The Response - UWA Staff - The University of Western Australia

in a nutshell, this model merges the online and campus components and develops the online content from a
UWA discipline perspective, even in an introductory marketing unit. It maintains good graduate qualities because
students are still expected to attend the workshop and the tutorial; if a student cannot attend the workshop, they
are encouraged to interact with their group members for the answers.’
‘I do think that there are wonderful opportunities to harness new technologies to do what we do best – providing
a stimulating and educational on-campus experience for our students. That is what we need to focus on. Here is
one example. We are experimenting with new first year courses in the engineering faculty involving a much greater
emphasis on face-to-face teaching that we have in the past. Many of the students yearn for interesting lectures:
they have not reacted well to the need to read relatively boring material before coming to classes. We are planning
a small experiment in which we will reward students for finding really exciting and short online lecture and video
material. 500 students trawling the Internet for interesting material is likely to be much more effective than one or
two staff members trying to do the same. We will review the best suggestions and make them available to the
other students.’
Proposal 2: That the University develop its campus facilities and services (including residential colleges)
with the explicit intention of enhancing the learning opportunities of students.
‘Are we brave enough to aim for a residential experience for all first-year students?’
‘I believe the UWA Residential Colleges can offer more to, and be utilised more by, the university than is
currently the case. Whilst a decline in lecture attendance and the growing use of online options is observed, my
observations are that the offerings by colleges such as leadership programs and positions, cultural awareness
programs, community service programs and less formal gatherings of residents have never been more popular
amongst college students. Much of this popularity is because they see real value in the program, it’s personable
and most view it as adding ‘weight’ to their CV…. My recommendation would be that all first year students
entering the university be assigned a college to which they belong (regardless if they live there or not), with the
option of the student taking out an affiliated membership from that year onwards.
To make an affiliated model work I believe that it needs to commence at the start of a student’s tertiary education.
The connection to the college (and ultimately the university) would then commence at orientation (with some
activities based in colleges for all affiliated 1st years) and then the student would continue to be supported and
involved in various activities (with the colleges, student services and faculties working together) over the course
of the year. For example, tutorials, academic dinners and involvement in the social and sporting opportunities
that already exist could be extended to include all students affiliated and not just those in residence. Colleges
are successful because from day one of the first year student entering the college, they are led, engaged, shown
genuine interest, communicated with, and shown care for at a personal and most often face to face level. This can
be done because colleges have both the formal (e.g. tutorial/study rooms) and informal settings (dining halls) to
do so as well as the ‘inbuilt’ social structure. There is no reason (with good coordination) this can’t be extended to
include greater numbers.’
‘Twenty years ago we had a vibrant campus life, but it is ebbing away, and we need to instil in the students a
sense that University is about more than formal education. How to do this isn’t an easy question, but my own
thoughts include:
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Some form of college affiliation (non-residential in many/most cases) for all students, with at least minimal
social obligations.
Encourage a more balanced offering of social activities by central student bodies.
At the micro level, revival of some of the activities that have fallen by the wayside over time. For instance there
used to be weekly lunchtime outdoor concerts in semester and a regular schedule of economically priced film
showings in our large lecture theatres.’
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