Information for Staff

For many students, their first year at university can be a difficult and challenging experience. It is important that staff are conscious of issues facing today’s students. Research tells us (see for eg. Rhoden, Boin, Krause & McInnes, 2003) that these issues fall into four broad categories:

1. The academic adjustment to a significantly more independent and demanding learning environment;
2. dealing with a much larger campus environment, making new social networks, possibly living away from home for the first time and for many, the demands of part-time work and financial issues;
3. understanding and taking responsibility for the administrative matters of tertiary education and
4. the personal adjustment, organizational and time management issues required to make a successful transition to tertiary study.

How staff deal with students grappling with these issues will strongly influence the students experience of first year life at UOW and whether these students will be successfully retained.

Over the last twenty years there has been substantial international interest in improving the first year at university so that students survive to second year and beyond. Universities across the globe now provide programs such as first year seminars, peer learning communities or mentoring programs. At the University of Wollongong we have developed programs which suit our higher education culture and have proved to be successful in improving transition and retention.

In a selection of first year subjects undertaken by the majority of commencing students in a faculty, we have integrated academic literacy instruction into the curriculum. This instruction is designed to develop students' awareness of the academic conventions of their discipline, as well as assist them in developing a range of academic literacies (a subset of tertiary literacy) including essay and report writing, critical and efficient reading, oral presentations and exam preparation. These activities have assisted students to understand their disciplines, pass their subjects and develop the attributes of a Wollongong graduate.

http://www.uow.edu.au/student/services/ld/staff.html

In first year subjects which are historically difficult we provide Peer Assisted Study Sessions – PASS. The PASS program provides first year students with a peer learning community where they can discuss and experiment with learning strategies in a small group led by a student who has already successfully completed the subject. PASS has proved to be effective in helping students pass and continue to second year.

http://www.uow.edu.au/student/services/pass/

By visiting this website you have acknowledged that the welfare of first year students is important to you. Please encourage first year students that you deal with to refer to the student section of this website if they are experiencing difficulties or seeking information.

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Last reviewed: 13 June, 2007