Enhancing the student experience

A message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education Professor Tania Broadley.

I would like to thank everyone across ACU who has welcomed me so warmly over the past two months.

It’s been wonderful to meet many of you and learn more about the great work happening across the university. I look forward to getting to know more of you as I visit our campuses over the coming weeks.

In my time with ACU so far it has quickly become apparent how committed our staff are and how much you care about ensuring the best outcomes for our students. The genuine care you show for our students and the student experience is inspiring. My thanks to everyone involved in Semester 1 orientation activities. Students received a very warm and supportive welcome from all areas of ACU. It is terrific to see renewed activity and interest in our student clubs and societies.

It has been a difficult start to the semester at our Brisbane Campus with Week 1 plans, including welcome days and teaching commitments, being impacted by Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. I do hope you have felt supported through this time and we thank you for supporting our students. We will now turn to reopening our campus life there and focus on ensuring our students are supported for success in the late start to Semester 1.

In terms of the vision for the DVCE portfolio, enhancing the student experience will be one of my key priorities and I look forward to working alongside many of you to achieve ACU's ambitions in this space.

This work will initially include finalising a new Education Plan for ACU, aligned with Vision 2033. This new plan will provide a unified and overarching education roadmap for student success and outcomes. It will encapsulate the activities and commitments of other strategies, plans, and frameworks that are linked with all aspects of the student experience. I look forward to sharing more information about the plan with you soon.

Another key priority is the First Nations 10-Year Plan. Thank you to everyone who participated in consultation sessions for the plan with our partner Yamigigu Consulting towards the end of last year. The First Nations 10-Year Plan will include concrete and actionable initiatives to enhance leadership and governance, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success, workforce and research capacities, centred on a strong culture of inclusiveness, engagement and belonging.

I look forward to working together as we continue to put the student experience at the heart of our work.