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Transforming Western Sydney University

Transforming Western Sydney University. The Purpose. To develop a suite of related initiatives that will position the University to strengthen our position and reputation, grow student load, and develop the capacity to respond to future challenges. The Process.

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Transforming Western Sydney University

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  1. Transforming Western Sydney University

  2. The Purpose • To develop a suite of related initiatives that will position the University to strengthen our position and reputation, grow student load, and • develop the capacity to respond to future challenges.

  3. The Process

  4. Projects in 5 thematic areas • People • Systems • Structures • Environment • Research

  5. Projects that: • Strengthen our position in the market • Address competition • Attract new load • Retain current load • Work in an integrated way • Deliver improved environment, culture, practices and student experiences • Efficiency, integration, responsiveness resilience, capacity • Strengthen our foundations

  6. People ‘People’ are our most valuable asset.1 A transformed and enhanced workforce will not only enable the development of the type of graduates that the University aspires to, but will ensure students succeed and excel at University and beyond. • Staff: Academics (traditional and non-traditional, including external experts and Adjunct staff), sessional, professional staff, hybrid professionals, visiting scholars, and staff who are also students; • Students: Domestic and international; Undergraduate, Postgraduate, HDRs, and non-traditional (non-award, professional development), • Communities: Alumni, citizens, government and community agencies, NGOs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and the community, business and industry. 1. Securing Success 2015-2020

  7. Project 1 Reshaping and Enhancing the University Workforce • Futureproofing the University by: • Developing a contemporary and flexible Enterprise Agreement • Enhancing staff development opportunities, including: • Placements and Exchanges • Defined Projects – Open Discovery • Active Solutions: Active Ideas Labs, Active Community Fora • Academy of Programs

  8. Project 2 Improving Graduate Employability • Preparing our students for the workforce and for their careers of the future: • Development of a single, 10 credit point professional engagement preparatory unit for all students • Acombination of coursework and practical work • Embedded in all degrees (or those with no WIL at present) • Coursework component • Combination of face-to-face and online learning • Identifying/showcasing students’ skill sets, preparing for interviews • Professional seminars with business and industry leaders • Practical component • Internships and work placements • Including international and using students’ existing work

  9. Systems: Definition and Principles • Systems in the broader sense • technical, processes, users • Characteristics • acknowledge user, easy-to-use, robust and reliable, accessible, integrated • Improve outcomes through • connectivity, flexibility, engagement, efficiency, productivity • Systems impact staff and students and influence how they interact with each other and the University

  10. Project 1: Student Attraction, Enrolment & Retention • Scope • all systemsthat attract and retain students and support academic success • all student cohorts(domestic, international, undergraduate, postgraduate and research) • major projects & systems already in place or being reconfigured • learning analytics and a knowledge based system The process of becoming a student lays the foundation for all future engagement with the University.

  11. Project 2: Engaging the Student Voice • interface with external • systems • facilitate unsolicited feedback and suggestions • improve participation on University committees and projects

  12. Definitions Structures ‘Curriculum’ structures are what our students experience when they come to university to learn. Our curriculum structures convey – to prospective students and future employers - what is ‘possible’ to achieve at Western Sydney University – and the unique ‘value proposition’ of that learning. Our curriculum structures signify how we are different from our competitors. The way we structure and implement our curriculum shapes the way the university operates.

  13. What should our curriculum structure aim to achieve and look like? Graduates who are: • Future Focused: Creative inquiry-led, multidisciplinary, novel solution oriented thinkers. • Citizen Scholars: Informed and engaged local and global citizens, culturally competent, (particularly in regard to Indigenous cultures), committed to sustainability and the value of diversity, adept communicators and stewards of their Western Sydney community and the communities with which they choose to engage. • Innovation Entrepreneurs: Resilient, technologically savvy leaders with advanced knowledge and practical skills. What will it take? Achieving these outcomes requires us to find ways to better organise our curriculum so it is more attractive and accessible to prospective students (builds load) and efficiently engages them in the sort of learning, which effectively achieves the outcomes employers and students value.

  14. Why is curriculum the important structure to get right? The benefits of a simpler, more coherent curriculum structure will flow to all parts of the organisation. What will we do to transform our curriculum structures? A three-stage, three year project which will result in a more accessible, coherent and efficient set of structures for undergraduate and taught post graduate degrees. It will produce a new course profile that will be recognised by students and employers for the integration of ‘signature experiences’ across all our courses including research engagement, work-integrated learning and engagement with technology–enriched learning environments.

  15. Transforming our degree structures • Stage 1: Develop new curriculum architectures • Outcome • A set of simplified, coherent degree architectures to inform our future curriculum development and course profile planning • Stage 2: Implementation • Outcome • A more coherent set of degree offerings under a set of shared degree architectures. Improved administrative efficiencies in developing, enhancing and maintaining degree offerings through synergies within a shared architecture. A clear set of pathways into and though degrees that builds and sustains overall load and revenue across the university. • The transformation of courses offered by the university is an institution-wide project.

  16. Environment • Context: • Western Sydney - up for grabs? • Lens for decision making: • Physical footprint • Embed virtual footprint in planning • Deepen community and industry engagement in planning • Themes examples: • * Urban living; *Educational hub • * Cultural centres * Living labs • Action: • Apply the various lenses to Capital Works projects and infrastructure work; and • Future projects – up-grading facilities PAGE 16

  17. 6PM: RESEARCH SEMINAR Will the real estate bubble burst? Prof. R. Estate HOME 8PM: ART EXHBITION Create urban communities 10PM DRINKS: ROOFTOP BAR Gabe, Anth, Cheryl & Anne 1PM: LIBRARY STUDY SEMINAR Research for 100102 Urban living Educational Hub Living labs concept Cultural centre Innovation corridor Connected, visible & intelligent ALERT: FRIENDS ARE IN CAFE Engaged with industry 7AM-9AM: WORK Law firm internship

  18. Tier 1 projects: Create urban village campuses • 1PSQ maximise new building impact & link to community • Kingswood engineering spaces state-of-the-art teaching/research • Hawkesbury science facilities – develop standard • Homebush hub and (be)spoke to Parramatta – community role • Liverpool link to community – The College Tier 2 projects: building on technology like ZOOM for more interconnectedness • Other Transformational Projects link: • People – improve graduate employability & enhance University workforce • Systems – student application, enrolment & retention • Structures – transforming curriculum • Research – senior research fellowship & postgrad scholarships

  19. Research Theme • Western Sydney University is student centred and driven by research impact • Our core research mission is to deliver engaged and impactful quality research • Excellence in our research and in our teaching is mutually reinforcing • Improving our research creates a virtuous circle • Our research must be industry led, interdisciplinary and solution focussed • What is industry? • Businesses, governments, government business enterprises, non-government organisations, not-for-profit organisations, and community organisations

  20. The Importance of Research • Internal Challenges and Activities • Renegotiating research focus to combine excellence and impact capacity • Improve international rankings • Researcher development initiatives • Industry focus: REDI, Ideas Lab, Launch Pad • Research Theme Champions: capacity development and income diversification • Establishment of GRS and Masters of Research • Sector Pressures • Collaboration between universities and Industry • National Innovation and Science Agenda • The Watt Review • Simplified research block grant funding • Industry engagement rewarded • Assessment of research impact and engagement with industry • ACOLA review of research training • Industry-led research problems • Industry placements • Scaffolded skills development • Sector Competition

  21. Increase our research capacity, accelerate our focus on industry partnerships, improve our international collaborations and research impact

  22. Senior Research Fellowship Program • 20 Fellowships (5 a year for 4 years) • Level C: high calibre, proven leadership capacity, established industry links, experience with management partnered projects, international focus • Appointed to Schools with joint School appointments encouraged, aligned to Research Themes • Objectives and outcomes • Leverage capacity in research leadership including mentoring staff • Strengthen and build industry-focus and partnerships • Diversification of funding (ACG and industry) and increase outputs • Work with theme champions to build focused and flexible research cohorts that contribute to “grand challenges” and research impact • Supervise HDRs

  23. Postgraduate Scholarship Program • Additional 100 prestigious scholarships (25 a year for 4 years) • Target high calibre international and domestic candidates • Scholarships aligned with Research Themes and Senior Research Fellowship appointees • Joint School and Institute supervision • Objectives and outcomes • Strengthen long-term industry links: industry posed questions, co-supervision, top-ups, placements • Increase collaborative and team-based research • Strengthen international partnerships • Build research output and impact • Establish entrepreneurial focus and develop transferrable skills

  24. The project that excites you most…… • Three most exciting aspects. • What else is going on that you think relates to any of this. • How can we keep you informed?

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