Higher Education Academic Board
The Higher Education Academic Board (HEAB) is responsible for academic quality and integrity, student outcomes, teaching and scholarship.
Several external academic members have been welcomed onto the Board.
Professor Baskaran
Pro Vice-Chancellor, International Research Partnerships
Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research
Associate Dean, International and Partnerships
Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment
Deakin University, Australia
Professor Baskaran is the Chair of the Higher Education Academic Board at Chisholm Institute.
Professor Baskaran is an accomplished strategic leader with significant experience in the development and delivery of international education and research partnerships.
He joined Deakin University in 1992 as one of the founding members of the School of Engineering, and actively involved in the development and delivery of several undergraduate and postgraduate programs in engineering.
In March 2020, Professor Baskaran was appointed as the Pro Vice-Chancellor, International Research Partnerships. In this role he will be responsible for guiding, monitoring and overseeing the University's International Research Strategy development and implementation in partnership with faculties and institutes.
As the Associate Dean, International and Partnerships at Deakin University, he provides leadership and coordination of all international activities for the faculty. Under his leadership, the faculty has established several international academic partnerships in Sri Lanka, China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.. He is actively involved in the senior level academic leadership and management and has made significant contributions to the development and implementation of the university's Globalisation Guiding plan.
Stephen Varty
Chief Executive
Stephen Varty was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Chisholm Institute in November 2019. Stephen most recently held the position of Chief of Education, having joined Chisholm in 2015 from Victoria University where he was the Director of Innovation and Engagement. Stephen has held a number of senior managerial leadership positions across the VET and HE sectors both in the UK and Australia. Stephen’s vast experience in the Education and Training sectors supports his position to lead the Institute through a positive phase of strong student growth and investment in infrastructure. His passion is education and implementation of innovative practice, creative training solutions, coaching and leadership execution to transform and increase the competence and productivity of individuals and business. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Education - VET (Charles Sturt University), a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership (Victoria University) and a Masters of Education (Victoria University).
Ben Allitt
Dean, Higher Education College
Ben Allitt has been working in the Higher Education sector in both traditional Universities and TAFE based Higher Education providers for 15 years. He has worked at all levels of educational delivery, and has developed, coordinated and managed courses and Higher Education providers more generally. Ben’s roles have included Research Fellow, Lecturer, Academic Director, Course Coordinator, Department Manager, Deputy Dean, and he is currently the Dean of the Chisholm Higher Education College. His experience in Higher Education has involved the course development and reporting to national and industry bodies and he wrote the first “Pathway” degree which was accredited by both TEQSA and APAC. Ben is interested in developing novel approaches to pathways from TAFE to Higher Education that support the community and bolster the reputation of TAFE Higher Education providers while supporting students from non-traditional backgrounds.
Conor Mullan
Chief of Education
Conor joined Chisholm in 2009 and has since held a number of roles including Teacher, Manager, General Manager and Associate Director.
Conor commenced as the Chief of Education in August 2021, overseeing education delivery and development across the Institute. Conor is passionate about supporting students to reach their educational aspirations and has built high-performing, effective and resilient teams, systems and programs that support Chisholm students and staff.
Most recently, Conor played an integral role in developing Chisholm’s 2021-2023 Strategy and the Education Quality Framework. Conor holds a Masters of Education, Bachelor of Education and a Diploma of Outdoor Education.
Dr A Mazid
Central Queensland University
Louisa Lam
Australian Catholic University
Sabi Kaphle
Central Queensland University (CQU)
Dr Jenny Game
Dr Jenny Game is an accomplished scholar, academic leader, education designer, performer, and composer.
She has lectured in music and held academic leadership positions at both universities and private higher education institutes throughout Australia. Jenny has composed for and led new music ensembles for over twenty years; composed for music for the stage and published articles on a variety of topics including improvisation, intercultural music, education, and interdisciplinary studies.