Martin Bean Explained

Martin Bean
Office:Vice-Chancellor and President of the
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Chancellor:Ziggy Switkowski
Term Start:February 2015
Term End:June 2021
Predecessor:Margaret Gardner
Successor:Alec Cameron
Birth Place:Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Alma Mater:University of Technology, Sydney (B.Ed)
University of London (LL.D)
Profession:Education management

Martin George Bean (born 26 October 1964) is an Australian education administrator. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), from 2015 to 2021.[1] He was Vice-Chancellor of Open University from 2009 to 2015.[2]

Education and early career

Born in Melbourne, Australia on 26 October 1964, Bean has a bachelor's degree in adult education from the University of Technology, Sydney.[3] [4] As a student, he served as president of AIESEC.[5] Bean worked at companies including Novell, Sylvan Learning, Thomson Learning and New Horizons Computer Learning Centres before joining Microsoft, where he became general manager responsible for product management, marketing and business development in the Worldwide Education Products Group.

University career

Bean's appointment as vice-chancellor of the Open University was the first time a non-academic had been chosen to head the university.[6] He stated his aim was to use technology in order to provide an education to anyone at low or no cost.[7] This included the university's iTunes U downloads.[8]

In December 2012, Bean launched FutureLearn, an online initiative supporting a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform, led by The Open University in partnership with 11 other UK universities.[9] Since its launch, FutureLearn has partnered with 15 other universities in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the British Library, British Council and British Museum.[10] [11]

In 2013, Bean oversaw the release of OU Anywhere, an app which allows students to access OU undergraduate course materials using smartphones and tablets.[12] Bean also oversaw the launch of the Teacher Education through the school-based support in India project (TESS-India), a program in collaboration with the Indian government to bring distance learning teacher education resources to educators in India.[13]

Under a program of reforms spearheaded by Bean, the Open University has dismantled its presence in mainland Europe. This drew criticism from University and College Union, who claimed this would have a negative effect on OU students based outside the UK.[14] The University has maintained that the move will bring support for overseas students into line with that offered to their UK-based counterparts while also making financial savings made necessary by the UK government’s 2012 changes to higher education funding.[15] [16]

Bean's last controversial move was the announcement by the vice-chancellor's executive that the Open University's south-east regional centre in East Grinstead is to be closed and that the status of the other English regional offices is to be "reviewed". In a letter to The Guardian, Open University staff claim that overall, some 700 jobs could be at risk, almost a fifth of the OU's full-time workforce.[17]

On 10 July 2014 he was appointed vice-chancellor and president of RMIT University, and took up the appointment in February 2015.[18]

He was appointed CBE in the 2015 New Year Honours.

Board positions

Bean is on the Board of Trustees of the British Council, the Board of the Commonwealth of Learning and the British Museum’s Digital Advisory Group.[19] In addition, he has served as a member of the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and the National Board of Directors of Jobs for America’s Graduates as well as advising the US Senate on the importance of IT in the Workforce Investment Act.[20] He was also part of U.S. Department of Labor delegations to the US/EU Seminar on Local Employment Development and to the Economic and Employment Development Seminar in Hanoi, Vietnam.[21]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Martin's message to RMIT staff: My decision to step down as Vice-Chancellor. 2021-08-17. www.rmit.edu.au. en.
  2. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=404536&c=2 Open Market: Martin Bean is looking to use IT know-how gained at Microsoft to ensure the continued success of The Open University
  3. Web site: Elmes . John . Q&A with Martin Bean | People . Times Higher Education . 2013-10-03 . 2013-11-14.
  4. Web site: Martin Bean | Vice Chancellor | The Open University | Higher Education Members . NCUB . 2013-06-12 .
  5. Web site: Belgium AIESEC Alumni Newsletter . Aiesec.ehsal.be . 2013-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230607/http://aiesec.ehsal.be/alumni/alumninewsletter200708.html . 2013-12-02 . dead .
  6. News: Jobs . Open University sets sights on transforming UK workforce . Telegraph . 2010-05-27 . 2013-06-12 . 25 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925014238/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/7768764/Open-University-sets-sights-on-transforming-UK-workforce.html . live .
  7. Web site: Christina Slade . Open University taps into tech appeal . The Australian . July 20, 2011 . 2013-06-12 . 26 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726151548/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/open-university-taps-into-tech-appeal/story-e6frgcjx-1226097774045 . live .
  8. Web site: Lal Tawney . Adapt to online learning or become obsolete . University World News . 2013-10-25 . 2013-11-14.
  9. Web site: Claire Shaw . FutureLearn is UK's chance to 'fight back', says OU vice-chancellor | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional . Guardian . 2012-12-20 . 2013-06-12 . 18 September 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130918162800/https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2012/dec/20/futurelearn-uk-moocs-martin-bean . live .
  10. Web site: Δωρεάν μαθήματα μέσω διαδικτύου από βρετανικά πανεπιστήμια . Pelop.gr . 2013-06-12 . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203031434/http://www.pelop.gr/?page=article&DocID=104288&srv=10 . live .
  11. Web site: FutureLearn offers first online course . Afr.com . 2013-11-14 . 21 November 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131121065358/http://www.afr.com/p/national/education/futurelearn_offers_first_online_vKYbtb13BvAyUzzTTxu6QM . live .
  12. Web site: Kunakornpaiboonsiri . Thanya . UK University launches app for distant learning | Articles | FutureGov - Transforming Government | Education | Healthcare . Futuregov.asia . 2013-01-30 . 2013-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130620002626/http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2013/jan/30/uk-university-launches-app-distant-learning/ . 2013-06-20 . dead .
  13. Web site: UK and Indian partners agree more than 30 new education and research deals, after PM takes biggest ever education delegation to India - BIS . News.bis.gov.uk . 2013-02-20 . 2013-06-12 . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001446/http://news.bis.gov.uk/Press-Releases/UK-and-Indian-partners-agree-more-than-30-new-education-and-research-deals-after-PM-takes-biggest-e-68826.aspx . live .
  14. Web site: UCU abhors OU treatment of tutors in CE . . 14 September 2012 . 7 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107021327/http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=6116 . live .
  15. Web site: Changes to Employment Arrangements in Continental Europe . . 15 January 2013 . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203002946/http://www.open.ac.uk/platform/files/platform/file/ecms/web-content/GeneralFAQs230712.pdf . live .
  16. Web site: Why it's no time to be complacent about the UK's inflation problem | City A.M . City A.M. . 2013-11-12 . 2013-11-14 . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003110/http://www.cityam.com/article/1384305464/why-it-s-no-time-be-complacent-about-uk-s-inflation-problem . live .
  17. News: Open university review threatens learning: Letters . The Guardian . 2014-06-18 . 2014-06-20 . 30 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240730074232/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/18/open-university-regional-offices-review . live .
  18. RMIT announces appointment of new VC . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162851/http://medianet.com.au/releases/release-details?id=805839 . 2014-07-14 . 2014-07-10.
  19. Web site: Martin Bean - Vice Chancellor, The Open University . British Council . 2013-06-12 . 6 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131006201052/http://www.britishcouncil.org/about/martin-bean . live .
  20. Web site: Vice-Chancellor of The Open University speaks at Breakfast Briefing . .open.ac.uk . 2013-01-11 . 2013-06-12.
  21. http://www.open.ac.uk/about/main/vice-chancellor/career Career

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Martin Bean".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.