Sally Kift

Sally Kift is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at James Cook University (JCU) and the elected President of the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows (ALTF). Prior to commencing at JCU in May 2012, Sally Kift was a Professor of Law at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where she served as Law Faculty Assistant Dean, Teaching & Learning (2001-2006) and QUT’s foundational Director, First Year Experience (2006-2007). In the latter role, significant enhancements to QUT’s policy and institutional culture were achieved in the areas of first year student engagement, support and curriculum design. Sally received a National Teaching Award (AAUT) in 2003. In 2006, she was awarded one of three inaugural Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Senior Fellowships for a project entitled, Articulating a transition pedagogy to scaffold and enhance the first year learning experience in Australian higher education. In 2007, Sally led a Project Team which received a further ALTC National Program Award for QUT Law Faculty’s Assessment and Feedback practices. In 2010, she was appointed an ALTC Discipline Scholar: Law to lead the law discipline’s work on the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project (LTASP). In 2011, she was appointed a member of the Council of Australian Law Deans (CALD) inaugural Australian Law School Standards Committee.

Sally has published widely on legal education and student transition, and has received numerous national and international invitations to deliver keynote addresses, workshops, and seminars on issues relating to transition and the first year experience, supporting diverse student cohorts, curriculum design to embed and assess graduate attributes, teaching quality and improvement, student engagement, the current state of legal education, capstone experiences and the legal implications of cyberbullying in schools. Sally has a substantial record of attracting grant and consultancy income. She is frequently asked to sit on higher education review and appointment panels, and to evaluate teaching excellence, grant outcomes, and curriculum renewal across the disciplines.