MUSSE

Students at the annual Transition First-Year Summit, held at Parkville campus on 14 October, discuss the ideal first-year experience.

By Leander Kreltszheim

Student recommendations from the recent University of Melbourne Transition Summit are already having an impact on Transition and Orientation planning.

Over the past five years, the Transition and Orientation Programs team in Academic Enrichment Services has run a ‘Transition First-Year Summit’, which is an opportunity for first-year students from all faculties to provide feedback on their transition to student life at the University of Melbourne.

Motivated by the Prime Minister’s Australia 2020 Summit earlier this year, Transition and Orientation staff revamped the format of the annual event, held this year on Tuesday 14 October at Parkville campus, to include several interactive and hands-on activities.

Approximately 100 University of Melbourne students participated in small groups during the summit to create lists of recommendations for future transition planning.

Areas of focus included how the University could aid students’ academic transition, suggestions for facilitating social interaction between students, and creating ‘the ideal transition timeline’ for new students.

Mr Ron Baird, Project Officer with Transition and Orientation Programs, explains that the University did not want to hand out another survey this year. “We wanted students to know that they’d contributed to University planning and we genuinely wanted to hear their ideas. The students in my group found the event worthwhile.”

Students overwhelmingly agreed that University support services needed to be delivered later in the semester, when students are in greater need of academic support. The Student Services Carnival, traditionally held during Orientation Week, will now be moved to week three of the teaching semester.

A full report of findings will be available for download from the Transition and Orientation website in 2009.

For information visit: www.services.unimelb.edu.au/transition