Rate My Professor Cassandra Spencer

Cassandra Spencer is an Associate Lecturer in Management at Murdoch University's Business School. As a mature-age student and high achiever from the gifted and talented program at Willetton Senior High School, she initially deferred university after feeling pressure amid peers pursuing medicine and law. Instead, she relocated to Queensland and New Zealand, gaining practical experience in fast-food restaurants where she progressed to management roles, training staff. She later entered the currency exchange sector, rewriting and localizing training manuals to comply with local regulations, upskilling teams in counterfeit currency detection—particularly with the advent of colored U.S. banknotes—and partnering with law enforcement to dismantle a traveler's cheque scam. These experiences highlighted challenges in people management and team building, motivating her return to Perth for higher education.

Enrolling at Murdoch University, Spencer completed a Bachelor of Business with double majors in Human Resources Management and Business Law, plus a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration, in just three years by taking postgraduate units during breaks—a feat typically spanning four to five years elsewhere. She joined Murdoch as an Associate Lecturer in Management in her dream role, teaching since 2013 across management, human resources, change management (BUS230), global strategic management (BUS338), organizational behaviour (BUS293), and career self-development units. Her pedagogy prioritizes practical application, integrating students' full-time, part-time, or casual work experiences to consolidate theory with real-world insights for career planning. Spencer led a student consulting project for RCR Mining Technologies and NRW Civil and Mining, crafting an apprentice retention strategy that impressed industry leaders and opened avenues for future partnerships. Positioned in the Management & Marketing discipline, she fosters skills in influencing behavior, organizational change strategies, and personal branding, empowering future business leaders with hands-on projects and internships.