A University-wide collaboration between academic, administrative, support and professional service units will see high priority projects addressing student retention and progression devised and implemented for the 2015 academic year.

‘Student Engagement for Success’ is the latest Our University: A Framing of Futures initiative to come online under strategic priority 1: A culture of transformative learning in a research-enriched environment.

“Improving experiences – within formal settings and beyond – changes the lives of our students by helping them to achieve their academic aspirations,” said Executive sponsor Deidre Anderson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students & Registrar). “Integrated retention and progression programs delivered across the curriculum, with a student-centric view of how and when they are utilised, will help provide a clear path toward success.”

Identifying existing strengths and weaknesses, and looking for more strategic ways to provide academic and co-curricular support that makes the University a partner with students in their success starts before they’re enrolled and continues beyond graduation. “So broad, perhaps even unprecedented collaboration is crucial,” said Executive sponsor Professor Janet Greeley. “It’s all about the students; our efforts shouldn’t be geared toward what is best for our portfolio or unit – rather, we must serve a greater good in helping students achieve their aspirations and become meaningful contributors to society.”

Three streams of work – Quality, Standards and Analytics, Learning, Teaching and Curriculum, and Wellbeing and Support Services – are already underway, with cross-disciplinary and cross-functional teams assigned to identifying opportunities to enhance student engagement that can be turned into active projects.

“This is a very important project,” said Professor John Simons, Deputy Voice-Chancellor (Academic). “Our University already does well with regard to its approach to students but this is a real opportunity to move forward into a new space.”

To find out more, contact Laura Heron (laura.heron@mq.edu.au).

Join the discussion about student success at Learning and Teaching Week 2014.