Dr De Fazio is an Adjunct Fellow of the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities (ISILC) at Victoria University. She was the former Manager of the Cultural Diversity Office at VU and is now the Director of a consultancy, Intersect Global Partners. However, Dr De Fazio continues to supervise postgraduate students and support various VU initiatives.

Dr De Fazio has a solid background in academia, government and community engagement. She has worked in tertiary education for over 25 years in the areas of intercultural management, inclusion, teacher education, languages, academic development and is an active researcher.

Dr De Fazio has worked in educational leadership at various universities across Australia and has overseen a range of projects focused on multiculturalism, student retention and engagement, curriculum, inclusion, equity and diversity, educational development, mentoring and leadership, and blended learning.

As Manager, Cultural Diversity she oversaw the University Cultural Diversity Strategy, which is a University-wide commitment to inclusive intercultural engagement through all aspects of the University experience.

Dr De Fazio served two terms as a Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

Among other roles, she is a:

  • Board member of Multicultural Arts, Victoria
  • Regional Advisory Committee Member, Victorian Multicultural Commission
  • Member of the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies Consortia.
  • Cultural Ambassador and writer for Segmento Magazine
  • Ambassador, Melbourne Victory Football Club
  • Ambassador, Asian Football Cup
  • Past Board Member, Edmund Rice Community and Refugee Services
  • Love of Languages Ambassador.

Areas of expertise

  • Social cohesion and multiculturalism
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion - intercultural literacies
  • Inclusive leadership
  • Strategy design and review
  • Diversity & inclusive workplace practices
  • Community engagement
  • Teacher education and second/foreign language pedagogy
  • Student retention, transition and engagement

Contact details

Key publications

Book chapters

De Fazio, T. (2017) 'La lingua italiana in Australia: un panoramica' in Ditalis Risponde N.10. Series Editori, Diadori, P., Università per Stranieri Siena. Guerra Edizioni, Perugia, Italy.

De Fazio, T., Ketonen, J., Crock, M. (2012) 'Quality Assurance at Open Universities Australia', in Jung, I., Latchem, C. and Herrington, J., Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education, Routledge.

Books

De Fazio, T. Being me: Knowing you.
Curriculum Kit includes: 1) Student Book 2) Student Homework Book 3) Teacher Manual 4) Parent Guide 5) Resource Leader Handbook.
Australian Human Rights Commission and Community Languages Australia, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-921-449-14-7.

De Fazio, T. (2002) Studying Part-time without Stress, Allen & Unwin, Sydney. ISBN: 978-1-86508-646-0.

De Fazio, T. (1999) Studying in Australia: A Guide for International Students, Allen & Unwin, Sydney. ISBN 978-186-448-8869.

MOOC development

De Fazio, T. and Luzeckji. A. (2018) 'Teaching Today's Diverse Learners' in Contemporary Approaches to Learning (MOOC online course), Consortia of Australian Universities, ACAD.

Selected speaking invitations

De Fazio, T. (2020) Using an appreciative intercultural model of leadership to co-create and implement a University wide Cultural Diversity strategy. Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations, Jun 10, 2020 – Jun 12, 2020, Milan.

De Fazio, T. (2020) New Horizons: Unlocking the door to refugee and Asylum Seeker employment through targeted programs. Refugee and Migrant Education from Local Perspectives, Fondazione Reggio Children Pre-Conference Forum (Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations, Jun 10, 2020 – Jun 12, 2020, Milan.

De Fazio, T. (2019) Driving Diversity on Boards – Workforce Inclusion and Diversity Conference. AventEdge, Melbourne, 23-24 October.

De Fazio, T. (2019) Using game-based learning theory to engage students and address classroom management issues Also – Intercultural awareness development in the Classroom: Working with students to find their sense of identity and place. 16th National Community Languages Schools Conference. Canberra Grammar School, Canberra, 5 October.

De Fazio, T. (2019) From culture to intercultural: Engaging students through curiosity. Community Languages Australia Conference. Melbourne, 7 July.

Guest lecture: De Fazio, T. (2018). Culture shock and intercultural awareness. Università di Macerata, Italy, May.

De Fazio, T. (2018) Developing a Cultural Diversity Strategy for your Organisation. ISANA, Melbourne.

De Fazio, T. (2018) What’s culture got to do with leadership? Student Leadership Conference, Melbourne.

De Fazio, T. (2018) Culture shock and intercultural awareness. Università di Macerata, Italy, May.

De Fazio, T. (2018) Keynote address: Intercultural Literacies for the Secondary School Classroom. Annual Modern Greek Language Teachers Association. Graduate House. Melbourne, June.

De Fazio, T. (2018) Keynote address: Developing interculturality for Primary and Early Childhood Students. Annual Modern Greek Language Teachers Association. Melbourne Museum. Melbourne, May.

De Fazio, T. & Henderson, F. (2017) Educational Leadership in Improving University Practice: A Mentoring Framework for Novice Academics and Expert University Educationalists. World Education Day Conference, Dalian, China, 27-29 September.

De Fazio, T. (2016) Keynote speaker: The power of women’s voices. NEMBC 2016 Women’s Forum, Multicultural Hub, 16 July.

De Fazio, T. (2016) Panel presenter and facilitator. Unconscious bias in academia. Gender Summit. School of Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, 16 June.

De Fazio, T. (2016) The inclusive community languages classroom: Strategies for including all students. ESAV Conference, 9 July.

De Fazio, T. (2015) Workshops: Integrating digital technology in the classroom & Student retention strategies. ESAWA Perth, 1 September.

Selected project advisor activities

Response to the Government’s proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act, Victorian Multicultural Commission, 2014.

Social Cohesion Submission to the Victorian Government, Victorian Multicultural Commission, 2015.

State and Nature of Languages Education in Australian Schooling – Department of Education, Training and Workplace Relations. Research Centre for Languages and Cultures Education, University of South Australia. 2006–2007. Published March, 2008

Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning in Practice (ILTLP) Project – Department of Education, Training and Workplace Relations. Research Centre for Languages and Cultures Education, University of South Australia. 2006-2008. Published March, 2009.

The Belonging Project, RMIT 2012: Phase 2: Focus on the First Year Experience. Report Published June 2013.

Key projects on themes of social cohesion & student diversity

  • De Fazio, T. & Nihil, C. (2014) Inclusive teaching practices. Deakin University.
  • Collaborative development of a massive open online course (MOOC) with Macquarie University as part of an OLT Fellowship project headed by Assoc. Prof. Kym Fraser.
  • Development of a series of resources on themes that weave intercultural awareness and competencies with academic literacies to support teaching at VU. The aim is to also showcase these as part of the MOOC.
  • Design and development of the mentoring program Learning through Teaching Program (LTTP) which involves experienced and novice academics.
  • Inclusive strategies adopted through the ASD delivered units for PhD students (English for Graduate Researchers – UGR 7008 and Conceptualising/Contextualising Research – ROP8001).

Teaching guides & resources

De Fazio, T. (2018) 'Teaching Today's Diverse Learners' in Contemporary Approaches to Learning (MOOC online course), Consortia of Australian Universities, ACAD.

De Fazio, T. (series editor). (2013) Guides to Global Learning Outcomes, Deakin Learning Futures, Deakin University.

De Fazio, T. (series editor). (2013) Inclusive Teaching Practices, in the series Teaching Resources, Deakin Learning Futures, Deakin University.

De Fazio, T. (series editor). (2013) Global Citizenship, in the series Guides to Global Learning Outcomes, Deakin Learning Futures, Deakin University.

De Fazio, T. (editing and development) (2011) Series of Teaching resources on issues such as Development of Language skills, Cross-cultural communication etc, University of Melbourne.

Selected conference papers

De Fazio, T. (2019) Developing a responsive intercultural management model: A case study of an Australian University. SIETAR Conference, Belgium, 27 May – 1 June.

De Fazio, T. and Pepin, M. (2017) A practical approach to developing intercultural literacy in the classroom. MLTAV, May.

De Fazio, T. (2016) Learning through teaching: Building a mentoring community around PhD students as academic apprentices. Postgraduate Student Experience National Symposium. Bond University, 7 April.

De Fazio, T. (2015) Academic apprenticeship: Developing novice academic and teaching skills through a focussed mentoring program. International Institute of Economic and Social Sciences – Teaching and Learning (IISES). Florence, Italy.

De Fazio, T. (2015) Teacher education for global citizenship: A case study of foreign language teachers preparing our young learners for new brave, new globalised world. International Institute of Economic and Social Sciences – Teaching and Learning (IISES). Florence, Italy.

Reports

De Fazio, T. (2019) Evaluation of the Melbourne Victory Football Club, Community Football Program.

De Fazio, T. (2011) A review of processes and identification of challenges in student engagement: A Retention Strategy for Open Universities Australia.

De Fazio, T. (2011) Devising an e-Learning strategy for the Faculty of Business and Economics. University of Melbourne.

Editorial committee member

International Journal of Learning Technologies (IJLT) Inderscience Publishers. (Editor: Lorna Uden) 2002–2007.

Committee Member, International Scientific Advisory Board, EDULEARN 2015–ongoing.

Reviewer

Journal of the First Year Experience and Students in Transition 2002–2018.

Journal of the First Year Experience and Students in Transition (Editor: Joshua Gold), 2002–ongoing.

EduLearn (International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies). International Scientific Advisory Board Member, 2015.

Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Journal, Taylor and Francis, 2015-current.

Associate editor

Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Journal, Taylor and Francis, 2010-2011.

Postgraduate research students

Recent completions

Thomson, Max (2018) Factors of self-concept of ESL Adult Migrants in Language Learning. Masters of Education.

Senfield, Ricky (2018) Using high yield teaching and learning instructional strategies in graduate teaching practice. Masters of Education.

Ciabatti, Natasa (2016) Developing a policy on languages for Australia: Considerations, barriers and opportunities. Masters of Education.

Dorkota, Marriann (2015-2016) A case study of Literature Circles in an English language school for new arrivals in Australian secondary education. Masters of Education.

Current supervision

PhD supervision: Natasa Ciabatti. Developing an intercultural orientation to language teaching: A comparative study of teacher's perceptions and experiences in Italian and Victorian schools (working title).

Research grants

  • 2015 Technology Enhanced Learning Grant, Victoria University ($20,000).
  • OLT Extension Grant – Peer Assisted Teaching Scheme. With Dr. Jo-Anne Kelder (UTAS). Initiating the Learning through Teaching Program.
  • 2013 HEPP Grant The development of educational development models to support the development of inclusive teaching practices. Research partner: Equity and Diversity, Deakin University
  • Department of Education and Early Childhood Development LOTE Training and Retraining Program. Successful grant recording spanning 6 years.

Awards & scholarships

  • Vice-Chancellor Recognition Award for contribution to the area of teacher education at Victoria University, 2007.
  • Award for Recognition of Outstanding contribution by the Modern Language Teacher Association of Victoria, 2007.
  • ACER (2006) Teacher Education Accreditation: A Review of National and International Trends and Practices. This report showcased Dr De Fazio’s LOTE Teacher Education Program as a best practice example.
  • Palladio Trust Scholarship, University of Melbourne – study undertaken at Ca' Foscari – University of Venice, supervision by Prof. Freddi and Prof. Balboni.
  • Australian Postgraduate Award. PhD Scholarship. (Education). Monash University.

Professional memberships

  • Victorian Government – Research Institute on Social Cohesion (ROISC)
  • Ministerial Advisory Council for a Multilingual and Multicultural Victoria (MAC-M&MV)
  • Department of Education, Employment & Early Childhood Working Group Member for the Victorian Government’s:
    • Vision for English as a Second or Additional (ESL/EAL) Education
    • Civics, Citizenship and Multicultural Education
    • Languages Education.
  • New and Emerging Communities Leadership Program, Office for Multicultural Affairs, Victoria (Reference group member)
  • Modern Languages Teacher Association, Victoria (Committee member)

Community roles

  • Advisory – South Sudanese Professionals Association, Victoria
  • Chair, Regional Advisory Council. Barwon-South West. Victorian Multicultural Commission

Appearances in the media

Dr De Fazio has had articles and interviews in a range of media including SBS, RAI, The Age and Il Globo.

VU launches cultural diversity strategy (2018), Star Weekly, 23 May.

When having a conversation about cultural background is awkward (2018), Radio National program – Life Matters, 15 March.