Australian College of Theology Office Covid-19 Response Plan

ACT response

All the information contained in this response section and the finances section will also be distributed to colleges directly.

The ACT is in the process of reopening its Sydney office (Level 5, 33 York Street). From Monday 6 July 2020 onwards there will be a limited staff presence in the ACT Office during office hours (8:30-4:30 Mon-Thurs, 8:30-4:00 Fri). Only essential visits from external people will be possible at this time. Before seeking to visit the Office, please contact the relevant ACT staff member using their personal email address to determine if your visit is needed, and if it is, to arrange a mutually agreed time. Please do not attend if you are showing any Covid19 symptoms – stay home and get tested. For details on Covid19 and precautions, see https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert.

Contacting us

From 6th July 2020, phone calls to the ACT office during our business hours will be answered by someone in the office. If you would like to talk to a specific person, email or web forms on this site are still the preferred contact method.

Community Prayer

Prayer of the Day

We are stopping our other work tasks every day from 10:15-10:30 am (in your local time) to pray for the ACT and wider communities.  We would love our affiliated colleges to join us. We also have a prayer partner for every college, and they will be in contact with their colleges.

Prayer of the Day

by Rev Dr Paul Douglas Walfall:

Holy God, as we continue to live in this time of responding to the pandemic of COVID-19,We come asking for strength and grace.It has not been easy for us to live in a state of physical distancing.We cannot greet friends and loved ones,We cannot offer an embrace to comfort a handshake to greet a pat on the shoulders to encourageTo keep ourselves and each other safeWe must keep apart.Lord, we are unable to greet our elderly and seniorsBecause we need to keep them safe.Give to us the strength to keep each other safe.Give to us the love that will seek to do the highest good for those who are vulnerableGive us the grace to seek for new ways to be social even as we keep distance.When we feel overwhelmed and unable to go on,Provide us for us the brother or sister who will be your channel of grace to the moment.When we feel frustrated and impatient because we are tired of staying away from others,Give to us the love that sees the need to keep each other safe.We remember the medical professionals who even now continue to work for our healthGive to them the gifts they need to do their workGive to them the strength to continue when things are hardGive to them the energy when the day is long.Keep them safe so that they may be able to continue.Surround their families and keep those that they love within your safe keeping.Help us, the people they serve, to be grateful for their service.Stand beside those who have been tested positive for COVID-19,Give to them peace to know that you are with them.Calm their anxiety,Comfort them in their distress,Assure them and their families that you will neither leave them not forsake them.Holy One, we know that the race is not for the swift.And we sense that this race will be a marathon.But in this race, remind us that we are not alone and that you have promised to provide the things we need.So, we run with perseverance mindful that you journey with us.Amen.

 

ACT Prayer Points

Continue to pray for Victoria, as the borders close. Pray for sustaining of those in the towers completely in lockdown. Pray for Christians to be salt and light in the state.

Pray for the ACT office as we start to return to working in the office, for wisdom and safety.

Pray for the poor and disadvantaged in our country and the world as we try to deal long term with a world affected by COVID.

 

 

College Prayer Points

Pray for our colleges that they will be able to start thinking through what a changing situation will mean in their particular contexts.

CTCA

• Pray to the Lord that they are able to raise sufficient funds for the purchase of our own office and to acquire a suitable property soon.
• Thanks to the Lord who has listened to their prayers. The COVID-19 pandemic here has been steadily improving and the government has started to ease the restrictions by stages. Pray that the pandemic will be entirely under control very soon and our daily lives be back to normal.
• This semester is close to end. The students are busy at finishing their assignments and preparing for the exam. Pray for God’s mercy that the impact of the pandemic on their study is minimised.
• As affected by the pandemic, they have decided to postpone this year’s public events, including the graduation ceremony, theological lectures and 20th Anniversary celebration, etc. Pray for the re-arrangement when we appropriately make following the change in the pandemic.
• Their finances has been hit by a considerable downturn due to the pandemic. They hope for the government’s subsidy and earnestly pray for God’s timely providence.

Mary Andrews College

  • Give thanks and pray for MAC’s new college Principal, Rev. Dr Katy Smith, who started in the role in mid-March.
  • Pray for our lecturers and students as they adjust to teaching and attending classes online via Zoom during COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.
  • Pray for other college staff working from home or taking leave while our office is closed temporarily.
  • Pray for those of our students who may be struggling to maintain momentum with their studies and assignments in the middle of all of the other changes brought on by this pandemic.
  • Pray for students who are finding it difficult to not have access to college library while our office is closed and classes taught online temporarily.
  • Pray for students who are struggling with technology and internet access required for classes online.
  • Pray for students who have their own and their family members’ pre-existing health conditions that still need to be managed and treated in the middle of this pandemic (and who may also therefore be at greater risk if they caught COVID-19).

Morling

  • pray for the process of finding and appointing a new Education Faculty Dean
  • In praise for God’s provision and sustaining grace to us all
  • In praise that as far as they are aware no one in the Morling community (including MRC) has been infected COVID19.
  • That they will be able to re-establish good rhythms of learning and engagement after ANZAC weekend as students come back from mid-semester break.
  • For Peter Friend as new Dean of Students as he finds his feet in this role and actively considers how to care and support students in this new environment
  • For staff communicating via zoom and email, that they will be clear and gracious in communication and decision making.
  • For students who are now facing significant financial hardship due to loss of jobs, reduction of hours and the like.

PTCV

Pray as they start their Chinese diploma level course and for Felix Chung as he leads this.

Pray for staff, as a result of assessment tasks pushed out due to COVID, they have not had much a break between the semesters.

Pray for Peter Hastie as he returns from sabbatical.

QTC

Pray for Andrew Bain as he is acting principal for S2, while Gary is on study leave.

Praise for their numbers for S2, which are up from S1.

RTC

  • Thank God for the encouraging student growth we have had this year.
  • Praise God for the desire our students have to grow in their faith and their usefulness to God. Pray RTC may be effective in preparing many faithful gospel workers.
  • Ask the Lord to lead many more to take up study at the RTC in 2020.
  • Praise God for the capable and united staff team he has blessed us with.
  • Pray that RTC lecturers would be faithful and godly in their teaching and ministry.
  • Praise God for his provisions for 64 years of RTC’s ministry.
  • Thank God for the events RTC is able to hold each year and pray they may be a great help and encouragement to those who come.
  • Pray that God would provide for the financial needs of the College.
  • Pray that RTC’s ministries, Barkley Hall and The Way discipleship program, would bear gospel fruit

Ridley

Please pray for the Online preaching conference starting 22 April on preaching the cross, and the 70 people enrolled.

Pray for learning and teaching which is back on zoom again this week after Easter.

Pray for staff, faculty and student wellbeing morale in these testing times.

Vose

Pray for staff at Vose Seminary as they face two significant changes and one challenge common to all ACT.

  • Vose which is part of Baptist Churches WA, like all BCWA staff have had their hours cut by 20% due to Covid but still have the same amount of work to do.
  • Vose is exploring a merger with Morling. As with any change, a source of uncertainty and thus anxiety for those concerned.
  • Like all colleges, Vose is working hard at improving their enrolments for semester 2.

Please send any prayer points to either your college prayer partner or to Megan Powell du Toit. mpowelldutoit@actheology.edu.au

Direction for ACT meetings and staff

  1. Attending meetings in person to be avoided where possible
  2. All ACT meetings (Board of Directors, Audit and Risk Management Committee, Academic Board and its committees, the ACT Annual General Meeting, and ACT staff meetings) to be undertaken in virtual mode rather than face-to-face
  3. No domestic or international travel for any ACT purpose (except with the express permission of the Acting Dean)
  4. ACT staff to work from home where feasible, except for senior staff as directed by the Acting Dean.

Resources for Learning and Teaching

We have created a folder accessible by ACT faculty, with resources for teaching and learning during this time

It can be found here. You will need to log in with your staff ID.

 

Important information

National Coronavirus Hotline: 1800 020 080

For general advice about COVID-19 including how to protect yourself and others, symptoms, and when to get tested, visit the Australian Government’s Department of Health.

Factsheets for tertiary students and staff are regularly updated by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

For information and responses particular to independent higher education providers, please also see IHEA.edu.au (ACT is part of the IHEA network and our response has been informed by their publications).

Finance

Graduation documents

Certified transcripts

  • All graduates will be sent a physical certified transcript on conferral of their award.
  • Students who request a certified transcript while the office is closed will, by default, have their transcript digitally encrypted and sent to them electronically. Physical transcripts can be distributed by the Registrar where required but will take some time to produce and post.

Australian Higher Education Graduation Statements

  • All graduates will be sent a physical certified Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) on conferral of their award.
  • Students who request a reissue of their AHEGS while the office is closed will, by default, have their AHEGS digitally encrypted and sent to them electronically. Physical copies can be distributed by the Registrar where required but will take some time to produce and post.

Testamurs

The production of testamurs has been temporarily paused. This is because testamurs need to be produced by the ACT’s Academic Services team, physically signed by the ACT Dean, distributed to the graduate’s primary sponsoring college for co-signing, and then physically presenting the document to the graduate.

Given the intention to increase social distancing between individuals, and the processes involved in preparing these documents, production of testamurs is paused. All graduates, and their current or potential employers, and any education institution, can contact ACT to verify that a graduate has been issued with a particular qualification. We understand that this is not ideal, but is a temporary measure to maintain the ability to verify the conferral of qualifications while at the same time protecting our staff. Graduates can contact ACT to verify their awards by choosing the “student enquiry” option on the contact page.

When the ACT office re-opens, all testamurs in waiting will be produced and distributed.

Event announcements

  • The ACT Ltd Members’ AGM on 5th May 2020 has been re-cast as a hybrid meeting and members will be sent an e-invitation to attend via videoconference.
  • The ACT Consortium Conference and Principals’ Day 2020 which was due to be held 12-13th June 2020 in Sydney, has been postponed to a later date in 2020 (exact date TBA).
  • Being and Belonging: Disability, Church, and Community, our conference which was due to be held on 16-17 April 2020, has been postponed.
  • The Registrars’ Conference, which was to be held on 3 April 2020, is changing format. A series of interactive video conferences will be held with ACT Registrars to facilitate professional development and provide updates and information for ACT college Registrars.
  • All upcoming scheduled meetings of the Academic Board, Coursework Committee, and Research & Research Studies Committees will be held by Zoom video conference.

Higher Degree by Research Candidates

As the COVID-19 crisis has evolved the ACT has been carefully monitoring University responses to the disruption of HDR candidates’ research. At the meeting of the Research and Research Studies Committee on 17 April 2020 it was decided to extend all ACT HDR candidates’ course end date by one semester. This has been communicated to all HDR students and colleges. We are thankful for the support by supervisors for students facing disruptions both to research and to life in general. We continue to assess how best to support research and our research students within this new and changing environment.