CAUTHE special interest groups: Discussion paper

Executive summary: This discussion paper reviews CAUTHE’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and outlines the role of SIGs within the association as well as making recommendations for their future development. SIGs are research and/or teaching related groups and there are currently five active SIGs: Critical Approaches; Event Studies; Information & Communication Technologies; Risk, Crisis & Recovery Management; and Teaching & Learning. Developing strategies to increase engagement and involvement in SIGs was a recommendation in the CAUTHE 2019 Membership Survey Report. This review should also inform the work on the next Strategic Plan. Recommendations 1. Promote and involve SIGs in CAUTHE activities such as the Mid-Year Meeting (MYM) and PhD/ECR programme at the Conference. 2. SIG coordinators to engage in promoting SIGs through regular CAUTHE communications. 3. SIG coordinators and CAUTHE Executive member to meet annually (at the Conference or another time/online) to share plans and activities, including succession planning. 4. Encourage members at all levels of membership to consider forming new SIGs, including investigating founding a PhD SIG. 5. CAUTHE Executive to investigate opportunities to collaborate with SIGs/thematic groups in other Australasian and international organisations (both where there are overlaps with CAUTHE SIGs and where CAUTHE does not currently have a SIG in an area). 6. Add SIG enrolment to membership/conference registration/renewal form to promote awareness and engagement in SIGs as well as generate SIG membership information.