Kindness Curriculum Governance

The Kindness Curriculum explores 12 attributes of kindness that are empirically proven antecedents. Activities comprising the curriculum are supported by country-based curriculum and social emotional learning priorities. The Kindness Curriculum is global in nature and governed by an Academic Board, most of whom are doctorate-qualified educationalists.

Kath Koschel is the founder of Kindness Factory, a global not for profit organisation and movement which inspires ordinary people to do extraordinary things. A former professional cricketer and Iron Man competitor, Kath has defied all medical prognoses by teaching herself to walk on three separate occasions. Despite facing other serious personal, mental and physical setbacks, her resilience allowed her not only to overcome these challenges, but also see the good in the world when most others couldn’t.

In November 2015, she founded Kindness Factory, with a goal of encouraging and inspiring 1 million acts of kindness. To date, she has raised close to half- a- million dollars for various charity organisations and was the recipient of the 2016 Pride of Australia Medal for showing courage in the face of extreme adversity. In January 2017, Kath was awarded the Young Australian Medal and the people’s choice of Australia award.

Dr James Adonopoulos is the Academic Dean of Kaplan Business School and Kaplan Professional. As the author of four leadership books and a nationally syndicated business column, he is well known throughout Australia as a thought leader on people management. His PhD research was on the ways in which leaders can engage employees during organisational crises and significant change, and his academic history is supplemented by extensive experience as a successful leader in a variety of industries including financial services, contact centres, and of course higher education. In addition to his work with the Kindness Factory, he currently serves as a national board member of Independent Higher Education Australia and on the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching.

Professor Tania Aspland is the Vice President (Academic) with Kaplan (A&NZ) has been employed in higher education and the university sector since 1980. During the past twenty years she has focused her expertise around several areas of scholarship. These include:

• teacher education
• postgraduate pedagogy
• thesis supervision of international students
• higher education curriculum studies
• curriculum leadership
• professional development

Professor Tania Aspland is currently Vice President (Academic) with Kaplan (A&NZ). Previously she was Dean and Professor, Education Policy and Strategy, at Australian Catholic University following a term as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education and Arts at ACU and prior to that, Professor and Dean of Education at the University of Adelaide. She is continuing President of the Australian Deans of Education Council.

Isaac Botier is the Executive Director of Pre-College for Kaplan North America. He started his career in education as a teacher and learned, first-hand, the value of empathy in the classroom. Over the years, Isaac has held various executive positions within Kaplan, focusing on strategy, product, and marketing. He is passionate about infusing learning and teaching with curiosity and kindness.

Rob Regan is the Managing Director, Kaplan International and New Zealand. He has s a strong history of leadership and a proven track record of performance across a wide range of industries. Starting his career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers before moving through the retail, mining and technology industries, Rob has focused his attention on the domestic and international education sectors for the past decade.

Having worked with Kaplan since 2006, Rob has held various executive positions including Chief Financial Officer of the international business based in London and most recently heading up the Australia/New Zealand operations. Rob believes in the transformative power of education so that people can achieve their potential.

Dr Victoria Wilson-Crane has worked in education, in a variety of settings, for over 25 years. She leads Kaplan International Pathways’ Centre for Learning Innovation and Quality, a team of educational experts and developers, responsible for directing quality assurance and innovative learning and assessment in the Kaplan Pathways colleges in the UK. A keen lifelong learner, her doctoral studies explored transition from school to employment. She recently received recognition as a Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology and is a Fellow of the Institute of Employability Professionals.