NEWS

A highly respected and experienced education leader, David has a great passion for second language development theory and practice. With a background in TESOL, English, Business and Social Sciences, he is committed to broadening horizons, global empathy and perspectives through languages.

As Deputy Head of International Operations at John Paul College, David leads the ELICOS programs, business operations and strategic direction of John Paul International College (JPIC). As part of this role, he advocates for the ‘ELICOS in Schools’ sector, of which NEAS is a key part of quality assurance and compliance in Queensland.

David’s leadership delivers data led solutions that are customer centric, removing barriers and creating positive stakeholder outcomes. In his current role, he has delivered projects to reimagine all aspects of the student, parent and agent journey through innovative and interactive stakeholder engagement mechanisms. David is an enthusiastic contributor to IET discourse communities at conferences and networking events.

David has extensive experience in international education both in Australia and abroad and is a NEAS endorsed Quality ELT Professional. He has post-graduate qualifications in TESOL, Education and Business, and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. From growing up on the island of Guernsey to living in various places around the world, David brings a critical perspective to executive teams and committees.

After the events of 2020/21 and the likely volatility in 2022, David believes we must take the opportunities presented during these ambiguous, uncertain and competitive times to create new value propositions, target new markets, hone operations in existing markets and reflect.

We must do this by being mindful, selfless and compassionate.

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Thomas is the Dean of SCU College (Direct Entry and General English ELICOS, Enabling and Diploma courses) and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic Quality) at Southern Cross University. He is a specialist in the design, delivery and management of English language and higher education pathways, empowering students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds gain access to and succeed in university study.

His more than 20 years of post-secondary education professional experience, in Australia and abroad, demonstrates a long-standing commitment to ensuring that English language courses deliver an inspired experience for students. While much of his professional experience has been working with University students studying academic English, he has also worked designing and delivering English courses for recently settled migrants from CALD backgrounds, work-and-holiday travellers, as well as primary school pupils’ Study Tours. His research interests are in applied linguistics  and he has published on English for Academic Purposes, vocabulary knowledge, language testing, pronunciation teaching and digital literacy.

In 2018-2019 he co-led the University English Centres Australia (UECA) national initiative: the External Referencing of the ELICOS Standards and International Education [ERESIE] Project. 20 Australian universities participated in the project to benchmark ELICOS program outcomes. In 2020 he was the UECA Assessment Symposium Chair and host. He is a member of the Australian Government’s TEQSA Expert Register for ELICOS and international education. He is well known for his collegiate approach and silly sense of humour. He would like to represent English Centres on the NEAS Board, advocating for quality outcomes for their students, staff and communities.

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My approach to teaching, educational management and leadership is based on the principles of equality, empathy, empowerment, and best practices. Thus, I continually work to ensure high standards of learning and teaching as well as efficient and collaborative management of the ACU English Language Centre on North Sydney campus. In this work, I do my best to apply the knowledge gained from several management and leadership programs such as Emerging Leaders and Managers Program and in-house workshops developed by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

I have been involved in the Australian ESL community for eighteen years. In 2018, I was a part of EA Conference Organising Committee, and I am an active member of EA AMSIG committee. My involvement in the EFL community started much earlier back in Europe when I was the owner and the manager of a private language school for 10 years.

My deep appreciation of other cultures and languages has been enriched during my extensive travel as well as my own learning of several languages. In 2018, I was the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award for a community engagement program that supported refugees and migrants. Last year, I chaired the Professional Development Working Party and developed Professional Development Framework for our Education Pathways Directorate.

I hold a BA in English and English Literature, CELTA and TEFL Certificates, and an MA in TESOL. At this stage of my professional life, I would like to contribute to the wider ELT community and NEAS members. I believe that my sound knowledge and understanding of cultural and language differences, ability to identify the needs of individual students and groups, teachers, and colleagues, and all NEAS members, as well as high-level communication and organization skills would be useful in the role of a Board Director.

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