Darlene Sebalj

Darlene Sebalj is currently enrolled as a PhD student in the School of Education.

Her undergraduate degree at Charles Sturt University was in Social Science majoring in Psychology and her Master of Arts degree majoring in Complexity, Chaos and Creativity was awarded by the University of Western Sydney. Darlene began her full-time studies at the University of Newcastle in 2005 and has been awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship for her doctoral work.

Darlene comes from an extensive background in universities with experience working as an administrator in areas such as finance, executive administration, faculties, schools and research services. Her last position prior to commencement of full-time studies was as the foundation College Manager of the then College of Science, Technology & Environment at the University of Western Sydney.

Under the supervision of SORTI’s Director, Professor Allyson Holbrook, the focus of Darlene’s research project is the profile, role and contribution of university research services staff and their perspectives on managing change within Australian Universities. The contextual backdrop to this research was the anticipated 2008 implementation of the Australian Research Quality Framework (RQF) into the Australian Higher Education sector.

Darlene launched her project in a poster presentation at the inaugural INORMS conference held in Brisbane, August 2006. The title of her prize winning poster was: The profile, role and contribution of Research Services staff and their perspectives on managing change within Australian Universities.

Follow the link for more information about:
A national study for and about University Research Services staff

Darlene can be contacted at: darlene.sebalj@uon.edu.au

Details of previous conference presentations and publications are as follows.

Conference Publications and Presentations

Sebalj, D., Holbrook, A., & Bourke, S. (2012). The rise of 'professional staff' and demise of the 'non-academic': A study of university staffing nomenclature preferences. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(5). doi: 10.1080/1360080X.2012.715994

Sebalj, D., Holbrook, A., & Bourke, S. (2012). Supporting research in Australian universities: A model of engagement. Paper to be presented at the 2012 AARE/APERA Joint International Conference, Sydney, 2-6 Dec 2012.

Sebalj, D. (2011). A National Study For and About University Research Services Staff: Key Doctoral Findings. Paper presented at the ARMS 20011 Annual Conference, Sydney, 13-16 Sept 2011.

Sebalj, D. (2010). The Professionalisation Status of Research Services Staff in Australian Universities. Symposium: Academic and Professional Identities in Higher Education: Blurred Boundaries and Emerging Spaces. Paper presented at the 2010 SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, Wales, 14-16 Dec 2010.

Sebalj, D., & Holbrook, A. (2010). Neither Academic nor 'Non-Academic': The Nomenclature Preferences of University Research Support Staff. Paper presented at the 2010 SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, Wales, 14-16 Dec 2010.

Sebalj, D. (2009). University Research Administration as a Profession: A Sustainable Notion? Paper presented at the TEMC 2009 Annual Conference, Darwin, 14-16 Sept 2009.

Sebalj, D. (2007). Complexity, compliance and change. A study into university research services administration. Paper presented at the TEMC 2007 Annual Conference, Canberra, 23-26 Sept 2007.

Sebalj, D. (2007). A national study for and about university research services staff – Preliminary findings. Invited poster presentation at the ARMS 2007 Annual Conference, Adelaide, 19-21 Sept 2007.

Sebalj, D., & Holbrook, A. (2006). Administering PhD studies,Proceedings of the Australian Association for Research in Education 2006 Annual Conference, Adelaide, 27-30 Nov 2006.  Full paper

Sebalj, D., Hudson, S., Ryan, J., & Wight-Boycott, J. (2006). Partners in change: How four foundation college managers made a difference. Presentation at the 2006 TEMC, Sydney Hilton, 29 Aug 2006. 

Sebalj, D. (2006). The administrative professional: Finding the academic within. Presentation at the 2006 TEMC, Sydney Hilton, 28 Aug 2006. 

Publications

Sebalj, D., & Holbrook, A. (2008). The profile of university research services staff. The Australian Universities Review, 51(1), 30-38.

Sebalj, D., Hudson, S., Ryan, J., & Wight-Boycott, J. (2007). Alliance through change. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 29(3), 275-287.

Sebalj, D. (2007). A national study for and about research services staff. Up in ARMS, Newsletter of the Australasian Research Management Society Inc. No. 11.  Full paper

Sebalj, D. (2006). TEMC 2006 Scholarship recipients report. ATEM NSW News, 3, 2.