Forum for student voice a great success
2013 Students Matter Forum - Students informing, shaping and leading change
The Student Centre hosted the inaugural UTAS Students Matter Forum recently at Accommodation Services in Hobart.
Student Centre Executive Director, Stephanie Taylor, launched the event which will be convened annually as a key initiative of the new UTAS Student Experience Plan.
More than 75 students and staff from Hobart, Launceston, Cradle Coast, Sydney and Victoria participated in a range of discussions and workshops related to topics of mutual interest and concern.
UTAS Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen attended the forum, expressing his appreciation of the participation of a diverse range of students and staff from all campuses, distance study and discipline contexts.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Students and Education) Professor David Sadler opened the forum and joined in the day, sharing his vision for the UTAS student experience and emphasising the crucial role that student input has in informing, shaping and leading change at UTAS.
"It was great to see so many students drawn from all our campuses, including Sydney and Cradle coast and as well as distance students. It was inspiring to witness their interaction and networking with each other as well as with staff.
"Not only did we learn more on what is important for student experiences but also how many of the issues are shared between students from different locations and from online and face-to-face environments," Prof Sadler said.
"The day provided many opportunities to further enhance our Student Experience Plan, which is already the first dedicated strategy of its kind in Australia and which has been developed in partnership with the Tasmania University Union."
Two UTAS graduates, Meg Good and Rikki Mawad, inspired participants by sharing their own and others’ examples of being involved in university life.
Students and staff participated in world café group conversations to stimulate discussion and generate ideas for enhancing the student experience focusing on a range of relevant themes.
At this year's forum, the new "Students as Change Agents" initiative was launched. This initiative is designed to provide opportunities for students to contribute to improving their university experience, including the learning and teaching, through an action research project.
Key themes and outcomes from the day will be reported to the Student Experience Committee and also shared via the forum website at the end of October.
"I have already started promoting the forum to students encouraging them to come next year! It was great to meet others in the UTAS community and share our experiences," one forum participant said.