
1. Strengthen first year experiences – the first year is the foundation for success in later years
- Review and enhance first year (FY) curriculum – articulated in the USC First Year Experience Enabling Plan
- Improve student outcomes in FY courses in conjunction with course performance monitoring, reporting and review, and priority course activities
- Deploy transition pedagogy and FY curriculum principles as the framework for design and practice
- Continue to strengthen a USC-wide approach to orientation and transition to learning – articulated in the USC Orientation Plan
- Focus on skills, identity, confidence, belonging and cohort building within programs and disciplines
- Increase the engagement of FY cohorts through a program of targeted early interventions based on needs – articulated in the Student Success Monitoring and Intervention Plan
- Ensure a framework and guidance for the FYE is incorporated into USC policy and procedures
2. Design and enact high quality curricula – high quality programs and courses engage students in learning
- Enhance curriculum design, implementation and enactment through the implementation of the USC Curriculum Design principles (learning centred, standards based, constructively aligned, and career and future focused)
- Support academic staff to embrace curriculum design as academic leadership work
- Broaden participation in and contributions to curriculum design and review activities
- Formalise the participation of students in curriculum design, implementation and review activities
- Formalise existing evidence-based approaches to curriculum evaluation and review
- Strengthen priority course and program activities focused on improving the student experience
- Implement processes for course and program monitoring, review and improvement
- Design and implement a systematic approach to curriculum review and evaluation
- Design and implement holistic approaches to evaluating learning, teaching and the student experience
- Improve curriculum information management design and systems, processes and practices
- Continue to enable and enrich learning and teaching and focus on learning and teaching in:
- Blended learning
- First year experience
- Work integrated learning and employability
- Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in curriculum
3. Promote access, equity and diversity – a USC-wide coordinated approach to increasing and widening student participation
- Develop meaningful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their Elders and communities
- Recruit, support and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at all levels of study
- Optimise activities through USC’s integrated approach to recruitment and widening participation, and partner with external agencies to maximise impact in target locations
- Extend existing access USC-wide access strategies:
- Supporting early entry: (1) Year 11 and Year 12 - focus on Headstart and Integrated Learning and similar discipline programs (2) Guaranteed and Direct offers
- Providing pathways into USC for students from diverse backgrounds: Enabling and TPP
- Recruiting and supporting students with disability
- Support the access and participation of specific student cohorts
4. Enable support for learning – intentional, proactive, timely access to life and learning support
- Implement a comprehensive approach for support and monitoring with interventions for learning engagement (SMILE) with early intervention and proactive student advising
- Design and implement an holistic approach to promoting student wellbeing
- Implement a support for learning approach to achieving academic excellence with specific attention to:
- Student wellbeing
- Academic Integrity
- STEM disciplines
- Academic literacies including English language proficiency and digital literacies
- Career, professional, leadership and personal development learning
- High performance student athletes and performers
- Develop a ‘students as partners’ strategy and approach and strengthen existing student governance mechanisms including:
- A student governance framework
- Student leadership program and awards
- Scholars program
- Staff-student liaison committees
- Innovate in the provision of social learning spaces
- Strategically extend and enhance peer to peer networking and learning
- Enhance campus life through engagement with the USC Student Guild, VC’s Student Representative Council to support student-led academic and social activities


