The Leader: Dr Nicole Starling, academic dean at Australia’s Morling College

Dr Nicole Starling speaks with JO KADLECEK about her journey in Christ-centred higher education…

Sydney, Australia

Dr Nicole Starling has always loved learning, although she never expected to be a leader at an academic institution. But when she began taking classes at Morling College in Sydney to better prepare her for church volunteering, something clicked. Soon, she was taking her studies more seriously, and eventually earned her PhD. She then began lecturing, and most recently served as academic dean at Mary Andrews College before being appointed to the same role at Morling.  With deep family roots in Australia’s Baptist tradition, Starling’s appointment is a homecoming of sorts. Sight caught up with her about her journey in Christ-centred higher education…

Tell us a bit about Morling College. What does an average day look like for you?
“Morling College is a Baptist theological college in Macquarie Park, Sydney. It was originally started in 1916 as the training college for Baptist pastors in [the Australian state of New South Wales]. We still do train Baptist pastors but now we offer a range of theological degrees through the Australian College of Theology as well as our own counselling and education qualifications. Alongside our work preparing students for full time pastoral ministry, we also train and equip students to serve God in a wide variety of other contexts and vocations.

“In my role as a ‘Christianity in History’ lecturer – which I also taught at MAC when I served there as dean – I teach and co-ordinate the church history units at Morling. Being on campus, I also get to be involved in chapel services and love the chance to get to know the on-campus, residential students before and after class and at meals. My role as academic dean means I oversee academic quality and compliance across our three faculties.”

Nicole Starling. PICTURE: Courtesy of Nicole Starling

What were some of the stops along the way to becoming Academic Dean?
“I hadn’t planned to become an academic – even though my father was one, and I am married to one! I studied arts/law as my undergraduate degree, then worked as a legal editor for a while before stepping back from paid work so I could volunteer at church and be at home with my young kids. I started studying at Morling because I wanted to equip myself better for the ministries I was already involved with, mentoring, discipling and Bible study leading. I loved all the subjects, but I especially loved studying ‘Christianity in History’ – and ended up completing two long history research projects as part of a master’s degree.

“My history lecturer asked me to be a part time lecturer, which gave me experience in teaching in person and online. I went straight from my master’s to my PhD at Macquarie University. Both teaching and researching helped in becoming a permanent lecturer at Morling as well as academic dean at Mary Andrews College. I’ve learned a lot about academic administration during my time at MAC, which prepared me well for the role of academic dean at Morling.”

What do you think are some current challenges Christian college students face in Australia today that they didn’t face 20 years ago?
“Our lives seem to be more busy and demanding, which means it can be difficult to study full time and move to college for a few years. Students are often trying to study while juggling multiple responsibilities which makes it hard to immerse themselves in their learning. There is less opportunity to make deep connections with other students as well.”

What are some surprising and hopeful things you see happening in Australian culture?
“I’m encouraged to see the energy with which so many among the emerging generations in our culture are engaging, especially around issues of justice and environmental responsibility. They’re bringing real moral seriousness to their engagement and not thinking simply in terms of their immediate self-interest, personal rights or freedoms. The morality that informs their engagement is not always the same on all points as a traditional Christian morality, but there is still a sense of earnestness that encourages me.

“I’m also intrigued to see the way Christianity is gradually shifting as the established religious system in our culture to becoming a minority religion movement on the margins. At one level I suspect that shift involves some great losses for our culture and some real challenges and pressures for us as Christians. But at another level I’m hopeful that in the next generation, this kind of move to the margins and away from the centre of power will open a whole new set of opportunities for us to communicate the Gospel and demonstrate its impact in the Christian communities we form.”

What’s the worst and best piece of advice about leadership you’ve received?
“I don’t recall having ever been given much advice about leadership! But I’ve had the chance to observe a lot of leadership, including some really good models and some not so good ones. The best leaders I’ve worked with are people who are able to keep their focus on the mission of the group and the wellbeing of the team. They’re not distracted by the need to prove themselves or protect their legacy or project an image to others.”

Any trends in leadership or higher education lately that inspire or concern you?
“The biggest trend in education, accelerated by COVID, is the shift from face-to-face learning to new modes of online education. This has positive and negative aspects. On the concerning side, it can lead to disengagement and deep loneliness for some students. On the inspiring side, online learning makes study accessible to more people – including those who aren’t able to study on campus. I find online teaching challenging, but it has inspired me to work harder to engage my students and has helped me improve as a teacher.”

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After nearly a decade at Morling, what do you still look forward to?
“I love the moments in my teaching when I see a student understand something for the first time. It’s also exciting when students make connections between what they are learning in history and something in their own lives.”

What insights or advice would you give now to yourself in your first years of academic life?
“I’m grateful that my church history lecturer had the confidence in me to ask me to teach – and was prepared to trust me to learn on the job! When I was starting out, she gave me good advice: choose topics I was genuinely interested in, create work that was publishable, and don’t be afraid to submit it for publication. That was excellent advice that led to my PhD scholarship, a post-doctoral fellowship after the PhD was completed, and a whole lot of opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”