Deputy-Vice Chancellor (Academic)

Professor Andrew Parkin

As Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Parkin has been responsible for key areas of the University’s strategic plan Flinders University Strategic Plan 2012-2016 - Flinders Future Focus. Specifically, his portfolio has overseen the implementation of:

Key Strategy 2 ("enhancing educational opportunities");
Key Strategy 3 ("enhancing the student experience"); and
Key Strategy 4 ("valuing quality in teaching")

With the appointment in January 2016 of a Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students) with responsibility for strategic leadership and oversight of student-related services and student experience, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)'s portfolio will have a focus on education strategy, course profile, curriculum development, teaching quality and course quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

Beyond the portfolio concerns, Professor Parkin also carries responsibility for:

the University's Indigenous engagement strategy, led by the Dean of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement, including inline responsibility for the Office of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement; and
various Human Resources matters, including chairing academic promotions committees and chairing the University Consultative Committee constituted under the Enterprise Agreement.

In his role as a Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Parkin is involved with a number of external and internal committees including:

chairing the Flinders University and TAFE SA Strategic Management Committee
chairing the Anglicare SA/Flinders University Steering Committee
chairing the Flinders University Educational Matters Advisory Group.

Professor Parkin is a political scientist whose academic career at Flinders University has included terms as Associate Head (Research) of the former School of Political and International Studies, and Director of the Flinders Institute of Public Policy and Management.

Among his academic publications are the nine editions of Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia, the leading Australian textbook of which he has been co-editor, three books dealing with South Australian public life (The Dunstan Decade, The Bannon Decade, and South Australia, Federalism and Public Policy) and two books analysing the Australian Labor Party.

Professor Parkin's past consulting work has included engagements with a number of South Australian public-sector agencies including the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Cabinet Office, the Housing Trust, the Office of Local Government and the Department for Families and Communities. He has served as Editor of the Australian Journal of Political Science, as President of the Australasian Political Studies Association and as a member of the Australian Research Council's College of Experts. Before assuming his DVC(A) role, he was a frequent media commentator on public affairs.

After majoring in Pure Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics and Politics in a University of Adelaide Arts degree, Professor Parkin proceeded to an Honours degree jointly in Mathematical Statistics and Politics and then to a Masters degree in Politics at the same University. He completed Masters and Doctoral degrees in Government at Harvard University. Professor Parkin has held visiting appointments at the University of California at Berkeley, the College of William and Mary in Virginia and the University of Edinburgh.