Academic Governance

Dr Daphne Cooper was a lecturer in the School of Psychology from 1960 until her retirement in 1975. Originally a graduate of the University of Tasmania in Arts (1941), she undertook postgraduate studies in clinical psychology at University of Western Australia before completing her PhD in Psychology here in 1971.

Daphne’s long-term interests in educational and developmental psychology reflects her early career in teaching and her work as a vocational guidance officer for the Tasmanian Education Department.

Daphne Cooper has determined to endow a scholarship to support postgraduate research in the School of Psychology where she worked. The Academic Senate has agreed to establish a scholarship.  These are the rules of the scholarship.

Rules

1.  An amount of $100,000, together with any income from time to time, forms the endowment of a scholarship to be called “The Dr Daphne Cooper Research Scholarship in Psychology”.
2. The Scholarship is to be awarded to a student undertaking postgraduate research in the School of Psychology.
3. The scholarship will be awarded by a selection committee comprising: 
   • the Head of the School of Psychology, or nominee; 
   • the Coordinator of Postgraduate Research in the School of Psychology; 
   • a nominee of the University of Tasmania Foundation.  
4. The selection committee will set the detailed selection criteria having regard to the intentions of the donor. Notes on these intentions, prepared in consultation with Dr Cooper, are attached to these rules.
5. The award is tenable for one year but may be extended by the selection committee for up to two additional years subject to the student:
   continuing to undertake research in an area deemed appropriate in the School of Psychology;  
   continuing to make, in the opinion of the selection committee in its absolute discretion, satisfactory progress in the course. 
6. The selection committee may terminate the student’s award or suspend it if it considers, in its absolute discretion, that the student’s progress is unsatisfactory.  If the scholarship is suspended, the selection committee may re-award the scholarship to the same student if it considers, in its absolute discretion, that the student’s academic record during the suspension justifies that action.
7. The annual value of the award will be determined by the selection committee having regard to the income of the endowment.
8. The Scholarships Management Committee will determine all other matters concerning the scholarship, including advertising, application procedures and the method and time of payment.
9. The selection committee will report annually to Academic Senate on offers made and the progress of candidates receiving the scholarship

Made by Academic Senate on 15 June 2007 

Attachment to Academic Senate Rule No 97

NOTES COMPILED TO ASSIST SELECTION COMMITTEE

Dr Daphne Cooper met with Dr Greg Hannan (Head of School of Psychology) and Professor Jeff Summers (prior Head of School of Psychology) on 26 April 2007 to discuss the research areas where she believed her scholarship should be applied.

The scholarship could be funded in annual amounts of $10,000 with the award only to be offered when the capital amount of $100,000 had been achieved within 10 years. 

• to ensure the scholarship was awarded in areas which broadly coincide with Dr Cooper’s interests
• to lay out parameters for the scholarship selection committee over the long-term which would be flexible enough to allow the scholarship to continue to be offered and to work effectively even though significant change was likely to occur over time in the discipline of psychology. 

•  
• The psychological research being undertaken by a student could be multi-disciplinary having a medical, educational, sociological or other basis. 
• It was to fund research which was to be fundamentally about people. 
• Amongst others issues, it could reflect people’s needs in a changing society, treating problems as diverse as the development of children or psychological issues affecting the aging.
• Research could be basic or applied but it should have the expectation of realistic outcomes and practical application.
• The scholarship could be annual or occasional if no suitable student or project presented in any year.
• Dr Cooper was comfortable with emerging and new fields in psychological research to be included into the future so that the scholarship remained viable.