Comprehensive Report (our ref ISSR061294) 2016-02-26 FINAL...NEW STAFF CAPABILITIES Invest in new staffing capacity and capabilities – including innovative educational technologies

CONSULTATION OUTCOMES Towards… The UQ Student Strategy:

An open discussion on the UQ Green Paper Full Report (February 2016)

CONSULTATION OUTCOMES Towards… The UQ Student Strategy:

An open discussion on the UQ Green Paper

PREPARED FOR

The University of Queensland Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic)

BY

The University of Queensland Institute for Social Science Research

The Institute for Social Science Research wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the Institute for Teaching and

Learning Innovation (ITaLI), and Planning and Management Information in the preparation of this report

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Table of contents

Challenges and Strategies from the Green Paper ......................................................................... 3

1 About the consultation ........................................................................................................... 6

2 Top‐line messages ................................................................................................................... 9

3 Top‐line feedback on Challenges and Strategies ........................................................... 16

4 Student Survey results .......................................................................................................... 27

5 Leadership Meeting results ................................................................................................. 56

6 Unit Submission results ........................................................................................................ 70

7 Roundtable Event results ..................................................................................................... 93

8 Open Online Forum results .............................................................................................. 103

Appendix I: Student Survey data tables ..................................................................................... 132

Appendix II: Unit Submission respondents ................................................................................ 170

Appendix III: List of acronyms ...................................................................................................... 172

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Challenges and Strategies from the Green Paper

USED IN THIS REPORT DESCRIPTION FROM THE GREEN PAPER

CHALLENGE 1: INNOVATIVE EDUCATION

How can UQ’s comprehensive breadth of programs provide all students with cutting‐edge knowledge and creative enterprise skills that advantage them in ever‐ changing communities and workplaces?

GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES Reimagine UQ’s Graduate Attributes to drive program coherence, develop future employability skills, and meet graduates’ aspirations and employers’ expectations

EXTENSION EXPERIENCES Expand opportunities for extension experiences ‐ including a suite of online and blended flagship courses and experiences ‐ that reflect the comprehensive liberal education UQ is able to provide

WIL PARTNERSHIPS Build significant industry and government partnerships that strengthen and expand opportunities for authentic and attractive WIL (Work Integrated Learning) experiences across all programs

CHALLENGE 2: FLEXIBLE LEARNING

How can UQ support flexible learning options that attract, empower, and guide a diverse student population to choose when and how they best engage in their own learning?

YEAR‐ROUND CALENDAR Develop options for students to design their learning across a ‘year‐round academic calendar’ (e.g., intensive blocks, trimesters, MOOCs, and online programs)

RPL (RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING)

Recognise prior learning for program acceleration and enrichment

CHALLENGE 3: STUDENT CHANGE AGENTS

How can UQ authentically partner with our outstanding student cohort across the learning enterprise?

STAFF‐STUDENT LINKS Create opportunities for students to collaborate with staff in learning, leadership and outreach

CHALLENGE 4: RESEARCH‐INTENSIVE EDUCATION

How can UQ strengthen the translation of our research excellence into consistent ‘high‐value, high‐ impact’ research‐based learning opportunities across all disciplines for all students?

RESEARCH EXPERIENCES Extend students’ access to collaborative research experiences that provide quality interaction with UQ’s research and research partners

CHALLENGE 5: BEST PRACTICE PEDAGOGIES

How can UQ ensure all students’ learning is built around active, best practice pedagogies?

BLENDED LEARNING Incorporate best‐practice blended learning pedagogies across every program

SIGNATURE LEARNING Develop and apply a signature UQ learning model across all programs that is driven by learning theory and enhanced by innovative technology strategies

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CHALLENGE 6: ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK

How can we develop and resource assessment and feedback practise that support student learning and enhance the student experience?

ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS Create program level assessment frameworks that stipulate meaningful, authentic tasks and that include quality and timely two‐way feedback mechanisms that are supported by enabling technologies

LEARNING ANALYTICS Progress the development of UQ’s learning analytics capacity to afford students and staff ready access to assessment outcomes and provide support where required

CHALLENGE 7: STAFFING PROFILE

How can UQ enhance its staffing profile to provide exceptional teaching, learning, and student support?

STAFF RECOGNITION Value the pursuit of teaching excellence across UQ through recognition and reward that considers the aspirations and commitment of our teaching staff

NEW STAFF CAPABILITIES Invest in new staffing capacity and capabilities – including innovative educational technologies and learning design – to complement and support existing expertise

STAFF DEVELOPMENT Through rigorous and comprehensive professional development, encourage staff to practice a transformative, team‐based, whole‐of‐program approach to enhancement

CHALLENGE 8: SUPPORTING STUDENTS

How can UQ provide students with quality support from transition to graduation that fosters a sense of belonging and guides them to become autonomous and resilient learners?

INTEGRATED SERVICES Provide readily accessible, real‐time integrated services (virtual and physical) through student hubs to resolve issues at point of best impact

MENTORING & NETWORKS Leverage the talent and commitment of students, staff and alumni through mentoring programs and peer‐based networks

CHALLENGE 9: STICKY CAMPUSES

How can UQ develop accessible, vibrant and inviting campus environments for students, staff and the broader community that add genuine value to time on campus for all?

MULTI‐FUNCTIONAL SPACES Develop open and engaging, multi‐functional spaces and places across campus for formal and informal learning, relaxation and rest, and socialising

VIBRANT ECOSYSTEMS Transform all campuses into vibrant living and learning ecosystems – including St Lucia and Gatton based residential complexes and commercial services – that promote and sustain an energising student experience

TRANSPORT OPTIONS Find sustainable, convenient and cost‐effective transport options for UQ campuses

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CHAPTER 1

About the consultation

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About the consultation

BACKGROUND TO THE GREEN PAPER

Towards… The UQ Student Strategy is a Green Paper prepared by The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) to open a discussion about the key challenges and opportunities for the University in enhancing the UQ student experience.

UQ aims to position its graduates to become national and international leaders. The University recognises that the requisite skills and knowledge its students require to achieve this are shifting, consistent with the needs and demands of an ever‐changing society.

The Green Paper sets out nine key priority areas on which the University might focus in order to foster a transformative student experience (the Challenges). The Challenges are informed by reviews of policies, research, and global best practices as well as local, national, and international data. The Green Paper also asks the University’s stakeholders to consider the value of key activities designed to address the Challenges, and these are presented as Strategies in the Green Paper.

Between October and December 2015, the UQ Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) facilitated a consultation process on the Green Paper designed to capture perspectives across the University’s primary stakeholder groups – UQ Students, UQ Staff, and the UQ Community (including alumni, industry, and education sector partners).

The consultation activities were:

UQ Student Strategy Consultation Survey (the Student Survey): an online survey administered 9 November to 4 December 2015 with 7,005 student respondents, representing an 18% response rate (AAPOR RR2) across the student population

Leadership Meetings: direct engagement with UQ Staff (Senior Leadership), namely interviews with leaders of UQ faculties and institutes (n=11) and discussions at selected board and committee meetings in October and November 2015 (n=7)

Unit Submissions: invited written submissions prepared by UQ organisational units between 22 October and 11 December 2015 (n=54)

Roundtable Event: an engagement activity designed by ITaLI to facilitate group discussion with participants from across all UQ stakeholder groups (n=75), held on 17 November 2015

Open Online Forum: an unmoderated online platform for stakeholder feedback via written responses submitted using a template form between 22 October and 11 December 2015 (n=110).

The consultation outcomes were organised into groups to represent three key stakeholder voices:

1. UQ Student Voice: identified from the Student Survey results, the Roundtable Event and the Open Online Forum

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2. UQ Staff Voice: identified from the Leadership Meetings, the Unit Submissions, the Roundtable Event, and the Open Online Forum

3. UQ Community Voice: identified from the Roundtable Event and the Open Online Forum.

This report outlines the findings of the Green Paper consultation process based on quantitative and qualitative data gathered by ITaLI and provided to UQ’s Institute for Social Science Research for analysis. It is intended as an indicative resource to assist the University in the subsequent development of a White Paper that articulates the UQ Student Strategy.

The results are most relevant for the purpose of:

Rationalising the Challenges that will drive development of the UQ Student Strategy

Identifying Strategies that have most resonance and meaning for UQ stakeholders.

APPROACH TO ANALYSIS OF CONSULTATION OUTCOMES

The Green Paper consultation process included five distinct engagement activities during which respondents were asked a range of questions to identify their views on the directions set out in the Green Paper.

Data collection templates were consistent in their focus on the Green Paper Strategies. However, respondents in the Leadership Meetings and Roundtable Events primarily provided views on the Green Paper Challenges, whilst stakeholders who participated in the Unit Submissions and Open Online Forum commented on the Green Paper Strategies. As a result, respondent feedback is not directly comparable across consultation activities.

Furthermore, stakeholders saw significant interconnectedness across the Green Paper Challenges and Strategies, making it sometimes difficult for them to delineate between higher order priorities and lower order priorities for subsequent action by UQ.

The nuanced consultation approaches, methods, and questions, and the interconnectedness of the Green Paper’s Challenges and Strategies mean it is difficult to compare stakeholder responses on a like‐for‐like basis. Given some responses represented UQ organisational units and other responses were those of an individual, voices also could not be weighted. However, input from stakeholders was appreciatively accepted by ITaLI irrespective of format and contributes to the overall views presented in this report.

This report uses the concept of voices to communicate broadly the nature and level of feedback across key stakeholder groups. In interpreting the results in this report, the following should be noted:

Some Student Survey respondents did not complete the questionnaire in its entirety and so the total number of respondents for each survey item is reported for the purpose of transparency.

Analysis of the quantitative data from the Student Survey is consistent with the grouping and structure of the Challenges and Strategies in the Green Paper.

Analysis of the qualitative data from the Leadership Meetings, the Unit Submissions, the Roundtable Event, and the Online Open Forum focused on Challenges and/or Strategies most frequently cited by participants (both supported and not supported).

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Some Challenges and Strategies are omitted from detailed analysis because they did not attract sufficient attention from respondents; this does not necessarily mean they received no attention at all, but that the level of attention was comparatively weak.

It is acknowledged there is likely to be some selection bias in the consultation findings because many of the activities relied on respondents self‐selecting into the process.

Nonetheless, the overall findings deliver high‐level insights that can support the University in determining the final priority focus areas for the UQ Student Strategy.

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CHAPTER 2

Results summary

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Top‐line messages

The UQ Student Strategy is viewed by stakeholders as a significant positioning document for the University, with flow‐on opportunities and impacts for its key stakeholder groups – UQ Students, UQ Staff, and the UQ Community.

The top‐line messages from the consultation on the Green Paper relate to:

The importance of enhancing employability for UQ students The role of online learning as a campus complement The student appetite for flexible learning options The need for appropriate resourcing to take the UQ Student Strategy forward.

Stakeholders urge the University to continue to utilise evidence‐based decision‐making and stakeholder engagement in the subsequent development of the UQ Student Strategy in the forthcoming White Paper. They encourage UQ to consider the interaction of the UQ Student Strategy with internal and external factors that will impact on its implementation.

Across the consultation activities, they also reported positive feedback on a range of aspects relating to the current UQ student experience, which suggests the UQ Student Strategy might look to build on existing strengths in the University environment.

The findings of the Green Paper consultation process are wide‐ranging, and this is indicative of the University’s inherently diverse stakeholders. The top‐line messages in this section are not exhaustive, and further detail is provided in Chapter 3 with regard to stakeholder responses on each of the Challenges and Strategies in the Green Paper. Full analysis on the consultation outcomes is documented in Chapters 4‐8 of this report.

The importance of enhancing employability

There is consistent and considerable support from all stakeholder groups in relation to the importance of delivering a UQ student experience explicitly designed to enhance graduates’ employability in an ever‐changing world.

The results of the Student Survey suggest UQ students are motivated to attend university by the view that their tertiary education will translate into improved future employment career prospects. Industry‐based extension experiences and support services designed to improve job prospects are most highly valued by UQ students, and a substantial minority of UQ students (42%, n=2,756) do not agree they are learning the skills and knowledge they need to help them adapt in a changing employment market.

UQ stakeholders identify Work‐Integrated Learning (WIL) Partnerships as a high priority activity that should be advanced through the development of the UQ Student Strategy. The consultation outcomes also identified the potential contribution of UQ alumni as a resource to enhance student employability, such as by identifying and offering work placements. Two‐thirds of students who participated in the Student Survey (67%, n=4,549) would like access to a UQ alumni mentor.

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The role of online learning as campus complement

Online learning is an accepted and appreciated characteristic of the contemporary higher education environment, according to the results of the Green Paper consultation process.

The Student Survey results underscore student interest in online educational resources to complement campus‐based learning:

70% of respondents (n=4,278) would take advantage of courses designed as a mix of online lectures and interactive classes on campus

38% (n=2,319) would take advantage of a course that was wholly online

57% (n=3,457) are interested in using online learning modules that can be completed at their own pace.

From a teaching and learning perspective, stakeholders made repeated observations that while online learning offers flexible study options for UQ students, active and face‐to‐face learning remain important aspects of the student experience. Across the consultation activities, they note that UQ needs to find the correct balance between offering online learning options alongside active learning and engagement opportunities with teaching staff and their student peers.

Moreover, the on‐campus environment remains important to UQ students, with the physical experience integral to their learning experience. The Student Survey results found that student engagement with UQ campuses is primarily learning‐focused, and UQ students indicate they would spend more time on campus if facilities and services better supported their studies (e.g. more study spaces, 24/7 access, and cheaper and more diverse food and drink options).

It follows that striking the appropriate balance between increased online learning opportunities for students with on‐campus engagement is a fitting challenge for the UQ Student Strategy.

The student appetite for flexible learning options

Flexibility is not just about online learning, and UQ students value a range of delivery options to enhance flexibility in their educational experiences.

In addition to online learning options, the Student Survey explored the response of students to other key Green Paper Strategies designed to deliver flexible learning:

Just over half of students (n=56%, n=3,402) are interested in intensive courses run over a short time period to accelerate learning

One‐third of students (32%, n=1,961) are interested in night classes held after 6.00 pm

Around one‐quarter (24%, n=1,441) would be likely to attend weekend classes

61% (n=3,580) would be likely to take a course where there was an opportunity for upfront tests for credit.

There are wide‐ranging strategies UQ can apply to better meet the needs of a diverse student cohort. A related challenge for the UQ Student Strategy, however, is how to balance the student

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appetite for flexible learning with the pragmatic reality of implementation. There is no one‐size‐fits‐all approach to flexible learning ‐ best practice pedagogies vary by discipline, and the availability of delivery modes is necessarily dependent upon staff capabilities and implementation support. Flexible learning emerges as an underpinning principle for the development of the UQ Student Strategy, with the specifics of implementation to be carefully managed.

The need for appropriate resourcing

There was broad stakeholder support for the direction of the UQ Student Strategy as outlined in the Green Paper, but this support is subject to appropriate resourcing of its implementation.

Resourcing the UQ Student Strategy was a concern of UQ staff predominantly, but it was consistently and strongly expressed, thereby warranting its inclusion as a top‐line message.

Appropriate resourcing is seen as critical to the success of any UQ Student Strategy, and this was variously expressed by staff across the consultation activities. Some of the Strategies in the Green Paper are geared towards building staff capacity and resources in order to achieve both efficiencies and improvements in teaching and learning; for example, Learning Analytics and investing in New Staff Capabilities. UQ Staff generally seem to appreciate this intent but also draw attention to the front‐end investment required to achieve the vision in the Green Paper and caution against undermining its efficacy through inadequate funding and implementation support.

Moreover, there is an inherent tension in UQ staff comments that advocate for central coordination and oversight of the UQ Student Strategy whilst ensuring faculties and institutes have the flexibility to undertake implementation in ways most appropriate to their disciplines and student cohorts. This is an overarching challenge for the UQ Student Strategy in both development and implementation.

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Who says what?

UQ Student Voice

UQ students see most of the proposed activities outlined in the Green Paper as adding value to the UQ student experience.

Overall, the Student Survey results indicate that UQ students are generally satisfied with their experiences at UQ but that as a respondent group, they may value a UQ Student Strategy that focuses on, among other things:

Learning experiences and support designed to directly enhance their employability and future career prospects

Course delivery options and on‐campus services that enhance their ability to participate in study

Assessment practices that will lead to improvement in the timeliness of assessment return and more detailed feedback.

The Student Survey was a significant consultation activity to engage UQ students. The survey results reflect a tendency for respondents to react favourably to proposed UQ Student Strategy inclusions if they were not required to differentiate value or trade‐off options, and this should be noted in interpreting the consultation outcomes.

SUMMARY OF STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS

Transferable skills and knowledge for the future are seen as highly important

Opportunities for industry‐based extension experiences are most valued, and access to these experiences could be better facilitated

Timetabling can restrict student capacity to participate in learning, work, and other activities

Mixed mode course delivery is an attractive option to enhance flexibility, and a year‐round calendar would be used in a range of ways, including expediting study

Research opportunities are valued by students and seen as accessible

The timeliness of assessment return and the level of detail in feedback are areas for potential improvement

Teachers with active research profiles are held in high regard

Students’ views on access to information are mixed

UQ students would like access to mentors

Student engagement with UQ campuses is largely learning‐focused, and transport to UQ campuses remains a priority issue for students

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UQ Staff Voice

UQ staff consistently communicate the importance of a UQ education that encourages students to apply their knowledge in preparation for future employment.

Some of the related education characteristics most frequently mentioned by UQ staff during the consultation on the Green Paper were:

WIL to provide important real‐world learning experiences

Interdisciplinary learning to better reflect the cross‐disciplinary nature of contemporary workplaces and industries

Teaching experience opportunities at UQ to skill students in teaching and other related capabilities.

UQ staff acknowledge the value in Best Practice Pedagogies, which are seen to include elements of Blended Learning and Flexible Learning, as well as enhanced Assessment and Feedback practices. Multi‐functional spaces that optimise the student learning experience are viewed as important by UQ organisational units, and UQ staff provide suggestions for enhancing the attractiveness of UQ campuses for students and community.

UQ staff broadly support the intent of the Green Paper and the subsequent development of the UQ Student Strategy, whilst also identifying potential challenges in implementation and the need for appropriate resourcing. Modifying the UQ staffing profile is seen as integral to the success of the UQ Student Strategy, and this includes building New Staff Capabilities to better meet the needs of contemporary students. Overall, UQ staff see value in central coordination of UQ Student Strategy implementation but caution against a one‐size‐fits‐all approach that overlooks the different needs of diverse UQ disciplines and student cohorts. This feedback was evident across all consultation activities, and it is clear that UQ staff would appreciate future opportunities to contribute to the UQ Student Strategy in its subsequent development phases.

UQ Community Voice

The UQ community voice predominantly reflects the feedback of a small group of UQ alumni, some of whom may also be industry stakeholders of the University.

During the consultation process, UQ alumni reflected on their transition to post‐study employment and they attributed value to Green Paper Strategies seen to enhance employability. This includes WIL Partnerships, Mentors and Networks, and Assessment Frameworks that reflect the requirements and expectations of the real world workforce. Some alumni respondents indicated their willingness to have greater involvement with UQ in order to better facilitate these opportunities for students.

The UQ community also acknowledges the importance of Staff Recognition and Staff‐Student Links for encouraging teaching excellence and building capacity for improvement.

UQ community stakeholders were less likely to prioritise Strategies relating to on‐campus services and spaces, and this may reflect the nature of their current engagement with the University.

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CHAPTER 3

Top‐line feedback on Challenges and Strategies

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Topline feedback on Challenges and Strategies

This section reflects the broad nature of stakeholder engagement with each of the Challenges and Strategies in the Green Paper.

The consultation process was diverse and discussions wide‐ranging so the results in this report are indicative only. It was not possible to weight the responses, and top‐line feedback on the Challenges and Strategies has been discerned from the key findings of each consultation activity.

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS

The Challenges and Strategies in the Green Paper are inherently positive in their intent and, as a result, few generated a negative response from UQ Students, UQ Staff or the UQ Community. Their feedback generally reflects degrees of support across a range of favourable options, as illustrated in this report using the icons below:

CHALLENGE 1: INNOVATIVE EDUCATION

STUDENT VOICE

STAFF VOICE COMMUNITY VOICE

UQ stakeholders see an innovative education that prepares students for an ever‐changing world as a primary driver for the development of the UQ Student Strategy. This Challenge was frequently prioritised across all stakeholder groups during consultation on the Green Paper.

Embedding workplace skills and supporting knowledge application are high priority outcomes for the UQ Student Strategy, reflected in the feedback of all stakeholder groups across the range of consultation activities.

For UQ Students, interacting with industry and employers is seen as universally important (92% of Student Survey respondents, n=6,188), as are opportunities for work experiences (90%, n=6,192). Opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills are also valued by many students (61%, n=4,084).

UQ Staff suggest that entrepreneurship skills are important but not sufficiently developed and that interdisciplinary learning offers an opportunity for innovation in UQ’s education practices.

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GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES

STUDENT VOICE


Reimagining UQ’s Graduate Attributes is not valued as a priority activity for the UQ Student Strategy, despite it being associated with a high priority Challenge.

However, all stakeholder groups expressed implicit value for the overall qualities, skills and abilities that should be achieved by graduates on completing a UQ education, which are formally expressed in UQ’s Graduate Attributes. These include qualities relating to employability and entrepreneurialism.

EXTENSION EXPERIENCES

STUDENT VOICE


The value of extension experiences in enhancing the UQ student experience is expressed by UQ Students and Staff, albeit in ways that sometimes vary from the definition as explained in the Green Paper.

This Green Paper Strategy refers to “expanding opportunities for extension experiences, including a suite of online and blended flagship courses and experiences”.

Blended flagship courses, as specified in the Green Paper, attracted negligible feedback from stakeholders during the consultation process.

Mixed‐mode course delivery (including modes such as recorded lectures, face‐to‐face delivery, and online content) is broadly attractive to UQ Students, and this is also consistent with the Blended Learning strategy of the Green Paper.

Over one‐third of Student Survey respondents (38%, n=2,319) indicated they would take advantage of a course that was wholly online.

WIL PARTNERSHIPS

STUDENT VOICE


Building industry and government partnerships for the purpose of offering WIL experiences across all programs is a priority focus activity for all UQ stakeholder groups.

UQ Students generally feel that a UQ education prepares them for the future but only 58% (n=3,861) agree with the statement or feel they are learning the skills and knowledge they need to help them adapt in a changing employment market.

While 90% of Student Survey respondents value work experiences (n=6,192) and 92% see interacting with industry and employers as important (n=6,188), only half of Student Survey respondents agree that UQ provides good opportunities in these areas.

UQ Community (Alumni) strongly support WIL Partnerships, providing justification based on their personal experiences transitioning into post‐study employment. In the Open Online Forum, building partnerships with industry and government was the Strategy most frequently

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cited by respondents. Respondents commonly mentioned students’ employability, future job prospects, and career opportunities as the driver of support for WIL Partnerships, with work experience believed to be integral to students’ success.

In Unit Submissions, UQ Staff present a shared view that WIL makes students more employable, bridges the gap between theory and practice, and supports student engagement; however, there is some concern that there are insufficient WIL placements available for UQ students specifically and for higher education students more broadly.

CHALLENGE 2: FLEXIBLE LEARNING

STUDENT VOICE

STAFF VOICE

COMMUNITY VOICE

For UQ stakeholders, flexible learning is highly valued but variously understood.

It is not limited to online learning, a year‐round calendar, or recognition of prior learning, and there is significant overlap with the Challenges for UQ in delivering Innovative Education and Best Practice Pedagogies. Flexible Learning as a Challenge, and its related Strategies, were most frequently mentioned by UQ Students and UQ Staff during the consultation process.

UQ Students broadly support the concept of Flexible Learning, which is understood as enhancing their ability to engage with tertiary education in ways that better meet their personal needs.

UQ Staff agree that flexible learning approaches are required, but see the requisite strategies as wide‐ranging; this includes approaches not currently addressed in the Green Paper. Overall, the consultation feedback suggests that UQ Staff accept the Challenge of Flexible Learning in principle but do not consider it appropriate to apply a uniform approach to the integration of flexible learning approaches across UQ programs.

YEAR‐ROUND CALENDAR

STUDENT VOICE

STAFF VOICE

COMMUNITY VOICE

UQ Students broadly agree that timetabling can restrict their capacity to participate in learning, work and other activities, and 52% of Student Survey respondents (n=3,237) sometimes skip classes because of other responsibilities.

Student Survey feedback suggests that a year‐round calendar, if introduced, would be used by students in a range of ways including expediting course completion or, conversely, spreading courses out.

UQ Staff provided mixed feedback on the Year‐Round Calendar Strategy. In Leadership interviews and meetings, the feedback shows that some UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) agree with a move to trimesters, while others suggest abandoning the semester system altogether and delivering course units and modules throughout the year.

Across all consultation activities, there were comments from UQ Staff that the Year‐Round Calendar, though well‐intentioned, may be difficult to implement. Some UQ units are strongly

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opposed to a year‐round calendar, considering the approach inappropriate for their discipline and burdensome for teaching staff.

When considered relative to other Green Paper Strategies, the Year‐Round Calendar is generally viewed as a low priority across stakeholder groups, and this was communicated in Roundtable Event discussions in particular.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)

STUDENT VOICE STAFF VOICE COMMUNITY VOICE

UQ Students are broadly interested in upfront tests for credit (61% of Student Survey respondents, n=3,580) and their interest is not influenced by whether they think they have relevant pre‐existing skills that could be recognised.

RPL was not a frequently mentioned strategy by UQ Staff during the Green Paper consultation process. UQ Staff (Senior Leadership), however, commented that strategies to increase program completion are important to UQ students, and the primary strategy in the Green Paper that aims to influence program acceleration is RPL.

Program acceleration is also sometimes cited by UQ Students as a driver in relation to other Green Paper Strategies such as the Year‐Round Calendar.

CHALLENGE 3: STUDENT CHANGE AGENTS

STUDENT VOICE


UQ stakeholder groups indicated limited engagement with the Challenge of positioning UQ students as change agents to improve the UQ student experience as presented in the Green Paper. This is despite the related Strategy – Staff‐Student Links – finding broad support.

This apparent contradiction may suggest that the original Challenge did not accurately capture the primary drivers for improving collaboration between UQ staff and students. The Green Paper consultation outcomes suggest that Staff‐Student Links are better conceptualised as relating to two key Challenges:

1. Innovative Education (enhancing student employability by gaining UQ work experience)

2. Staffing Profile (contributing to increased staff capacity for teaching innovation).

STAFF‐STUDENT LINKS

STUDENT VOICE


Nearly two‐thirds of Student Survey respondents (62%, n=3,753) indicated an interest in assisting staff to improve the quality of teaching at UQ.

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UQ Staff provided feedback that student involvement in teaching as tutors enhances UQ staffing capabilities by freeing up staff time and introducing new perspectives on learning, thereby contributing to the UQ student experience.

CHALLENGE 4: RESEARCH‐INTENSIVE EDUCATION

STUDENT VOICE


UQ Students and Community were most likely to prioritise the challenge of delivering a research‐intensive education.

In considering the importance of Research‐Intensive Education in the development of the UQ Student Strategy, respondents frequently mentioned ideas that overlap with the Green Paper Strategies of:

WIL Partnerships (research as a type of work experience, and engagement in research experiences that involve engagement with industry)

New Staff Capabilities (ensuring UQ teaching personnel have demonstrated credibility in research and the ability to communicate their research experience to students).

RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

STUDENT VOICE


Over two‐thirds of Student Survey respondents (69%, n=4,762) consider that having access to research projects is an important part of their overall UQ experience and degree training.

Approximately two‐thirds (65%, n=4,239) of all respondents and 72% (n=3,272) of those who think research opportunities are important, agree that they can access them at UQ.

By contrast, the overall view of UQ Community (Alumni) is that there are not sufficient collaborative research experiences at UQ and this is a priority area for improvement.

UQ Staff did not prioritise the Research Experiences Strategy in the context of the consultation activities, but this does not mean that it was not mentioned at all.

CHALLENGE 5: BEST PRACTICE PEDAGOGIES

STUDENT VOICE


Best practice pedagogies are often seen by UQ stakeholders as varying by discipline and student cohort, and a university‐wide commitment to this challenge is seen as inherently connected to rewarding teaching excellence with attention to the value of diversity in UQ’s teaching practices.

UQ stakeholders value high impact approaches characterised by active learning opportunities and flexibility in delivery mode (i.e. online components as a complement to face‐to‐face contact), as described in the Green Paper.

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Overall, however, UQ stakeholders warn against a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to best practice in teaching and learning across the University.

BLENDED LEARNING

STUDENT VOICE


The majority of UQ Students who responded to the Student Survey would appreciate courses designed as a mix of online lectures and interactive classes on campus (70%, n=4,278).

UQ Students also support multiple online modules that form a course, taken at their own pace (57%, n=3,457), intensive courses (56%, n=3,402), night classes (32%, n=1,961), and weekend classes (24%, n=1,441).

UQ Staff view blended learning as an essential characteristic of modern universities, noting that the value and nature of blended learning varies across disciplines and that broader implementation of this strategy requires an investment in New Staff Capabilities.

SIGNATURE LEARNING

STUDENT VOICE


UQ stakeholders consistently view Signature Learning as a lower order priority for UQ, relative to other Strategies in the Green Paper.

In particular, some UQ organisational units express concern that a signature learning approach will curb bespoke teaching practices and innovation in education.

CHALLENGE 6: ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK

STUDENT VOICE


Through the Green Paper consultation process, Assessment and Feedback emerged as a potential area of improvement for UQ.

In Unit Submissions, UQ Staff emphasised assessment as integral to student learning and engagement, noting that UQ has significant scope to improve its current assessment practices. Similarly, UQ Students identified opportunities for improvement in the timeliness and quality of assessment feedback.

ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS

STUDENT VOICE


UQ Students have mixed views on the clarity of assessment criteria and the approachability of teaching staff. Two‐thirds feel that teachers are clear on the criteria they use for

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assessment (66%, n=4,019), and 57% believe they are able to talk with teaching staff about feedback received (n=3,513).

UQ Students see areas of potential improvement in relation to the timeliness of assessment return and the level of detail in feedback. Just under half (47%) agree that they receive enough detail in their feedback, while only 38% agree assessments are returned quickly enough.

UQ Staff see opportunities to improve assessment through the use of enabling technologies but note that this strategy will require significant investment in both infrastructure and staff capability.

Program‐level assessment frameworks as suggested by the Green Paper are viewed with mixed feelings by UQ Staff, who see that their value varies across disciplines.

LEARNING ANALYTICS

STUDENT VOICE STAFF VOICE COMMUNITY VOICE

There was limited engagement with this Strategy from the student cohort across the broader consultation activities; however, 72% (n=4,376) of respondents to the Student Survey indicated they would like regular online information on how their learning is tracking with course objectives.

Learning Analytics was not a primary focus of feedback from the UQ Community.

UQ Staff engaged with this strategy but suggest that progressing the development of UQ’s learning analytics capacity is a lower order priority, relative to other opportunities.

CHALLENGE 7: STAFFING PROFILE

STUDENT VOICE


Enhancing UQ’s staffing profile is of upmost importance to UQ Staff; this challenge was frequently mentioned across all consultation activities in which staff were involved.

UQ Students provided indirect feedback on the importance of addressing UQ’s staffing profile through comments on the qualities most valued in their teachers, and UQ Community (Alumni) see recognition of teaching excellence as a priority focus area for the University.

STAFF RECOGNITION

STUDENT VOICE


UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) consider teaching excellence should be better rewarded and recognised at UQ, with some respondents identifying the inherent challenge of measuring quality in teaching across diverse disciplines.

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UQ Community (Alumni) view Staff Recognition as a priority focus area in development of the UQ Student Strategy because it will support UQ to attract and retain high quality teaching staff who can enhance the UQ student experience through their practice

NEW STAFF CAPABILITIES

STUDENT VOICE


UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) see building, balancing and better utilising staff capabilities as a key opportunity for UQ in enhancing the student experience.

In Unit Submissions, UQ Staff also suggest new roles and functions that may support innovation in teaching practices, such as educational designers, digital specialists, and additional administrative and technical support for teaching‐focused staff.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

STUDENT VOICE


In the Green Paper, staff professional development is positioned as a means to achieve “a transformative, team‐based, whole‐of‐program approach to enhancement”. In this context, professional development did not feature significantly in the feedback of UQ stakeholders.

The primary mention was by UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) who suggested UQ might enable a team‐based approach to teaching where teaching staff are supported by other staff, such as teaching assistants and specialist tutors.

Nonetheless, professional development for UQ staff – including for the purpose of building new staff capabilities and responding to the flexible learning needs of UQ students – was a recurring theme across the consultation activities.

In Unit Submissions, UQ Staff expressed the view that there is not currently enough training at UQ that supports staff to improve and update their teaching practices.

Staff professional development may be viewed as of inherent importance in enhancing the UQ student experience, but it is not a priority to deliver professional development activities geared towards achieving a team‐based approach to enhancement.

CHALLENGE 8: SUPPORTING STUDENTS

STUDENT VOICE


Overall, Supporting Students emerged as a high priority area for UQ stakeholders for the subsequent development of the UQ Student Strategy on the basis of the consultation outcomes.

Supporting students through a connected UQ community may be viewed as actively developing networks that encourage students, graduates and alumni “to keep coming back” (Roundtable Event discussion, 17 November 2015). To achieve this, some stakeholders suggest that a

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connected community needs to be built early, identifying the start of the student journey as the optimum time to establish connectedness.

The consultation feedback suggests students need to be better supported in their transition to higher education, with ongoing relationships facilitated through active learning in classes, qualified and inspiring UQ staff, and the direct involvement of UQ alumni.

In discussing this challenge, stakeholders often referred to issues more directly addressed under Flexible Learning and Sticky Campuses in particular.

INTEGRATED SERVICES

STUDENT VOICE

STAFF VOICE

COMMUNITY VOICE

UQ Students are most likely to value support services that are designed to improve their job prospects. Student Survey respondents indicated that they want advice on best courses to meet their career goals (90%, n=6,046), how to communicate skills with employers (89%, n=6,033), working out the job/career they want (86%, n=5,820) and how to apply for jobs (83%, n=5,567).

Awareness of UQ’s support service varies. In particular, where non‐academic support services are available, there is potential scope to increase awareness and uptake. More than 40% of student respondents are unaware that wellbeing programs, housing support and financial/budgeting advice are available.

63% of Student Survey respondents (n=3,763) find it easy to access the information they need to get through university and 61% (n=3,637) find it easy to access good advice about completing their degree, but over half consider they receive contradictory information (54%, n=3,199).

The strategy of Integrated Services as set out in the Green Paper is a lower order priority for UQ Community (Alumni), some of whom see there are sufficient student hubs available to support student engagement.

MENTORING & NETWORKS

STUDENT VOICE


Two‐thirds of UQ Students see value in having a UQ mentor who is a member of UQ staff (67%, n=4,559) or UQ alumni (67%, n=4,549), while around half would like a student mentor according to the Student Survey results. The appetite is greater still among international students with 74% (n=1,176) wanting access to a UQ staff mentor, 78% (n=1,241) a UQ alumni mentor, and two‐thirds (69%, n=1,089) a student mentor.

UQ Community (Alumni) provided positive feedback on their experiences of mentor programs at university, and involving UQ alumni as mentors was identified as a strategy to improve alumni engagement at the University.

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CHALLENGE 9: STICKY CAMPUSES

STUDENT VOICE


The concept of Sticky Campuses is broadly supported by UQ stakeholders, but not always prioritised.

Where Sticky Campuses are cultivated as part of the UQ Student Strategy, stakeholders suggest making them attractive to both current students and alumni and considering smart practice national and international examples.

MULTI‐FUNCTIONAL SPACES

STUDENT VOICE


Student engagement with UQ campuses is primarily learning‐focused and students seek spaces and services that will directly contribute to improving and sustaining their on‐campus study capacity.

Nearly three‐quarters of Student Survey respondents (72%, n=4,322) are interested in increased individual study spaces, and over half would increase the time spent on campus if there was an increase in high quality group study spaces (55%, n=3,265).

UQ Staff and UQ Community provided broad feedback on opportunities to improve UQ’s campuses and facilities with the goal of attracting students to spend time there and to contribute to their sense of belonging.

VIBRANT ECOSYSTEMS

STUDENT VOICE


The Vibrant Ecosystems strategy as currently framed attracted little attention from UQ stakeholders during the consultation process, although comments were made in relation to student support services that might be considered relevant to vibrant ecosystems more broadly.

TRANSPORT OPTIONS

STUDENT VOICE


Nearly two‐thirds of UQ Students (63%, n=3,711) would spend more time on campus if commuting was cheaper and easier.

Transport Options is a lower order priority for UQ Staff and Community, relative to other Green Paper Strategies.

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CHAPTERS 4‐8

Consultation activity results

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Student Survey results

KEY FINDINGS

UQ Students are broadly in agreement with the key strategies of the Green Paper, as explored through the Student Survey.

UQ Students are motivated to attend university by the view that their tertiary education will translate into improved future employment prospects. Industry‐based extension experiences and support services designed to improve job prospects are highly valued by UQ Students, yet only just over half (58%) agree they are learning the skills and knowledge they need to help them adapt in a changing employment market.

Flexibility is important to UQ Students, though there is a clear diversity of priorities and preferences in this area. Mixed‐mode course delivery (online and face‐to‐face) is the most attractive course design option for UQ Students when compared with other flexible delivery modes and offerings, and there is variation by faculty in relation to this element of Blended Learning.

Assessment criteria are clear and teaching staff generally approachable, yet there are potential areas of improvement in relation to timeliness of assessment return and the level of detail in assessment feedback.

UQ’s reputation for quality research and its ability to provide research experience are important to UQ Students. They value research as part of the UQ student experience and consider relevant opportunities to be available to them. Teachers with active research profiles are held in high regard.

Two‐thirds of UQ students would like to access mentors (UQ staff or alumni) to support their study. This is particularly important to international students.

Over 41% of UQ Students work 11 hours per week or more. Over half of UQ Students find it difficult to manage their studies with paid work, with many stating that timetable clashes are a driver for either skipping class or missing work. Although UQ Students were not asked to provide feedback on the frequency of skipping class, close to half of students who do not work still skip class.

Student engagement with UQ campuses is primarily learning‐focused, and transport to UQ campuses remains a priority issue for students. UQ Students would spend more time on campus if facilities and services better supported their studies (e.g. 24/7 access, food and drink options, more study spaces).

International students are generally satisfied with their UQ experience. They are more likely to choose UQ for its reputation in teaching and research and are more interested in experiences and opportunities that develop their research and entrepreneurial skills, relative to domestic students.

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This chapter sets out key findings from the Student Survey held as part of the consultation process on UQ’s Green Paper Towards…The UQ Student Strategy.

The online student survey was launched 9 November 2015 and concluded 4 December 2015. Of 39,160 UQ undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students, 7,005 students participated in the survey (overall response rate of 18%, AAPOR RR2):

The majority of respondents were undergraduates (79%, n=5,547)

Most respondents were full‐time students (78%, n=5,438)

Two‐thirds of Student Survey respondents were female (68%,n=4,753)

International students represented nearly one‐quarter of total student respondents (24%, n=1,660).

NOTE ON RESPONDENT NUMBERS AND REPORTED PERCENTAGES

A total of 7,005 UQ students participated in the Student Survey by completing the questionnaire in full or in part (response rate 18%, AAPOR RR2), with 5,937 students answering all 31 questions (overall response rate 15%, AAPOR RR1).

As a result, the number of responses per question varies across the Student Survey. To manage this, we have specified the numerator (i.e. the total number of students who responded to a question in a particular way) in addition to percentage values.

For some questions in the Student Survey, a response category of Not Applicable was included for the purpose of enumerating students for whom a particular student experience did not apply. In the survey analysis, this response category has generally been excluded so that the reported findings reflect only the responses of students to whom survey items were relevant.

The sample was representative of the UQ student population on almost all key demographic variables: age; faculty; year of commencement; program level; international student status; attendance type; campus; and admission type. Women were slightly overrepresented in the sample. There are, however, no substantive differences in findings between weighted and unweighted analyses, and therefore unweighted results are presented. A table providing full details of respondent demographics, sample and population characteristics is available at Appendix I (Student Survey data tables).

The Student Survey aimed to collect information from students to inform the development of the UQ Student Strategy. In particular, the survey collected information to gain an understanding into:

How students engage with the UQ community and the social aspects of being a student

How UQ can best help students prepare for life after graduation, particularly in relation to their employability

The extent to which students are juggling studies with external commitments and how UQ can best meet their needs through different modes of delivering teaching

Student perceptions around course options and assessment practices

How UQ can improve support services and encourage more students to come together on‐campus.

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The Student Survey was the most significant consultation activity targeted at capturing UQ student views on the challenges outlined within the Green Paper.

As part of the survey analysis, many questionnaire items were cross‐tabulated with variables for faculty, domestic/international student status, and undergraduate/postgraduate status. Statistical significance was assessed using Pearson chi‐squared tests of association. All student cohort differences described in the body of the report reflect statistically significant associations between the relevant questionnaire item and the student cohort variable, and Appendix I contains a subset of relevant cross‐tabulations.

This results chapter:

1. Explains reasons why students choose UQ (Choices)

2. Identifies some of the shared needs of contemporary UQ Students (Needs)

3. Provides feedback from UQ Students in relation to the Green Paper (Challenges)

Choices: Why do students choose to attend university, and why UQ specifically?

This section presents background context on the reasons students give for undertaking higher education and choosing UQ.

The Student Survey asked students their main reason for attending university, with a focus on employability (i.e. half of the ten response options focused on employment outcomes). Most students indeed selected reasons related to employment (79%, n=5,592), seeing that a UQ education would:

Lead to the career they want (29%, n=2,055)

Secure a professional occupation (21%, n=1,464)

Lead to a well‐paying job (12%, n=868)

Personal fulfilment is also of primary importance for some UQ students (14%, n=976). Overall, however, Student Survey respondents appear to focus on reasons that translate into future employment, and this may reflect the emphasis on employability in the survey question.

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Figure 1 Main reason for attending university – Student Survey results – total student sample

Students were then asked to select up to three reasons why they chose to attend UQ over other universities (Figure 2):

Over half of students believed UQ offers the better version of the degree they wanted to study (55%, n=3,830). This was the top response for both international and domestic students, although it was a more popular reason among domestic students (57% compared with 50% for internationals)

41% of students (n=2,843) thought a UQ degree would give them the best chance of getting a good job

35% chose to study at UQ because the University offered a degree with limited availability elsewhere (n=2,431)

Students also chose UQ because they felt the University had a good reputation for teaching (30%, n=2,059) or for research (23%, n=1,572).

Reasons to do with a sense of family loyalty, friends, or a desire to pursue extracurricular and social activities were selected, but relatively few students based their decision to attend UQ on these criteria.

UQ’s reputation was most important to international students, who were more likely than domestic students to choose UQ for its teaching reputation (38% compared with 27%), and research reputation (32% compared with 20%).

International students were also more likely to choose UQ for its facilities (26% compared with 21%) when compared with domestic students (Figure 3).

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Figure 2 Student feedback on main reasons for attending UQ – Student Survey results – total student sample

Figure 3 Student feedback on main reasons for attending UQ - Student Survey results - international and domestic students

Needs: What do students need from their degree program as they juggle studies with external commitments?

Previous research has shown that students increasingly come to university with commitments over and above studies, including family, work and social obligations. This is no different for UQ students and paid work is a significant external demand on their time, as reflected in the Student Survey results:

64% of respondents (n=4,368) engage in some form of paid employment in addition to their study (Figure 4)

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41% (n=2,771) work in paid jobs of 11 hours or more per week

64% (n=3,358) of full‐time students work less than 10 hours per week or not at all (Appendix I, Table 1.6)

Over half of part‐time students (57%, n=868) work 11 hours or more per week, and domestic students are more likely than international students to engage in paid work (73% compared with 36%) (see Appendix I, Table 1.6).

Figure 4 Average hours worked per semester by UQ Students – Student Survey results – total student sample

Over half of students (52%) reported finding it difficult to manage studies alongside paid work (n=2,630) and social commitments (n=3,498) (Figure 5), and 41% (n=2,628) said they find it difficult to balance studies with family responsibilities.

Figure 5 Student experiences of balancing study, work and other commitments – Student Survey results (Not Applicable excluded)

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Challenges: What are the top priority areas for enhancing the UQ student experience?

1. INNOVATIVE EDUCATION: An innovative education that prepares graduates for unpredictable futures (Green Paper Challenge 1)

The Student Survey asked questions aimed at determining the importance of WIL and student placements and the value of engaging with industry, from the perspective of UQ Students. These are strategies that align with Challenge 1 in the Green Paper.

Transferable skills and knowledge for the future are seen as important

Students were more likely to select reasons related to employment, when asked why they chose to attend university (see Figure 1). This is also reflected in the skills and knowledge UQ Students think are important for their future. UQ Students think it is important their UQ degree and experience provides them with:

Skills and knowledge that will prepare them for a good job when they graduate (96%, n=6,410)

Lifelong skills and knowledge to support them through their careers (96%, n=6,390)

Skills and knowledge to help them create positive change in their community (88%, n=5,884) (Figure 6).

Figure 6 Student views on importance of generalised skills and knowledge – Student Survey results – total student sample

UQ Students agree that, through their UQ student experience, they are learning the skills and knowledge they need to (Figure 7):

Prepare for a good job when they graduate (77%, n=5,079)

Effectively create positive change in their community (68%, n=4,524)

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Figure 7 Student views of skills and knowledge learned – Student Survey results – total student sample

However, 42% of UQ Students are either undecided or feel they are not learning the skills and knowledge they need to help them adapt in a changing employment market (n=2,756). This is the fundamental premise of Challenge 1 in the Green Paper and an area identified by UQ students as needing improvement (Figure 7).

The students who feel they are not learning the skills and knowledge to help them adapt in a changing job market are (Appendix I, Table 2.2b):

More likely to say this if they are undergraduate (45% compared to 28% of postgraduates)

More likely to say this if they are domestic students (45% compared to 30% of international students)

Slightly more likely to say this if from HASS, Science or M+BS (44‐47%, compared with 35% in BEL and 40% in EAIT).

A total of 387 student respondents did not provide feedback on their views of job preparedness (number of missing cases).

Opportunities for industry‐based extension experiences are most valued

One strategy proposed in the Green Paper involves expanding opportunities for extension experiences for UQ Students.

Student respondents provided feedback on the extension experiences they most value (Figure 8):

Interacting with industry and employers is seen as almost universally important (92%, n=6,188), as are opportunities for work experience (90%, n=6,192)

Opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills (e.g. create a business or enterprise) are also important to 59% of undergraduate students and 69% of postgraduate students (see Appendix I, Table 2.3b). Although they are seen as most important to BEL students, between 47‐78% of students across all faculties consider it important UQ provide opportunities in this area. International students are also more likely than domestic students to see this as important (77% compared with 56%)

Undergraduates consider work experiences to be more important than postgraduate students (93% compared with 81%) (see Appendix I, Table 2.3b)

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Undergraduates are marginally more likely to consider interacting with industry and employers as important when compared with postgraduates (93% compared with 89%) (see Appendix I, Table 2.3b).

Figure 8 Student views on the importance of extension experiences – Student Survey results – total student sample

Further to these results:

Domestic students are slightly more inclined to think UQ does not provide good opportunities for interacting with industry and employers, when compared with international students (46% compared with 40%) (see Appendix I, Table 2.4b)

Postgraduate students are slightly more likely to think UQ does not provide good opportunities for work experience (51% compared with 47%), as are domestic students when compared with international students (49% as compared with 44%) (see Appendix I, Table 2.4b)

Between 45‐54% of students in all faculties except HABS think UQ does not provide good opportunities for work experience; HABS students are least likely to say this (38%) (see Appendix I, Table 2.4b)

M+BS students were least likely to see work experience opportunities as important (83%), compared with 88‐93% across all other faculties (see Appendix I, Table 2.3b).

Access to valued extension experiences could be improved

Students generally agree that they have access to experiences and opportunities that supplement and enrich their formal learning. For the most valued extension experiences, however, a significant number of students do not consider good opportunities to be available (Figure 9).

While 90% or more value work experiences and interactions with industry, only half of Student Survey respondents agree that UQ provides good opportunities to:

Interact with industry and employers (55%, n=3,602)

Access work experiences (52%, n=3,403).

The Student Survey also explored the issue of access to extension experiences for those students most interested in particular opportunities. Employment‐focused experiences again emerge as potential priority area for improvement:

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Of those students who see interaction with industry and employers as important, 57% (n=3,452) consider UQ provides good opportunities in this area (See Appendix I, Table 2.5a)

Of those students who value work experiences, 54% (n=3,192) see that UQ provides this opportunity to students (see Appendix I, Table 2.5d).

By contrast, the majority of students who consider overseas and volunteer experiences to be important, also agree that UQ offers good opportunities to:

Study overseas (82%, n=3,432) (see Appendix I, Table 2.5b)

Volunteer (67%, n=2,795) (see Appendix I, Table 2.5c).

Figure 9 Student views on accessibility of extension experiences – Student Survey results – total student sample

Students value support services designed to improve job prospects

A second strategy proposed in the Green Paper expands capacity for career, academic and learning advisors.

UQ Students consistently view experiences, advice and assistance related to employment as important (Figure 10). The majority of students want advice on:

Best courses/degree to meet career goals (90%, n=6,046)

How to communicate skills/experiences gained at university with employers (89%, n=6,033)

Working out the job/career that they want (86%, n=5,820)

How to apply for jobs (83%, n=5,567).

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Figure 10 Student views on importance of employment related support services – Student Survey results – total student sample

Provision of support services related to employment could be improved

While UQ Students value employment related support services, only half agree that UQ does well in providing these services (Figure 11):

Less than half of students agree there are good opportunities to easily obtain advice on applying for jobs (48%, n=3,145) or communicating with potential employers about how the skills and experiences they have gained at university meet their selection criteria (47%, n=3,084)

57% agree they can easily obtain advice on how to choose the best course or degree to meet their career goals (n=3,740)

54% agree they can easily obtain advice on what sort of career they want (n=3,531).

Figure 11 Student views on provision of employment related support services – Student Survey results – total student samples

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The Student Voice: Enhance student experience through opportunity

The open comments provided by student respondents confirm their interest in extension experiences that primarily relate to enhancing their employment prospects, including:

Work experience

“Providing more opportunities for work experience would be extremely beneficial if students are looking to secure a job after graduation”

“Definitely more opportunities for work experience. Development [of] internships and industry interaction and the opportunity for scholarships in completing these”

Practical course components

“Equipping us with skills that are able to prepare us for the changing dynamic of the workforce. Teaching us skills that will help us adapt our knowledge to the challenges we face in our chosen career path. Giving us experiences outside of the classroom setting, so that we not only have a strong grasp on the theoretical side of the degree, but also the practical side of it”

Networking

“Events with potential employers that would allow networking opportunities”

“I think there needs to be more opportunities for industry networking. I was lucky to have [a] society that held an industry night”

“More career expos or if there are already career expos more advertising of said events”

“More networking opportunities and mentorship with other faculty and students”

2. DIVERSE STUDENTS: A diverse student population with new priorities and expectations (Green Paper Challenge 2)

The Student Survey asked questions to explore the extent to which UQ Students value flexibility and scalability in their educational experiences as ways to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the student cohort. Specific strategies posed in the Green Paper include a year‐round academic calendar and recognition of prior learning, and these were evaluated by Student Survey respondents.

Preferred degree characteristics vary

Overall, the majority of students (81%, n=5,134) understand how their courses combine and cover degree requirements. However, there is a divergence of views regarding the most important structural characteristics of a degree:

11% (n=673) want a wider range of elective courses to choose from outside their major (Figure 12)

29% (n=1,820) want a wider range of course options within their major (Figure 12), and this is a particularly high priority for students from HASS (39%), Science (33%), BEL (27%) and EAIT (27%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.2)

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By contrast, 21% of students (n=1,331) see value in a smaller range of courses designed to cover the main things they need to learn. Students in HABS are most likely to value this approach (30%) whereas it received relatively little recognition from HASS students (16%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.2)

Around one‐quarter of students (26%, n=1,668) value classes that are highly interactive and activity‐based. Students from EAIT (30%), HABS (31%) and M+BS (29%) were most likely to value this degree characteristic, as were domestic students (28%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.2)

Only 13% of student respondents thought that smaller class sizes were most important as a feature of their degree study (n=829).

Figure 12 Degree characteristics most important to students – Student Survey results – total student sample

Timetabling can restrict student capacity to participate in learning, work and other activities

Many students encounter challenges in attending classes and building timetables that fit with their personal and professional lives. Between 36% ‐ 52% of students skip class due to timetable clashes (Figure 13):

52% (n=3,237) sometimes skip classes because of other responsibilities (i.e. family, sporting, cultural clashes)

44% (n=2,732) sometimes miss out on paid work because of clashes with their timetable

42% (n=2,644) enroll in courses that are not their first choice so they can have a timetable that works for them

36% (n=2,284) skip classes because their timetable clashes with paid work specifically.

The greater the hours worked by students, the more likely they are to skip class in general – for work, family, or other reasons (see Appendix I, Table 3.3). However, just under half of respondents who do not work at all are also likely to skip class (46%, n=1,032).

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Figure 13 Student experiences with courses and building timetables – Student survey results – total student sample

Mixed mode course delivery is an attractive option to enhance flexibility

The Student Survey posed a number of options that could be introduced to enhance flexibility in course delivery and attainment, and respondents were asked whether they would take advantage of them (Figure 14):

Mixed mode delivery: 70% (n=4,278) thought they would take advantage of courses designed as a mix of online lectures and interactive classes on campus. 38% (n=2,319) said they would take advantage of a course that was wholly online, and students who are most likely to take 100% online courses are more likely to be domestic students (40%) than international (30%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.4b)

Self‐paced learning: 57% (n=3,457) value the concept of online learning modules that can be completed at their own pace. There are no notable differences by faculty, international/domestic status or undergraduate/postgraduate status for students that would likely take online learning modules

Intensive courses: Just over half of students (56%, n=3,402) are interested in intensive courses run over a short period of time to accelerate learning. Students who would likely take an intensive course are less likely to be undergraduate than postgraduate (55% compared with 63%) and more likely to be a domestic student than an international student (58% compared with 52%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.4b)

Night classes: One‐third of students (32%, n=1,961) are interested in courses held after 6.00 pm. Students who are interested in taking night classes are less likely to be undergraduate than postgraduate (29% compared with 44%), more likely to be a domestic student (33% compared with 27%), and more likely to be from BEL, HASS or M+BS (all 36%) than other faculties (28%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.4b)

Weekend classes: Around one‐quarter (24%, n=1,441) would be likely to attend weekend classes. Students who are most interested in taking courses on the weekend are more likely to be postgraduate than undergraduate (37% compared with 20%), and more likely

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to want this if they are in BEL (32%) as compared with other faculties (19‐26%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.4b)

Upfront tests for credit: 61% (n=3,580) indicated they would be likely to take a course where there was an opportunity to receive upfront tests for credit. Students are interested in courses with upfront tests for credit, regardless of whether they consider they have relevant existing skills and knowledge. 64% of students who said they had relevant prior experience (n=655) would be likely to take a course where they could test upfront for credit (see Appendix I, Table 3.6) compared with 59% of students with no prior experience (n=1,405) and 61% of those who were unsure as to whether they had relevant prior experience (n=1,511). Students that would likely take courses with the opportunity to test upfront for credit are less likely to be a domestic student (59%) than an international student (66%), and least likely to say this if from HASS (56%) compared to other faculties (60‐64%) (see Appendix I, Table 3.4b)

Recognition of prior learning: 17% (n=1,071) of students considered they had valid skills, experience or certification for recognition, 41% (n=2,529) felt they did not, and a further 42% (n=2,625) were unsure (see Appendix I, Table 3.5).

Figure 14 Likelihood of students taking advantage of flexible course options – Student Survey results – total student sample

A year‐round calendar would be used in a range of ways, including expediting study

An alternative for creating flexibility in course options is to add an additional course term through the summer, creating a trimester system at UQ. The Student Survey asked respondents how they would use an additional semester if it was included in the course calendar (Figure 15).

If a year‐round calendar was introduced, the increased flexibility in timetabling would be variously used by students to moderate the pace of their study, but also the availability of their leisure time.

Nearly one‐third of students would use the additional period to take more courses (29%, n=1,801)

Nearly half of students working 11 hours or more per work would be most interested in accelerating their studies in a year‐round calendar (47%, n=850) (see Appendix I, Table 3.7)

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The students who reported that they could accommodate more courses if a trimester system was adopted are slightly less likely to be an undergraduate than a postgraduate (28% compared to 32%) and more likely to be a domestic student than an international student (30% compared to 23%). They are also more likely to be from M+BS (35%), BEL (30%), HASS (31%), HABS (30%) and least likely to be from Science (25%)

Students are split on how they would use an additional semester. While students from BEL (30%, n=367), HASS (31%, n=414), and M+BS (35%, n=154) were most likely to state that they would accelerate their programs, there were almost as many students from these faculties saying they would not change how they took courses through the year (Figure 16)

Students from other faculties (Science, EAIT, and HABS) were happiest to keep their course calendars the same.

Figure 15 Student views on how they would use an additional semester – Student Survey results – total student sample

Figure 16 Student views on how they would use an additional semester – Student Survey results – comparison by faculty

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The Student Voice: Flexible learning options are important in meeting student needs

The open comments provided by student respondents confirm the value of flexible learning options:

Some students are open to a year‐round calendar in order to increase options

“The flexibility would be great. It would allow difficult years to potentially be spread with a lighter load or the opportunity for students to take breaks at better times in the year – e.g. semester 2 off if they want a working holiday in Europe”

“The flexibility would be incredible providing it doesn't infringe upon course offerings, class sizes, teaching levels, research opportunities, etc.”

Students want compulsory recording of lectures and online course options

“If there's one thing I'd like to see introduced, it is compulsory lecture recordings. I see it...as a safety net which is there if you need it”

“Currently I have found the Echo360 lecture recording system to be quite good in terms of providing me with flexibility. I feel like the implementation of more online modules being added to the course would be greatly beneficial. Having this as well as also having the face to face time with education professionals would give us more flexibility."

“As much online access to course materials, communication with lecturers and tutors, lectures. tutorial notes, etc... as possible”

3. STUDENT CHANGE AGENTS: Students as change agents (Green Paper Challenge 3)

The Student Survey explored whether students were interested in actively engaging with the University and its staff to improve teaching practices.

Students want to support teaching improvement in‐principle

UQ is trying to find better ways to involve students in creating change within the University, and survey respondents were asked whether they would be interested in the opportunity to actively work with staff to improve the quality of teaching at UQ. The nature of this assistance was not specified.

Overall, 62% of respondents (n=3,753) are interested in being change agents in this area (Figure 17). This was consistent across faculties, the level of student engagement in activities at UQ, and the level of student commitment outside of their studies (see Appendix I, Table 4.1). A total of 911 students did not provide comment on whether they would like to assist staff in improving the quality of teaching (number of missing cases).

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Figure 17 Student views on whether they would like to assist staff in improving the quality of teaching – Student Survey results – total student sample

4. RESEARCH‐INTENSIVE EDUCATION: Provide research‐intensive education that speaks to students and employers (Green Paper Challenge 4)

UQ is considering how to “extend students’ access to collaborative research experiences that provide quality interaction with UQ’s research and research partners”. The Student Survey invited respondents to comment on the importance of research opportunities and the extent to which good opportunities were currently available as a means to gauge whether collaborative research experiences would be valued by UQ Students, moving forward.

Research opportunities are valued and accessible but improvements can be made

When students were asked for the top three reasons why they chose UQ for their university education, 23% of respondents (n=1,572) stated it was because UQ has a good research reputation (Figure 2). Moreover:

65% of students (n=4,215) consider an active research profile to be the most important and desirable characteristic of their teachers at UQ (Figure 21)

About two‐thirds (69%, n=4,762) consider that having access to research projects is an important part of their overall UQ experience and degree training (Figure 18)

Students in Science (82%), EAIT (71%) and M+BS (75%) were more likely than students from other faculties to think research projects were important, and this difference was statistically significant (see Appendix I, Table 5.1)

International students were also more likely to think that research projects were important (77% compared with 67% domestic students), as were postgraduate students (72% compared with 69% undergraduate students) (see Appendix I, Table 5.1)

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Approximately two thirds of all respondents (65%, n=4,239) and 72% (n=3,272) of those who think research opportunities are important, agree that they can access them at UQ (see Appendix I, Tables 5.2 & 5.3). While these results suggest that the university is providing accessible research opportunities to the majority of students, there is room for improvement. For those students who want to work on a research project, some feel that UQ does not provide good opportunities for this (9%, n=384) or are unsure about these opportunities (19% neither agreed nor disagreed, n=876) (see Appendix I, Table 5.3).

Figure 18 Importance of research project to students – Student Survey results – total student sample

Figure 19 Student views on whether research projects are accessible – Student Survey results – total student sample

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5. ASSESSSMENT: Effective assessment and feedback for enhanced learning outcomes (Green Paper Challenge 6)

E‐assessment and improved learning analytics are potential strategies to enhance assessment practices at UQ, and the Student Survey provided opportunities for students to contribute feedback on their perceptions of assessment practices and the opportunities for improvement.

Student views on assessment are mixed

Students at UQ generally see assessment and feedback from teaching staff in a mixed light (Figure 20). Students feel that teaching staff are good at setting tasks and clarifying criteria, but could be better at giving feedback.

Over 80% of students agree that assessment tasks help them understand what they have learned (82%, n=5,022), and two‐thirds feel that teachers are clear on the criteria they use for assessment (66%, n=4,019). These figures were consistent across all faculties, and between full‐time and part‐time students (see Appendix I, Table 6.2). A total of 870 students did not provide feedback on their perceptions of course assessment and feedback (number of missing cases).

There was, however, some minor variation across student groups with respect to their view on the clarity of criteria set by UQ teaching staff for assessment:

Postgraduate students (78%) were more likely to agree that their teachers had clearly explained the assessment criteria than undergraduate students (62%) (see Appendix I, Table 6.3)

International students (74%) were more likely to agree that their teachers had clearly explained the assessment criteria than domestic students (63%).

Students were less in agreement that after receiving feedback, they are able to talk with teaching staff about it (57%, n=3,513):

International students (14%) were less likely to disagree with this statement than domestic students (24%) (see Appendix I, Table 6.4)

Students from EAIT (24%) and M+BS (40%) were more likely to disagree that they have opportunities to talk to teachers about their written feedback (see Appendix I, Table 6.4).

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Figure 20 Student perceptions of course assessment and feedback – Student Survey results – total student sample

Timeliness of assessment return and level of detail in feedback are areas for improvement

Just over half of UQ Students (53%, n=3,275) did not agree or were unsure that they were receiving enough detailed feedback in their assessments (Figure 20), while 62% (n=3,794) did not agree or were unsure that assessments were being returned quickly, with 35% indicating dissatisfaction (n=2,135).

In particular:

Domestic students were more likely to disagree that assessments were being returned quickly (37%) when compared with international students (28%) (see Appendix I, Table 6.6)

Postgraduates (49%) were more likely to agree that assessments were being returned quickly, when compared with undergraduates (36%) (see Appendix I, Table 6.6)

Students from EAIT (35%), M+BS (41%), Science (39%) and HABS (37%) were more likely to disagree that they received marked assessment quickly (see Appendix I, Table 6.6).

While UQ Students do not see Learning Analytics as a priority compared to other elements of the UQ Student Strategy, the majority of UQ Students would like to receive regular, online information on how their learning is tracking with course objectives (72%, n=4,376) (Figure 20).

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6. NEW STAFFING CAPABILITIES: New staffing capabilities for new learning expectations and environments (Green Paper Challenge 7)

Nearly one‐third of UQ Students (30%, n=2,059) choose UQ, in part, because they believe the University has a good reputation for teaching (Figure 2). The Student Survey asked students to further explain the qualities they value so that the University might think about how to build staffing capabilities that enhance the UQ student experience.

Teachers with active research profiles are held in high regard

Students were asked to rank the relative importance of teaching staff:

Having teaching training

Being active researchers in their area

Having relevant industry or professional experience.

Around two‐thirds of students (65%, n=4,215) rate an active research profile as the most important quality in their teaching staff (Figure 21).

An active research profile was consistently prioritised across study areas, from 72% in HABS and M+BS to 58% in the Sciences (see Appendix I, Table 7.3).

Approximately one‐fifth of students (22%, n=1,382) rank teaching training as the most important characteristic of their teaching staff. International students (27%) were more likely to rate this as most important than were domestic students (20%) (see Appendix I, Table 7.2).

Only 13% of students (n=831) rated relevant industry and professional experience as most important.

Figure 21 Student perceptions of the desirable qualities in UQ teaching staff – Student Survey results – total student sample

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7. SUPPORTING STUDENTS: Supporting students through a connected community (Green Paper Challenge 8)

UQ aims to improve its student support services, seeking new ways to establish and provide access to UQ staff, alumni and employers as a network of collaborative communities who can best assist students in their student experience and subsequent transition to the workforce. The Student Survey provided some feedback on UQ’s current support services, as perceived by UQ Students.

Students views on access to information are mixed

Sixty‐one percent of UQ Students (n=3,637) agree that it is easy to find information about completing their degree programs (Figure 22), however more than half of students feel that they receive contradictory information (54%, n=3,199):

Undergraduates are more likely to feel this way (57%, n=2,680) than postgraduate students (43%, n=519) (see Appendix I, Table 8.2)

Domestic students are more likely to feel this way (55%, n=2,566) than international students (49%, n=633) (see Appendix I, Table 8.2).

Figure 22 Student views on the accessibility of degree information – Student Survey results – total student sample

There is scope to increase awareness and uptake of some non‐academic support services

UQ currently offers a wide range of non‐career related support services. These range from academic learning and English language support, to personal counselling, and childcare. Students are aware of most support services, but uptake is mixed (Figure 23).

For English language support services specifically, general uptake is low across UQ Students (6%, n=365); this may be because most students do not need these services. Uptake increases for international students. Nearly one‐quarter of international student respondents use English language support services (23%, n=306) (see Appendix I, Table 8.7). It must also be noted that the Student Survey does not address the uptake of English language support through the Institute of Continuing & TESOL Education specifically.

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Medical and health services, academic learning support, and personal counselling remain high priority student support services (Figure 24). For those services for which there is lower student awareness (i.e. wellbeing, housing and financial and budgeting support), a substantial minority of student respondents consider they will use these in the future. The greatest discrepancy between current use and reported future use is in the area of English language support services (current use: 6%; future use: 25%).

Students currently accessing services will continue to use them

Regardless of service, students who currently use student support services are likely to continue to use those services (see Appendix I, Table 8.6). Students who either indicated that they were not aware of available support services or were aware but did not use them indicated that in the future they would likely use:

Academic learning support (60%, n=2,886)

One‐to‐one counselling (43%, n=2,191)

Preventive programs to improve wellbeing (53%, n=2,897)

Financial services (40%, n=2,275).

Figure 23 Student awareness of available UQ student support services – Student Survey results – total student sample

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Figure 24 Likelihood of students using UQ student support services, if they need support in the future – Student Survey results – total student sample

UQ students would like access to mentors

Students were invited to comment on the importance of having access to a mentor during their study, consistent with the Mentors & Peers strategy in the Green Paper (Figure 25):

Two‐thirds of students would like access to a mentor from UQ staff (67%, n=4,559) or UQ alumni (67%, n=4,549)

Half of students would like to obtain a student mentor (51%, n=3,487)

Three‐quarters of international student respondents would like access to a UQ staff mentor (74%, n=1,176) or a UQ alumni mentor (78%, n=1,241), and two‐thirds would like a student mentor (69%, n=1,089) (see Appendix I, Table 8.8)

Students who are already involved in UQ activities, have many friends, and feel part of the UQ community are more likely to see mentors as important (see Appendix I, Table 8.8).

Figure 25 Student views on the value of mentoring – Student Survey results – total student sample

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8. STICKY CAMPUSES: ‘Sticky’ campuses with landscapes for learning (Green Paper Challenge 9)

The Student Survey asked students to select all of the reasons that described their visits to UQ, with the information intended to inform how the University might enhance its campuses for improved student engagement.

Student engagement in UQ life can be improved

Although many students feel engaged in life at UQ (Figure 26), there is room for improvement:

57% of respondents (n=3,864) stated they felt part of the UQ community

69% (n=4,678) said that they had made many friends at UQ, and there is no notable difference between international and domestic students in this regard

Student engagement does not appear to be tied with participation in UQ‐based social activities with only 36% of students (n=2,433) actively participating in social activities.

Figure 26 Student engagement in UQ student life – Student Survey results – total student sample

Student engagement with UQ campuses is primarily learning focused

Students come to campus mostly for study related activities (Figure 27), and it follows that they are interested in expanded services and facilities to support campus study (Figure 28), namely:

More individual study spaces of higher quality (72%, n=4,322)

More group study spaces of higher quality (55%, n=3,265)

Cheaper food options (67%, n=4,005)

More diverse food options (46%, n=2,727)

Charging stations for portable devices (44%, n=2,620)

24 hour access to facilities (54%, n=3,252)

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Improved night security (35%, n=2,081), particularly for females ‐ 42% of female student respondents indicated this would increase their time on campus, as compared to 19% of male students (see Appendix I, Table 9.7).

When asked about socialising and participating in clubs at UQ:

International students were more likely to value opportunities to play sports (61%, n=979) or participate in clubs and societies (65%, n=1,034) (Appendix I, Table 9.4)

Students who find balancing studies with work and family commitments difficult are most likely to see sports, clubs and societies as unimportant (Appendix I, Table 9.4).

Figure 27 Student views on reasons to attend campus – Student Survey results – total student sample

Figure 28 Student views on factors that would increase time on campus – Student Survey results – total student sample

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Figure 29 Student views on the importance of club, society and sporting opportunities – Student Survey results – total student sample

Transport to UQ campuses remains a priority issue for students

Nearly two‐thirds of UQ Students (63%, n=3,711) would spend more time on campus if commuting was cheaper and easier (Figure 30), and this was further supported by findings in Figure 28.

Services to alleviate commuting issues are seen as important by up to half of UQ Students and would likely increase their time on campus, including:

More car parking (50%, n=2,969)

Regular, convenient public transport (49%, n=2,957)

Facilities to store belongings (43%, n=2,593)

Facilities to shower and change (24%, n=1,461).

Figure 30 Students perceptions of commuting to UQ – Student Survey results (Not Applicable excluded)

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The Student Voice: Sticky campuses support study

In open comments, UQ Students indicated that they want more space for study, facilities to help with commuting, and 24/7 access to UQ facilities including food options:

“More spaces in library. I love going to uni, but the thought of no computer to use, no comfortable empty slots stops me all the time. I live a bit far from uni to go to uni. I have to pack a bag full of stuff to go (food, laptop, textbook, etc) and it is very heavy. Carrying the bag there and always need spend time to find empty slots/computers in library is really, really annoying. Thus I stop going to lib[rary] to study and stay at home. More plug/power supply. Nowadays people use all kinds of technology. 80% people need to charge their phone/laptop/etc in campus if we stay for long. The places which [have] power plugs are always full of students and it is inconvenient”

“Places/things to eat at night! i.e HEALTHY options in vending machines! Nuts, date bars, etc…More study desks! It's a nightmare trying to find a spot these days. Affordable lockers”

“24 hour cafes...Maybe operate 24h during exam season and keep them at regular operating hours at other times. Otherwise we have no food and hot drinks if we're hungry at night”

“24/7 labs and libraries...It helps us a lot since the computers are more responsive as compared to our laptops. Safety bus is a great initiative by UQ. Bravo!”

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Leadership Meeting results

KEY FINDINGS

Embedding workplace skills and supporting knowledge application are viewed by UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) as priority areas for attention in the UQ Student Strategy.

Entrepreneurship is an important quality for UQ students if they are to meet the needs of an ever‐changing world, yet Senior Leadership view this as an area as yet under‐explored at the University.

Enhancing the UQ staffing profile is viewed as a key challenge to be addressed in the UQ Student Strategy. Senior Leadership see that students will directly benefit if the University invests in building, balancing, and better utilising the capabilities of its staff, particularly with respect to teaching practice.

Student involvement in teaching is a suggested option to deliver extension experiences for students as well as free up staff time for innovation.

Teaching excellence should be better rewarded and recognised at UQ, according to UQ Staff (Senior Leadership).

Senior leaders perceive strategies to expedite program completion as important to students. They see that a year‐round calendar may have some value in this regard, but there would likely be too many barriers to implementation such as resourcing and staffing capacity.

Interdisciplinary learning is viewed as an opportunity for innovation in UQ teaching.

There is some variation in the value attributed to the challenges in the Green Paper based on the organisation unit affiliation of respondents, with Senior Leadership from faculties more likely to prioritise Flexible Learning, and Senior Leadership from institutes more likely to value Research‐Intensive Education and Staffing Profile.

Flexible Learning is broadly accepted by Senior Leadership from UQ faculties in particular, with strategies to achieve this viewed as necessarily wide‐ranging to meet the diverse needs of students and different disciplines. Schools caution against a uniform approach to addressing the Challenge of Flexible Learning.

This chapter sets out the key findings from 20 interviews and meetings that took place in October and November 2015 with leaders of UQ’s faculties and institutes. The findings reflect the voice of UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) on the Green Paper.

Data was obtained from interviews with the following respondents:

UQ faculties

Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic), BEL Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic), EAIT Dean, Deputy Dean and Director, Graduate School

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Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic), HABS Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic), HASS Executive Dean and Associate Dean (Academic), M+BS Executive Dean and Associate Dean, Science.

UQ institutes

Director, AIBN Acting Director, Diamantina Institute Director and Deputy Director, Global Change Institute Director, IMB Director, QBI Director, SMI

It also includes the outcomes of consultation discussions held at the following seven meetings:

Academic Board BEL Board HABS Teaching and Learning Committee HASS Faculty Board Law School Staff Strategy Day Student Experience Committee University Teaching and Learning Committee

Interviews with UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) were broadly guided by questions aimed at determining and understanding the priority challenges as presented in the Green Paper and identifying related implementation and resourcing strategies.

Senior Leadership also provided general feedback on the Green Paper.

This chapter:

1. Identifies the challenges most commonly identified by UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) in interview discussions (Challenges)

2. Considers why they have been selected and how UQ might address them moving forward (Context and Solutions)

3. Summarises the general feedback of UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) on the Green Paper, excluding process issues (Future Vision).

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Challenges: What are the priority areas for enhancing the UQ student experience, from the perspective of UQ Staff (Senior Leadership)?

During consultation interviews, UQ leaders were asked to nominate the challenges they consider to be key to the UQ Student Strategy from the nine outlined in the Green Paper. To facilitate comparability with results from the other consultation activities, the three most commonly identified challenges prioritised by respondents are discussed in this chapter.

The chart below shows the total numbers of nominations for each challenge selected as priority challenges across the 13 interviews with respondents.

Figure 31 Priority challenges for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) – total nominations

The three challenges that received the most attention across the interviews as a whole were:

1. Flexible Learning (8 nominations, 21%)

2. Innovative Education (7 nominations, 18%)

3. Staffing Profile (6 nominations, 16%)

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There is some variation within the respondent group, based on faculty/institute affiliation

There are some differences between faculty and institute preferences, as demonstrated in the figure below. It is noted, however, that the total number of Senior Leadership is small, and differentiation within the group should be treated with caution.

Figure 32 Priority challenges for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) – total nominations by institutes and faculties

Faculties prioritised Flexible Learning (7 nominations) and Innovative Education (5 nominations). These are closely related challenges and their focus on learning and education methods are in keeping with the expected objectives of UQ faculties and schools. Conversely, UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) affiliated with UQ institutes conveyed less support for these challenges during stakeholder interviews.

In terms of Flexible Learning, Senior Leadership from UQ faculties focused on their knowledge of students’ changing needs and individual circumstances; they consider this requires an organisational response from UQ in order to provide a range of course times and learning delivery options.

WIL Partnerships is viewed as integral to the challenge of Innovative Education. One member of the senior leadership group from a UQ faculty said that students are excited by employability, not research, and this is in contrast to the overall views of UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) in institutes where research is highly valued.

Senior leaders from institutes nominated Research‐Intensive Education and Staffing Profile as top priority challenges. This is broadly consistent with the primary focus on research in UQ institutes. These senior leaders see crossover with the challenge of delivering a Research‐Intensive Education and seeking to build industry partnership for WIL, particularly in view of the nature of the professions to which their students aspire. Some institutes offer research scholarships and other research opportunities, while others simply note that early exposure to the research environment is important.

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Institutes appear to be more attentive to Staffing Profile than UQ faculties because they have had to make special efforts to ensure their research personnel are also engaged in teaching, including writing teaching time into employment contracts, supporting Teaching and Learning Coordinator roles, and facilitating opportunities for their RHD students to teach and tutor. Senior Leadership from institutes stress that faculty buy‐in is essential to ensure institute personnel are able to teach into UQ courses.

Some institutes also feel that they have world‐class researchers with practical, real‐life and industry experience that are not being sufficiently utilised by schools, noting that both institutes and schools could do more to capitalise on this opportunity. UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) suggest the University should optimise the experience and insight of these researchers and facilitate teaching in schools by institute personnel.

The following section looks in more depth at the challenges most mentioned by UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) as a whole. It explores the reasons why they were considered the most important as well as suggestions on how they would be implemented and the requisite resources.

The nature of the Senior Leadership interviews and meetings mean that there are crossover issues, and as a result this section also attends to additional challenges from the Green Paper where applicable.

Exposing students to research is important and this is an area where the Institutes can assist. [Our institute] already offers around 30-40 summer and winter scholarships. The demand often exceeds

availability (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

The earlier students have contact with scientists, the sooner they will understand what scientists actually do (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

The University needs to make sure that the best people are the ones in front of the students. [Our] staff are strongly encouraged to be involved in teaching. Research Group Leaders have a five year term of

employment and it is written into the contract that they must teach into a course for a percentage of time. This is usually a block period rather than guest lectures (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

Around 50% of undergraduate lectures given by the Institute are delivered by postdoc staff…The RHD students all tutor and they are all really interested in teaching (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

It’s likely that a greater impact on Teaching and Learning will be achieved if Research Focused staff spent a portion of their time on teaching activities (i.e. 10% of their time) more so than if the University employed

more Teaching Focused staff at the Faculty level (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

This could possibly be related to the staff profile, the budget of the schools, FTEs and so on. There shouldn’t be a barrier to the schools. This is a real lost opportunity for the students. The Institute Director develops

tailored materials to teach [overseas] once a year, but doesn’t teach at UQ as there isn’t anything to teach into (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

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Context and Solutions: Why are the key challenges important and how can they be addressed?

1. FLEXIBLE LEARNING: Diverse student population with new priorities and expectations (Green Paper Challenge 2)

Discussions with UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) often focused on delivering flexible approaches to learning and study to meet the changing needs of students.

Flexible learning approaches are required and strategies to achieve this are wide‐ranging

UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) mostly agree that flexible teaching and programs are required to accommodate the diverse needs of students. They offered broad feedback about how and why flexible learning options could be integrated into UQ’s teaching practice in order to enhance the UQ student experience:

Increase flexible study to accommodate part‐time students who work to pay for their courses

The University has never focused on attracting a part-time working cohort, but the reality is students have to work to support themselves. The University’s idea of a full-time student isn’t reality. Students want flexibility

and flexibility has to be how the end user sees it… (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

Introduce flexibility at the program level

UQ is very set in its ways in terms of program delivery. Students want more flexibility in terms of when they can undertake a course, which isn’t just about the academic calendar, as well as the mode of delivery.

UQ needs to offer and deliver programs in ways that give students more flexibility to engage (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

Embrace online learning as a key mode of delivery in courses as well as giving credit for fulfilling online course components.

The demand to give credit for MOOCs will grow, particularly at the postgraduate level with demands for RPL (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

With regard to multi‐mode learning, UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) consider that digital resources can improve student satisfaction and learning. Senior leaders provided feedback that the initial investment in developing online resources is worthwhile because they can be re‐used, which frees up staff time that would otherwise be required for preparation to instead deliver more face‐to‐face teaching.

However, some senior leaders stress that it is important for UQ to find an appropriate balance between maintaining academic engagement through face‐to‐face lectures, and online learning. Providing flexible online options may facilitate student disengagement from lectures and the campus: “There needs to be a balanced approach” (Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of interview).

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One respondent felt that giving students more flexibility over their learning experience was at odds with strategies to develop a Sticky Campus, also suggesting that robust mechanisms would need to be in place to “ensure pathways have flexibility within structured and academically determined boundaries” and, therefore, avoid any potential damage to UQ’s reputation from students’ “poor” choices (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview).

Student entry practices may need updating

In the context of an increasingly diverse student population, UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) consider that student entry practices may need to be reviewed. Feedback on student entry practices has some crossover with the Green Paper strategy relating to RPL, but also extends into other areas not explored in the Green Paper.

Their summary comments include:

Consider where UQ students are coming from and expand entry pathways. The OP cohort is declining and UQ has few entry pathways outside of QTAC. More entry pathways will increase student diversity

Review program prerequisites. A major difference between UQ and other universities is UQ’s prerequisite requirements. UQ’s prerequisites should be in line with other Go8 universities, and possibly all other universities. UQ should systematically review all programs to identify where it is out of step with the rest of the country

Accommodate students who have existing skillsets and experience. This could be achieved by assessing students’ abilities on recruitment and using these results to develop a personalised learning pathway. Personalisation could include offering a selection of units and modules from which students can choose. Conversely, sometimes students enter a program with limited or no formal training, and a bridging online course could be beneficial to help them quickly get up to speed.

Strategies to accelerate program completion are seen as being important to students

Some UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) see a need to review course duration in order to accelerate program completion. They rationalise this on the basis that students want to complete their studies early for personal and financial reasons.

Some students want flexibility and acceleration so they can complete their studies earlier, but other students what enrichment, enhancement and an innovative edge to what they are doing. Fast-tracking is not always

the answer (Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of meeting discussion)

In some cases, other universities may be offering comparable degrees that can be completed in a shorter time. For example, senior leaders provided feedback that UQ’s medicine degree is currently a seven‐year program while there other institutions offer six‐year programs.

People want to get through degrees as fast as they can, so perhaps dual degrees are a thing of the past and vertical degrees are the future (Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of meeting discussion)

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A year‐round calendar may have value but could be difficult to implement

Consistent with the Year‐Round Calendar Strategy in the Green Paper, some Senior Leadership members agree with a move to trimesters. Others suggest abandoning the semester system altogether and delivering course units and modules throughout the year ‐ units and modules could be offered at different times in the year, use face‐to‐face and online methods, and where appropriate, be delivered intensively. It is seen that this strategy will also help students who fail a year to use their time more effectively.

There is, however, some concern that a move away from the existing semester system may:

Prove difficult to resource (e.g. “it’s difficult to get people to teach during summer semester”)

Be a burden for teaching personnel (e.g. “draining for staff”)

Undermine research capacity (e.g. make it difficult for staff to maintain their research commitments and “keep pace with other world leaders”)

Undermine UQ’s reputation (e.g. “it could damage liberal education at UQ, the academic foundation of any world‐leading university”).

There is no one‐size‐fits‐all approach to Flexible Learning

UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) caution against a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to Flexible Learning, expressing this advice in two main ways ‐ in relation to the student experience, and with regard to teaching practice:

UQ should seek to personalise the student experience so as to accommodate the range of students’ needs

The University’s offerings need to be flexible so students can opt in and out based on individual circumstances. For example, a student might do one course on campus and then opt to do the next course

online so that they have more flexibility to work. The approach should be to offer students a menu of course times and delivery options to select from, rather than a one size fits all model

(UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

A uniform approach to teaching or a blanket application of the trimester system is not appropriate because different schools and programs require different approaches.

What might work in some programs, won’t necessarily work in all programs. Offering a summer semester to accelerate completion may be a suitable approach for niche programs, however it may not be appropriate

for the undergraduate level. A more intensive model may suit postgraduates, and their employers, more (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

What works in one discipline will not necessarily work in every discipline or for every topic, such as MOOCs or flipped classrooms (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

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2. INNOVATIVE EDUCATION: An innovative education that prepares graduates for unpredictable futures (Green Paper Challenge 1)

Discussions about Innovative Education mainly focused on requisite solutions.

However, there was some discussion about the need to ensure that new teaching approaches are appropriately applied within faculties and programs, and UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) warn that seeking to apply curriculum enrichment across all programs will be too challenging and resource intensive.

There is a widely held concern that students are not attending class due to work commitments, however, the world is changing. Rather than looking at what we can do to put students back to where they were, we need

to focus on the future and the best approach to engage students (Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of meeting)

Embedding workplace skills and knowledge application is a high priority

There was considerable discussion on the need for UQ to help students develop their employability and transferable skills. This discussion also intersected with issues raised in relation to Challenge 4 of the Green Paper: Research‐Intensive Education.

The following points were made during discussions on this topic:

Students increasingly care about future employability. Some parts of UQ have been adapting to this demand by engaging with students about their future careers early in their programs, and investing in staff to support this engagement. WIL is a useful tool to enhance student employability, and could be incorporated throughout UQ’s programs. Postgraduate courses could be expanded by 6‐12 months to enable students to be embedded in a work environment and have a quality research experience

Employability should be a universal focus across the University. Best practice in other universities in relation to a focus on employability, such as in the United Kingdom, has transformed their university rankings

Research experience is beneficial to students, but the purpose should be to help students develop transferable skills, not the research outcomes. UQ is rightly renowned for its research but it needs to be fully utilised within the student experience so that students can appreciate why and benefit from funds used in this area

There should be more optional research opportunities for students and the University needs to consider how it can use research to enhance employability

(Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of meeting)

UQ’s institutes can assist in offering students research experience. This could be through guest lectures or teaching or undergraduates could be embedded within Institutes to gain research experience

Industry wants students equipped with core competencies, not degrees per se. UQ needs to adapt to this reality. A part of this will be changing assessment so that it recognises and rewards these competencies and transferable skills.

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UQ needs to consider how it’s providing a general education for students so they can look at the job market more broadly and see what suits them (Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of meeting)

One respondent said that Inter‐professional Education (IPE) is critical, but saw it would be a “struggle” to find a common course across all programs (HABS, facilitator summary of interview). Others feel that there is a tension between developing students equipped with specific skills for their future profession, whilst also fostering more generalist transferable workplace skillsets.

Industry is looking for a “discriminator” and beyond grades. They are looking for employees who have workplace experience and who they know will fit in with the organisational culture

Finding student placements can be challenging. UQ schools and institutes use work placements in their courses and programs to various degrees. It can be difficult to find sufficient numbers of placements for students, particularly for larger programs. Where there is a lack of local placements for students, alternative experiences need to be explored, including overseas placement. One respondent suggested UQ could negotiate exclusive partnership rights with employers.

Interdisciplinary learning represents an opportunity for innovation

UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) engaged in significant discussion about interdisciplinary learning; they broadly support its use as a means to inspire innovation and provide students with a broader view of the world and transferable skills.

Some respondents discussed their current multidisciplinary approaches and they are keen to give students the opportunity to experience different disciplines within their programs.

The concept of using Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) to provide students with interdisciplinary experience, for example into Arts, would give students a broader view of the

world. UQ isn’t as flexible with joint degrees as most places and breadth into other areas isn’t always encouraged or promoted (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

If the Faculty was to go down the path of innovation, design and creativity, then partnering with fine arts could also be valuable as to be a very successful engineer you also need to be exceptionally creative

(UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

In particular, the Global Change Institute expressed an interest in establishing a flagship interdisciplinary placement program: the Global Change Fellowship Program. The Institute notes that related considerations include whether involvement in the fellowship program would be voluntary or for credit and how the use of MOOCs for credit throughout their program could build students’ interdisciplinary knowledge.

Entrepreneurship skills are important but not sufficiently developed

Some senior leaders commented on the importance of entrepreneurship in UQ students, noting there is a need to create independent thinkers with the confidence to follow their own ideas.

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There is a feeling that UQ has some work to do to progress its support for entrepreneurship, in order to ensure it is on par with other institutions and its approach holistically embraces this aspect of student development.

Senior leaders suggest that UQ look at entrepreneurship models in the United States and the United Kingdom for inspiration (e.g. Stanford, Harvard and Cambridge).

3. STAFFING PROFILE: New staffing capabilities for new learning capabilities and environments (Green Paper Challenge 7)

Findings from the 2015 Staff Engagement Survey (an annual survey of UQ staff views) suggest there is potential for more UQ staff to further develop their contribution to the teaching effort. UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) largely agree with this sentiment, frequently making mention of UQ’s staffing profile as a challenge for the University.

Building, balancing and better utilising staff capabilities is an opportunity for UQ

Several respondents suggested that UQ review the University’s staffing profile and consider the balance of teaching, academic and research staff, with caveats including:

Not all staff want to teach and making them teach would not be beneficial for UQ or the students

If staff want to teach, they should be supported to teach

UQ should avoid a one‐size fits all approach to teaching and the staffing profile.

There were a range of other suggestions for building new staffing capabilities and better utilising the existing capabilities of UQ personnel, including the following feedback:

UQ should introduce new teaching roles, such as a Professional Teaching Fellows (similar to a Senior Tutor) where the focus is solely on teaching, not scholarship and writing grants and papers. Teaching‐Focused staff have an expectation around scholarship, so there would need to be a clear distinction between Teaching‐Focused and Fellowship roles so that staff are able to prioritise their time and activities accordingly.

More educational designers would be needed if the University moved to a more flexible teaching model.

The current staffing profile isn’t right, but just adding more Teaching Focused staff isn’t the answer. It’s also unrealistic to think all staff should teach, as not all staff have experience in this area or the desire to follow a

teaching career path. A generic model for all staff won’t work (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

Researchers have to be motivated to teach; it’s not something they can be forced to do. Previously there was some motivation through ResTeach, but this no longer exists. If a researcher wants to engage with

students and wants to teach than they should be supported, however there are sufficient academics available to teach the current courses (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

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Student involvement in teaching enhances UQ staff capabilities

Some UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) see an opportunity to better utilise UQ students in teaching as a way to extend and enhance staff capabilities in this area. Their feedback is also broadly relevant to the Green Paper’s Staff‐Student Links Strategy, which aims to position UQ students as change agents by creating opportunities for students to collaborate with staff in learning, leadership and outreach (Green Paper Challenge 3). Relevant feedback from Senior Leadership includes:

Some RHD students see teaching as a career opportunity and UQ should support students and adapt UQ teaching to meet this aspiration. Although the attitude that teaching is a distraction from research and writing papers still persist in some areas, more and more students want to teach

PhD students could be given extended contracts to enable them to support a course. Their energy and dynamism would be good for the teaching staff and it would be advantageous to students, with teaching experience likely to be valued by employers.

Teaching excellence should be better rewarded and recognised at UQ

It was frequently suggested by senior leaders that if more UQ staff are to embrace teaching or if UQ is to attract more teaching staff then the University will need to more appropriately reward and recognise excellent teaching. Some UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) indicated that UQ’s current reward and recognition approach does not achieve this, and it was suggested that:

UQ’s reward structure does not support new teaching approaches (e.g. active learning) as rewards arise from research thereby encouraging staff to focus on research

UQ does not currently assess and benchmark excellent teaching and there is little visibility of teaching excellence

It is getting harder to have a career in research, so more postdocs and honours students are looking at teaching pathways. There may be more of a workforce here than may be imagined


At the postgrad and postdoc level, there is appetite for more involvement in teaching and learning (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

If the University wants its people to invest energy in innovative education, then it has to find better ways of rewarding it. This is a culture change, which will be challenging


Often great teachers do good work, the students benefit from this and in turn do good work, but it’s not recognised widely by others. There is or was a perception that good enough teaching won’t hold you back

from being promoted or advancing but good enough research could hold you back. This is shifting (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

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The comments from senior leaders are consistent with the Green Paper Strategy for Staff Recognition, and there was also some limited discussion that extended into the strategy of Staff Development. UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) suggested UQ might enable a team‐based approach to teaching where teaching staff are supported by other staff, such as teaching assistants and specialist tutors. This could include using a teaching test when recruiting all staff so that more staff have teaching skills to support their colleagues.

Future Vision: General comments on the Green Paper

UQ Staff (Senior Leadership) expressed broad support for the Green Paper, with comments such as “nothing major was missing” and “the student experience is at the heart of everything UQ does". They offered a range of suggestions with regard to advancing the UQ Student Strategy in a meaningful way, as follows:

UQ should be clear on the purpose of the UQ Student Strategy

UQ needs to be clear on what it is seeking to achieve. The Green Paper appears to be a strategic vision that will require large structural changes but it is not clear if the University wants to just “tweak things” or radically rethink its offer

UQ should avoid chasing student satisfaction ratings at the expense of what is best for students

UQ needs to think about what is its signature and how it fits in the academic and higher education space in Australia and internationally.

UQ needs to carefully approach implementation of the UQ Student Strategy

The challenge will now be deciding on what path UQ follows and invests in as there is “no silver bullet” and all nine challenges are interrelated

Implementation of solutions will be a long journey and how it is resourced will need to be carefully considered

There is some concern over the capacity of the Green Paper to accommodate school and institute differences, with feedback to suggest that it reflects a top‐down perspective which overlooks program nuances and expertise.

The value the University places on teaching is not clear. There is a sense that some Teaching Focused staff are not well looked after. Teaching excellence needs to

be recognised in ways outside of the promotion process (UQ faculty, facilitator summary of interview)

The Green Paper is a beautiful document, however it proposes a fundamental change in how the University does things. Ideologically it is great but the reality of implementation will be difficult and buy-in from

academics might be challenging. Resourcing will be critical (UQ institute, facilitator summary of interview)

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The UQ Student Strategy must focus on the holistic needs of students

UQ should consider how it demonstrates its interest, concern and support for students having to balance work and study, and their life outside UQ

Building a sticky campus and a connected community is important

The campus needs to provide more spaces for students to come together, and discuss study or other issues, throughout the course of the day and evening

There are many lonely students at UQ and UQ needs to consider the way staff interact with students, personally and professionally, to ensure they feel valued

UQ should engage with students and ask them what they want from their campus and community

There are international examples where universities have successfully developed sticky campuses and connected communities such as Harvard

The tutorial or college system helps build networks and could be applied more broadly across UQ.

UQ staff are integral to the success of the UQ Student Strategy

Buy‐in from staff will be very important in the successful implementation of the Student Strategy. To help gain this support, it was suggested that Challenges 1‐6 could be framed around curriculum to help engage academics in the process

Staffing is seen to be linked to all of the challenges set out in the Green Paper.

The scale of the Student Strategy is substantial and innovative. UQ should be prepared to adapt to new changes, and put the student experience at the forefront of the University’s response. Resourcing will be critical during the implementation stage. The University needs to think about sustainability of the funding

model. While the Green Paper is at a relatively early stage, it will be important to look at costings soon to get a sense of what is feasible and what the University can achieve. It’s important to balance competing forces

and tensions. For example, there is a tension between flexibility and sticky campuses (Senior Leadership meeting, facilitator summary of meeting)

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Unit Submission results

KEY FINDINGS

In Unit Submissions prepared as part of the Green Paper consultation process, UQ Staff (Organisational Units) were most likely to indicate support for the following five strategies: Assessment Frameworks; WIL Partnerships; Multi‐Functional Spaces; New Staff Capabilities; and Blended Learning. There was, however, substantial diversity in unit viewpoints.

Although Assessment Frameworks was prioritised as a focus area for the UQ Student Strategy, UQ Staff have mixed feelings about the viability of this strategy as set out in the Green Paper. UQ Staff see that enabling technologies present opportunities for improving assessment practices but require significant investment, and program‐level assessment frameworks are not universally applicable to all disciplines.

UQ Staff are consistent in valuing WIL Partnerships but see there are insufficient WIL placements available for UQ students and higher education students more broadly. Building partnerships with industry and government will require centrally coordinated engagement by the University.

UQ Staff see that Multi‐Functional Spaces will optimise the student learning experience. They generally view current UQ facilities favourably and suggest that additional funding and central oversight will be required to maintain and enhance UQ campuses.

UQ Staff recommend investing in New Staffing Capabilities in order to maintain UQ’s position as a leading Australian university. In implementing the New Staffing Capabilities Strategy, consideration should be given to providing staff with the time to innovate and improving opportunities for teaching training at UQ.

Blended Learning is viewed by UQ Staff as an essential characteristic of modern universities. It reflects best practice, but it may be characterised differently across disciplines and university‐wide implementation will require new skills and increased capacity across UQ staff.

Learning Analytics, and Vibrant Ecosystems are valued but seen as lower order priorities by UQ organisational units.

Unit Submissions communicated some opposition to implementation of the Year‐Round Calendar and Signature Learning strategies in the Green Paper.

Most submissions were prepared by units with a teaching focus, i.e. within UQ Schools and Faculties (n=38 of 54 submissions) and the key findings are shaped by their viewpoints. Where feedback from central units differed from the overall results was in relation to Vibrant Ecosystems as a strategy. This is a priority area from the perspective of central units yet it emerges as less important in the collective UQ Staff Voice across all Unit Submissions.

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This chapter sets out the key findings from written submissions on the Green Paper as prepared by 54 UQ organisational units between 22 October and 11 December 2015. Responses are from a broad range of organisational units including schools, central units, and specific portfolios, projects and sections within units (see Appendix II for list of participating units). Taken as a whole, the submissions are intended to provide the indicative voice of UQ Staff (Organisational Units).

UQ organisational units were invited to complete a template feedback form prompting them to respond to the 19 strategies set out in the Green Paper. In the context of the Unit Submission consultation process, most respondents (n=38):

prioritised their Top 5 Strategies; and identified their Lowest 3 Strategies.

As in the Open Online Forum consultation process, there are similar inconsistencies in the Unit Submission data. Not all respondents identified a total of five priority strategies or three lower priority strategies. Some respondents did not identify any priorities at all, preferring to provide general feedback on the Green Paper, and other respondents did not provide reasons for their choices. Some respondents provided feedback and prioritised the Green Paper’s nine Challenges instead. The resulting analysis is broadly indicative of total respondent feedback, noting variability in respondent engagement with all aspects of the Unit Submission template.

Respondents to the Unit Submission consultation were asked to nominate their priority strategies from the 19 outlined in the Green Paper. The strategies were not ranked in order of priority. The total nominations for each strategy have been collated to demonstrate the amount of relative support for implementation, and this feedback is intended to help inform the most desirable focus areas for future activity by UQ.

Respondents also nominated their three least important strategies, indicating areas that hold lesser value for the key stakeholder groups. These strategies were variously seen as non‐essential or lower order priorities by respondents.

This chapter:

1. Identifies those strategies most commonly identified as Top 5 Strategies and Lowest 3 Strategies by Unit respondents (Strategies), and considers why they have been selected, where relevant data is available (including unstructured responses where applicable)

2. Summarises feedback from Unit Submissions that identified priority challenges, rather than Strategies (Challenges)

3. Summarises the vision for the UQ student experience as conceptualised by Unit participants in their general comments submitted online (Future Vision).

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UQ Staff (Organisational Units): What are their top priority strategies and why?

There were a total of 54 UQ organisational units that engaged through the Unit Submission consultation:

38 units selected top priority strategies 10 units selected top priority challenges 5 units provided open comments only.

This section focuses on the top priority strategies as nominated by 38 UQ units.

Every strategy received at least one nomination as a top priority (161 total nominations from 38 respondent units). This suggests that all of the Green Paper strategies have some relevance in enhancing the UQ student experience.

Figure 33 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience - UQ Units – total nominations

Figure 34 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience - UQ Units – percentage of total nominations

8%

9%

9%

11%

11%

Blended learning

New staff capabilities

Multi-functional spaces

WIL partnerships

Assessment

as percentage of total nominations

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The five strategies that received the most nominations from UQ Unit respondents were:

1. Assessment Frameworks (18 nominations, 11.2%)

2. WIL Partnerships (17 nominations, 10.6%)

3. Multi‐Functional Spaces (15 nominations, 9.3%)

4. New Staff Capabilities (14 nominations, 8.7%)

5. Blended Learning (12 nominations, 7.5%)

Thirty‐one of the 38 units that responded to this consultation phase with their top priority strategies were schools or faculties (82%), making the overall findings broadly indicative of their collective viewpoints. Summary analysis of the Unit Submissions from the other seven central units shows some differences in their perspectives.

Their top priority strategy is Vibrant Ecosystems (4 nominations). This seems to reflect the importance these units place on centrally supporting the broader student experience beyond teaching alone. By contrast, Vibrant Ecosystems is a less important strategy across all Unit Submissions.

Central units did not provide sufficient nominations on their lowest priority strategies to enable meaningful analysis.

1. ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS: Create program‐level assessment frameworks that stipulate meaningful, authentic tasks that include quality and timely two‐way feedback mechanisms that are supported by enabling technologies

Eighteen out of 38 organisational units value Assessment Frameworks as an area of focus in developing the UQ Student Strategy. This strategy from the Green Paper received 11% of nominations as a top priority.

Assessment is integral to student learning and engagement

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) agree that assessment is important in enhancing the UQ student experience for a range of reasons relating to engagement and future employability:

Assessment “drives learning” and motivates students, and is therefore integral to a fulfilling and outcome‐focused student experience

“Exciting assessment not only encourages learning (and particularly employment-ready learning opportunities) but may also redress attrition and reduce plagiarism”

(Unit Submission)

A lack of meaningful feedback may be a reason for student disengagement and disenfranchisement with higher education

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“Authentic” assessment aligns theory and practice by exposing students to real world issues and problems within their courses, embedding learning and helping make students more employable.

“Assessment enables the students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding relevant to their practice disciplines. As students are practicing in diverse and challenging environments, assessment is required that enables them to develop skills to be safe and effective practitioners on completion of their degree. Students

develop knowledge and skills incrementally across the course and so require opportunities for formative feedback both within and across courses” (School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, Unit Submission)

“Assessment is used to drive learning, but the learning MUST be relevant and applicable to the career and not just as a stimulus to memorise. Students need to interact with employers and understand what makes a

successful employee and these features must be incorporated into assessment tasks” (Unit Submission)

With regard to authentic assessment, some respondents encouraged consideration of the following points in the development and delivery of authentic tasks:

“Pseudo‐authenticity” can turn students off

Students need to have learned the necessary background before engaging in authentic experiences to avoid “shallow’ experiences

Feedback can be much slower with more authentic tasks, which are likely more complex.

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) also indicate that assessment should not be seen as a standalone priority but should be discussed alongside curriculum and pedagogy.

UQ has significant scope to improve its assessment practices

There was broad agreement amongst respondents that assessment and feedback are areas where UQ is “weak”.

“Consistency and quality of assessment has been identified by the school student consultative committee and by staff as an issue for the school”

(Unit Submission)

In Unit Submissions, however, UQ Staff also identified some barriers to improving student assessment through the implementation of the Assessment Frameworks strategy:

Effective assessment and feedback is challenging in large classes and needs to be approached differently, particularly during the first year, as poor feedback can lead to student disengagement

“Increasing class sizes have made traditional methods for feedback logistically difficult. Academics have struggled adapting emerging digital technologies to providing meaningful feedback to students”

(Unit Submission)

Assessment is a challenging area for academic staff and they are not appropriately supported or trained to deliver or innovate for effective assessment methodologies. Innovation in this area is time‐consuming and resource‐intensive.

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Enabling technologies present opportunities but require significant investment

In particular, UQ Staff (Organisational Units) consider there are prerequisite capabilities to UQ better using enabling technologies as recommended in the Green Paper to improve assessment practice:

Assessment and feedback are resource intensive and its quality and approach are constrained by staffing levels. The use of e‐feedback is unlikely to provide students with task‐specific feedback, one respondent noted

“Without a significant increase in the time invested to provide feedback during semester, students will remain dissatisfied with their courses and programs. This means written feedback

on individual student work” (Unit Submission)

Schools cannot implement technology enabled program level assessment developments and changes in the absence of a University‐wide framework.

“A University-wide framework is required as the School does not have the technological expertise to develop technology enabled feedback on its own”

(Unit Submission)

In Unit Submissions, some UQ Staff identified the challenge of implementing appropriate probity checks to ensure that students are undertaking their own assessments if enabling technologies are used more extensively. To this end, there was support for continuing mid‐semester examinations.

“We need to ensure that there is a sufficient amount of identity-verified assessment in each course, so that we are confident in assigning grades” (Unit Submission)

By contrast, one unit noted that identity‐verified assessments can limit the ability of staff to embrace new and innovative approaches to assessment.

Respondents also see that systems need to be put in place for technological support of assessment feedback, including two‐way feedback, and this might involve proprietary systems or in‐house custom systems depending on needs and resource constraints.

“With UQ’s large class sizes driving academic workloads ever upwards, investing in technologies that assist academics with marking and delivering feedback to students may be an option” (Unit Submission)

Program‐level assessment frameworks have mixed value

There was some variation in opinion regarding program level frameworks.

Some respondents see program‐level frameworks for assessment and outcomes as “critical” to identifying areas for improving assessment and ensuring students reach UQ’s standards and attributes on graduation.

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“It is a travesty that programs do not have outcomes/assessment frameworks. This is a fundamental step in the curriculum development process. Assessment should be authentic and relevant and should attempt to

bridge the gap between the learning context and the context in which the learning is applied” (Unit Submission)

Other respondents feel that assessment and feedback need to be specific to the task and program‐level frameworks are not necessary. One respondent articulated concern about the drive towards mandating Identity Verified Assessment Hurdles (IVAH) tasks, “which have the potential to restrict the kinds of assessment open to academics” (Unit Submission). Others advocate greater flexibility and authority for schools to shape their own assessment, feedback and other priorities according to what best works for their student cohort and best enhances teaching.

Implementation requires additional funding, staff and development support

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) acknowledge the significant resource requirements associated with developing assessment frameworks across the University. They encourage engagement by relevant faculties and institutes with academic and teaching staff as well as independent assessment and pedagogical experts who can offer advice on best practice, and they suggest piloting a framework to deliver feedback using enabling technologies.

The most commonly cited implementation requirements for the Assessment Frameworks Strategy are:

Additional funding for the development of quality assessment methods including authentic assessments and effective online systems

“In general, authentic assessment tasks are more expensive to run and mark then others such as [Multiple Choice Question] exams - especially in the face of growing student numbers”

(Unit Submission)

Additional staff to meet the workload associated with enhanced assessment practices, including the time required to reflect, review and innovate, to provide more comprehensive feedback, and to deliver web‐based support

“Finding opportunities where students can practice and demonstrate skills is becoming more difficult with increasing student numbers. In order to undertake audits and then to develop any new learning strategies

will require additional resources in the form of casual or contract staff. We offer more than 90 courses across 3 semesters and to review all, allowing 4 hrs per course would be

360 hours of support in addition to current staff time” (Unit Submission)

Staff training and development activities to enable staff to deliver best practice in assessment for their discipline and student cohort, such as:

o Workshops to share best practice amongst UQ staff o Workshops run by experts on assessment and feedback, including in

e‐assessment o Tailored staff development sessions, focusing on assessment design at the

program level and at the individual level to reduce plagiarism risks

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o Peer feedback on the appropriateness of assessment and the evaluation of tasks, including enhanced engagement with ITaLI as a university‐wide resource.

Other general suggestions to support implementation

Recognise the importance of assessment and feedback tasks and innovation and the assignment of appropriate time to this area facilitating a culture change in UQ

Promote both summative and formative forms of assessment, which can be more quickly marked while still assessing the learning outcomes

Mandate that electronic course profiles contain the feedback regime applicable to the course

Increase the role of continuous assessments

Develop online test banks with detailed explanations of why the answer is correct, and the others are wrong

Change tutorials and Peer‐Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) to focus on active learning

Task the Teaching and Learning Committee and other interested staff with overseeing the implementation of this strategy

Develop a mechanism for incorporating constructive student feedback on assessment

Facilitate effective engagement with employers and alumni about what they require from a UQ graduate.

“If UQ wishes its graduates to be highly sought after, then it needs to consider what employers are looking for and also to incorporate an assessment of competence from an employer, either following an industry

placement or using potential employers and alumni to both mentor and assess students in realistic scenarios” (Unit Submission)

2. WIL PARTNERSHIPS: Build significant industry and government partnerships that strengthen and expand opportunities for authentic WIL experiences across all programs

Building partnerships with industry and partnerships to strengthen WIL experiences received 17 nominations as a top priority strategy, based on a range of reasons.

WIL makes students more employable and bridges the gap between theory and practice

Making sure UQ students are job ready was the most frequently mentioned reason why building partnerships is a top priority strategy. UQ Staff (Organisational Units) consider that:

Work integrated learning helps students gain professional skills and experience at tackling real world problems effectively and safely and makes them more attractive to employers

Employability is the key reason for students undertaking study and they increasingly select their study programs based on this, particularly in view of the rising costs of study

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“Students will increasingly have to adopt a value for money perspective, where anticipated costs of university education are weighed against anticipated returns in the labour market. This is confirmed by survey data that suggests that programs perceived to lack work relevance, and perceived mismatches

between what a program appears to deliver and the careers that students envisage are among the leading reasons that UQ students leave the university” (Unit Submission)

The exposure to the world outside the University builds students’ confidence and alleviates any anxiety they may have about what to expect from their future profession.

“Students undertaking food science majors need to understand how to translate their theory to practice. Companies want experience and work integrated learning provides that and also provides industry linkages

to teaching staff to enable industry priorities to feed into curriculum” (Unit Submission)

WIL will help maintain UQ’s position as a leading university and it enhances student engagement

Overall, UQ Staff (Organisational Units) see it as “imperative” to address this strategy if UQ is to remain competitive and continue to attract and retain talented students.

“Being able to implement WIL and to advertise that all students will get the opportunity to undertake industry experience which will assist them in being more employable would offset some of the rhetoric espoused by

our closest competitor. WIL would increase the attractiveness of the programs to prospective students, their parents and their career teachers who increasingly view employability as a high priority when choosing

university programs” (Unit Submission)

“In an increasingly competitive environment, it is imperative to address this concern. The University might not aspire to QUT’s claim of being a university for the real world, but if we emphasise, in a narrow way, a

focus on theory and research at the expense of application or practice, we risk falling behind as the ivory tower” ( Unit Submission)

Some units referred to how engaging with real life problems helped students more thoroughly engage with the theory. WIL also helps embed knowledge.

“What is needed is learning integrated into real-world experiences, either through formal or informal professional practice opportunities or having guest/conjoint staff from industry able to provide learning

through work. We think that genuine learning centred around real life work issues and problems enhance the overall learning experience” (Unit Submission)

There are insufficient WIL placements available for students

Several units believe there are currently not sufficient numbers of work‐based placements on offer for UQ students, and for university students more broadly. One respondent said it would be a challenge to increase placements given competition locally with two other universities, and others suggested UQ looks to international partners or pay for placements like some other institutions.

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“Most [students] undertake the professionally required work experience outside of any course and students must source the work experience themselves.

The quality of the experience can be highly variable” (Unit Submission)

“To enable the School to meet the challenge of ensuring graduates are not only ready for work but highly sought after employees, there is a need to develop a range of placement opportunities that meet the

challenges of health care in the 21st century … This means we need to access more community based placements that offer interdisciplinary student experience, equipping students to work collaboratively across

disciplines prior to registration” (Unit Submission)

Implementation requires centrally coordinated engagement with industry and government

There was some discussion amongst organisational units about how they currently aim to deliver WIL, with some units seeing this as a compulsory component of student learning.

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) broadly identified more funding and additional staff as essential to strategy implementation. Of note was that a number of organisational units consider that UQ “as an entity” should centrally lead, coordinate, and develop a formalised, systematic approach to partnership development and management and finding student work placements.

This could include the development of centralised software to facilitate the search and allocation of placements University‐wide, which would help ensure multiple UQ units do not contact the same employers

It might require the provision of WIL opportunities in every program of study

UQ could work across programs to engage with industry and other employers for the purpose of:

o Developing programs, courses, and assessment o Delivering courses o Providing real work contexts for course delivery and work experience

opportunities o Developing virtual internships through the provision of case studies involving

real challenges.

“Implement a coordinated approach and relationship management procedure to international industry engagement to provide experiences for international and domestic students. Support

this with an effective careers staff to student ratio - currently UQ has the lowest careers staff to student ration in the G8, by a long way” (Unit Submission)


Consider a pilot of funding for faculties to manage the process of developing partnerships governments in the context of centrally developed and evolving performance targets

Set up and maintain a centrally coordinated network of faculty/discipline representatives working to develop industry partnerships to exchange experiences

Explicitly include the non‐government organisation and community sector

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Invest in high fidelity equipment in one location “to enable students to undertake more complex clinical scenarios and improve student experience by creating a sense of belonging to UQ” (Unit Submission)

Harness the potential of UQ Alumni to help find and offer work placements

Assign and invest in a staff member within faculties to manage partnerships or employ industry placements officers

Review Grade Point Average prerequisites for WIL

Reward research partnerships with industry

Provide students with opportunities to showcase their placements and their learning through workshops and course presentations

Deliver leadership development skills workshops for students to prepare and support them through their placements

Implement quality controls to monitor these partnerships.

3. MULTI‐FUNCTIONAL SPACES: Develop open and engaging, multifunctional spaces and places across campus for formal and informal learning, relaxation and rest, and socialising

Multi‐functional Spaces received 15 nominations (9.3%) from the 38 organisational units who prioritised strategies. The ideas discussed by UQ Staff (Organisational Units) in relation to this strategy had notable crossover with those mentioned in the Vibrant Ecosystems Strategy.

Multi‐functional spaces optimise student learning experience

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) feel this strategy will optimise the learning experience for UQ students in a number of ways:

It draws students to spend time at UQ campuses, thereby encouraging them to attend classes and lectures

“Students are less and less attending classes, and having an engaging campus where there is opportunity to meet and study may encourage more engagement in the education process by students. Interviewing our

students has shown that those that attend the campus for lectures do better in all assessment tasks” (Unit Submission)

“It is essential that we give students a real reason to come onto campus. While they are on campus, they need go have good and meaningful experiences. There should be well resourced common rooms for

students that allow them to function in teams or individuals (e.g. Engineering First Year Learning Centre)” (Unit Submission)

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“Providing a space for students to create a sense of community/shared identity is essential for learning. Also, more needs to be done to attract students to campus and to keep them here. One of the core issues

confronting teaching staff is finding ways to address the dwindling lack of attendance at lectures and tutorials without relying on external incentives (i.e. marks). Providing multiple reasons for students to be on

campus aside from class attendance is pivotal to this” (Unit Submission)

The experience of international students at UQ would be improved. Overseas students frequently come from cities open 24/7 and by attracting them to a hub, which meets their personal and individual needs, their sense of belonging and community would be developed

It makes better use of under‐utilised campus space and facilities

It facilitates the building of both internal and external partnerships and networks.

It helps attract students who rarely have to attend campus or have unsocial hours (e.g. nursing students) and would make them feel more connected to the UQ community.

“The establishment of new multi-functional environments on campus creates the possibility of engaging and retaining the wide range of students enrolled at UQ since students are more likely to feel a sense of

belonging and connection in a university when there are a range of spaces and places in which to work and learn” (Unit Submission)

One unit felt that students need more learning spaces, not social spaces, with the former often being used socially anyway. They felt these spaces can be multi‐functional, but that they need to be a home for a defined cohort of students and not general use.

Multi‐functional spaces may have added value for some disciplines and student cohorts specifically, including improving language acquisition for language students:

“Language learning is about communication and it requires people to get together, to talk, communicate, share ideas, learn from each other. Whilst much can be done in the online environment, it is widely accepted

in the literature in the field that classroom and face to face interactions are vital for success in language acquisition. Language students realise this, come to class more than in many other areas of the University

and, as a result, form stronger learning cohorts” (Unit Submission)

On‐site engagement with the University – encouraged by multi‐functional spaces ‐ also facilitates a peer‐peer learning environment.

“Change requires a change in student attitude to learning, away from assessment focused learning and a generally low level of time on task, to a critical thinking approach focused on problem solving at course level

and within disciplines. Learning space is critical to this because this enables continuous study, long term project work, and a peer-learning environment that demonstrates the commitment needed to achieve at the

top level” (Unit Submission)

Implementation requires additional funding and central oversight

Consistent with the comments on strategy implementation more broadly, UQ Staff (Organisational Units) see a need for additional funding to support Multi‐Functional Spaces to:

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Redevelop and fit‐out multi‐functional spaces, including the installation of appropriate technologies and equipment within those spaces

Fund dedicated teams responsible for transforming teaching and learning spaces

Support staff reward structures for staff to implement this strategy and transform these spaces.

They also advocate central coordination and oversight of this strategy to:

Ensure a holistic UQ approach to sufficient, consistent and flexible learning spaces

Oversee minimum standards

Lead and coordinate a master plan exercise (GPEM’s planning program could work with Architecture and undertake student‐led design and planning). This could be a course, a design competition or a research project in planning or architecture to redesign the space

Review and prioritise the use of university space. This may mean changes to spaces currently assigned for other uses or being able to use space for multiple functions

Implement UQ‐wide goals or set a strategic priority on space allocated to informal learning spaces.


UQ Staff (Organisational Unit) respondents also mentioned the following suggestions to implement and support the strategy of Multi‐Functional Spaces. These suggestions have significant overlap with the Vibrant Ecosystems strategy, sharing the goal of attracting students to campus and encouraging them to remain there longer:

Increase student housing on campus

Redevelop the student union complex

Attract students to campus through supporting more opportunities for students to work part‐time there

Build a supermarket on campus

Work with the Student Council to organise events that promote a UQ identity and facilitate a whole school approach to orientation and graduation events

Consider how to bring students to St Lucia from clinical sites for learning opportunities

Provide a stronger security presence for student safety after hours

Provide more and more economical parking options.

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4. INVEST IN STAFFING: Invest in new staffing capacity and capabilities – including innovative educational technologies and learning deign – to complement and support existing expertise

Invest in Staffing was selected by 14 of the 38 organisational units to be a top priority challenge. Most discussion about this strategy centred on how to address and implement it, rather than why it was considered important. However, the reasons for its importance provided by units were directly linked to the solutions they identified.

Investing in staffing capabilities maintains UQ’s position as a leading institution

Broadly speaking, UQ Staff (Organisational Units) see investing in new staffing capacity and capabilities as essential to maintaining a progressive, innovative, and professional approach to teaching in the 21st century. Students are changing the way they learn and UQ must engage with students and accommodate these changes. The implementation of this strategy is seen as underpinning efforts to meet the other challenges set out in the Green Paper.

Increased staff capacity provides staff with the time to innovate

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) see that limited existing staff capacity and growing student numbers mean staff do not have the time to innovate and acquire new skills. Some units cited previous attempts to invest in new staffing capacity and capabilities as falling short. For example, one respondent noted a lack of administrative and technical support for Teaching Focused staff, which prevents them from creating, implementing and evaluating the impacts of interventions on student learning outcomes.

“Innovative T&L practice requires champions and good supporting staff. The pressure of publishing, getting industrial and community engagement and raising research grants etc. inevitably dilute the time and energy

of Teaching & Research (T&R) staff on such matters” (School of Economics, Unit Submission)

“There is a widening divide between full time academic staff, who are responsible for courses, and casual academic tutors who are responsible for much of the face-to-face contact in teaching.

Both sides feel overworked and overextended which would suggest there needs to be a new staffing position developed that sits between tutors and course coordinators”

(Unit Submission)

Across disciplines, UQ Staff see a need for increased professional and specialist staff capacity in a range of roles, and this might involve developing new roles with discipline, pedagogical and/or educational technology expertise. The roles cited in Unit Submissions include:

Dedicated teaching and learning support staff, i.e. to assist tutors, evaluate teaching Specialist teaching staff Consistent course teachers and/or coordinators Digital specialists Research technicians Educational and curriculum designers Tutorial fellows – reintroduced role Indigenous education specialists.

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“New staff with both educational technology skills and discipline expertise would be a valuable addition to our teaching staff. In addition to improving our use of technology in education, such staff could play a much

needed role interacting with both academic staff and students, by offering a more comprehensive tutorial program and assisting with the provision of detailed and authentic feedback to students”

(Unit Submission)

“Ensure each Faculty has an appropriate professional staff support team, dedicated to teaching and learning. While ITaLI provides excellent support, and this centralised support should continue, there are

issues of capacity. The University could extend ITaLI’s capacity or assist further with provision of local support” (Unit Submission)

There is not currently enough teaching training at UQ

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) observed that not enough teaching training is offered at UQ to equip UQ academic staff to communicate their knowledge and empower students through learning.

“Academic staff are limited in their ability to transform curricula and require appropriate training and access to learning 'specialists' to translate ideas into reality” (Unit Submission)

“Most academic staff at UQ have no formal teaching qualification and the excellent results we achieve are often through sheer hard work and dedication rather than a foundation in pedagogical know how”

(Unit Submission)

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) see that all teaching staff need to be supported to better utilise innovative education approaches and technologies. They suggest:

Timely and continuous training delivery, to keep up‐to‐date with changing methods and UQ workforce changes

Provision of a formal teaching qualification or a new improved Graduate Diploma that targets both technologically innovative teaching platforms and strengthens face‐to‐face learning opportunities, for completion before teaching duties commence or as soon as possible for existing staff

Developing staff cultural competency in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander matters.

Implementation needs to be centrally coordinated

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) suggest reinstating central funding for the development of local programs to build new staffing capabilities.

“Perhaps a central program, or resources, to develop a set of local programs even at the faculty level or mix of both might be a useful step forward” (Unit Submission)

The strategy should be delivered by a central support service such as ITaLI, and be appropriately resourced to assist units to deliver a more unified approach. It was noted that targeted capability development areas (e.g. Indigenous cultural competency) need to be progressed across the University and not just within key portfolios.

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UQ Staff (Organisational Units) also acknowledge the need to incentivise and recognise teaching development and excellence in order to increase staff capabilities, and this feedback is consistent with the Staff Recognition strategy.

5. BLENDED LEARNING: Incorporate best‐practice blended pedagogies across every program

Twelve organisational units prioritise incorporating Blended Learning across every program (7.5% of total nominations).

“[…] digital literacies are central to best-practice blended learning pedagogies both for teaching staff in the development and delivery of high quality learning programs and for students as self-directed, active learners. UQ must maximise its investment in high quality academic resources, in diverse media, by

ensuring smooth integration within the eLearning platforms and ensuring that eResources become part of the learning ecosystem. UQ must ensure staff have the interest, motivation and opportunities to develop

their digital literacy skills (Unit Submission).

Blended learning is an essential characteristic of modern universities

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) indicate that UQ has existing strengths in this area, and that Blended Learning better engages students and accommodates their diverse and evolving needs and expectations in the digital age.

“Providing best-practice, discipline-specific pedagogy that caters to the whole student cohort, of varying expectations and abilities, is challenging but vital in order to produce high quality graduates, improve student

satisfaction and maintain our international reputation” (Unit Submission)

“If UQ is going to continue to be primarily a face-to-face (f2f) provider of education, it cannot continue with the pedagogies of old. Technology and online learning has expanded across the education sector and there

is now an expectation from students that there is at least some level of technology incorporated within courses (Unit Submission)

Broader implementation requires new skills and increased capacity

Consistent with New Staff Capabilities as a strategy, extending blended learning at UQ will require that University teaching staff have relevant skills and capacity. Respondents say staff need time and professional development support to familiarise themselves with new blended learning techniques, and to introduce them into their own courses.

“Staff would need blended learning experts embedded within the School to support this strategy, with expert advice and services supplemented by staff training and professional development in blended learning. Staff

need the time to complete this professional development and implementation of these technologies, such that workloads are shifted rather than this strategy adding to workload”

(Unit Submission)

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UQ Staff (Organisational Units) suggest:

Engaging and employing expert staff to develop resources from local ideas and provide expert knowledge

Appointing additional Faculty‐based professional staff to support teaching staff in the incorporation of blended learning pedagogies and encourage uptake across UQ

Appointing additional teaching assistants to help with additional workload for planning, design and implementation.

Blended learning reflects best practice, but may be different across disciplines

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) also suggest investing in a university‐wide effort to determine the best practice pedagogies in each program in UQ. Best practice varies across disciplines but there are opportunities to learn from other areas of the university, through collaborative projects and shared ideas.

“We need to identify best-practice pedagogy within each discipline, recognising that discipline norms vary. These best-practice ideas need to be applied in teaching the key content of each discipline, ensuring that

student achievement is assessed properly and that academic standards are maintained. In acknowledgment of the fact that a significant number of students do not attend class, we must re-engage these students by

offering face-to-face teaching that is more valued than the traditional lecture. Such an approach can be supported with modern on-line technologies that add value to the in-class learning experience”

(Unit Submission)

Depending on the nature of best practice, the investment required for implementation may vary.

“We undertake constant review of pedagogies now, so it may be that any changes could be relatively cost neutral. However, if there was a large move toward on-line (although our students

report they want more contact) then resources would be required” (Unit Submission)

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UQ Staff (Organisational Units): What are their lowest priority strategies and why?

A total of 25 Unit Submissions specified less important strategies for implementation.

Figure 35 Less important strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Students - percentage of total nominations

Some units were strongly opposed to a year‐round calendar

Some programs cannot be delivered in intensive or ad hoc blocks (e.g. School of Music)

It is seen as potentially lead to staff burn‐out, with some courses having only one staff expert (e.g. School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences)

It will prevent improvements and upgrading of specialised rooms, which is typically undertaken between semesters

Summer community engagement activities will be detrimentally affected

Vacation periods are used by professional schools as periods to undertake work placements, professional experience and international programs (e.g. School of Veterinary Science)

It would be incongruent with existing patterns of Queensland school holidays, seasonal challenges, grant applications, and the timetabling of examinations

“At this stage resources are better spent in other areas. As the new program comes on line this strategy may be able to be re-examined” (Unit Submission)

A pilot of a year‐round academic calendar has been trialed within a University school, with summer semesters ultimately removed as a result of student feedback that found negative impacts on learning and consolidation due to very short breaks, and barriers to international students going home.

11%

11%

13%

17%

Vibrant ecosystems

Learning analytics

Signature learning

Year-round calendar

as percentage of total nominations (n=54)

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Signature Learning curbs bespoke and innovative teaching

UQ Staff (Organisational Units) provided feedback that a signature learning model cannot appropriately accommodate the needs of every program, course and student cohort.

“Given the diversity of disciplines across all programs, it is not clear how a single signature UQ learning model can be developed and, more importantly, to be effective across all programs”

(Unit Submission)

There is concern that the Signature Learning Strategy may impede academic innovation, the application of best practice, and autonomous decision‐making.

“This statement would seem to be largely empty of meaning except for its potential to impose a de-contextualised model of teaching and learning across the university at the expense of academic

autonomy” (Unit Submission)

Learning Analytics and Vibrant Ecosystems are relatively less important

Learning Analytics are valued but overall UQ Staff (Organisational Units) view this strategy as relatively less important, with the current system seen as effective and opportunities existing for enhanced application without a significant commitment of resources and activity in this area.

Implementing Vibrant Ecosystems is seen as cost‐prohibitive and best undertaken after other strategies have been implemented.

“In the next five years, UQ should focus on improving and adapting the academic T&L aspect of the student experience. The way students interact with the university is fundamentally changing: this needs to be fully

understood before the university attempts to influence the behaviour of students on campus” (Unit Submission)

Challenges: What are the top priority and lowest priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience, as communicated in Unit Submissions?

While the consultation process invited units to submit written feedback on the strategies in the Green Paper, some units provided comments in relation to Challenges instead (n=10). Six of these Unit Submissions came from faculties or schools, with the remaining four from central units or colleges.

The Unit Submissions that focused on Green Paper challenges made most mention of:

1. Staffing Profile (n=7, 19% of nominations)

2. Innovative Education (n=6, 17%).

3. Sticky Campuses (n=6, 17%).

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Consistent with feedback generated through other consultation activities, Staff‐Student Links was cited in relation to UQ’s Staffing Profile as a means to alleviate demands on UQ teaching personnel as well as enhance the UQ student experience.

“Fostering a culture of active learning may include blurring the boundaries between students and teachers. This could occur by encouraging and rewarding teachers to enrol in courses outside of their area of expertise either as professional development or for interest, learning side by side with students, experiencing and understanding life

from the student perspective. Reciprocally, students could be encouraged to teach and take leadership in developing experiences for other students” (Unit Submission).

In relation to the challenge of Innovative Education, stakeholders refer to a range of contemporary teaching strategies that might better equip UQ students for an ever‐changing world with a particular focus on e‐learning, which is also characteristic of a Blended Learning approach. Unit Submission comments confirm there is not consensus across disciplines as to the value of particular teaching and learning innovations; for example, stakeholders communicate contrasting views in relation to the merits of the flipped classroom.

Some Unit Submissions made mention of space at UQ as a challenge and a motivation with regard to addressing the challenge of Sticky Campuses at UQ, with issues raised in relation to library facilities and centrally‐controlled collaborative teaching spaces specifically.


UQ Staff (Organisational Units) were invited to provide additional comments that they considered relevant to enhancing the UQ student experience. There was great depth and diversity in the Unit Submissions, as reflected in the summary feedback below. The relative strength of support for key comments or ideas across UQ units is indicated, where possible. These comments are not exhaustive.

The Green Paper is broadly supported

A few units welcomed the Green Paper and the opportunity to provide feedback, expressing broad support for its direction and strategies subject to appropriate resourcing of the UQ Student Strategy.

Feedback indicates that respondents see importance in better incentivising, recognising and rewarding teaching and learning at UQ as a fundamental point of engagement between the University and its students, but also recognise the value‐add of allied student services.

However, one unit stated that although the Green Paper was “well‐intentioned”, a “back‐to‐basics” approach was more appropriate, where UQ focused on the delivery of high quality and good practice across the board rather than focusing narrowly on specific areas. Other units cautioned against “trend‐led adoption” of new teaching practices and advocated for “evidence‐based” decision‐making in the subsequent development of the UQ Student Strategy.

Another unit suggested that UQ should not be looking to “copy” other university strategies and ensure that it reflects on metrics and benchmarking carefully.

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One unit felt that the document was very broad and “trying to achieve too much”.

Other respondents stated that it could not be implemented without significant investment, which could lead to cynicism within the UQ stakeholder groups if not forthcoming.

“Unless there is a diversion of resources to teaching, students (and staff) will regard rhetorical exercises like this with a high degree of cynicism” (Unit Submission)

A few units felt that the Green Paper was let down by the language used, for being “jargon” and “vague”, and it should be reviewed to make it in line with normal word usage.

UQ might also look at relevant existing best practice across the university, and share and implement those ideas where appropriate. This includes consideration of overlap with strategies and improvements currently being explored through the University’s Enhancing Systems and Services (ESS) initiative.

There is interconnectedness in the Green Paper challenges and strategies

Many units referred to the interconnectedness of the challenges and strategies. Some units saw this as requiring them to be implemented as a whole to be effective.

“The ideas and strategies in the Green Paper are presented as separate and individual themes rather than cohesive elements of a clearly integrated and coherent educational model with clearly articulated outcomes.

A number of strategies are interdependent…. For instance, incorporating best-practice blended learning strategies cannot be achieved without professional development of staff and investing in staff with expertise

in educational technologies and learning design” (Unit Submission)

Balancing consistency and multiplicity will be a challenge for the UQ Student Strategy

In Unit Submission, UQ Staff reiterate that a uniform approach to teaching and learning may not be appropriate, and that wholly standardised approaches will undermine the UQ student experience. This is consistent with UQ Staff feedback obtained across all consultation activities and in relation to several challenges and strategies in the Green Paper.

“There are multiple aspects to creating greater flexibility and some are not readily able to be ‘scaled’ to the extent that they would be practicable to implement in an institution the size of UQ. However, with some

creative thinking and good will on all sides, changes could be made to increase flexibility, providing sufficient lead time and resource and devoted to planning and changeover. Year-round academic calendar presents more cons than pros, re-conceptualising how credit might be awarded for small parcels of learning such as

MOOCs will be required, and it needs to be kept in mind that a lot of the rigidity in UQ’s administration is driven by compliance obligations with the many pieces of legislation we are required to adhere to. Also,

many of our students are constrained through dependence on Centrelink benefits, and this impacts to some extent on how we design our programs of study” (Unit Submission)

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Student employability is a priority recurring theme in UQ Unit Submissions

Employability was mentioned by several units in their open comments, with related feedback including:

UQ needs to develop students who are job‐ready with skills such as “agility, adaptability, collaboration; critical thinking, disruption and unexpected change”

An interdisciplinary approach in learning and assessment is important given there is no “neat compartmentalisation of knowledge” in the workplace. One unit respondent felt that a liberal arts component in all degree programs would enhance student engagement

One respondent felt there was a tension within the Green Paper:

“There is a fundamental inconsistency between the idea that students and employers want students with job-ready skills when they graduate, and the idea that the university has a role to prepare students to change careers during their working life. For the second purpose specific job skills are not useful, and

generic skills like thinking, arguing, communicating and self-education are important. There doesn’t seem to be any attention to how the second purpose might be achieved” (Unit Submission)

One respondent provided significant feedback on the value of research to employability, with points including:

Research is integral to the reputation of academia and UQ’s leading reputation in this area has positive spill‐over effects for all of the university’s “dimensions”. This is UQ’s differentiator, which will stand the test of time

The research experience at UQ should begin on Day One of the undergraduate program and UQ should aim to provide all of its students with an integrated research experience. This experience will help students effectively transition into employment (UQ Business School – Research, Unit Submission).

Student diversity is seen as important and potentially under‐recognised in the Green Paper

There were many comments relating to accommodating the needs of diverse students. One theme was that attracting diverse students should be a UQ‐wide priority and UQ should review its selection processes, entry pathways and scholarships to that end. Other related feedback was that diverse staff are needed to attract diverse students.

One unit felt that the Green paper did not sufficiently address this issue, and had centred on acceleration approaches affecting a select group rather a genuine engagement with the needs of diverse groups of students.

Some units suggested that international and Indigenous students be more appropriately supported. One unit was disappointed that there was no reference in the document to supporting Indigenous students and issues in Indigenous education UQ wide.

“There is little support for international students with poor English writing and comprehension skills, and Indigenous students often feel very alone and other on this campus” (Unit Submission)

Some units said that students expect and prefer personal approaches and for UQ to be interested in them as individuals.

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“From go to [whoa] our students need to feel that we want them, that we relate to them and that we value them. This means recognizing the diversity of our students and ensuring that we tailor learning experiences

and support systems to their different needs. We need to embark on an active campaign on customer service that reminds all employees of the importance of students” (Unit Submission)

A number of units felt that students who work to support their studies require different learning approaches and additional resources and support to allow them to succeed while balancing other external commitments.

Sticky campuses are supported with suggestions for improvement

There were a few mentions of how to improve UQ’s campuses and their facilities to attract students to spend time there and to build a sense of belonging:

Inter‐faculty sporting events and cultural competitions A live performance space at St Lucia campus to hold events and concerts Smaller bars on campus operating after hours More secure bike boxes and more bike parking Laptop/tablet device chargers at key places where students study More microwaves and hot water access for students around campus Increased influence from colleges, UQ‐wide and beyond their residents.

Enhanced staff engagement in development of the UQ Student Strategy is essential

Some respondents suggested that staff feel they are not being sufficiently valued or engaged with in this process and staff buy‐in is required if strategies are to be successfully implemented. Respondents strongly recommend evidence‐based decision‐making across the next phase of strategy development.

UQ Students come first in the development of the UQ Student Strategy

In the development of the UQ Student Strategy, the needs of the students – present and future – are paramount.

“The strategy runs the risk of becoming a number of well-meaning ideas based on practice elsewhere and/or a number of views that may or may not match with true collective need. It is important that the Student

Strategy makes a difference first and foremost for students, rather than seeing this as an add-on to higher priority corporate drivers. Indeed, if the University is genuinely student-focused and true to its first strategic

foundation, then these will be one and the same” (Unit Submission)

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Roundtable Event results

KEY FINDINGS

Collectively the three stakeholder groups represented at the Roundtable Event held on 17 November 2015 – UQ Students, UQ Staff and UQ Community – prioritised Supporting Students, Innovative Education, and Best Practice Pedagogies as the most important challenges to be addressed in the UQ Student Strategy.

The outcomes of the Roundtable Event discussions reflect interconnectedness and overlap in the challenges and strategies of the Green Paper.

With regard to Supporting Students, Roundtable Event participants suggest that a connected community should be built early with students engaged at the beginning of their higher education experience. They recommended better engaging UQ alumni to support their lifelong connectedness and ongoing involvement with the University, and suggest that UQ campuses should be made attractive to both students and alumni in order to maintain a connected UQ community.

Roundtable Event participants value Best Practice Pedagogies, but note that best practice varies by discipline and student cohort. They observe that while online learning supports flexible course delivery, it should be implemented as a complement to face‐to‐face active learning approaches. Best practice teaching also relies on Staff Recognition, suggest Roundtable Event respondents.

Roundtable Event respondents see that interdisciplinary learning is an opportunity to address the challenge of delivering an Innovative Education moving forward.

This chapter sets out the key findings from a Roundtable Event held as part of the consultation process on UQ’s Green Paper Towards… The UQ Student Strategy. The roundtables were carried out on 17 November 2015 and had 75 participants in total (excluding facilitators) from UQ’s key stakeholder groups:

UQ Students

Undergraduates (n=3) Postgraduates (n=3)

UQ Staff

Academic staff (n=16) Professional staff (n=21)

UQ Community

Alumni (n=18) Secondary school teachers (n=5) Industry stakeholders (n= 9)

Alumni may also be considered industry stakeholders and this should be noted with regard to the UQ Community voice.

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There were 13 tables for facilitated discussion, each with a mix of stakeholders. Roundtable Event participants were asked a set of questions relating to the nine challenges outlined in the Green Paper. These questions aimed to identify and understand the group’s Top 3 Challenges as well as their aspirations for UQ’s student experience in 2026. Results are reported in relation to the priority Challenges nominated by individual Roundtable Event participants, as well as the nominations agreed upon by tables.

The Green Paper’s challenges address interdependent themes and issues, and discussions were fluid and not solely focused on the group’s chosen Top 3 Challenges.

This chapter:

1. Identifies the challenges most commonly identified by invited participants during roundtable discussions (Challenges)

2. Considers why they have been selected and how UQ might address them moving forward (Context and Solutions)

3. Summarises the vision for the UQ Student Experience in 2026, as conceptualised by Roundtable Event participants (Future Vision).

Challenges: What are the top priority areas for enhancing the UQ student experience, from the perspective of Roundtable Event participants?

The following chart shows the total number of nominations for each challenge that was selected as a Top 3 Challenge by individual participants (n=75).

Figure 36 Priority challenges in enhancing the UQ student experience – Roundtable participants – total nominations by participants

25

35

27

20

31

15

14

27

32

Sticky campuses

Supporting students

Staffing profile

Assessment and feedback

Best practice pedagogies

Research-intensive education

Student change agents

Flexible learning

Innovative education

Total nominations received - all roundtables

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The three challenges that received the most support at the Roundtable Event were:

1. Supporting Students (35 nominations, 15%)


3. Best Practice Pedagogies (31 nominations, 14%)

When the nominations of individual participants are aggregated by table, the pattern of preferences remains consistent and the Top 3 Challenges remain the same. For the purposes of analysis, the total number of nominations for the Top 3 Challenges by table are 35. Only the top two challenges from a table were taken into consideration if the third choice received support from fewer than three respondents on that table, and four challenges from a table were included in cases where there were equal‐third priorities that received nominations from three or more people.

Figure 37 Priority challenges for enhancing the UQ student experience – Roundtable participants – total nominations aggregated by table

Three challenges clearly received the most support as priorities, from both roundtables collectively and individual participants:

1. Supporting Students (7 nominations, 20%)


3. Best Practice Pedagogies (6 nominations, 17%)

The following section looks at these Top 3 Challenges in more depth, the reasons why they were considered the most important, as well as the suggestions on how these challenges can be met. Given the fluid nature of the discussions (e.g. discussions rarely focused on one single challenge) and the crossover issues contained within the challenges themselves, broader themes arising from the Roundtable Event are also documented.

4

7

3

2

6

2

1

4

6

Sticky campuses

Supporting students

Staffing profile

Assessment and feedback

Best-practice pedagogies

Research-intensive education

Student change agents

Flexible learning

Innovative education

No. of tables selecting challenge - table nominations aggregated

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Context and Solutions: Why are the Top 3 Challenges important and how can they be addressed?

1. SUPPORTING STUDENTS: Supporting students through a connected community (Green Paper Challenge 8)

The 2014 University Experience Survey and Australian Graduate Survey highlighted the opportunity for UQ to do more to support its students, and Roundtable Event participants agree; supporting students through a connected community was the challenge that received the most attention, at both the table and individual participant level.

By fostering a connected community, some roundtable participants see that students, graduates and alumni will want to return to UQ and “to keep coming back”. Such communities would help develop a sense of lifelong belonging to and networks within UQ. There may be existing models of connected communities within UQ, with one table mentioning that a “global sense of community” already exists in Science.

Supporting students was linked to building connected communities, as articulated in the Green Paper, but also tied to the notion of Sticky Campuses, suggesting that connected communities are founded on a sense of physical place.

Connected communities should be built early

The start of the student journey was identified by some Roundtable Event participants as a barrier to building a connected community at UQ.

Where this issue was identified as important, discussions suggest:

It is “difficult to transition from school” to university because students coming from a range of different schools and backgrounds

Large first year classes and casual staff positions hinder the development of a solid and long‐lasting student‐academic staff relationship

Large first year classes are a barrier to developing a group identity

Very large first year classes mean that students only meet people later in the degree once they [are] put into small groups (Table 1, facilitator summary)

Courses with low contact hours are likely to find it harder to build a course community.

Roundtable Event participants identified some ways to help build connected communities from the start of the student journey:

Building relationships between students and teaching staff, which is important for building a sense of belonging and community, “more so than any facilities’ development”

Offering more continuing staff positions to support the development of long‐term relationships between staff and students

Building a sense of belonging and a connected community from the program level, so that students want to come to campus to mix with their peers and friends right from the start of their UQ experience.

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Lifelong connections can be facilitated through an engaged alumni

A key theme that emerged across Roundtable Event discussions was the importance of UQ developing educated and employable students. In relation to this challenge, it was felt that a connected community would offer lifelong guidance and learning to students in their future careers and enable a “smooth transition to workforce autonomy”.

Tables that raised this issue focused on the role of alumni, covering the following points:

Alumni are a key aspect to developing a connected community, particularly in view of their direct links with industry, but also in developing students with vital skills for the workplace

There needs to be more collaboration and more sharing of ideas between students, staff, industry and alumni (Table 6, facilitator summary)

Access to the UQ St Lucia campus is an obstacle for the outside community, including alumni and industry.

Suggestions for encouraging alumni participation in the UQ community included alumni guest lectures, annual alumni sporting events, alumni mentoring, asking alumni to donate time rather than money, and celebrating UQ alumni.

Sticky campuses should be attractive to students and alumni

Many Roundtable Event participants see that a vibrant campus will attract students, and that building sticky campuses will help develop connected communities and a sense of belonging.

Ten out of the thirteen tables at the event had discussions about the UQ campuses ‐ their physical buildings and space as well as the services and extracurricular activities offered. Suggestions on how to make UQ campuses more vibrant to both students and alumni include:

Host more community events, music, sports, culture and festivals

Attract more commercial businesses that are of higher quality, offering services year‐long and employing more students

Develop student accommodation on campus to help attract businesses, and include options for those students not based on campus to live there

Partner with businesses to share spaces

Develop the role of alumni (as discussed above)

Offer more parking, cheaper parking and better transport links

Provide more informal 24‐hour student spaces, with power sockets and coffee

Allocate spaces for student associations to host employer engagement meetings

Engage with students as to why they do not currently access campus services.

Build a one stop urban village and student hub with accommodation, food, shopping, and study areas (Table 7, facilitator summary)

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2. BEST PRACTICE PEDAGOGIES: The value of active learning in the digital age (Green Paper, Challenge 5)

Across the Roundtable Event discussions, there was widespread support for UQ to embrace this challenge. Participants support high impact, active learning, and integration with online learning to accommodate students’ needs and incorporating best‐practice pedagogies across every program.

UQ needs to make sure that all students have the opportunity to experience active lectures and in-class activities, where students prepare in advance and are ready to actively engage with each other and their

teachers to solve problems in class (Table 10, facilitator summary)

During Roundtable Event discussions, there was considerable overlap between the challenge of Best Practice Pedagogies and strategies articulated in relation to three other challenges in the Green Paper:

1. Flexible Learning – in particular, the concept of flexible course delivery through online and other modes

2. Staffing Profile – building staff capabilities to deliver on the promise of best practice teaching

3. Innovative Education – as further detailed in the next section.

Best practice pedagogies vary by discipline and student cohort

Roundtable Event discussions frequently indicated there is no one approach to best practice in terms of pedagogy. Participants noted:

The need for teachers to have the flexibility to adapt their teaching approaches and methods to their own contexts and students

The need to personalise UQ’s student experience

The need to provide students with the fundamentals of their discipline but also to deliver and develop cutting‐edge and innovative approaches to learning

The success of the flipped classroom model, where it had been adopted in UQ.

Discussion of the Best Practice Pedagogies challenge often covered issues relating to Innovative Education, with crossover issues including:

The need to bring theory and practice closer together to make theory more accessible and relevant to today’s students and employers

The use of industry partners to make study more practical

The development of collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches

Teaching staff requiring an industry and research focus.

Students [need to be’ guided by robust pedagogies to help them develop as independent and creative thinkers with necessary professional and life skills, e.g. collaborative problem-solving to face future

challenges and compete with other graduates for valuable jobs (Table 4, facilitator summary)

These issues are discussed in more detail in the subsequent section on Innovative Education.

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Flexible course delivery is not limited to learning online

The need to deliver flexible courses was identified in some discussions to attract and better accommodate:

Students who work part‐time to pay for their degrees

Students who wish to enrol in UQ’s courses but who work full time

Students who find accessing campus challenging (due to transport or distance).

Roundtable Event discussions often linked Flexible Learning strategies to the Best Practice Pedagogies challenge. Participants noted that online learning offers today’s students’ flexible study options, but active and/or face‐to‐face learning is an important part of the student experience ‐ UQ needs to find the correct balance between offering active learning with teaching staff and their peers, and digital or online learning.

Participants suggested a number of ways to better accommodate students’ needs relating to flexibility including:

Adjusting semesters, an approach which would help UQ attract lifelong learners and“[pick] up a very large, expanding market”

Better enabling part‐time learning

Offering intensive courses

Considering alternative course formats, with links to work experience.

Best practice teaching relies on rewarding teaching excellence

Roundtable Event participants broadly felt that if UQ is to deliver Best Practice Pedagogies then the University needs to support teaching staff to develop best practice pedagogical and technological skills, as well as attract ‐ and appropriately reward to retain ‐ the best teaching staff.

Discussions identified the following barriers to delivering Best Practice Pedagogies:

Failing to reward teaching appropriately, and thereby failing to attract and retain the best staff. Staff moving due to unattractive salaries or casual positions was a “significant impediment in some areas of the university”

Creating too many casual staff positions and large teaching classes at the detriment of the student experience, relationship development and learning

Developing teaching staff who are often discipline experts, but not teaching experts.

Expertise is recognised but teaching skills?...[We have] great academics but [we’re] not making enough of them…We’re recruiting the best researchers, but [not] best teachers (Table 8, facilitator summary)

The following solutions to providing Best Practice Pedagogies included:

Providing greater financial and other incentives to recognise and reward outstanding teachers, including rewards for lecturers who want to focus on research into their own teaching practice, rather than discipline.

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Ultimately, it is not about a prescriptive approach to best practice but rather an issue of enhancing and supporting teachers’ motivation and effort, along with providing decent salaries and financial rewards for

great teaching (Table 10, facilitator summary)

Professionalising higher education staff or providing greater incentives for academic staff to take up teaching and develop their teaching skills

50% of energy should be focused at enhancing teaching – [UQ] should put emphasis on teaching (Table 11, facilitator summary)

Partnering and working with industry experts either to become guest lecturers or teaching staff with frontline or recent workplace experience. UQ teaching staff should be up‐to‐date with industry developments and approaches.

3. INNOVATIVE EDUCATION: An innovative education that prepares graduates for unpredictable futures (Green Paper, Challenge 1)

Roundtable Event participants clearly agree that UQ needs to adapt to the demands of a knowledge society to work creatively and innovatively for its students. They typically saw an Innovative Education as important because the future is unknown and unpredictable.

Participants generally felt that UQ’s current courses and programs need to adapt to the changing world, and a greater focus on critical, practical, transferable skills is needed.

Static knowledge is not enough. Discipline specific knowledge is not enough. Graduates need skills to cope with change and the rapid [sic] new knowledge generation (Table 6, facilitator summary)

Innovation can occur through interdisciplinary learning

Many tables noted that students need to learn interdisciplinary skills if they are to be well equipped to meet emerging global challenges that do not recognise disciplinary boundaries.

Participants widely accepted the idea that the application of different ways of thinking, of different disciplines, and of different theories to a range of problems leads to innovative and new solutions to tackling them. Interdisciplinary learning was related to the shared view that students need to learn critical thinking, problem‐based learning, and problem‐solving to meet these new challenges.

Key points in the discussions on the challenge of Innovative Education:

Alumni have found the ability to move between disciplines invaluable. One UQ alumni described how he had resented having to accommodate Arts into his study at the time “but is seeing the value now, as it is bringing new changes in attitudes and work ability”

It is important to develop emotional or social skills that equip students with the confidence and ability to understand and question context

Research‐intensive education encourages innovation and UQ could do more to capitalise on its research expertise

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The intellect is there but employers, industry, the University and students need to be thinking about how students can contribute to new thinking. Research methods can be used in everyday work, irrespective of the discipline or field. Employers want to see that graduates are critical thinkers and innovators. The skills

developed through research are a really important part of this (Table 6, facilitator summary)

Many students are attracted to UQ due to its research reputation but UQ needs to ensure all students have the opportunity to be connected to this research expertise and innovation. This could be achieved by:

Offering more research placements

Making research projects integral in student’s learning (e.g. the undergraduate thesis).

Embedding workplace skills and knowledge application is important

The Green Paper’s discussion of WIL was also broadly supported by Roundtable Event participants, and the need to embed industry partners and work experience into student learning was frequently mentioned across table discussions.

[UQ’s] industry partnerships need to provide a context-specific education to [its] students, i.e. students need to understand what is required of them in the workplace (Table 10, facilitator summary)

The University needs to consider how graduates can impact on industry and bring more knowledge and competencies with them into the workplace. The University should be facilitating this by providing students

with the opportunity to engage with industry earlier on in their program. Employers and industry want and need research for different reasons, but what is valued across the board are the competencies learnt

through research (Table 6, facilitator summary)

Participants gave the following examples of ways to embed these skills into the student experience:

Learning from the Ideas Hub in EAIT, which encourages students to innovate through working with industry‐based collaborators

Applying innovation lab approaches like those at Queensland University of Technology and Melbourne University, which have entrepreneurs‐in‐residence to help inspire students and learn from real life experience

Providing more workplace experiences and/or study experiences abroad to help prepare students for the increasingly globalised world, by providing insight into new ways of thinking and working, as well as equipping them to effectively manage work with other peoples, cultures, and countries.

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Future Vision: The UQ student experience in 2026

The overall findings from the Roundtable Event demonstrate general agreement from UQ’s key stakeholders that UQ is facing the challenges outlined in the Green Paper. No notable objections were made to the Green Paper’s proposals, and the table discussions covered many issues with relevance to all of the challenges.

When asked for their views on what they would like UQ to be known for in 2026, Roundtable Event participants mostly reinforced or summarised the key themes they outlined in relation to the challenges.

The following key themes emerged as key characteristics of UQ’s future vision, as conceptualised by Roundtable Event participants:

A vibrant on‐campus community, with the UQ campuses as a “selling point” and online learning and remote contact as a complement to the physical space. The campus could be made more vibrant through:

o hosting evening events; o leveraging student projects to initiate events and activities o establishing interdisciplinary “collectives” with all students, staff and alumni o career counselling services.

Fostering an active role for alumni, who are seen as key to creating a lifelong UQ community

Building partnerships with industry and government, including having industry representatives physically based on campus or delivering lectures

Establishing a unique selling point that provides UQ with a focus to differentiate the University from other institutions: “UQ cannot be all things to all men” [sic] and should seek to take a distinctive position.

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Open Online Forum results

KEY FINDINGS

In response to the Open Online Forum consultation, all stakeholder groups – UQ Community (Alumni), UQ Students, and UQ Staff – viewed enhancing opportunities for Staff‐Student Links as a top priority action for the UQ Student Strategy.

All respondent groups except UQ Staff (Academic) prioritised WIL Partnerships as the most important strategy for implementation. For UQ Staff (Academic), this strategy ranked as their third most important priority. A number of respondents suggest actioning this strategy through increased engagement with UQ alumni.

UQ Staff (Academic) rate Staff Recognition the most important strategy for implementation. This strategy was rated second by UQ Community (Alumni) and third by UQ Staff (Professional), while UQ Student respondents did not select this strategy as a top priority at all.

All respondent groups except UQ Staff (Academic) feel that the Assessment Frameworks strategy should be prioritised by UQ to enhance the student experience.

UQ Students and UQ Community (Alumni) see Research Experiences as a top priority strategy but this is not similarly valued by UQ Staff.

By contrast, UQ Staff (both Academic and Professional) view Blended Learning as a priority strategy, yet UQ Students and UQ Community (Alumni) do not see this as most important.

All respondent groups except UQ Staff (Professional) position Mentoring & Networks as a priority strategy.

Only UQ Student respondents consider that Vibrant Ecosystems and Transport should be priority strategies for inclusion in the UQ Student Strategy.

This report sets out the key findings from the Green Paper’s Open Online Forum consultation, which ran from 22 October to 11 December and received a total of 110 responses from the following groups:

UQ Community (Alumni)

Alumni graduated less than five years ago (n=31) Alumni graduated more than five years ago (n=2)

UQ Students

Domestic (n=16) o Undergraduate (n=5) o Postgraduate (n=11)

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International (n=4) o Undergraduate (n=1) o Postgraduate (n=3)

UQ Staff

Academic (n=20) Professional (n=29) Other (n=3)

An additional five responses were also received from the following:

Representative of a UQ group or association (n=2) Parent of a UQ student (n=1) Not specified (n=2)

These additional responses have not been included due to small numbers preventing meaningful analysis.

Respondents were invited to provide feedback via an unmoderated online platform. They completed a template feedback form that prompted them to respond to the 19 strategies set out in the Green Paper. These strategies are ways to address the nine overarching challenges facing the University as it seeks to enhance the UQ student experience.

In the context of the Open Online Forum consultation process, respondents:

prioritised their Top 5 Strategies; and identified their Lowest 3 Strategies.

Open Online Forum findings are analysed and presented by target respondent group so that their responses can be compared and contrasted. However, there are some inconsistencies in the Open Online Forum data. Not all respondents identified a total of five priority strategies or three lower priority strategies. Some respondents did not identify any priorities at all, preferring to provide only general feedback on the Green Paper, and other respondents did not provide reasons for their choices. The resulting analysis is broadly indicative of total respondent feedback, noting variability in respondent engagement with all aspects of the feedback form.

This chapter:

1. Identifies those strategies most commonly identified as Top 5 Strategies and Lowest 3 Strategies by Open Online Forum respondents (Strategies), and considers why they have been selected, where relevant data is available

2. Summarises the vision for the UQ student experience as conceptualised by Open Online Forum participants in their general comments submitted online (Future Vision).

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Respondents to the Open Online Forum consultation were asked to nominate their Top 5 Strategies and their Lowest 3 Strategies from the 19 outlined in the Green Paper. The strategies were not ranked in order of priority.

The total nominations for each strategy have been collated to demonstrate the amount of relative support for implementation. This feedback is intended to help inform the most desirable focus areas for future activity by UQ.

When taken as a whole, the analysis indicates:

each strategy nominated as a Top 5 Strategy by Open Online Forum respondents, representing activities most preferred for implementation; and

those strategies nominated as a Lowest 3 Strategy by Open Online Forum respondents, representing activities least preferred for implementation.

The following section explores and compares feedback across respondent groups, with a view to identifying shared priorities and divergences in opinion.

Strategies: Overall views on priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience

Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience, by respondent group

A total of nine strategies were regarded as top priorities by all respondent groups. These strategies are set out in the chart below, with a breakdown by stakeholder group to indicate the relative value attributed by UQ Community (Alumni), UQ Students, UQ Staff (Academic), and UQ Staff (Professional) respectively.

Figure 38 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – all respondents – percentage of total nominations

22%

7%8%

6%7%

10%

8%

3%3%

14%

7%

12%

4%

7%

3%

9%7% 7%

9% 9%

2%

11%

4%

14%

7%

5%

4%

13%

8%

3%

8% 8%7%

3%

6%

1%

WILpartnerships

Staff-studentlinks

Researchexperiences

Blendedlearning

Assessmentframeworks

Staffrecognition

Mentors &networks

Vibrantecosystems

Transportoptions

UQ Community (Alumni) UQ Students UQ Staff (Academic) UQ Staff (Professional)

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KEY FINDINGS

There was support for Staff‐Student Links as a top priority strategy across all groups.

All groups except UQ Staff (Academic) determined WIL Partnerships as their top priority strategy. For UQ Staff (Academic), this strategy was their third top priority when nominations from this stakeholder group were taken as a whole.

UQ Staff (Academic) considered Staff Recognition as their top priority strategy. UQ Community (Alumni) selected this strategy as their second top priority and UQ Staff (Professional) saw it as their third top priority. UQ Student respondents did not select this strategy as a top priority.

All groups except UQ Staff (Academic) felt that Assessment Frameworks is a strategy UQ should prioritise to enhance the student experience.

UQ Students and UQ Community (Alumni) supported Research Experiences as a top priority strategy; however, UQ Staff did not prioritise this strategy.

UQ Staff (both Academic and Professional) prioritised Blended Learning as a top strategy, but UQ Students and UQ Community (Alumni) did not consider this a top priority.

Unlike the other groups of respondents, UQ Staff (Professional) did not consider Mentoring & Networks to be a strategy UQ should prioritise.

Only UQ Student respondents prioritised Vibrant Ecosystems and Transport Options as top priorities.

Least important strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience, by respondent group

A total of five strategies were viewed as lower order priorities by all stakeholder groups. In addition, Vibrant Ecosystems and Transport feature in both the Priority Strategies and the Less Important Strategies, reflecting a divergence of opinion between UQ Students and UQ Staff in particular on this issue.

Figure 39 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – all respondents – percentage of total nominations

8%

10% 10%

14%

10% 10%

12%

18%

11% 11%

9%

7%

0%

4%6%

17%

9%

6%

3% 3%

9%

3%

11%

14%

3%

5%

2%

19%

Graduateattributes

Year-roundcalendar

Signaturelearning

Integratedservices

Multi-functionalspaces

Vibrantecosystems

Transportoptions

UQ Community (Alumni) UQ Students UQ Staff (Academic) UQ Staff (Professional)

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KEY FINDINGS

With the exception of UQ Staff (Professional), the Year‐Round Calendar was considered a low priority by all stakeholder groups.

Signature Learning was one of the Lowest 3 Strategies for UQ Students, UQ Community (Alumni) and UQ Staff (Professional).

UQ Student respondents were the only group to consider Graduate Attributes one of their Lowest 3 Strategies.

UQ Staff (Professional) and UQ Community (Alumni) felt that Transport was not a high priority strategy, despite it being highly valued by UQ Students.

Only the UQ Community (Alumni) respondent group deemed Integrated Services, Multi‐Functional Spaces and Vibrant Ecosystems as low priority strategies.

UQ Community (Alumni) Voice: What are their top priority strategies and why?

The Open Online Forum consultation process was a key opportunity to engage UQ Community in relation to the Green Paper. UQ Community respondents were predominantly alumni, and the content analysis in this section reflects the feedback of respondents who identified as graduates of UQ.

There were a total of 33 UQ Community (Alumni) respondents; 31 graduated less than 5 years ago and 2 graduated more than 5 years ago. Given the small number of alumni that graduated over 5 years ago, the two groups are considered as one for the purpose of analysis.

UQ Community (Alumni) respondents see building partnerships with industry and government as a priority strategy for the University in enhancing the UQ student experience. This strategy received more than twice the nominations (n=26) in the Open Online Forum than any other strategy valued by alumni.

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Figure 40 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Community (Alumni) – total nominations

Figure 41 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Community (Alumni) - percentage of total nominations

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Six strategies received the most support from alumni respondents as a whole:


2. Staff Recognition (12 nominations, 10.1%)

3. Mentors & Networks (10 nominations, 8.4%).

4. Research Experiences (9 nominations, 7.6%).

5. Staff‐Student Links (8 nominations, 6.7%).

6. Assessment Frameworks (8 nominations, 6.7%).


Approximately one‐fifth of UQ Community (Alumni) responses (21.8%) support building partnerships with industry and government as a top priority strategy. Respondents most commonly cited students’ employability, future job prospects, and career opportunities as the reason for this, with work experience believed to be integral to students’ success.

UQ Community (Alumni) made a range of informative comments in relation to the WIL Partnerships strategy, including reflections on their own student experience and subsequent career.

UQ Community (Alumni) said that practical experience and applying theory to practice is important to employers and is regarded above a university’s reputation

WIL also:

o builds students’ confidence o better prepares students for the workplace and gives them an understanding

of their future profession o facilitates the learning process o helps them learn to innovate to overcome real work problems.

One UQ Community (Alumni) respondent said it would have been useful, as an international student, if UQ had facilitated work experience opportunities during his period of study

A UQ Community (Alumni) respondent hopes to see UQ further integrate with industry, either through work placements for students or by supporting industry to provide input into the content of degrees

One respondent felt UQ was at the “bottom of the ladder” in terms of work experience and that this is hindering UQ students competing in the “ever‐diminishing” job market.

“Now that I have graduated, I realise employers may overlook the school name and go straight into experiences. They will look at what relevant activities I had involved myself with

that would help me ease into the work environment…

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I think it is time UQ sees this as a compulsory component and help facilitate this process by collaborating with industries to make this a reality” (Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

“Knowledge will be best put to use when students encounter real world problems” (Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

2. STAFF RECOGNITION: Value the pursuit of teaching excellence across UQ through recognition and reward that considers the aspirations and commitment of our teaching staff

Alumni respondents who saw recognising and rewarding teaching as a top priority strategy (n=12) gave the following justification:

Excellent teaching is a building block of a world class institution and employing the best teachers will help UQ maintain its reputation

Appropriate recognition and reward motivates staff to excel in teaching and attracts high quality teachers.

3. MENTORS & NETWORKS: Leverage the talent and commitment of students, staff and alumni through mentoring programs and peer‐based networks

A total of ten UQ Community (Alumni) respondents saw value in implementing mentoring programs and peer‐based networks as a strategy to enhance the UQ student experience. Some respondents indicated support for existing UQ mentoring initiatives:

There was positive feedback from respondents who had undertaken mentor programs

“It was inspiring and rewarding to have someone from my target industries with many experiences to provide guidance and suggestions, or even just to chat” (Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

One international alumni felt that peer support was important in helping students from overseas in particular to adapt to student life and experiences, as well as learn different cultural and social norms

“Participating as a mentor and mentee in programs like UQYAP and UQ Mentoring (Student Services) were one of the best memories I have from university and supported me to achieve my best, feel connected to

others and learn about diversity and acceptance” (Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

UQ Community (Alumni) respondents believe that peers and mentors have helped them to build networks and connections, thereby supporting them to gain post‐study employment.

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4. RESEARCH EXPERIENCES: Extend students’ access to collaborative research experiences that provide quality interaction with UQ’s research and research partners

Like work experience, UQ Community (Alumni) shared positive feedback on research experiences during their study (n=9), seeing the Research Experiences strategy as important in enhancing UQ’s student experience and noting that collaborative research:

Drives world‐class research and innovation

Allows students to have further exposure to current thinking in their field

Supports students to establish where any gaps in industry knowledge exist.

The overall view of UQ Community (Alumni) is that there are currently not sufficient collaborative research opportunities offered at UQ, and this emerged as a priority area for improvement in their Open Online Forum feedback.

5. STAFF‐STUDENT LINKS: Create opportunities for students to collaborate with staff in learning, leadership and outreach

UQ alumni (n=8) drew on their personal experiences, interpreting the Staff‐Student Links strategy as important because most jobs involve working in multidisciplinary teams. They consider that collaboration between staff and students will help students to learn people skills and to share and apply best practice and learning across disciplines.


UQ Community (Alumni) see assessment as an area that should be reviewed and improved, and this motivated them to priorities the Assessment Frameworks strategy in their Open Online Forum feedback. They raised the following points on this issue:

Assessment should be tailored to students’ future careers and roles

Assessment Frameworks should be designed to help students prepare for their profession in a “more natural manner”

The success of this strategy rests on academics and teaching staff being in touch with industry and real workplaces so they can provide meaningful and authentic tasks to prepare students for their future roles.

“All assessment should be specific to the job that person intends to pursue and should help them build a bank of resources, ideas and processes that they can then use themselves in their workplace”

(Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

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UQ Community (Alumni) Voice: What are their lowest priority strategies and why?

UQ alumni identified a total of six strategies that they saw as less important for implementation.

Figure 42 Less important strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Community (Alumni) - percentage of total nominations

The six strategies that UQ Community (Alumni) respondents were most likely to view as low priorities for implementation were:

1. Integrated Services (7 nominations, 13%)

Feedback suggests there are “plenty of student hubs” already, such as libraries and other popular social network platforms

2. Transport Options (6 nominations, 12%)

Consensus is that transport options are already sufficiently developed and convenient.

3. Year‐Round Calendar (5 nominations, 10%)

Respondents consider it easier to plan around standard semesters: “I think students can get lost if there is too much independence and doing your own thing” (Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission).

4. Signature Learning (5 nominations, 10%)

Respondents do not think there should be one learning model due to diversity amongst students and staff. They see importance in schools and programs being “free” to determine the best methods and structures to reflect diverse needs.

5. Multi‐Functional Spaces (5 nominations, 10%)

One respondent stated that “there are plenty of student spaces” (Alumni respondent, Open Online Forum submission).

6. Vibrant Ecosystems (5 nominations, 10%)

Respondents commented on the quality of UQ’s existing facilities.

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UQ Student Voice: What are their top priority strategies and why?

There were 20 UQ Student respondents engaged through the Open Online Forum consultation:

Domestic (n=16) o Undergraduate (n=5) o Postgraduate (n=11)

International (n=4) o Undergraduate (n=1) o Postgraduate (n=3)

A total of 19 respondents nominated their most favoured areas of activity for UQ moving forward, casting a total of 81 nominations for their priority strategies.

Figure 43 Figure: Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience - UQ Students – total nominations

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Figure 44 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience - UQ Students – percentage of total nominations

The two strategies that received the most support from UQ Student respondents in the Open Online Forum process were:


2. Research Experiences (9 nominations, 11.1%).

Other strategies that featured in student feedback were:

3. Mentors & Networks (7 nominations, 8.6%).



6. Vibrant Ecosystems (6 nominations, 7.4%)

7. Transport Options (6 nominations, 7.4%).


A total of 11 student respondents felt UQ should focus on building partnerships with industry and government, seeing it as critical in helping students in their future careers as it is a direct link to employers.

Students saw that implementing this strategy would:

Provide students with experience in the real working environment

Help students stand out from other candidates in interviews and prepare them for interview questions

Help students develop industry connections and potentially secure future employment at that workplace.

7%

7%

7%

7%

9%

11%

14%

Transport options

Vibrant ecosystems

Assessment frameworks

Staff-student links

Mentors & networks

Research experiences

WIL partnerships


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“I think that leaving university is a hard step for students who haven't had experience in the field they want to work in. Of course students should be developing opportunities and networking whilst completing their

degree anyway, but I think there is avenue for UQ to be more supportive of this, especially given our vast alumni network” (Student respondent – domestic undergraduate, Open Online Forum submission)

2. RESEARCH EXPERIENCES: Extend students’ access to collaborative research experiences that provide quality interaction with UQ’s research and research partners

UQ Students (n=10) tend to feel that research experiences add value by broadening their experiences, developing their knowledge, and better preparing them for continued research and academic study and careers. They raised the following points on how UQ could enhance its research experiences:

Optimise UQ’s research reputation by enabling more students to access research opportunities

“UQ has a great reputation for research, so it is disappointing that not all students have access to participate in the research…currently there is not enough effort put forward by the university to foster

opportunities… One of the reasons I chose to come to UQ was for the research excellence, but I found that most of the research projects I contributed to turned to be extra-curricular, outside of UQ”

(Student respondent – domestic, undergraduate, Open Online Forum submission)

Offer more short‐term opportunities “as a gateway into research”. Having access to working alongside top researchers, even when carrying out basic functions, helps students better understand what research involves

Develop multi‐disciplinary research opportunities. This would help broaden learning experiences and share and apply best practice from a range of disciplines

Be less prescriptive and let students learn from their own mistakes when carrying out research as this is an important aspect of learning and thinking independently.

3. MENTORS & NETWORKS: Leverage the talent and commitment of students, staff and alumni through mentoring programs and peer‐based networks

Students feel that UQ could do more to support them by developing mentoring programs and peer‐based networks (n=7). They consider this would be a source of support when managing study and their personal lives, as well as a means to open up networking and work opportunities.

The following points were raised in relation to this issue:

Learning from those who have been through the same experience is invaluable, and considered particularly useful for first year and Honours students

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University life can be lonely and guidance on the student experience would be useful: “Having somebody to talk ideas and uncertainties with would be highly valuable” (Student respondent, Open Online Forum submission).

“I've been very fortunate to have organically developed several mentor relationships with senior academic staff (who also have a strong industry presence) here at UQ -- I know how beneficial this has been to my

learning experience and career prospects. I would love to see a more active and accessible platform for this networking and relationship-building at UQ, so that more students can benefit from the unique advantages

these sorts of opportunities offer” (Student respondent – domestic undergraduate, Open Online Forum submission)


Students who identified Staff‐Student Links as top priority (n=6) felt that it was essential for developing skills and networks across a variety of disciplines, which is viewed as important to success in their future careers.

Specific points students raised about Staff‐Student Links included:

UQ students are from a range of countries and cultures and collaboration would help students understand and benefit from different perspectives and learn new skills and approaches

RHD students in particular do not have the opportunities to collaborate with UQ staff across schools and institutes

Cross‐disciplinary collaboration opportunities would add value.

“We are given plenty of chances to collaborate with those in our degree, however, I believe that it would be a valuable experience to have the opportunity to collaborate with those outside of our degree. This would

simulate an environment similar to that in the workforce” (Student respondent - domestic undergraduate, Open Online Forum submission)


Students who are concerned about current assessment practices (n=6), raised the following issues:

More feedback would be useful throughout studies, to help improve students’ future assessment outcomes and study methods

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Assessment should be more than just exams but tied to real world situations and experiences

A generic approach to assessment should be avoided, and assessment should be tailored to courses and programs

Assessment approach should be regularly reviewed.

“All assessment should be constantly evaluated to ensure that it matches the course and is realistic according to the job fields that each course might lead into; in order to ensure that each assessment piece is

beneficial to students” (Student respondent – domestic postgraduate, Open Online Forum submission)

6. VIBRANT ECOSYSTEMS: Transform all campuses into vibrant living and learning ecosystems – including St Lucia and Gatton based residential complexes and commercial services – that promote and sustain an energising student experience

Six students selected Vibrant Ecosystems as a top priority, but few substantiated their reasons. Those students that did elaborate went on to explain that a wider range of facilities or better facilities were needed on campus, including weekend and after‐hours services. This would encourage them to attend campus and lectures more often.

“The more things I could do on campus, the more time I would spend on campus. This would make it easier to focus on my studies, but also to enjoy the campus life, make me feel attached to the uni, and want to

contribute to its activities” (Student respondent – domestic postgraduate, Open Online Forum submission)

7. TRANSPORT OPTIONS: Find sustainable, convenient and cost‐effective transport options for UQ campuses

Amongst students who identified Transport Options as a top priority (n=6), there was broad consensus that the lack of parking, the cost of parking, the cost of public transport, and restrictive public transport timetables can prevent them from attending lectures; students then skip class and/or access lectures online at home.

“I know many students who would like to go to university classes, but instead stay home to watch online recordings because the access to car parks is so scarce at UQ,

especially given that the vast majority of students do not have a parking permit” (Student respondent – domestic undergraduate, Open Online Forum submission)

“During my undergraduate degree, if I was running late I wouldn't bother going to uni [sic] all together because I knew I wouldn't get a park and would have to park 3km away from campus and walk”

(Student respondent - domestic postgraduate, Open Online Forum submission)

One respondent suggested connecting the rail system to the university campuses.

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UQ Student Voice: What are their lowest priority strategies and why?

Fewer UQ Student respondents selected their lowest priority strategies (n=16), compared to their top priority strategies. This could indicate general acceptance of the strategies in the Green Paper and/or lack of engagement with the strategies provided.

Amongst the students who did select their Lowest 3 Strategies, relatively few gave reasons for their choices. However, there was some feedback about difficulties understanding the proposed UQ Student Strategy and the language used in the Green Paper.

Figure 45 Less important strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Students - percentage of total nominations

Where lower order strategies were identified, they were:

1. Graduate Attributes (8 nominations, 18%)

One UQ Student respondent explained attributes should be continually updated so they are contemporary and in focus, but this is seen as routine practice and not a priority area for the UQ Student Strategy.

2. Year‐Round Calendar (5 nominations, 11%)

There was much support for the current academic calendar, making this strategy a low priority. UQ Students like the summer holidays, which offer them a chance to refresh and catch up with hobbies and families. They consider the current calendar has sufficient flexibility to accommodate internships, research experiences and overseas experiences.


This was considered to be a “vague” strategy, without much substance – it was not clear how it would be applied.

11%

11%

18%

Signature learning

Year-round calendar

Graduate Attributes

as percentage of total nominations (n=45)

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UQ Staff (Academic): What are their top priority strategies and why?

A total of 52 UQ Staff responded to the Online Forum consultation, and 20 identified as Academic (38%). This section deals specifically with the responses of UQ Staff (Academic).

There was breadth of interest from UQ Staff (Academic) in the strategies outlined in the Green Paper. This respondent group identified 16 of the 19 strategies outlined in the Green Paper as top priority strategies, with the chart below showing the spread of nominations they gave for each.

Consistent with the nature of engagement by many UQ Staff (Academic) with the University as educators, their priority strategies are strongly linked to building capacity for enhanced teaching and learning experiences.

Figure 46 Figure: Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Academic) – total nominations

Figure 47 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Academic) – percentage of nominations

9%

9%

9%

11%

14%

New staff capabilities

Staff-student links

WIL partnerships

Blended learning

Staff recognition


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The five strategies most likely to be prioritised by UQ Staff (Academic) through the Open Online Forum consultation were:

1. Staff Recognition (8 nominations, 14%).

2. Blended Learning (6 nominations, 10.5%).



5. New Staff Capabilities (5 nominations, 8.8%).


UQ Staff (Academic) most frequently considered recognising and rewarding teaching as a top priority strategy to enhance the UQ student experience. They provided the following reasons for its prioritisation:

UQ is a research‐intensive institution and has thereby focused on rewarding and recognising research, not teaching; incentives need to be put in place to encourage academic staff to teach and attract high quality teaching staff

The promotion system in particular recognises and rewards research achievements, not teaching achievements

There is a high level of casual or contract teaching staff, which hinders teaching innovation and course review

Teaching quality is not appropriately measured.

“We won't see significant improvements in teaching and learning unless the incentives are there to make it happen” (Academic staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

“Until UQ’s promotion systems truly values teaching, the majority of staff will do the bare minimum. It is clear that the only real measure is research output, and scant lip service is given to quality teaching. You can have below average teaching and good research and get promoted. If you have excellent teaching and

average research you will not be promoted” (Academic staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

“At present UQ gives credit to good research workers who publish in high impact factor journals and bring in lots of research grant money. Therefore most professors think research is more important than teaching”

(Academic staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

2. BLENDED LEARNING: Incorporate best‐practice blended learning pedagogies across every program

UQ Staff (Academic) see value in introducing best‐practice blended learning pedagogies (n=6), anticipating that they will:

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Assist with addressing the growing pressure on physical space

Introduce flexibility to UQ’s programs and courses

Facilitate UQ’s move from a low tech to high tech institution

Support better learning and feedback experiences.

“The needs of students have changed and they are seeking greater time flexibility and blended learning offers that pathway” (Academic staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

Respondents did note, however, that implementation will require significant investment and resources, particularly given limitations in UQ’s current technological capacity.

One respondent also noted that Blended Learning might be a broad characteristic of a UQ signature learning model:

“Blended learning offers UQ the opportunity to develop a 'signature learning model'. The development of this model should maintain the 'High Touch' approach that draws students to UQ and then blend this with 'High

Tech' which UQ has not as developed as well as other universities that have diversified to distance education. The 'High touch' draws on active learning, engaging students as they learn by doing.

Incorporation of employability skills within the course material is essential as this will assist our graduates to become workforce ready. The High Tech provides students with more flexibility with their time as all

engagement does not need to take place on campus” (Academic staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)


UQ Staff (Academic) view WIL Partnerships as a priority strategy for implementation (n= 5), but it receives relatively less support when compared to other respondent groups. There was limited feedback from academic respondents on why this strategy was important, although lack of workplace experience was cited as an impediment to students getting a job.

One UQ Staff (Academic) respondent noted UQ’s relationship with the Queensland Department of Health as a constructive example, explaining that the Department’s staff deliver most of the teaching in the clinical years of the UQ medical program and this is a significant partnership for the University. However, the respondent also felt that UQ needs to develop better relations with Queensland Department of Health staff and a “real” partnership with the organisation.


Those academic staff respondents who selected Staff‐Student Links as a top priority strategy highlighted the following ways UQ might create more opportunities for students to collaborate with its staff:

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Social media: UQ should consider how to incorporate students’ high use of social media to engage with them and to hear their feedback and views on a range of relevant issues

Varied course delivery methods: UQ should engage with students on what are the best methods or balance of methods, including online, face‐to‐face and practical workplace or research experiences

Cross‐disciplinary activities

“Students are more committed and engaged when they work together. There are areas within courses, Schools, Faculties and Universities that could share common knowledge and resources, i.e. technology

related learning resources, effectively using everyday technologies like Google, etc.” (Academic staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

5. NEW STAFF CAPABILITIES: Invest in new staffing capacity and capabilities – including innovative educational technologies and learning design to complement and support existing expertise

For UQ Staff (Academic), investing in staffing is a high level priority (n=5), with the primary drivers being building UQ capacity for teaching activity. Key points from their feedback include:

There is a shortage of staff in many areas of the university, particularly in teaching staff who deliver “foundation disciplines”

Very few academic staff have any formal, or even informal, training as teachers

All teaching staff should have an understanding of “modern pedagogy” and professional teaching approaches.

UQ Staff (Academic): What are their lowest priority strategies and why?

One predominant strategy was chosen by academic staff respondents as the lowest priority strategy: the Year‐Round Calendar.

Six UQ Staff (Academic) respondents considered this to be a low order priority, and it received 17% of total nominations for the Lowest 3 Strategies (n=35).

The Year‐Round Calendar is considered a lesser priority strategy by academic staff for a range of reasons:

The current academic year allows students and staff to pursue other activities, including vacations

There is sufficient flexibility to accommodate students’ needs, which is not yet being optimised.

This would not be logistically possible as there are some courses with very few experts to cover teaching if the suggested changes were made.

The current system allows students and staff time to recover, reflect and consolidate.

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There are many study areas where learning is sequential.

No other strategy received more than three nominations from UQ Staff (Academic) to position it as less important for implementation.

UQ Staff (Professional): What are their top priority strategies and why?

A total of 29 professional staff members responded to the Green Paper’s Open Online Forum consultation. All but one strategy received a UQ Staff (Professional) nomination as a Top 5 Priority Strategy.

There were a total of 119 nominations for the Top 5 Priority Strategies from 26 respondents.

The only strategy that was not seen as a priority by any respondents was Signature Learning.

Figure 48 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Professional) – total nominations

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Figure 49 Priority strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Professional) – percentage of nominations

The five strategies that received the most nominations from UQ Staff (Professional) were:



3. Blended Learning (9 nominations, 7.6%).


5. Staff Recognition (8 nominations, 6.8%).


Building partnerships with industry and government was a clear top priority strategy for UQ Staff (Professional), receiving 12.7% of total nominations.

This was judged to be a top priority in enhancing the student experience at UQ for the following reasons:

WIL and workplace partnerships provide “onsite”, “practical” and “real‐world” experience where students have the opportunity to apply theory and knowledge in practice

Employers seek to recruit students with work experience and this strategy will make UQ students more employable, confident, and prepared for interviews as well as more aware of what to expect from their future profession or role. This is increasingly important given more graduates are finding it hard to obtain work

It helps students build industry contacts and networks, useful when seeking employment

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“It is vital for graduates to have as much real work-place experience as possible in their chosen field before they graduate. Not only to broaden their skill set but to ensure that they have a realistic idea of the reality of

working in their chosen field before entering the work-force on a full-time basis” (Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

UQ needs input from industry partners and government to ensure qualifications meet future employment requirements

Offering WIL will make UQ more competitive amongst its peers in terms of attracting students who are job‐focused

It is not clear what internships are available and what numbers of students can access these opportunities at UQ.


Feedback on why this strategy was important to enhancing the student experience incorporated a range of different perspectives:

UQ needs to do more to engage with students to find out their views, needs and aspirations to ensure it is best equipped to provide for them and to maintain its position as a top institute

“This will be one of the single biggest culture changes at UQ that will allow us to find out what the students want and be seen to respond. The University of Queensland does not currently routinely and consistently

seek feedback and engage with students across the broad range of touchpoints affecting the Student Experience” (Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

“How will we best know what the expectations and needs of students are if we don't partner them? Building consultative relationships with the student body to design authentic learning experiences simply cannot go

wrong. Expanding the culture of UQ to build in an expectation of regular feedback loops in everything we do, and being responsive to it, will soon spread a very positive vibe through the community, and this will be

reflected in the Good Universities Guide and other formal feedback mechanisms” (Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

“Gathering the thoughts and opinions of students is important as UQ needs to understand that the students are the most influential stakeholder and client and the success of the institution relies on the satisfaction of

the students” (Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

UQ should facilitate deeper engagement between international and domestic students, and thereby benefit both cohorts through the sharing of linguistic skills, cultures and perspectives

Collaboration helps the development of multidisciplinary skills and networks and contacts, which is useful with regard to future careers

Staff‐student collaboration helps create change and supports creativity.

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3. BLENDED LEARNING: Incorporate best‐practice blended learning pedagogies across every program

Like academic staff, UQ Staff (Professional) ranked Blended Learning as a Top 5 Strategy and considered it to be the “core business” of the University.

UQ Staff (Professional) consider that if UQ successfully implements this strategy across all programs, it will help meet the objectives of other strategies within the Green Paper. For example, by offering different study methods, blended learning helps provide students with some flexibility to accommodate their other commitments and needs and resolve any difficulties they have with travelling to campus.

The following related points were raised by those respondents who selected this strategy:

Blended Learning is closely linked to recognising and rewarding teaching staff. UQ should support teaching staff who wish to develop their teaching skills.

Programs and courses should be continually reviewed and improved.

Flipped classrooms can free up physical space on campus and time on campus for students and also enable more face‐to‐face teaching sessions with staff in smaller classes where students can ask questions and demonstrate their learning.

Blended learning options help accommodate the range of students’ preferences and needs for learning methods.

One respondent reflected on their personal skills and knowledge to propose specific activities in support of this strategy, suggesting application of the Agile Career Strategy ‐ an iterative process that requires students to lead their career development in partnership with the University and will be piloted in 2016 through a peer education model.


UQ Staff (Professional) valued the Green Paper’s position on Assessment Frameworks as being able to “transform the learning experience” at UQ.

Other points made by respondents relating to assessment include:

Assessment must be a student's own work and it is necessary to consider whether online assessment is affecting this.

More assessment should be related to class attendance and course engagement.

Students should receive feedback early in their course so they can gauge how they are progressing.

Assessment tasks should be more relevant and accessible.

Not all students perform well in time‐limited exam situations and therefore different assessment methods gives these students the opportunity to show what they know.

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Professional staff could support academics and help develop and deliver “systematic and fair” feedback.

“For students assessment is always important - it is what they first look at when they enrol in a course. It is also important because it is how the students themselves learn so course design and learning design need

to gel well. Authentic assessment / tasks can be formative and students may need to be educated into recognising that formative feedback is vital to their learning rather than automatically asking "Does this

count?". By a student's sixth semester they should be able to design their own assessment if they are taking part in capstone courses and this should be negotiated with the academic staff. If throughout their university

career students are always encouraged to reflect on their learning then they should be mature enough to help design their assessment by third year” (Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)


UQ Staff (Professional) also value Staff Recognition as a high priority strategy area for UQ, and this is consistent with their academic counterparts. Respondents said:

Further recognition and reward of teaching excellence will attract the best academics, and this in turn this will provide students with a greater learning experience.

UQ is research focused and recognises and rewards progress and achievements relating to research. On the other hand, excellent teaching holds limited value, attracts little reward and has no promotion incentives, yet it is highly valued by students.

“There is not enough recognition for teachers being great at their job and too much focus on having to complete research papers to develop their teaching careers. We expect teachers at school to have a

teaching background, but at University there is no teaching qualification required. Just because a person may be brilliant at research, this does not translate to them being fantastic at teaching”

(Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

Academics should have a teaching degree so they know how to best deliver content, manage classrooms, and professionally assess their students ‐ or UQ should provide them with opportunities to continually build on teaching skills.

Motivated, engaged, and interested teaching staff translate into motivated, engaged, and interested students.

“We need more motivation for academics to improve their teaching skills and more rewards for academics who are excellent teachers. Students who feel inspired to learn will be engaged and will do

better with the courses” (Professional staff respondent, Open Online Forum submission)

Improving UQ’s reputation for teaching will attract more students and with greater diversity.

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UQ Staff (Professional): What are their lowest priority strategies and why?

UQ Staff (Professional) most frequently selected the same Lowest 3 Strategies as academic staff and provided more feedback on why they were low priorities.

Figure 50 Less important strategies for enhancing the UQ student experience – UQ Staff (Professional) - percentage of total nominations

The three strategies most likely to be considered lower order priorities by UQ Staff (Professional) participating in the Open Online Forum consultation were:

1. Transport Options (7 nominations, 19%)

Respondents considered existing provision to be sufficient. Further points included:

Reviewing academic timetabling could limit the frequency students must travel to campus.

UQ can lobby for better transport links, but ultimately it is the Council’s decision.

St Lucia and Gatton campuses might have differences in transport links.

2. Vibrant Ecosystems (6 nominations, 16%)

Respondents reported that UQ campuses were already “beautiful”. They see them as a strength which should continue to be maintained but cite targeted improvements as requiring significant funds that could be spent on better things.


The chief concern about this strategy is that it implies a “one‐size‐fits‐all” approach, which is seen as unsuitable for UQ’s array of programs and courses. Respondents said:

Programs need to differentiate themselves through their learning models

Academics need to apply creativity to the teaching models they use

Not all programs can be delivered using the same methods

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To fit all programs the model would have to be high level or generic – such as the flipped classroom model; however, high level and generic models will be to the detriment of personalised, flexible and adaptive learning experiences which engage all students.


Open Online Forum respondents were invited to provide additional comments that they considered relevant to enhancing the UQ student experience and to developing the UQ Student Strategy. The following section provides an overview of these responses by respondent group.

UQ Community Voice (Alumni)

UQ Alumni want UQ to focus on preparing students who are job‐ready on graduating and to offer students workplace opportunities.

They support partnering with industry to review subject and course content to ensure it is relevant, up‐to‐date, and best practice to the profession.

There was a suggestion UQ could better facilitate the integration of domestic and international students, including using the UQ Union’s expertise in delivering cultural activities to this end.

UQ could develop a strategic plan on how to communicate, engage, and partner with surrounding suburbs, and this could involve student projects and assessments based in the local area.

Online information might best be used sparingly to encourage student peer and class engagement.

UQ could consider industry certifications as part of the curriculum to help bridge the gap between students and industry.

UQ should support the development of excellent teaching staff.

UQ Student Voice

UQ needs to make undergraduate degrees more focused on practical, skills‐based learning so that students are more employable on graduation.

There is a call for a more active students’ union or association, hosting more events on campus.

The Green Paper is not accessible to all, with the language described as “jargon”.

UQ Staff Voice (Academic)

The Green Paper does not acknowledge the growing international student cohort. Efforts need to be made to help integrate international students and also to adapt UQ strategies to meet their needs and preferences.

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Sufficient resources need to be dedicated to the UQ Student Strategy if the Green Paper is to be successfully implemented.

UQ should seek to become an excellent teaching and research institution, and not just focus on research.

The University should ensure a balance between lectures, flipped classrooms, online content, and other learning methods as all are valuable for teaching and learning.

UQ must continue to attract high quality students.

The University should review the role of lectures and practicals, and provide multidisciplinary learning experiences across UQ’s schools and institutes.

UQ could benefit from a focus on disciplines in which the University has built its reputation and look internationally to engage with research relevant to UQ’s expertise.

UQ Staff Voice (Professional)

The Green Paper is an important, timely, and well thought‐out document posing some fundamental questions. It reflects the need to address and work towards multiple aims.

UQ needs to engage with students and ask them what they want to see from UQ in the future.

UQ should consider rationalising its range of undergraduate degree programs.

The University should implement system‐wide policy and administration processes to help students navigate their way through UQ’s structures and requirements. An integrated IT system would be useful, and it could include features such as a system to identify and monitor students who are at risk of failing or dropping out.

It would be useful to develop foundation courses for universal completion, covering basic skills.

UQ can support first‐year students by designing an institution‐wide approach to better assist them in their transition to university.

The Green Paper needs to give greater attention to students’ needs beyond academia and learning. They require support services, such as counselling, to help them manage their external lives and stresses. Support services and the student experience are an area that students are using as a metric on which to base their choice of university.

International students require more support integrating into UQ and adapting culturally, such as peer support programs. Providing excellent support services to international students would help enhance UQ’s reputation internationally.

There is a lack of discussion about promoting diversity within UQ. There needs to be consideration of how Indigenous and non‐English speaking students can be supported at UQ.

UQ should first identify what it would like its students and peers to recognise and value the University for and then priorities and improvements can be made to support this aspiration.

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APPENDICES

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Appendix I: Student Survey data tables

Table 1.1 Demographic characteristics of sample

Sample Population

Freq % (A) Freq % (B) (A) ‐ (B)

Gender

Female 4,753 67.85 21,654 55.30 12.55

Male 2,248 32.09 17,492 44.67 ‐12.58

Other 4 0.06 14 0.04 0.02

Age

18 years & younger 717 10.24 3,674 9.38 0.86

19 years 871 12.43 5,105 13.04 ‐0.61

20 years 940 13.42 5,674 14.49 ‐1.07

21 years 900 12.85 5,450 13.92 ‐1.07

22 years 690 9.85 4,280 10.93 ‐1.08

23 years 584 8.34 3,439 8.78 ‐0.44

24 years 434 6.20 2,393 6.11 0.09

25 years & older 1,869 26.68 9,141 23.35 3.33

Faculty

BEL 1,405 20.06 8,699 22.21 ‐2.15

EAIT 927 13.23 5,945 15.18 ‐1.95

HABS 1,184 16.90 6,603 16.86 0.04

HASS 1,517 21.66 7,719 19.71 1.95

M+BS 495 7.07 3,043 7.77 ‐0.70

Science 1,477 21.08 7,151 18.26 2.82

Language at home

Other Language 1,913 27.31 10,045 25.65 1.66

English 5,092 72.69 29,115 74.35 ‐1.66

Commencement year

<=2011 608 8.68 3,704 9.46 ‐0.78

2012 731 10.44 4,466 11.4 ‐0.96

2013 1,154 16.47 6,842 17.47 ‐1.00

2014 1,716 24.50 9,812 25.06 ‐0.56

2015 2,796 39.91 14,336 36.61 3.30

Undergraduate/Postgraduate

Undergrad 5,547 79.19 32,233 82.31 ‐3.12

Postgrad 1,458 20.81 6,927 17.69 3.12

International

Domestic 5,345 76.30 30,586 78.11 ‐1.81

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International 1,660 23.70 8,574 21.89 1.81

ATSI

Non‐ATSI 6,946 99.16 38,851 99.21 ‐0.05

ATSI 59 0.84 309 0.79 0.05

Attendance

Full‐Time 5,438 77.63 30,427 77.7 ‐0.07

Part‐Time 1,567 22.37 8,733 22.3 0.07

Campus

Gatton 398 5.68 1,753 4.48 1.20

Herston 405 5.78 2,807 7.17 ‐1.39

Ipswich 131 1.87 653 1.67 0.20

St Lucia 6,071 86.67 33,947 86.69 ‐0.02

Admit type

Higher Ed Course 3,803 54.3 20,757 53.02 1.28

Secondary education 2,926 41.78 16,931 43.25 ‐1.47

All Other 275 3.93 1,463 3.74 0.19

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Choices: Why do students choose to attend university, and why UQ specifically?

Table 1.2 Main reason for attending university Freq %

Provide for my family 78 1.1

Make my parents and family proud of me 137 2

Other (look to open‐ended) 171 2.4

Assist me with career development or change 569 8.1

Improve my long term job prospects 636 9.1

Lead to a well‐paying job 868 12.4

Do something meaningful or personally fulfilling 976 13.9

Secure a professional occupation 1,464 20.9

Lead to the career that I want 2,055 29.3

Don’t know 51 0.7

Table 1.3 Reasons for choosing UQ Freq %

I believed UQ had a good range of social and sport activities 309 4.5

I believed UQ had a good range of extracurricular activities 392 5.7

I wanted to study with my friends 400 5.8

My parents/family wanted me to go to UQ 509 7.3

I believed UQ had the best facilities to support my study 1,517 21.9

I believed that UQ had a good reputation for research 1,572 22.7

UQ was close to home 1,684 24.3

I believed that UQ had a good reputation for teaching 2,059 29.7

UQ was one of the only universities with that offered the degree I wanted 2,431 35.0

I believed a UQ degree would give me the best chance of getting a good job 2,843 41.0

I believed UQ offered a better version of the degree that I wanted 3,830 55.2

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Table 1.4 Why international and domestic students choose UQ

Domestic student International student

Freq % Freq %

I believed UQ had a good range of social and sport activities 256 4.82 53 3.26

I believed UQ had a good range of extracurricular activities 256 4.82 136 8.36

I wanted to study with my friends 310 5.84 90 5.53

My parents/family wanted me to go to UQ 347 6.53 162 9.96

I believed UQ had the best facilities to support my study 1101 20.73 416 25.57

I believed that UQ had a good reputation for research 1053 19.83 519 31.90

UQ was close to home 1559 29.35 125 7.68

I believed that UQ had a good reputation for teaching 1442 27.15 617 37.92

UQ was one of the only universities with that offered the degree I wanted

1947 36.66 484 29.75

I believed a UQ degree would give me the best chance of getting a good job

2238 42.14 605 37.19

I believed UQ offered a better version of the degree that I wanted 3017 56.81 813 49.97

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Needs: What do students need from their degree program as they juggle studies with external commitments?

Table 1.5 Average hours worked during semester

Freq %

41 hours or more per week 200 2.9

31‐40 hours per week 357 5.3

21‐30 hours per week 591 8.7

11‐20 hours per week 1,623 23.9

Less than 10 hours per week 1,597 23.5

I did not work 2,407 35.4

Table 1.6 Hours worked by attendance type

I did not do any

paid work Less than 10

hours per week 11‐20 hours per

week 21‐30 hours per

week 31‐40 hours per

week 41 or more hours

per week Don't know

Attendance Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Full‐time 1997 37.79 1361 25.76 1334 25.25 410 7.76 113 2.14 46 0.87 23 0.44

Part‐time 410 26.96 236 15.52 289 19.00 181 11.90 244 16.04 154 10.12 7 0.46

International

Domestic 1405 26.9 1358 26.0 1383 26.5 549 10.5 324 6.2 188 3.6 20 0.4

International 1002 63.5 239 15.1 240 15.2 42 2.7 33 2.1 12 0.8 10 0.6

Total 2407 35.37 1597 23.47 1623 23.85 591 8.68 357 5.25 200 2.94 30 0.44

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Table 1.7 Balancing study/work/leisure

Easy Neither Difficult

Freq % Freq % Freq %

Easy to balance study and paid work 1,244 24.4 1,234 24.2 2,630 51.5

Easy to balance study and family 2,053 31.9 1,752 27.2 2,628 40.9

Easy to balance study and leisure/social activities 1,545

23.1 1,635 24.5 3,498 52.4

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Challenges: What are the top priority areas for enhancing the UQ student experience?

Table 2.1 How important is it to you that your UQ degree and experience provides you with:

Important Neither Not Important


Opportunities to interact with industry/employers

6188 92.21 419 6.24 104 1.55

Course content that will be useful in the workplace

6413 95.56 230 3.43 68 1.01

Opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills 4084 60.86 1842 27.45 785 11.70

Skills and knowledge that will prepare them for a good job when they graduate

6410 96.22 189 2.84 63 0.95

Lifelong skills and knowledge to support them throughout their career

6390 95.90 216 3.24 57 0.86

Skills and knowledge to help them create positive change in their community

5884 88.31 640 9.61 139 2.09

Table 2.2a Student views of skills and knowledge learned

Agree Neither Disagree


I am learning skills and knowledge that I need to prepare me for a good job 5,079 76.70 1,083 16.40 456 6.90

I am learning skills and knowledge to help me adapt to changing employment market 3,861 58.30 1,900 28.70 856 12.90

I am learning skills and knowledge to effectively create positive change in community 4,524 68.40 1,580 23.90 514 7.80

Table 2.2b. I am learning skills and knowledge to help me adapt to changing employment market


Freq % Freq % Freq % Faculty BEL 852 65.1% 299 22.8% 158 12.1% EAIT 514 60.2% 223 26.1% 117 13.7% HABS 705 62.0% 314 27.6% 119 10.5% HASS 763 53.1% 451 31.4% 224 15.6% M+BS 259 55.7% 138 29.7% 68 14.6% Science 768 54.4% 475 33.6% 170 12.0% Undergraduate/Pöstgraduate Undergraduate 2,868 54.7% 1,609 30.7% 768 14.6% Postgraduate 993 72.4% 291 21.2% 88 6.4% Domestic/International Domestic 2,788 54.7% 1,558 30.6% 750 14.7% International 1,073 70.5% 342 22.5% 106 7.0%

139

Table 2.3a Do students feel extra‐curricular opportunities are an important part of their UQ experience?

Important Neither Unimportant


Opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills 4,084 60.90 1,842 27.40 785 11.70

Opportunities to study overseas 4,423 64.40 1,689 24.60 760 11.10

Opportunities to volunteer 4,371 63.60 1,886 27.40 615 8.90

Opportunities for work experience 6,192 90.10 479 7.00 201 2.90

Opportunities to interact with industry and employers

6,188 92.20 419 6.20 104 1.50

140

Table 2.3b Do students feel extra‐curricular opportunities are an important part of their UQ experience?

Opportunities to develop

entrepreneurial skills

Opportunities to study overseas

Opportunities to volunteer

Opportunities for work experience

Opportunities to interact with industry

and employers

Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Faculty

BEL 1,034 78.0% 952 69.9% 913 67.1% 1,202 88.3% 1,215 91.6%

EAIT 583 66.8% 595 65.6% 524 57.8% 847 93.4% 815 93.4%

HABS 627 54.5% 651 55.6% 693 59.2% 1,092 93.3% 1,083 94.2%

HASS 770 52.8% 1,044 70.0% 993 66.6% 1,325 88.8% 1,327 91.0%

M+BS 223 47.0% 295 60.8% 273 56.3% 401 82.7% 421 88.8%

Science 847 59.3% 886 60.8% 975 66.9% 1,325 90.9% 1,327 92.9%


Undergraduate 3,127 58.8% 3,589 65.9% 3,542 65.1% 5,040 92.6% 4,944 93.0%

Postgraduate 957 68.7% 834 58.4% 829 58.1% 1,152 81.4% 1,244 89.2%

Domestic/International

Domestic 2,892 56.1% 3,288 62.4% 3,256 61.8% 4,764 90.4% 4,774 92.6%

International 1,192 76.7% 1,135 70.8% 1,115 69.6% 1,428 89.1% 1,414 91.0%

141

Table 2.4a Are students getting access to extra‐curricular opportunities?



UQ provides good opportunities to access work experiences at UQ

3,403 52.10 1,900 29.10 1,228 18.80

UQ provides good opportunities to interact with industry and employers

3,602 55.20 1,965 30.10 963 14.70

UQ provides good opportunities to volunteer 3,923 60.10 2,011 30.80 596 9.10

UQ provides good opportunities to study overseas

4,785 73.30 1,396 21.40 349 5.30

Table 2.4b Are students getting access to extra‐curricular opportunities?



Opportunities to interact with industry and employers

Faculty

BEL 787 60.9% 330 25.5% 176 13.6%

EAIT 554 65.7% 189 22.4% 100 11.9%

HABS 607 54.2% 349 31.2% 163 14.6%

HASS 676 47.7% 490 34.6% 251 17.7%

M+BS 230 50.1% 177 38.6% 52 11.3%

Science 748 53.5% 430 30.7% 221 15.8%

Undergraduate/Pöstgraduate

Undergraduate 2,843 55.0% 1,554 30.1% 773 15.0%

Postgraduate 759 55.8% 411 30.2% 190 14.0%


Domestic 2,703 53.7% 1,551 30.8% 779 15.5%

International 899 60.1% 414 27.7% 184 12.3%

Opportunities for work experience

Faculty

BEL 627 48.5% 370 28.6% 297 23.0%

EAIT 388 46.0% 239 28.4% 216 25.6%

HABS 699 62.5% 255 22.8% 165 14.7%

HASS 677 47.8% 472 33.3% 268 18.9%

M+BS 237 51.6% 162 35.3% 60 13.1%

Science 775 55.4% 402 28.7% 222 15.9%

Undergraduate/Pöstgraduate

Undergraduate 2,739 53.0% 1,444 27.9% 987 19.1%

Postgraduate 664 48.8% 456 33.5% 241 17.7%


142

Domestic 2,563 50.9% 1,482 29.4% 989 19.6%

International 840 56.1% 418 27.9% 239 16.0%

Table 2.5a Importance of opportunity to interact with industry and employers by access to opportunities to interact with industry and employers

UQ provides good opportunities to interact with industry and

employers

Agree Neither Disagree Total


Opportunity to interact with industry/employers

Important 3452 57.29 1689 28.03 884 14.67 6025

Neither 127 31.36 230 56.79 48 11.85 405

Not important 23 23.00 46 46.00 31 31.00 100

Total 3602 55.16 1965 30.09 963 14.75 6530

Table 2.5b Importance of opportunity to study overseas by access to opportunities to study overseas

UQ provides good opportunities to study overseas



Opportunity to study overseas

Important 3432 81.71 558 13.29 210 5.00 4200

Neither 999 62.09 533 33.13 77 4.79 1609

Not important 354 49.10 305 42.30 62 8.60 721

Total 4785 73.28 1396 21.38 349 5.34 6530

Table 2.5c Importance of opportunity to access volunteering experiences by access to volunteering experiences

UQ provides good opportunities to access volunteering

experiences



Opportunity to access volunteering experiences

Important 2795 67.19 980 23.56 385 9.25 4160

Neither 902 50.28 763 42.53 129 7.19 1794

Not important 226 39.24 268 46.53 82 14.24 576

Total 3923 60.08 2011 30.80 596 9.13 6530

143

Table 2.5d Importance of opportunity for work experiences by access to work experiences

UQ provides good opportunities to access work experiences



Opportunity for work experiences

Important 3192 54.17 1577 26.76 1124 19.07 5893

Neither 157 34.97 222 49.44 70 15.59 449

Not important 54 28.57 101 53.44 34 17.99 189

Total 3403 52.11 1900 29.09 1228 18.80 6531

Table 2.6 Experiences, advice and assistance important to provide UQ students

Important Neither Not important


Work out how to apply for jobs 5,567 82.5% 787 11.7% 395 5.9%

Work out job/career I want 5,820 86.3% 641 9.5% 286 4.2%

Work out how to communicate skills/experiences to potential employers 6,033 89.4% 498 7.4% 217 3.2%

Work out best courses/degree to meet career goals 6,046 89.6% 513 7.6% 191 2.8%

Table 2.7 Do students obtain the advice they need?



Advice on applying for jobs 3,145 47.9% 2,234 34.0% 1,192 18.1%

Advice on career they want 3,531 53.7% 2,078 31.6% 964 14.7%

Communicating with potential employers 3,084 46.9% 2,277 34.6% 1,212 18.4%

Course/degree choices to meet career goals 3,740 56.9% 1,857 28.3% 974 14.8%

144

Flexible Learning: A diverse student population with new priorities and expectations (Green Paper Challenge 2)

Table 3.1 Student experiences with courses and building timetables



Sometimes I miss classes because of timetable clashes

2,272 36.10 729 11.60 2,296 36.50

Sometimes I skip classes because work clashes with timetable

2,284 36.30 610 9.70 1,573 25.00

Sometimes I have to enrol in courses that are not my first choice

2,644 42.10 822 13.10 1,750 27.80

It is easy to find classes for courses I want to do at a time that works for me

2,668 42.40 1,521 24.20 1,592 25.30

Sometimes I miss out on paid work because of timetable clashes

2,732 43.50 667 10.60 1,148 18.30

Sometimes I skip classes because other responsibilities clash 3,237 51.50 787 12.50 1,742 27.70

145

Table 3.2 The following is a list of degree characteristics. Please select ONE characteristic that is most important to you.

A wide range of courses to choose

from within my main discipline/major

A wide range of elective courses to choose from outside

my main discipline/major

A small range of courses that fit

together to cover the main things I need to

learn Small class sizes

Classes that are highly interactive/activity

based Total

Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Faculty

BEL 336 27.16 170 13.74 269 21.75 135 10.91 327 26.43 1237

EAIT 221 26.92 92 11.21 157 19.12 109 13.28 242 29.48 821

HABS 216 19.69 84 7.66 328 29.90 132 12.03 337 30.72 1097

HASS 535 39.08 138 10.08 221 16.14 185 13.51 290 21.18 1369

M+BS 70 15.84 39 8.82 99 22.40 104 23.53 130 29.41 442

Science 442 32.62 150 11.07 257 18.97 164 12.10 342 25.24 1355

Domestic/International student

Domestic student 1434 29.29 442 9.03 1040 21.24 620 12.66 1360 27.78 4896

International student 386 27.09 231 16.21 291 20.42 209 14.67 308 21.61 1425

Total 1820 28.79 673 10.65 1331 21.06 829 13.12 1668 26.39 6321

146

Table 3.3 Students who sometimes skip classes

Skip classes Don't skip classes Total

Freq % Freq %

0 hours ‐ I did not do any paid work 1032 46.32 1196 53.68 2228

Less than 10 hours per week 936 62.69 557 37.31 1493

11‐20 hours per week 1088 73.46 393 26.54 1481

21‐30 hours per week 424 78.23 118 21.77 542

31‐40 hours per week 211 63.55 121 36.45 332

41 or more hours per week 108 58.06 78 41.94 186

Don't know 11 44.00 14 56.00 25

Total 3810 60.60 2477 39.40 6287

Table 3.4a Likelihood of students taking advantage of flexible course options Likely Neither Unlikely


Classes after 6pm 1,961 31.9 705 11.5 3,480 56.6

Classes on weekends 1,441 23.5 696 11.3 4,000 65.2

Course 100% online 2,319 37.7 823 13.4 3,002 48.9

Intensive course over short period 3,402 56.3 1,030 17 1,611 26.7

Multiple online modules that form course, taken at own pace 3,457 57 926 15.3 1,682 27.7

Course with opportunity to test upfront for credit 3,580 60.7 968 16.4 1,347 22.8

Course with online lectures, interactive classes on campus 4,278 69.9 856 14 988 16.1

147

Table 3.4b Likelihood of taking advantage of flexible course options

Classes on weekends Classes after 6pm Course 100%

online

Intensive course over short period

Online modules, taken at own pace

Courses with opportunity to test upfront

Online lectures, interactive classes

on campus

Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Faculty

BEL 384 32.0% 431 35.9% 428 35.8% 695 58.5% 687 58.1% 730 62.6% 826 68.9%

EAIT 174 21.9% 227 28.5% 304 38.3% 428 54.5% 446 56.2% 491 63.8% 580 72.9%

HABS 201 18.9% 301 28.2% 412 38.5% 589 56.5% 611 58.3% 600 59.5% 741 69.8%

HASS 317 23.8% 485 36.2% 511 38.3% 744 56.8% 716 54.3% 706 55.5% 938 70.7%

M+BS 108 25.5% 152 35.8% 156 36.9% 245 58.9% 242 57.8% 263 64.0% 302 71.9%

Science 257 19.5% 365 27.6% 508 38.3% 701 53.9% 755 57.9% 790 62.4% 891 67.6%


Undergraduate 983 20.1% 1,411 28.8% 1,871 38.3% 2,620 54.6% 2,724 56.4% 2,823 60.4% 3,446 70.7%

Postgraduate 458 36.7% 550 43.9% 448 35.6% 782 62.9% 733 59.2% 757 62.1% 832 66.8%


Domestic 1,124 23.6% 1,592 33.3% 1,913 40.0% 2,707 57.7% 2,678 56.8% 2,701 59.3% 3,403 71.4%

International 317 23.2% 369 26.9% 406 29.8% 695 51.6% 779 57.7% 879 65.6% 875 64.6%

148

Table 3.5 Past experience or certifications that relate to current degree

Yes No Unsure


Past experience or certification that relate to current degree

1,071 17.2 2,529 40.6 2,625 42.2

Table 3.6 Likelihood of taking a course where you can test upfront for credit

Likely Neither Unlikely Total


No relevant prior experience 1405 59.18 352 14.83 617 25.99 2374

Relevant prior experience 655 64.03 132 12.90 236 23.07 1023

Not sure about relevant prior experience 1511 60.95 476 19.20 492 19.85 2479

Total 3571 60.77 960 16.34 1345 22.89 5876

149

Table 3.7 Student use of additional semester, by engagement in paid work

2 Semesters, normal

2 Semesters, different

3 Semesters, fast

3 Semesters, spread out Other Not sure

Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Paid work hours

0 hours ‐ I did not do any paid work 688 30.9 180 8.1 571 25.7 473 21.3 102 4.6 210 9.4

Less than 10 hours per week 460 30.9 118 7.9 375 25.2 302 20.3 72 4.8 162 10.9

11‐20 hours per week 430 29.1 130 8.8 444 30 313 21.2 58 3.9 104 7

21‐30 hours per week 134 24.7 34 6.3 177 32.7 138 25.5 15 2.8 44 8.1

31‐40 hours per week 57 17.2 28 8.4 135 40.7 86 25.9 8 2.4 18 5.4

41 or more hours per 29 15.6 7 3.8 94 50.5 37 19.9 5 2.7 14 7.5

Don't know 9 36 2 8 5 20 2 8 1 4 6 24

Faculty

BEL 333 27.1 147 12.0 367 29.9 251 20.4 36 2.9 95 7.7

EAIT 238 29.3 58 7.1 207 25.5 206 25.3 44 5.4 60 7.4

HABS 346 31.7 71 6.5 328 30.1 203 18.6 40 3.7 103 9.4

HASS 373 27.4 104 7.7 414 30.5 290 21.3 46 3.4 132 9.7

M+BS 116 26.5 23 5.3 154 35.2 52 11.9 41 9.4 52 11.9

Science 401 29.8 96 7.1 331 24.6 349 25.9 54 4.0 116 8.6


Undergraduate 1481 29.7 362 7.3 1,384 27.8 1,082 21.7 223 4.5 453 9.1

Postgraduate 326 25.2 137 10.6 417 32.3 269 20.8 38 2.9 105 8.1


Domestic 1,339 27.5 302 6.2 1,480 30.4 1,102 22.6 224 4.6 425 8.7

International 468 33.3 197 14.0 321 22.8 249 17.7 37 2.6 133 9.5

Total 1,807 28.8 499 7.9 1,801 28.7 1,351 21.5 261 4.20 558 8.9

150

Change Agents: Students as change agents (Green Paper Challenge 3)

Table 4.1 Student interest in helping to improve quality of teaching at UQ



Participate in social activities at UQ

Agree 1,495 69.0 495 22.8 177 8.2

Neither 943 63.2 446 29.9 104 7.0

Disagree 1,315 54.0 741 30.4 378 15.5

Faculty

BEL 804 68.0 278 24.0 98 8.0

EAIT 517 65.7 214 27.2 56 7.1

HABS 582 65.7 318 27.2 166 7.1

HASS 833 54.6 351 29.8 141 15.6

M+BS 232 62.9 131 26.5 59 10.6

Science 785 55.0 390 31.0 139 14.0

Paid work hours 804 68.0 278 24.0 98 8.0

0 hours ‐ I did not do any paid work 1,351 63.0 598 28.0 212 10.0

Less than 10 hours per week 856 62.5 423 27.7 157 9.8

11‐20 hours per week 878 59.6 379 29.5 180 10.9

21‐30 hours per week 337 61.1 137 26.4 58 12.5

31‐40 hours per week 207 63.4 80 25.8 34 10.9

41 or more hours per 111 64.5 56 24.9 17 10.6

Don’t know 13 60.3 9 30.4 1 9.2

Balance study and work

Easy 708 63.0 272 24.4 137 12.0

Neither 668 62.0 304 28.4 99 9.0

Difficult 1,484 62.0 646 27.0 267 11.0

Balance study and family

Easy 1,127 61.1 496 26.9 221 12.0

Neither 919 58.9 492 31.5 150 9.6

Difficult 1,524 64.0 608 25.5 251 10.5

Balance study and social

Easy 838 59.8 383 27.3 181 12.9

Neither 877 60.9 442 30.7 121 8.4

Difficult 1,984 62.8 832 26.4 342 10.8

Total 3,753 61.6 1,682 27.6 659 10.8

151

Research‐Intensive Education: Provide research‐intensive education that speaks to students and employers (Green Paper Challenge 4)

Table 5.1 Importance of research opportunities to students

Important Neither

Not Important


Faculty

BEL 813 59.74 399 29.32 149 10.95

EAIT 644 71 201 22.16 62 6.84

HABS 727 62.14 327 27.95 116 9.91

HASS 1013 67.9 372 24.93 107 7.17

M+BS 365 75.26 85 17.53 35 7.22

Science 1200 82.36 205 14.07 52 3.57

Undergrad/Postgrad

Undergraduate 3,731 68.52 1,306 23.99 408 7.49

Postgraduate 1,031 72.25 283 19.83 113 7.92


Domestic 3,532 67.02 1,305 24.76 433 8.22

International 1,230 76.78 284 17.73 88 5.49

Total 4762 69.3 1589 23.1 521 7.58

Table 5.2 Are students accessing research opportunities



Faculty

BEL 675 52.16 448 34.62 171 13.21

EAIT 569 67.5 204 24.2 70 8.3

HABS 756 67.56 277 24.75 86 7.69

HASS 852 60.13 428 30.2 137 9.67

M+BS 331 72.11 95 20.7 33 7.19

Science 1056 75.48 260 18.58 83 5.93

Undergrad/Postgrad

Undergraduate 3,350 64.8 1,364 26.4 456 8.8

Postgraduate 889 65.3 348 25.6 124 9.1


Domestic 3,208 63.73 1,357 27 469 9.32

International 1,031 68.9 355 23.7 111 7.41

Total 4239 64.91 1712 26.21 580 8.88

152

Table 5.3 Are students who think research opportunities are important, accessing research opportunities?

There are good opportunities to work on research projects


How important are research opportunities to your time at UQ?


Important 3,272 72 876 19 384 9 4,532

Neither 745 50 641 43 118 8 1,504

Unimportant 222 45 195 39 78 16 495

Total 4,239 65 1,712 26 580 9 6,531

153

Assessment and Feedback: Effective assessment and feedback for enhanced learning outcomes (Green Paper Challenge 6)

Table 6.1 Thoughts on current assessment practices



It would be useful for me to receive regular online information on how my learning is tracking against the course objectives

4,376 71.80 1,134 18.60 586 9.60

My teachers usually return marked assessment quickly

2,342 38.20 1,659 27.00 2,135 34.80

When I've received written feedback, I have had the opportunity to talk to my teachers about it

3,513 57.30 1,293 21.10 1,329 21.70

The feedback I've received has been detailed and helps me understand how to improve

2,861 46.60 1,546 25.20 1,729 28.20

My teachers clearly told me what criteria they would use to mark my assessment tasks 4,019 65.50 1,074 17.50 1,041 17.00

The assessment tasks I have completed in my degree have helped me understand what I have learned

5,022 82.40 782 12.80 293 4.80

Table 6.2 The assessment tasks I have completed in my degree have helped me understand what I have learned



Faculty

BEL 951 80.59 163 13.81 66 5.59 1180

EAIT 641 81.35 99 12.56 48 6.09 788

HABS 898 84.24 120 11.26 48 4.50 1066

HASS 1098 82.87 168 12.68 59 4.45 1325

M+BS 331 78.25 73 17.26 19 4.49 423

Science 1103 83.88 159 12.09 53 4.03 1315

Attendance

Full‐Time 3902 82.51 606 12.81 221 4.67 4729

Part‐Time 1120 81.87 176 12.87 72 5.26 1368

Degree level

Postgraduate Coursework 974 77.92 159 12.72 117 9.36 1250

Undergraduate 3045 62.35 915 18.73 924 18.92 4884


Domestic student 3893 81.79 619 13.00 248 5.21 4760

International student 1129 84.44 163 12.19 45 3.37 1337

Total 5022 82.37 782 12.83 293 4.81 6097

154

Table 6.3 My teacher clearly told me what criteria they would use to mark my assignment tasks



Faculty

BEL 810 68.07 190 15.97 190 15.97 1190

EAIT 469 59.22 162 20.45 161 20.33 792

HABS 756 70.46 148 13.79 169 15.75 1073

HASS 869 65.24 229 17.19 234 17.57 1332

M+BS 279 65.96 74 17.49 70 16.55 423

Science 836 63.14 271 20.47 217 16.39 1324

Attendance

Full‐Time 3066 64.45 858 18.04 833 17.51 4757

Part‐Time 953 69.21 216 15.69 208 15.11 1377

Degree level


Undergraduate 3045 62.35 915 18.73 924 18.92 4884




Total 4019 65.52 1074 17.51 1041 16.97 6134

Table 6.4 When I've received written feedback, I have had the opportunity to talk to my teachers about it



Faculty

BEL 756 63.53 233 19.58 201 16.89 1190

EAIT 426 53.72 180 22.70 187 23.58 793

HABS 604 56.29 232 21.62 237 22.09 1073

HASS 865 64.94 237 17.79 230 17.27 1332

M+BS 161 38.06 92 21.75 170 40.19 423

Science 701 52.95 319 24.09 304 22.96 1324




Total 3513 57.26 1293 21.08 1329 21.66 6135

155

Table 6.5 The feedback I've received has been detailed and helps me understand how to improve



Faculty

BEL 587 49.33 284 23.87 319 26.81 1190

EAIT 305 38.46 239 30.14 249 31.40 793

HABS 508 47.34 256 23.86 309 28.80 1073

HASS 743 55.78 282 21.17 307 23.05 1332

M+BS 144 33.88 125 29.41 156 36.71 425

Science 574 43.39 360 27.21 389 29.40 1323

Degree level


Undergraduate 2112 43.22 1298 26.56 1477 30.22 4887




Total 2861 46.63 1546 25.20 1729 28.18 6136

Table 6.6 My teacher usually returns marked assessments quickly



Faculty

BEL 503 42.23 332 27.88 356 29.89 1191

EAIT 272 34.30 240 30.26 281 35.44 793

HABS 419 39.05 260 24.23 394 36.72 1073

HASS 567 42.57 347 26.05 418 31.38 1332

M+BS 149 35.14 101 23.82 174 41.04 424

Science 432 32.65 379 28.65 512 38.70 1323

Degree level


Undergraduate 1736 35.53 1322 27.06 1828 37.41 4886




Total 2342 38.17 1659 27.04 2135 34.79 6136

156

Staffing Profile: New staffing capabilities for new learning expectations and environments (Green Paper Challenge 7)

Table 7.1 What do students see as important qualities in their teaching staff?

Most important Important Least Important


Receive training in how to teach 1,382 21.5 2,580 40.1 2,479 38.5

Active researchers in their subject 4,215 65.4 1,417 22 809 12.6

Relevant industry or professional experience 831 12.9 2,437 37.9 3,169 49.2

Table 7.2 They have received training in how to teach

Most important Important Least important Total


Faculty

BEL 279 22.07 494 39.08 491 38.84 1264

EAIT 153 18.39 299 35.94 380 45.67 832

HABS 243 21.81 533 47.85 338 30.34 1114

HASS 322 23.10 574 41.18 498 35.72 1394

M+BS 70 15.42 167 36.78 217 47.80 454

Science 315 22.78 513 37.09 555 40.13 1383




Home region

Australia 974 19.80 2043 41.54 1901 38.65 4918

Chinese Asia 173 28.31 211 34.53 227 37.15 611

Maritime South‐East Asia 86 21.94 150 38.27 156 39.80 392

North America 21 18.75 38 33.93 53 47.32 112

Japan & Korea 15 24.19 28 45.16 19 30.65 62

All Other World Regions 113 32.66 110 31.79 123 35.55 346

Total 1382 21.46 2580 40.06 2479 38.49 6441

157

Table 7.3 They are currently active researchers in their subject



Faculty

BEL 851 67.22 288 22.75 127 10.03 1266

EAIT 582 69.78 169 20.26 83 9.95 834

HABS 794 71.60 222 20.02 93 8.39 1109

HASS 851 61.09 315 22.61 227 16.30 1393

M+BS 327 72.19 92 20.31 34 7.51 453

Science 810 58.44 331 23.88 245 17.68 1386




Home region

Australia 3337 67.85 1030 20.94 551 11.20 4918

Chinese Asia 346 56.91 164 26.97 98 16.12 608


North America 78 70.27 24 21.62 9 8.11 111

Japan & Korea 35 56.45 15 24.19 12 19.35 62


Total 4215 65.44 1417 22.00 809 12.56 6441

158

Table 7.4 They have relevant industry or professional experience



Faculty

BEL 131 10.38 482 38.19 649 51.43 1262

EAIT 98 11.78 364 43.75 370 44.47 832

HABS 73 6.56 355 31.90 685 61.55 1113

HASS 216 15.53 501 36.02 674 48.45 1391

M+BS 56 12.33 195 42.95 203 44.71 454

Science 257 18.56 540 38.99 588 42.45 1385




Home region

Australia 600 12.21 1839 37.42 2476 50.38 4915

Chinese Asia 87 14.33 235 38.71 285 46.95 607


North America 13 11.61 49 43.75 50 44.64 112

Japan & Korea 12 19.35 19 30.65 31 50.00 62


Total 831 12.91 2437 37.86 3169 49.23 6437

159

Supporting Students: Supporting students through a connected community (Green Paper Challenge 8)

Table 8.1 Is it easy to access information about your UQ degree?



Easily get information needed to get through university

3,763 63.20 1,298 21.80 892 15.00

Sometimes receive contradictory info 3,199 53.80 1,507 25.30 1,245 20.90

Clear on courses to take 4,472 75.10 745 12.50 735 12.30

Easily access good advice about completing my degree

3,637 61.10 1,248 21.00 1,067 17.90

Table 8.2 Sometimes I receive contradictory information from different sources



Degree level


Undergraduate 2680 56.53 1162 24.51 899 18.96 4741




Total 3199 53.76 1507 25.32 1245 20.92 5951

Table 8.3 Experiences, advice and assistance important to provide UQ students

Important Neither Not important


Sense of community 4,929 71.30 1,562 22.60 418 6.10

Opportunities to meet people and make friends 5,493 79.50 1,114 16.10 301 4.40

Work out how to apply for jobs 5,567 82.50 787 11.7 395 5.90

Work out job/career I want 5,820 86.30 641 9.50 286 4.20

Work out how to communicate skills/experiences to potential employers 6,033 89.40 498 7.40 217 3.20

Work out best courses/degree to meet career goals 6,046 89.60 513 7.60 191 2.80

160

Table 8.4 Do students obtain the advice they need?



Communicating with potential employers 3,084 46.90 2,277 34.60 1,212 18.40

Advice on applying for jobs 3,145 47.90 2,234 34.00 1,192 18.10

Advice on career they want 3,531 53.70 2,078 31.60 964 14.70

Course/degree choices to meet career goals 3,740 56.90 1,857 28.30 974 14.80

Table 8.5 Are students aware of and using the range of services at UQ?

Not aware

Aware but not used

Some use Frequent use

Freq % Freq % Freq % Freq %

Financial and budgeting support 3,358 55.70 2,517 41.80 128 2.10 22 0.40

Childcare 1,151 19.10 4,784 79.40 56 0.90 34 0.60

Preventive programs to improve well‐being 3,260 54.10 2,389 39.70 338 5.60 37 0.60

English language support 1,514 25.10 4,146 68.80 308 5.10 57 0.90

Housing support 2,510 41.70 2,973 49.30 471 7.80 71 1.20

Academic learning support 1,347 22.40 3,581 59.40 995 16.50 103 1.70

One‐to‐one personal counselling 1,544 25.60 3,721 61.80 646 10.70 114 1.90

Health/medical services 834 13.80 3,109 51.60 1,631 27.10 452 7.50

161

Table 8.6 Does likelihood of future use of UQ services mirror current awareness and use?

Likelihood of future use

Likely Neither Unlikely

Current use of… Freq % Freq % Freq %

Academic learning support

I was not aware UQ provided this service 863 65.6 228 17.3 225 17

I am aware of the service but have never used it 2,023 58.0 762 21.8 705 20.2

I have had some use of this service 847 86.4 81 8.3 52 5.3

I have used this service a lot 95 92.2 2 1.9 6 5.8

Total 3,828 65.0 1,073 18.2 988 16.8

English language support

I was not aware UQ provided this service 339 23.5 167 11.6 935 64.9

I am aware of the service but have never used it 826 20.8 559 14.1 2,578 65.1



Total 1,452 25.2 773 13.4 3,537 61.4

One‐to‐one counselling to deal with personal issues


I am aware of the service but have never used it 1,521 42.3 846 23.5 1,230 34.2



Total 2,754 47.3 1,260 21.6 1,810 31.1

Preventative programs to improve wellbeing

I was not aware UQ provided this service 1,771 56.0 615 19.4 779 24.6




Total 3,183 54.4 1,207 20.6 1,457 24.9

Support to find housing

I was not aware UQ provided this service 922 37.9 461 19.0 1,048 43.1

I am aware of the service but have never used it 1,047 36.6 622 21.8 1,189 41.6



Total 2,353 40.4 1,163 20.0 2,302 39.6

Financial and budgeting advice

I was not aware UQ provided this service 1,439 44.3 703 21.7 1,104 34.0

I am aware of the service but have never used it 836 34.5 586 24.2 1,005 41.4



Total 2,364 40.7 1,323 22.8 2,129 36.6

162

Health service/medical clinic



I have had some use of this service 1,322 81.9 169 10.5 124 7.7


Total 3,720 63.1 998 16.9 1,177 20.0

Table 8.7 ESL support by International/Domestic students and home region

I was not aware UQ provided this

service

I am aware of the service but have never used it

I have had some use of this service

I have used this service a lot Total


International

Domestic student

1223 25.96 3430 72.79 40 0.85 19 0.40 4712

International student 291 22.16 716 54.53 268 20.41 38 2.89 1313

Total 1514 25.13 4146 68.81 308 5.11 57 0.95 6025

Table 8.8 Importance of mentoring to UQ students



Opportunity to gain a staff mentor

Faculty

BEL 919 68.0 331 24.5 102 7.5

EAIT 577 64.4 252 28.1 67 7.5

HABS 745 64.1 327 28.1 91 7.8

HASS 1,020 68.9 365 24.7 95 6.4

M+BS 292 60.8 118 24.6 70 14.6

Science 1,006 69.4 357 24.6 86 5.9

International

Domestic student 3,383 64.6 1,412 27.0 439 8.4

International student 1,176 74.2 338 21.3 72 4.5

I feel like am part of the UQ community

Agree 2,673 69.2 971 25.1 220 5.7

Neither 1,242 63.6 562 28.8 148 7.6

Disagree 638 64.3 215 21.7 140 14.1

I have made many friends at UQ

Agree 3,160 67.6 1,211 25.9 307 6.6

Neither 771 65.5 320 27.2 87 7.4

163

Disagree 622 65.3 217 22.8 114 12.0

I participate in social activities at UQ

Agree 1,717 70.6 575 23.6 141 5.8

Neither 1,164 68.8 450 26.6 77 4.6

Disagree 1,672 62.3 723 26.9 290 10.8

Total 4,559 66.9 1,750 25.7 511 7.5

Opportunity to gain an alumni mentor

Faculty

BEL 989 73.2 279 20.6 84 6.2

EAIT 612 68.3 209 23.3 75 8.4

HABS 724 62.3 322 27.7 117 10.1

HASS 997 67.4 368 24.9 115 7.8

M+BS 296 61.7 126 26.3 58 12.1

Science 931 64.3 394 27.2 124 8.6

International




Agree 2,667 69.0 952 24.6 245 6.3

Neither 1,253 64.2 528 27.1 171 8.8

Disagree 621 62.5 216 21.8 156 15.7


Agree 3,169 67.7 1,165 24.9 344 7.4

Neither 773 65.6 311 26.4 94 8.0

Disagree 599 62.9 220 23.1 134 14.1


Agree 1,758 72.3 524 21.5 151 6.2

Neither 1,203 71.1 413 24.4 75 4.4

Disagree 1,580 58.9 759 28.3 346 12.9

Total 4,549 66.7 1,698 24.9 573 8.4

Opportunity to gain a student mentor

Faculty

BEL 764 56.5 424 31.4 164 12.1

EAIT 492 54.9 293 32.7 111 12.4

HABS 533 45.8 435 37.4 195 16.8

HASS 723 48.9 547 37.0 210 14.2

M+BS 224 46.7 142 29.6 114 23.8

Science 751 51.8 524 36.2 174 12.0

International


164



Agree 2,105 54.5 1,318 34.1 441 11.4

Neither 932 47.8 750 38.4 270 13.8

Disagree 444 44.7 294 29.6 255 25.7


Agree 2,503 53.5 1,591 34.0 584 12.5

Neither 567 48.1 452 38.4 159 13.5

Disagree 411 13.1 319 33.5 223 23.4


Agree 1,441 59.2 718 29.5 274 11.3

Neither 941 55.7 627 37.1 123 7.3

Disagree 1,099 40.9 1,017 37.9 569 21.2

Total 3,487 51.1 2,365 34.7 968 14.2

165

Sticky Campuses: ‘Sticky’ campuses with landscapes for learning (Green Paper Challenge 9)

Table 9.1 Student engagement in UQ student life



I have made many friends at UQ 4,678 68.7 1,178 17.3 953 14

I actively participate in social activities at UQ 2,433 35.7 1,691 24.8 2,685 39.4

I feel part of the UQ community 3,864 56.7 1,952 27.9 993 14.6

Table 9.2 Why do students come to campus? No Yes

Freq % Freq %

Not applicable ‐ enrolled off‐campus/online 5,857 96.50 212 3.50

To participate in sport/use sport facilities 4,427 72.90 1,642 27.10

To socialize or participate in clubs 3,635 59.90 2,434 40.10

To do individual study 2,553 42.10 3,516 57.90

To undertake group work/assignments 1,703 28.10 4,366 71.90

To attend lectures 968 15.90 5,101 84.10

To attend tutorials, lab practicums and other classes 665 11.00 5,404 89.00

Table 9.3 What would increase the amount of time students spend on campus?

Increase time on

campus No difference in time

on campus

Freq % Freq %

Not applicable ‐ enrolled off‐campus/online 161 2.70 5,824 97.30

More bicycle friendly pathways and facilities 878 14.70 5,107 85.30

More facilities to shower/change rooms 1,461 24.40 4,524 75.60

Improved security at night 2,081 34.80 3,904 65.20

More organized events to socialize and meet people 2,106 35.20 3,879 64.80

More facilities to store personal belongings 2,593 43.30 3,392 56.70

Charging stations for portable devices 2,620 43.80 3,365 56.20

More facilities to support bringing own food 2,717 45.40 3,268 54.60

More diverse food options 2,727 45.60 3,258 54.40

More regular and convenient public transport 2,957 49.40 3,028 50.60

More car parking 2,969 49.60 3,016 50.40

24 hour access to facilities 3,252 54.30 2,733 45.70

More high quality study spaces to study in groups 3,265 54.60 2,720 45.40

Cheaper food options 4,005 66.90 1,980 33.10

More high quality study spaces to study alone 4,322 72.20 1,663 27.80

166

Table 9.4 Importance of engaging, multi‐functional spaces to UQ students



Social club

International

Domestic 2,957 56.2 1,539 29.3 762 14.5

International 1,034 64.9 448 28.1 112 7.0


Easy 758 60.9 327 26.3 159 12.8

Neither 766 62.1 345 28.0 123 10.0

Difficult 1,414 53.8 806 30.7 410 15.6


Easy 1,272 62.0 560 27.3 221 10.8

Neither 1,083 61.8 502 28.7 167 9.5

Difficult 1,381 52.6 811 30.9 436 16.6

Total 3,991 58.3 1,987 29.0 874 12.8

Sports

International

Domestic 2,439 46.4 1,613 30.7 1,206 22.9

International 979 61.4 434 27.2 181 11.4


Easy 635 51.1 338 27.2 271 21.8

Neither 683 55.4 359 29.1 192 15.6

Difficult 1,245 47.3 790 30.0 595 22.6


Easy 1,078 53 578 28 397 19

Neither 936 53 529 30 287 16

Difficult 1,198 46 806 31 624 24

Total 3,418 49.9 2,047 29.9 1,387 20.2

167

Table 9.5 Students perceptions of commuting to UQ



I miss class sometimes because commuting is difficult/expensive

2,069 35.40 941 16.10 2,828 48.40

My commute is expensive 2,903 49.50 1,191 20.30 1,770 31.20

My commute is time consuming 3,342 57.00 911 15.50 1,611 27.50

I would spend more time on campus if commuting was easier/cheaper

3,711 63.30 1,024 17.50 1,124 19.20

Total

Table 9.6 Balancing commitments with commuting

My commute is time consuming

Agree Neither Disagree N/A



Easy 601 54.1 150 13.5 342 30.8 18 1.6

Neither 579 54.5 197 18.5 252 23.7 35 3.3

Difficult 1,485 62.5 284 12.0 505 21.3 101 4.3


Easy 899 49.2 267 14.6 626 34.2 37 2.0

Neither 849 54.8 296 19.1 361 23.3 43 2.8

Difficult 1,480 62.6 286 12.1 504 21.3 96 4.1

Total 2,665 58.6 631 13.9 1,099 24.2 154 3.4

My commute is expensive


Easy 505 45.5 209 18.8 379 34.1 18 1.6

Neither 487 45.8 247 23.2 297 27.9 32 3.0

Difficult 1,294 54.5 418 17.6 559 23.5 104 4.4


Easy 772 42.2 346 18.9 674 36.9 37 2.0

Neither 726 46.9 374 24.1 408 26.3 41 2.7

Difficult 1,306 55.2 409 17.3 552 23.3 99 4.2

Total 2,286 50.3 874 19.2 1,235 27.2 154 3.4

168

Table 9.7 The impact of increased night security on time spent on campus by gender

No difference in time on campus Increase in time on campus Total

Freq % Freq %

Female 2354 57.68 1727 42.32 4081

Male 1548 81.43 353 18.57 1901

Other 2 66.67 1 33.33 3

Total 3904 65.23 2081 34.77 5985

Table 9.8 I would spend more time on campus of it was easier/cheaper to get there by university engagement and commitments



I feel like I am a part of the UQ community

Agree 2075 62.03 609 18.21 661 19.76 3345

Neither 1074 64.39 299 17.93 295 17.69 1668

Disagree 562 66.43 116 13.71 168 19.86 846


Agree 2565 62.90 721 17.68 792 19.42 4078

Neither 618 62.93 191 19.45 173 17.62 982

Disagree 528 66.08 112 14.02 159 19.90 799

I actively participate in organised social activities at UQ

Agree 1333 63.06 372 17.60 409 19.35 2114

Neither 913 63.54 301 20.95 223 15.52 1437

Disagree 1465 63.47 351 15.21 492 21.32 2308

Balancing study and paid work

Easy 689 63.15 167 15.31 235 21.54 1091

Neither 633 61.28 224 21.68 176 17.04 1033

Difficult 1552 68.37 344 15.15 374 16.48 2270

Balancing study and family responsibilities

Easy 1062 59.33 318 17.77 410 22.91 1790

Neither 963 63.86 294 19.50 251 16.64 1508

Difficult 1533 67.65 352 15.53 381 16.81 2266

Balancing study and leisure or social activities

Easy 794 58.77 239 17.69 318 23.54 1351

Neither 857 61.13 288 20.54 257 18.33 1402

Difficult 2005 66.52 479 15.89 530 17.58 3014

169

Table 9.9 Importance of opportunities to play sport or access to sporting facilities by domestic/international student, active participation in social activities and balance of leisure or social activities

Important Neither Not important Total


Domestic/international student




Agree 1694 69.63 498 20.47 241 9.91 2433

Neither 838 49.56 634 37.49 219 12.95 1691

Disagree 865 32.22 901 33.56 919 34.23 2685


Easy 830 53.72 408 26.41 307 19.87 1545

Neither 838 51.25 520 31.80 277 16.94 1635

Difficult 1687 48.23 1052 30.07 759 21.70 3498

Table 9.10 Importance of opportunities to pursue interests through clubs and societies by domestic/international student, active participation in social activities and balance of leisure or social activities

Important Neither Not important Total


Domestic/international student




Agree 2050 84.26 329 13.52 54 2.22 2433

Neither 986 58.31 610 36.07 95 5.62 1691

Disagree 934 34.79 1032 38.44 719 26.78 2685


Easy 959 62.07 406 26.28 180 11.65 1545

Neither 988 60.43 479 29.30 168 10.28 1635

Difficult 1956 55.92 1042 29.79 500 14.29 3498

170

Appendix II: Unit Submission respondents

Academic Services Division

Enhancing Systems and Services Program

Enterprise Risk Unit

Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Indigenous Education portfolio, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit

Information Technology Services

King's College on behalf of the Heads of Colleges

Office of the Deputy Vice‐Chancellor (International)

Office of Planning and Management Information

School of Agriculture and Food Sciences

School of Agriculture and Food Sciences ‐ Food Group

School of Architecture

School of Biological Sciences

School of Chemical Engineering

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences

School of Civil Engineering

School of Communication and Arts

School of Dentistry

School of Economics

School of Education

School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry

School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry Teaching and Learning Committee

School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences

School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

School of Languages and Cultures

School of Law

171

School of Mathematics and Physics

School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering

School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering

School of Medicine

School of Music

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work

School of Pharmacy

School of Political Science and International Studies

School of Psychology

School of Public Health

School of Social Science

School of Veterinary Science

Student Affairs Division

Student Services Directorate ‐ Learning Advisors

Student Success and Strategies Office

Teaching Space Management

UQ Abroad

UQ Business School

UQ Business School ‐ Research

UQ Business School ‐ Strategy Cluster

UQ College

UQ Library

UQ Student Employability Project Team

172

Appendix III: List of acronyms

BEL Faculty of Business, Economics and Law

AIBN Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

DVC(I) Deputy Vice Chancellor (International)

EAIT Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

ESS Enhancing Systems and Services program

HASS Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

HABS Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

IMB Institute for Molecular Bioscience

ISSR Institute for Social Science Research

ITaLI Institute of Teaching and Learning Innovation

M+BS Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

MOOC Massive Open Online Course

OP Overall Positions

QAAFI Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation

QBI Queensland Brain Institute

QTAC Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre

RHD Research Higher Degree

RPL Recognition of Prior Learning

Science Faculty of Science

SMI Sustainable Minerals Institute

STEAM Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics

WIL Workplace Integrated Learning

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