Emmanuel College Deputy Principal and Director of College Life Louise Dowling has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship for 2020. Churchill Fellows are funded to travel internationally to expand their knowledge and experience for the benefit of Australian society. Ms Dowling will visit universities in America to investigate programs to support young people to develop healthy and safe strategies when engaging in sexual relationships.
Announcing the fellowship, Emmanuel College Council Chairman Mr Stephen Howell said, “This is a wonderful achievement by Louise Dowling. Since commencing employment at Emmanuel in March 2018, Ms Dowling has been an energetic force for positive change with her focus firmly on the wellbeing of our students. She has been aware of the evolving environment in which colleges operate, and has been a tireless advocate for collaborative approaches to managing student culture. With the national focus on responses of what to do when things go wrong, Ms Dowling’s focus on best practice in helping young people negotiate relationships is a welcome new direction.” Mr Howell went on to say that Ms Dowling would bring back her learnings to Australia and share her knowledge widely with colleagues in the tertiary education sector.
Outlining her objective for the fellowship, Ms Louise Dowling said, “Sexual assault, particularly on tertiary campuses, has received a lot of attention recently in Australia. While there is a focus on consent, no means no and support for victims, there is very little in the field of prevention, education and the development of healthy sexual experiences. Students are given a great deal of theory around consent, but very little in terms of the practical application of this theory. America is ahead of us in this field, and has moved from a focus on ending sexual assaults and supporting victims to prevention and education for all young people. I will be visiting a number of American universities to discuss the programs they are running, learn from their studies and experience, and bring this knowledge back to Australia to develop a program for our young people.”
“I am honoured and humbled to receive a Churchill Fellowship, and I look forward to fully embracing this opportunity next year to continue to improve the safety of our students and to help them build their knowledge and understanding of this area,” Ms Dowling said.
Ms Louise Dowling is one of 20 Queensland recipients of this prestigious award, which will be formally presented at Government House Queensland in early November this year. The Council, staff and students of Emmanuel College warmly congratulate Ms Dowling for her success in being awarded a Churchill Fellowship.
