From the president

By Stephanie Holt AE (edvic.president@iped-editors.org)

On 15 July, 37 Victorian members gathered on Zoom for our Annual Branch Meeting (ABM), including over 20 Voting Members, which gave us the necessary quorum. It was great to see so many there. We also received apologies from a number of others unable to attend, but who recognised the importance of this annual event. Philip Bryan once again served as our Returning Officer to oversee the formalities. Thank you, Philip!

The ABM was a chance to acknowledge the contributions of so many branch members, not just on our own committee but throughout IPEd. Each of our executive committee then provided a portfolio overview and some personal highlights of their past year. We also noted work from ex-officio members and committee advisers. Finally, departing committee members were acknowledged and farewelled. Many attendees stayed on to hear from our ABM guest Alice Pung, a delightful, inspiring and generous speaker.

Our book giveaway competition for attendees (a literary trivia question) was won by Imelda Cribbin, Jo-Anne King and Mary-Jo O’Rourke.

Your Editors Victoria executive committee for 2022–23 is:

• President: Stephanie Holt (by declaration)
• Vice President: Margaret Trudgeon (by declaration)
• Budget Officer: Marnie Hannagan (by declaration)
• Secretary: Charles Houen (by declaration)
• Communications Officer: Bridget Blair (by declaration)
• Events Officer: Marie Pietersz (by declaration)
• Professional Development Officer: Caroline Arnoul (by invitation)
• Projects and Outreach Officer: currently vacant

In ex-officio roles, Susan Pierotti is continuing as Victorian Accreditation Board delegate; Maryna Mews has stepped down from her Mentoring role, which passes to new Vice President Margaret Trudgeon; and Lan Wang will continue as Victoria’s IPEd Board delegate until the IPEd AGM.

In subcommittees, we have Jenn Zabinskas continuing on the Events Subcommittee.

In advisory roles, Cassandra Wright-Dole stepped down earlier this year from the Accessibility and Inclusion Adviser role, and Tim Loveday’s term as Student Adviser has now finished. The new committee will shortly appoint its 2022–23 Student Adviser, and then commence recruitment of a new Accessibility and Inclusion Adviser.

We continue to seek new subcommittee members (particular for our Professional Development subcommittee), and welcome expressions of interest in the vacant Projects and Outreach position. Please note student and associate members are welcome to apply as well as professional members.

Access the full portfolio reports from the outgoing committee here [PDF, 528KB).

And for members soon to sit the Accreditation Exam, best wishes. I hope you have time for some calm and purposeful final revision, and are able to perform at your best when the day comes.

Stephanie

Editors Victoria 2022 member survey results

By Stephanie Holt AE (edvic.president@iped-editors.org)

Thank you to the 100 branch members (23% of members) who returned our recent survey. This helps us take the pulse of the membership and proved to be a great source of insights and ideas.

While we don’t create a survey with preconceived outcomes in mind, the questions do arise from ongoing work and deliberations. Are we on the right track? Are there things we should be asking that haven’t come up yet? Would changing this or that really be a good idea? Those questions are about meeting member needs and – given the volunteer hours behind the branch’s work – ensuring time and energy is well spent.

Sometimes the survey answers confirm our hunches or endorse a direction we’re moving in. Some of the new workshop topics suggested, for example, are already in development, either by Editors Victoria or by the sister branches we coordinate with. (Perhaps I’ll see you at a graphic novels session in due course. ☺ ) At other times, survey responses will surprise us and require a re-think. Yes, there were some such surprises this time around!

Many members took the opportunity to pass on thanks. “Well done for all your work. Very much appreciated.” “Thanks to committee for continuing to keep us informed and enthused.” “Keep up the great work! I’ve felt well supported in recent years!” It’s certainly gratifying to read such messages.

There were some queries about how the branch and IPEd interact, and several members raised concerns about the number of emails received. Both IPEd and the branch are keenly aware of that, and have some protocols in place to avoid deluging you. We’ll keep working on that one…

The branch committee has been planning for a slightly reduced level of activity in the year ahead, and this was broadly supported. Some 89% of respondents thought four to six professional development workshops was about right; 79% thought six to eight speaker meetings was about right, while 20% thought this more than enough; 78% thought a monthly Zoom Cuppa was about right, while 22% thought this was more than enough. Comments throughout emphasised that the quality and diversity of speakers, and the variety and relevance of topics, were the key. This gives the new committee a good framework to start sketching out our forthcoming program.

There were also some inspiring and useful suggestions, from tips on sourcing the best speakers, to marketing our events, streamlining how activities are structured, and selecting topics. The new committee will continue to work through these. Don’t be surprised if you find your suggested topic, speaker or structure popping up in a future workshop, event or cuppa.

New members

EdVic is pleased to welcome members who have joined or upgraded since our last newsletter.

Associate members: 

Lukiah Hannelas Bodley

Rosanna Camilleri

Ruth Chadwick

Thomas Peter Mitchell

Ana Teona Tinc

Student members:

Emmy Morgan Brown

Teneille Ebony Pedrina

We look forward to seeing you at our workshops and events and encourage you to make the most of IPEd’s networks for news and support.

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