Record Keeping Plan File Ref:
REPORT of the REVIEW OF ENROLMENT AND ORIENTATION
TRIM File Reference: F35315
File PATH ON SERVER: P:\common\NC2012 Enrol & Orient review\Final\Report_Review _Enrolment_Orientation_2011_v.01.doc
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Version Number / Primary Author(s)(name and position) / Description of Version / Date Completed / Provided
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v.06 / Judy Skene / Draft for review by panel / 12 October / Review Panel
v.07 / Judy Skene / Final Draft for review / 19 October / Jon Stubbs
v.08 / Jon Stubbs / Revisions and comments for review / 21 October / Judy Skene
v.01 / Judy Skene / Final for distribution / 23 October / Jon Stubbs
DOCUMENT APPROVAL
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<Name of LG> Page
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 3
Recommendations 3
2.1 Recommendations arising from the Review 3
2.1.1 Review and evaluation 3
2.1.2 Pre-enrolment recommendations 3
2.1.3 Enrolment recommendations 3
2.1.4 Orientation recommendations 3
2.1.5 Social Media recommendations 3
Introduction 3
3.1 Background to the Review of Orientation 3
3.1.1 Preparation for the Review 3
3.1.2. Review Panel 3
3.1.3 Expectations of the review 3
Principles of orientation and transition 3
4.1 Overview 3
Pre-Enrolment 3
5.1 Pre-enrolment overview 3
5.1.1 Timing of pre-enrolment sessions 3
5.1.2 Pheme activation 3
5.1.3 Format and content of pre-enrolment sessions 3
5.1.4 Providing multiple channel delivery of information 3
5.1.5 Broadening units 3
Enrolment 3
6.1 Enrolment overview 3
6.1.1 Timing of enrolments 3
6.1.2 In-person course advice 3
6.1.3 Presentation of identification/citizenship documents and production of Campus Cards 3
6.1.4 Online enrolment 3
Orientation 3
7.1 Overview 3
7.1.1 Format and timing of orientation 3
7.1.2. Delivery of orientation activities 3
7.1.3 Timetabling and OLCR 3
7.1.4 Social and academic support 3
Social media 3
8.1 Social media at UWA 3
8.1.1 Current UWA social media infrastructure 3
Lessons learnt from the Melbourne Model 3
9.1 Background 3
9.1.1 The Melbourne Model 3
9.1.2 Key issues and observations 3
9.1.3 Pre enrolment 3
9.1.4 Enrolment 3
9.1.5 Orientation 3
10 Sector scan 3
10.1 Ideas from other Australian universities 3
10.1.1 I phone app - University of Queensland, University of New South Wales 3
10.1.2 Peer Network Guide –University of Adelaide 3
10.1.3 ‘O’ wiki – University of New South Wales 3
10.1.4 Orientation videos 3
10.1.5 Virtual information (ECU) 3
10.1.6 University of Adelaide post O week program 3
10.1.7 Transition –University of Melbourne/Murdoch University blogs 3
10.1.8 Destination Melbourne 3
10.1.9 Study Smart Passport 3
10.1.10 QUT Virtual 3
10.1.11 Safety video 3
11 Orientation modules 3
11.1 Overview 3
11.1.1 Orientation modules and resources 3
Conclusion 3
Appendix A Panel Interview Schedule 3
Executive Summary
This report had as its impetus the introduction of New Courses 2012: an opportunity to review the processes, resources and activities that constitute pre-enrolment, enrolment, orientation and transition to study at The University of Western Australia (UWA). With the admissions round for the first cohort of students in 2012 imminent, the review panel has chosen to focus on undergraduate admission and orientation, and acknowledges that there will need to be further investigation into the orientation requirements for Cycle 2 postgraduate degrees.
The report notes a number of recommendations, some of which are general matters of principle and some are quite specific actions. The intention is to improve the student experience through streamlining processes, offering choice wherever possible, and allowing time in the cycle of pre-enrolment, enrolment and orientation for students to seek advice and make informed decisions. Some of the recommendations are suggestions that may enhance a process that is already recognised as operating efficiently. The majority recommend changes, however, which if implemented prior to the next admissions round would help to ensure that commencing students in 2012 have a positive first experience at UWA.
Members of the review panel would like to thank all those who contributed to the review.
Recommendations
2.1 Recommendations arising from the Review
A summary of all recommendations is presented here for ease of review.
2.1.1 Review and evaluation
Recommendation 1: An annual cycle of review, reflection and continuous improvement should be embedded in the pre-enrolment, enrolment and orientation process for a minimum of five years, with a proactive focus on the needs of postgraduate coursework students.
2.1.2 Pre-enrolment recommendations
Recommendation 2: A comprehensive checklist covering the process from pre-commencement to transition should be developed for all new students to encourage them to complete the critical and desirable tasks necessary to prepare them to commence study.
Recommendation 3: Main Round pre-enrolment sessions should be rescheduled to take place the week following the release of Main Round offers (that is, from Monday 23 January for 2012).
Recommendation 4: More time should be allocated to Second Round and International Student Pre-enrolment Sessions, with sessions spread over at least two days to allow students to attend multiple sessions.
Recommendation 5: Students should be encouraged to activate their Pheme account as soon as possible after accepting their offer, and to check their student email account during the enrolment and orientation period.
Recommendation 6: Main Round pre-enrolment sessions should include introductory sessions on New Courses 2012 course structures run by central resources, and sessions and information on majors delivered by faculties.
Recommendation 7: Pre-enrolment sessions should, wherever possible, offer repeat sessions, to enable commencing students maximum flexibility in accessing information.
Recommendation 8: Pre-enrolment sessions should be scheduled as required, including evening sessions, from Monday 23 January to Wednesday 25th January 2012, inclusive.
Recommendation 9: All pre-enrolment sessions should be recorded (preferably pre-recorded) and made available to commencing students via Lectopia.
Recommendation 10: As well as talks about their majors, faculties should be encouraged to set up area displays where commencing students can talk to discipline areas about majors and/or broadening units.
2.1.3 Enrolment recommendations
Recommendation 11: Main Round in-person enrolments should be scheduled from Monday 30 January to Thursday 2 February 2012, inclusive
Recommendation 12: Commencing students should be given the option of discussing their enrolment in in-person course advice sessions, or proceeding with their unit enrolment without seeking individual advice, if they feel confident to do so.
Recommendation 13: Students should be given the option of presenting their Identification/citizenship documentation and collecting their Campus Card at either an in-person course advice session or during Orientation week.
Recommendation 14: Updating SIMS to reflect the receipt of identification/citizenship documentation should be completed away from the in-person enrolment process.
Recommendation 15: Commencing students should be given the option of completing their online enrolment on-campus or off-campus. Appropriate resources should be developed to support students as they complete this step.
2.1.4 Orientation recommendations
Recommendation 16: Centralised coordination of undergraduate orientation activities should remain the responsibility of the UniStart team in Student Services.
Recommendation 17: Orientation activities should be aligned and grouped by disciplines rather than the current framework of faculty-specific activities.
Recommendation 18: The orientation program should adopt a modular approach to activities offered, to allow students’ choice in tailoring their own program to suit their needs.
Recommendation 19: To streamline delivery of information, academic content should be delivered by discipline experts with supporting material delivered by central administration professionals (including Library, Information Services, International Centre, GRSO and Student Services staff).
Recommendation 20: The design of the orientation program should facilitate choice through scheduling of repeat sessions and offering information in a variety of modes including video and audio recordings accessible via the web.
Recommendation 21: As a matter of urgency, the OLCR website should be redesigned to provide an easy-to-navigate interface, consistent in design to the Unistart website, with clear instructions for first-time users.
Recommendation 22: All units should have provision for auto-allocation, with students who wish to create their own timetable able to opt-out and enter preferences into OLCR.
Recommendation 23: Responsibility should be assigned to one organisational unit for both the management and oversight of OLCR technical development and in-person student support and resources.
Recommendation 24: A greater variety of activities throughout orientation week should be offered to enhance student transition, including activities directed at specific cohorts such as mature age students and new-to-Perth students.
Recommendation 25: The focus of social interactive events should be maintained as an integral part of orientation.
Recommendation 26: Welcome events should be scheduled to promote “connection” between commencing assured pathway students and their assured pathway future faculty.
Recommendation 27: A strategy to ensure greater collaboration and coordination of orientation activities between Student Services and the Guild should be developed.
Recommendation 28: Options to allow students who have elected to join the Guild to activate their membership by mobile facility, rather than only in the Guild Office in the Guild Village, should be explored.
2.1.5 Social Media recommendations
Recommendation 29: Student Services should develop a strategy whereby online student communication is coordinated through multiple channels at every opportunity. Messages should be distributed via askUWA, student email, Facebook, Twitter, MyUWA, G-News whilst referring to the authoritative source at all times (this could be UniStart or askUWA depending on the content). Communication should be complementary rather than in duplicate and tailored to relevant audiences.
Recommendation 30: Social media should be used to engage in meaningful online conversation with students rather than solely as a broadcast mechanism. Strategies should be used to monitor social media channels for questions, complaints or comments. Appropriate responses should then be carried out.
Recommendation 31: Content relating to transition events, deadlines, alerts, links and reminders that are currently emailed to students should be also distributed via social media as a matter of standard procedure.
Recommendation 32: Social media should be considered a meaningful and appropriate method of building a sense of belonging and student community over the entire period from offer to Link Week and beyond.
Recommendation 33: The established and growing Student Services’ social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) should be featured appropriately in official communications to students (eg: letter of offer, UniStart website), and staff should be ready to respond to queries as needed.
Introduction
3.1 Background to the Review of Orientation
With the introduction of the University’s new course structure, referred to in brief as NC2012, it was considered timely to conduct a thorough review of the activities that occur from offer until students commence classes in week one of semester. A review would allow analysis of current processes, identifying what was working well, what could improve and what might need to change in response to the requirement of the NC2012. The review also presented an opportunity to look beyond current practices to identify aspirational practice elsewhere, to inform a longer-term strategic plan for enrolment and orientation at UWA.
A proposal to undertake a more formal process than the usual post-orientation evaluation was presented to the Director, Student Services and funding was secured from the NC2012 Transitional fund to support the project. The Review of Orientation, as it is referred to in this report, has as its scope the student journey from receiving an offer to commencing classes and feeling settled in their new role as a student. This journey has been divided into a number of stages, with particular focus on the key areas of pre-enrolment, enrolment and orientation, with a lesser focus on transition. The Review still encompasses the notion that orientation continues beyond the first day of classes through until at least Week 6.
3.1.1 Preparation for the Review
Prior to commencing the Review of Orientation, a range of evaluation and preparatory activities were undertaken. The intent was to map activities that were currently happening during the orientation process, gain some feedback from staff directly involved and first year students, document issues arising from recent experience with the 2011 round that might need urgent attention prior to the 2012 admissions exercise and identify changes that will need to occur as a result of NC2012.
The Self-Review process consisted of the following activities:
o A survey of commencing first year undergraduates in Semester 1, 2011;
o A survey of student mentors in Semester 1, 2011;
o A survey of staff involved in some part of the pre-enrolment, enrolment and orientation process in Semester 1, 2011;
o Student focus groups – one of undergraduate students and one of postgraduate students;
o A sector scan of most Australian universities’ websites on enrolment, orientation and transition;
o A mapping exercise of current relevant activities from beginning of January until week 1 of Semester 1; and
o Interviews with faculty staff involved in enrolment and orientation
Evidence collected from these varied activities informed the questions asked during the review process.
The sector scan identified examples of best practice elsewhere that could be adopted to enhance the student experience of transition to study at UWA. Sector scan examples are reported in Section 10.
3.1.2. Review Panel
The review panel comprised staff from key central Administration sections whose core business involves some part of the enrolment and orientation process, the UWA Student Guild and an external member from the University of Melbourne.
Judy Skene, Assoc. Director, Student Services (Student Support Services) -Chair
Wayne Betts, Assoc. Director, Student Services (Admissions)
Narelle Palmer, Coordinator UniStart/UniMentor
Debra Basanovic, Administrative Officer, International Centre
Katie Moore, UWA Student Guild
Di Rachinger, General Manager, Student Engagement, University of Melbourne
Karen Mitchell, Executive Officer
The panel particularly appreciated the contribution from Ms Di Rachinger, who travelled from Melbourne to be a member of the panel. Her past experience of a similar organisational change provided valuable insights.
The Associate Director, Student Services (Student Administration) Mr Harvey von Bergheim, was not able to join the panel but has provided input to the notes and draft report.
3.1.3 Expectations of the review
As noted previously, the Review provided an opportunity to document the current process and identify opportunities for improvement. The introduction of NC2012 has created an environment of change and innovation, and the momentum created in the change process prompts a desire to explore new ways of implementing pre-enrolment, enrolment and orientation processes. Some change will be unavoidable in order to accommodate NC2012, but the review provided the opportunity to implement other changes to improve the quality of the experience for students commencing study at UWA in 2012.