UWA 2030 envisions a UWA education that will empower students to create the best possible future for themselves and, through their leadership, others. We will be globally acclaimed for our stimulating curriculum built on social responsibility, experience-rich learning and cutting-edge research.
We launched the Education Transformation Program that addresses: an experience-rich curriculum, teaching excellence, the student experience, lifelong learning, and regional education. Each of these streams of activity also supports the University-wide priority areas of global participation, Indigenous strategy, digital transformation and the regional strategy within Western Australia.
The flagship Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) saw enrolments increase to 180 students, including the 2018 Fogarty Beazley Medallist.
The Cycle II Review, an external evaluation of our postgraduate coursework framework, was successfully completed. A panel of experts reaffirmed UWA’s vision and boldness in transforming its course model in 2012, and made recommendations to enhance the student experience.
In 2019, we saw the approval of a policy framework for micro-credentials, along with UWA’s first ‘boot camp’ for students wishing to upskill outside the formal degree structure. We also had a landmark year with the approval of a range of professional accreditations.
We furthered the UWA-Student Guild Partnership to embrace Guild leadership of consultations over Grand Challenges, as well as joint work on mental health initiatives and assessment. Academic and professional staff, as well as students, participated in the Community of Practice initiative to allow grassroots ideas to flourish. In July 2019, we received accreditation of the UWA Academy Fellowship Scheme and its five pathways to HEA Fellowship, demonstrating our commitment to high-quality, world-leading teaching and learning.
The Educational Enhancement Unit(EEU) provided over 1,000 hours of one-to-one learning and teaching support and over 500 staff attended EEU workshops at the Crawley and Albany campuses. The deployment of the Flipped Classroom Grant Scheme exceeded expected participation by staff.
The EEU participated in the National Embedded Employability Initiative, creating ‘Internships at UWA’ for students seeking Work Integrated Learning placements.
The McCusker Centre for Citizenship placed more than 350 students with internship partner organisations in 2019, contributing more than 36,190 hours to the community. The Centreplans to increase to 500 student interns per year from 2021.
The student experience strategy, ‘Experience UWA 2025’, was finalised in 2019. Student Life received high praise from new students for the inaugural six-week transition program that gave them an opportunity to experience key activities each week, ranging from study and career skills to wellness and social connection.
University Hall’s Professional Development Portfolio won the Asia-Pacific Student Accommodation Association’s Excellence in Student Experience Award 2019. More than 250 students were actively involved in the program, which continues to develop.
UWA joined the Aon Women’s Uni 7s national rugby competition, the first Australian sevens competition for women, in 2019. UWA Sports Excellence Scholarships were introduced to encourage high-performing student athletes to pursue a degree at UWA.
We hosted more than 400 Indigenous student athletes from 25 universities at the UniSport Australia Indigenous Nationals. UWA entered two teams in the competition: Manatj (white cockatoo) and Wardong (crow), which finished in sixth and eighthplace respectively.
Six students, including five UWA Fogarty Scholars, received a 2020 New Colombo Plan Scholarship to study in the Indo-Pacific region. UWA Fogarty Scholar and Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) student Luke Thomas also received the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Fellowship.
UWA celebrated 20 years in the Great Southern region, with more than 120 staff, students, and community stakeholders joining an academic procession through Albany. This year we laid the foundations for a strategy that will extend activities across the region.
Student Equity celebrated 10 years of Aspire UWA. Since 2009, Aspire UWA has engaged over 12,000 primary and secondary students in 600 hours of in-school workshops and on-campus events. The STUDYSmarter Mature-age Access Support team was awarded the UWA Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for approaches to teaching and support that influence and inspire students. We were recognised as a Gold Level Mental Health First Aid Skill Workplace, with 400 staff and students trained in mental health first aid. In addition to winning the 2018 Australian Award for University Teaching for Programs that Enhance Learning, the Health Promotion unit was also awarded the 2019 UWA Local Drug Action Group Community Action Award for 15 years of service.
We welcomed 17,500 people to our campus for UWA Open Day, which was facilitated by over 2,200 staff and 380 student and graduate volunteers. A new purpose-built Open Day app was downloaded 5,400 times. We saw a growth of 161 domestic students commencing their studies at UWA in 2019, most notably in postgraduate and non-TISC undergraduate students. International enrolment growth has been led by students from China, Singapore, India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Visitor numbers to the UWA website increased by 137 per cent in 2019. Our Future Students area was ranked the top amongst Australian universities for excellent customer service standards in the CSBA SenseCX Benchmark Rankings.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank staff across the Education portfolio for their hard work in 2019. I look forward to working with you all in 2020 as we continue to build on our strengths in learning, teaching and student experience through the UWA 2020-2025 Strategic Plan.
Professor David Sadler
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
(Education)