Warwick Bagg who heads up our Medical Programme. Applications will be open until the close of business on Friday 28 June. Warwick can provide the role description for intending applicants.

The Growing Up in New Zealand study, which is led by Associate Professor Susan Morton, is holding the first of two Antenatal Data Set Release Workshops at the Tamaki Campus on Monday (27 May). There are over 60 delegates attending to learn more about the data, the study cohort and how they can apply to access and use the antenatal data for their own research. This is the latest ‘big step’ for the project which is following nearly 7,000 children that were born here in New Zealand to record, track and analyse their health and wellbeing. The purpose of the study is to highlight facts that can shape the future of New Zealanders in a positive way. For more information on this and future data set releases please see the website www.growingup.co.nz