David George Beswick,
MA (Melbourne) PhD (Harvard) FACE, Professor Emeritus since 1989 and minister
in the Uniting Church, Gippsland 1989-94 and Templestowe since 1994, former
Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education 1976-88, Fellow in
Educational Research in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian
National University 1971-76, Senior Research Scientist at the American Institutes
for Research in the Behavioural Sciences, Palo Alto, California, 1969-71, Lecturer/Senior
Lecturer in Psychology at ANU 1967-71, Minister in the Methodist Church at Mornington
and Geelong 1961-66, Fulbright Scholar, Research Assistant, Teaching Fellow
and graduate student at Harvard University 1958-61, Tutor/Senior Tutor in Psychology,
University of Melbourne 1956-58, student at the University of Melbourne and
Queens College 1953-58, farm worker 1951-53.
Professor Beswick took early retirement at the end of 1988 to return to his
original vocation full time as a minister, now in the Uniting Church, and served
as Presbytery Minister with pastoral oversight of the Gippsland region until
November 1994 and then as a parish minister at Templestowe. He continued to
take an interest in the University in this period and to provide supervision
of his PhD students. He was elected a member of the Council late 1995 as a member
representing the graduates.
During his time as Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education
at Melbourne and earlier at the ANU Professor Beswick led a number policy related
research projects in higher education. At this time and subsequently the Centre
was recognized internationally as one of the leading three or four centres in
its field. Research projects included aspects of the national system of higher
education for the Commonwealth Government, such as a major study of regional
colleges, a national review of student financial assistance (TEAS), and the
amalgamation of tertiary institutions; at the state level, the planning of community
TAFE colleges in Victoria; and for the University and for general scientific
purposes, various studies of the development of individual students, especially
problems of selection and transition from secondary to higher education, intrinsic
motivation, entry to the professions, the management of incentives for academic
work, and a longitudinal study of women's career development. In the United
States he carried out evaluations of innovative educational projects for the
US Government. He has published over 100 articles and monographs in psychology
and education.
Experience of university government in addition to having served as a head
of department, deputy dean and member of the Academic Board and its Academic
Committee and Selection Procedures Committee, includes past membership of the
councils of Melbourne State College, the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education
and the council of St. Hilda's College in the University of Melbourne. Related
experience includes periods of service as a member the Board of Studies of the
Victoria Institute of Colleges and its Educational Specifications Committee,
and as a member of the council of Wesley College (Melbourne). At various periods
he worked closely as a consultant with the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission,
the Commission on Advanced Education and the Commonwealth Department of Education
(later DEET). Within the Uniting Church Professor Beswick has served as a member
of the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the Synod of Victoria, chairperson
of the council of Otira College and a member of the Commission on Education
for Ministry and in various other roles giving leadership at the regional, state
and national levels.