Promoting quality teaching: an institutional perspective

2005 Australian Awards for University Teaching - Institutional award finalist

UWA’s Link Week, a programme devised and coordinated by staff in the Diversity and Transition Group within Student Services, was recognised as a finalist in the 2005 Australian Awards for University Teaching for its excellence in the provision of support services that assist student learning.

Now in its third year, Link Week was developed in response to research that concluded that student engagement plays a critical role in achieving academic retention and a successful transition to tertiary studies. Link Week demonstrates a university wide commitment to enhancing the first year experience of UWA students.

Link Week’s objective is to build a clear sense of community for commencing students who are at risk of becoming or remaining isolated in the first year of their study at UWA through:

• opening channels of communication between commencing students and Faculty staff
• promoting student transistion in an informal, fun and inclusive environment
• linking students to clubs and networks within the University where they can develop friendships and social support
• demonstrating the range of support available to students through Student Services

Link Week is held in Week 3 of Semester 1 for the following reasons:

• It is the final week for students to add units
• Commencing students will have completed one week of their full study programme and may be feeling overwhelmed with the study requirements
• It is an ideal time to implement a ‘safety net’ for those students who have not yet developed links with their peers on campus before a pattern of non-engagement takes hold

Faculties and Schools support Link Week’s objective through:

• promotion of the week in all first year lectures
• the wearing of Link Week badges by all first year teaching staff, academic advisers and support staff
• the organisation of events for first year students as appropriate within each faculty. Past events have included morning teas, BBQs and information sessions such as “Ask me anything about Law”

Link Week is also supported by Student Services through the Link Week Festival Launch, held in the common lunch hour on Tuesday 14th March on the Oak Lawn and the Student Services Travelling Roadshow. The Roadshow is a mobile information service that will be visiting Faculties and setting up in outdoor areas to field student enquiries.

For further on Link Week information, see www.linkweek.uwa.edu.au/welcome.

Contribution from Dr Jon Stubbs, Director, Student Services