Dr Linette Hawkins is recognised nationally and internationally as a leader in social work field education.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news of the passing of Linette Hawkins, our Adjunct Research Fellow, for Social Work, Community and Human Services in the Institute of Education, Arts and Community at Federation University. Many of our staff and students have got to know Linette over the past years as our Adjunct Research Fellow.

We have been extremely fortunate to have had Linette’s wisdom, expertise and nurturing guidance in the development and operation of a robust social work field education teaching program here at Federation University.

She has guided the social work field education of over 2,000 social work graduates in Victoria as well as leading ground-breaking innovations, including the introduction of off-site supervision and standardised learning assessment plans, in current use throughout Victoria. Many of our excellent sessional field education staff have been recruited and supported by Linette.

Linette has made a profound contribution to the social work and community development discipline. Linette’s most recent inspirational book is Recontextualising Social Work, co-edited with Jacques Boulet from Borderlands.

Linette is remembered as an excellent researcher and writer, and Professor Jenny Martin and Linette were just about to launch a study on gender equality in higher education together that Jenny will continue in Linette’s memory.

Jenny Martin
Like many of my colleagues, it was with extreme sadness and shock that I learnt of Linettes passing. Linette worked in the social work team at RMIT University for many decades, first at Philip Institute and then RMIT. I had the honour of working with Linette for 15 years and everyone knew she was the go-to field education person for anything field-ed related.

Linettes networking skills were legendary, and she knew everyone in the field, a walking historian for all things social work, social work education related and the AASW. In the time before universities had huge ‘work integrated learning’ teams, Linette did it all. She was a most genuine person and not only talked the talk, but walked the walk, with her fierce social justice beliefs and love of social work guiding her practice.

 

Christine Craik
Linette was at the forefront of the Victorian Combined Schools of Social Work – a committee which existed to ensure that all social work placements were shared amongst the Universities and relationships between the social work academics were strong and respectful. That was Linette. After leaving RMIT several years ago, Linette was in huge demand from organisations and other Universities for her experience and skills. Linette always had projects on the go, research, writing, networking – she never stopped. Linette was also an intensely private person and would not want me going on here, but I will always see her walking through the halls of RMIT in her black flowing dresses, with her ‘touch of green’ scarves and green nail-polish. She will be very much missed.