SEN206-1

MONASH UNIVERSITY
STUDENT EXPERIENCE NETWORK
Meeting 1/06 of the Monash Student Experience Network was held on Friday, 17 March, 2006 at 11.00am in the Council Room, 1st Floor, Building 3A, Clayton campus.
MINUTES
1. / Attendance and apologies
There were present:
Ms Jenny Allen, Dr Lorraine Bennett (for Prof David Murphy), Ms Lynda Caldwell, Mr Robin Coventry, Prof Rod Devenish, Prof Tony Dingle, Ms Jill Dixon, Mr Martin Doulton, Mr John DuBois, Ms Judy Duffy, Ms Helen Fletcher-Kennedy, Ms Kay Gardner, Ms Sue Gleeson, Ms Louise Gray (for Ms Marian Costelloe), Ms Loretta Hambly, Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree, Ms Margo Hellyer, A/Prof John Hurst, Ms Tanya Kantanis, Ms Michelle King, Dr Heinz Kreutz, Mr Rick Lau Yee Wei, Prof Merilyn Liddell (via telephone from Malaysia), Ms Katherine Lock, Ms Jill McLachlan (for Mr Stephen Davey), Ms Lee-ann Norris, Mr Andrew O’Brien, Ms Charmaine Paramanathan (via telephone from Malaysia), Ms Megan Petrass, Mr Andy Poon, A/Prof Louis Roller, Mr David Taft, Mr BruceThomson, Dr Cristina Varsavsky, Mr Clive Vernon, Ms Andrea Waller, Ms Sue Webb, Ms Janet White, Prof Rob Willis (Chair) and Mr Peter Yates.
Apologies were received from:
Prof David Arnott, A/Prof Gary Codner, Prof David Copolov, Ms Marian Costelloe, Mr Stephen Davey, Ms Glenda Key, Ms Paula Langley, Prof John Loughran, A/Prof Tony Luff, Ms Nicolene Murdoch, Prof David Murphy, Dr Jeannie Paterson and Mr Vlad Prpich.
In attendance:
Ms Joanne Calmer (attended the meeting in relation to item 4) and Ms Emma White (Minutes Secretary).
2. / Introduction and Purpose of SEN
Prof Rob Willis welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Student Experience Network (SEN). The establishment of the SEN was proposed in The Monash Student Experience Framework: Discussion Paper. The SEN is a reference group for a smaller project group, consisting of staff from the Academic Director’s Office and the Office of the Senior DVC. If they are required, special interest/working groups will also be formed. At an operational level there will be the Campus Student Experience Networks (CSENs). All SEN members are welcome to comment on the documents they receive. The main task of the members is to spread the word about student experience and provide feedback from their areas to the SEN. The basic purpose of the Student Experience Framework (SEF) is to improve the student experience for all students. If students have a happy experience, they will become promoters of Monash. This is particularly important in the context of VSU, which will further underscore the importance of making the best use of available resources.
3. / Student Experience Framework update
During the “Student Experience Framework” presentation Prof Rob Willis briefed the committee on the following:
·  Student experience being a University priority in 2006.
·  The different needs of today’s students and the changing higher education environment.
·  Examples of each of the Live, Learn, Work, Contribute, Global (LLWCG) dimensions.
·  The student experience website and e-portfolio that will allow students to find out about and record their experiences during their time at Monash.
·  The aims of the Monash student experience, which are currently encapsulated in the acronym FEISTI, but this is likely to be replaced.
·  The campaign that is being developed, to communicate the student experience message to students and staff, and will be presented at a future SEN Meeting.
·  Some of the work already undertaken, in particular on the Orientation and Transition Programs, that have been split into two portfolios under Mr Peter Yates and Ms Tanya Kantanis respectively.
·  The next steps that include completing the internal Student Experience Audit; the establishment of the Campus Student Experience Networks (CSENs); the development of the student experience website and the Student Experience Index (SEI); and the alignment of the dimensions with the Monash graduate attributes.
Members canvassed a range of issues in the subsequent discussion, including:
·  The need for the student experience to be an ongoing University priority and funded accordingly.
·  The potential for student experience to be an area that Monash could use as a point of differentiation.
·  The need to benchmark the Monash student experience against other universities.
·  The importance of keeping academic and research staff involved, and the importance of effective communication as a means of doing this.
·  Ways of incorporating student experience into formal Faculty and University documents.
4. / Campus Student Experience Networks
Introducing this item, Mr Peter Yates gave examples of how the services available to students vary between campuses. The aim is to provide a consistent and positive student experience regardless of where a student is studying at Monash. He then outlined the suggested membership for the Campus Student Experience Networks (CSENs); however each campus can modify the list as appropriate. The CSENs will be established on each campus and they will meet at least four times a year, approximately two weeks prior to the SEN Meetings. Prof Rob Willis and Mr Peter Yates, wherever possible, will attend the initial CSEN meeting on each campus. Some suggested standing items for each CSEN meeting are:
·  The management and coordination of major events eg. Orientation, Open Day.
·  The development and delivery of student experience initiatives and services.
·  Coordinate service planning and improvement.
·  Exchange information about student issues.
A brief discussion then followed in relation to the coverage of the proposed CSENs, and whether they would capture the whole student cohort at Monash.
5. / Orientation
During his presentation “Orientation 2006” Mr Peter Yates reported on the Orientation Workshop held last year and some of the highlights of the semester 1, Orientation Program including the following:
·  The good attendance numbers at Orientation activities at various campuses.
·  The e-Orientation planner for students.
·  The establishment of “Welcome Centres” at four Monash campuses.
·  Responses to the Orientation Survey.
Mr Yates indicated that the full Orientation report will be presented at the next SEN Meeting.
The Welcome Centres received positive feedback from students. The committee agreed that the ambience of some centres could be enhanced, and that extending the opening period of the Welcome Centres prior to and into the semester would be advantageous, especially for first year and transferring students.
6. / Student Experience audit
During Ms Jill Dixon’s presentation on the “Student Experience Audit” she reported on her work to date and provided information on the following:
·  The nature and purpose of the audit.
·  Her meetings with faculties, campuses, student associations and administration to capture information about the Monash student experience.
·  Examples of good practice for each of the LLWCG dimensions.
·  Opportunities for improvement.
·  The student experience audit report that will be made available to the SEN, and also to students on the student experience website.
7. / Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Friday, 9 June, 2006 at 11.00am in the Council Room, 1st Floor, Building 3A, Clayton campus.

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Monash Student Experience Network Meeting 1/2006 Page 1 of 3

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