Orientation 2010 Report

Report on 2010 Orientation Activities
Orientation 2010 Report Page: 1

PURPOSE
The Orientation Program is designed to facilitate the academic, cultural and social
adjustment of first year commencing students. Program activities are linked to the Key
Strategic goals of the University, namely enhancing the Student Experience, developing
excellence in Learning and Teaching, and encouraging participation for students from
diverse cultural and social backgrounds.

The Orientation Program is identified as a process that extends beyond the first few weeks of
a student's first semester at university. Orientation and transition activities at the University of
Sydney are seen to commence with the Universitys contact with prospective students, their
parents and schools. The process continues in the provision of the intensive events and
programs run through Orientation Week, and extends through to specialised programs for
students during their first year at Sydney. The Orientation Program is closely linked with the
First Year Experience activities being developed by the Faculties.

Students in their first year have special learning needs arising from the social and
academic transition they are experiencing. From multiple starting points, all students are
on a journey to becoming self-managing or self-directed learners, and the first-year
curriculum must help them get there. Kift and Nelson, 2005 p. 229

Development of the Program was ongoing in 2009, with the Project Group continuing to work
cooperatively in developing the integrated program for Orientation Week activities on the
Camperdown and Darlington campuses. Links continued to be provided to Orientation
activities on the other campuses. Project Group membership and Terms of Reference are
listed at Appendix C.

The introduction in 2009 of formal feedback through electronic surveys and focus groups of
first year students extended the quality assurance mechanisms and informed program
planning. Key changes implemented for the 2010 program included:

1. changed title of program from Sydney Welcome Orientation and Transition (SWOT) to
Orientation, to increase the salience of the program to students and convey a whole
of University approach.
2. expanded visibility of the program through postcards, booklet, website, posters and
promotional materials. Most students found out about program through multiple
methods (e.g. 60% via enrolment day, 52% through word of mouth, 52% through
Orientation postcards, 49% through the University of Sydney home page). From 2009
to 2010, there was a decrease in the number of students who did not attend the


program because they did not know of the program (from 20.9% of non-attendees in
2009 to 11.9% of those who did not attend Orientation in 2010).
3. restructure of the Orientation website and site location to increase ease of navigation,
content language and structure, and access to resources and support. A banner to
the site was available from 8 faculty sites, the Universitys Current Student, Future
student, and Start sites, as well as the University of Sydney Union. Statistics from the
web-report indicate that more than 14,000 visits to the website occurred in the weeks
leading up to and for the duration of the program. Changes to the site also included
increasing downloadable resources, and expanding year-round transition information
to facilitate adjustment to University beyond the first few weeks.
4. co-location of all academic seminars and transition sessions within the Eastern
Avenue Complex, to allow students easy access to all components of the program,
without getting tangled in Uni Maps, acronyms, and diverse campus locations. This
also facilitated cross promotion of events within the program.
5. expansion the rural and interstate students program, with direct outreach to the
students and expanded social interaction opportunities, resulting in a 10 fold increase
in attendees (from 8 to 79 attendees, 2009 Vs. 2010).
6. increased contact with senior level students through employing trained Student
Ambassadors to present academic and personal support services information within
10 faculty welcomes, and at 5 Residential College fresher presentations. Training and
access to the Student Ambassadors for the Faculty welcomes and residential college
fresher events produced two clear gains:
a. higher engagement between first year and senior level students, with
increased face validity to the message content.
b. previous resources to provide these messages at welcomes had been
sourced from the Counselling Service. Resources were redirected to
developing and renewing transition seminars, and enabled repetition of
seminars across the Orientation program.
7. streamlining the Orientation timetable, to increase visibility of transition seminars, with
repetition of key seminars.

These changes to the program are sustainable, with inbuilt quality assurance and continuous
improvement cycles. Many changes for the 2010 program were cost neutral. For example,
increased use of personalised emails to invite students to attend the Mature age or Rural and
Interstate student welcomes greatly reduced printing and mail-out costs for this year, and
resulted in greater attendance than 2009.


ORIENTATION PROGRAM COMPONENTS

University Welcome to New Students
Each year, The University Welcome to New Students marks the commencement of the
Orientation Program. This is a student's first opportunity to experience a formal University
event in the Great Hall with the carillon and a large academic procession, accompanied by
the University organist. In 2010, students were welcomed by The Chancellor Her Excellency
Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, The Vice-Chancellor Dr. Michael Spence, the Presidents of
the Students' Representative Council and The University of Sydney Union, and the O-Week
Directors. Principal Officers, Residential College and Faculty representation in this year's
academic procession numbered 65. The event was very well attended by students with The
Great Hall being filled to capacity (700 seats plus standing). Planning for 2011 will include
exploring external broadcast options to accommodate overflow of students.

Promotion
Promotion of the Orientation 2010 program included distribution of the Orientation 2010
postcard and booklet; an Orientation 2010 website linked to the look and feel of postcard and
booklet, containing extensive links from University sites; word of mouth; direct email to
students, as well as information included in presentations at University community outreach
events such as Sydney Uni LIVE! and Information Day. The program was highlighted to
students accessing assistance through the Student Help Line staffed by Student
Ambassadors. All promotional merchandise and websites were developed in line with the
Brand Guidelines, as one of the first large scale public-facing events for the University since
rebranding in January, 2010.

Orientation 2010 Postcards
The postcards were designed in consultation with Digital and Print Media. The postcard was
available to all students at in-person enrolment. Newly enrolling first year international
students were targeted through distribution at Daily Arrival Sessions presented by the
International Student Support Unit (18 January-12 March 2010) and to local students at the
Student Centre enrolment sites (25 January-29 January 2010).

Orientation 2010 Booklet
Following developments to the booklet in 2009, and feedback from the survey and focus
groups, further refinements were made to increase ease of use as an event program,
streamlining information about Faculty welcomes, academic information sessions and


transition talks. Information regarding Orientation activities held on the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music (SCM), the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) and Cumberland
campuses was included in the booklet.
The booklet was distributed by mail to all newly enrolling first year students (local addresses
only). Copies of the booklet were distributed to newly arriving international students at
International Student Orientation sessions presented by the International Student Support
Unit (15 - 18 February 2010). For reference, the image on the booklet is replicated on the
front of this report.

Orientation 2010 website
The website was updated by the Student Experience Coordinator, Student Support Services,
supported by staff in Digital and Print Media. The website and booklet were developed in
parallel with each other, as in previous years, to strengthen Orientation Program identity and
provide visual consistency. Downloadable pdfs of the booklet and the Orientation Week
timetable were made available.

As discussed above, the Current Students Orientation site was reconfigured to include
Orientation event information, whereas a separate campaign website had been developed
previously. This Orientation site is live year round, with periodic updating of the information
and resources contained on the site. The site contains dynamic feature panes, links and
images. The site remains live throughout semester, with ongoing uploading of resources and
information about transition and skills acquisition.

The Orientation 2010 button (and link) featured on the University home page, Future
Students (START) and the Services for Students and Current Students pages. Faculties
were advised on how to link to the site from their websites. Most Faculties offering
Orientation to undergraduate students posted the button on their home page.

Within the Orientation 2010 site, University services and information were highlighted by links
to key websites including START, the MyUni student portal, ICT Computer Access Labs, IT
Assist, Services for Students, Student Life, Getting Around (campus maps) and Security
Services (safety on campus). The Contact Us page provided direct email links and phone
numbers to enable undergraduate students to directly contact Faculties, University services
and the RTA transport information site.


The Starting Uni Quiz was situated within the site and on the home page, providing dynamic
links to information and resources located within the Orientation site.

Promotion to University staff
Principal Officers of the University, Deans, Heads of Schools, Heads of Residential Colleges
and key administrative staff were provided with information regarding the Program and
invited to attend the University Welcome to New Students.

An all-staff email was sent in the week prior to the Orientation program to promote
awareness of the upcoming events.

Role of Convenor in other promotional activities
The Orientation Convenor and the Student Experience Coordinator continued to have
responsibility for the coordination and development of the program, for liaison with the O-
Week Directors from the University of Sydney Union; the mail out of the Orientation booklet
plus the O-Week 10: A Space O-dyssey flyer; the promotion of information regarding the
Faculty and School Welcomes; and the organisation of the University Welcome to New
Students. Staff from the Graduations Office, Student Centre assisted with the organisation of
the University Welcome. Student Ambassadors from Marketing and Student Recruitment
were employed for the Orientation mail out, as ushers at the Official Welcome, guest
speakers within the Mature-Age, Rural and interstate and Broadway welcomes, and as
representatives for student services in Faculty welcomes.

Orientation 2010 Evaluation
Evaluation of the Orientation 2010 program and promotional materials was conducted
through the Web Report, through feedback questionnaires at seminar and information
sessions, as well as a repeat of the 2009 e-survey to undergraduate students in weeks 4-6 of
semester 1, 2010.

The Web Report indicates strong continued use of the website as a source of information for
commencing students. The website is live from December, in time for the January Info Day,
and remains accessible through the Orientation campaign. In the first few weeks of semester
the site changes to year-round content. The Web report indicates users book marked, and
returned to the site. Usage of the site rose steadily from Enrolment in January, peaking in the
days leading up to and during the Orientation campaign. Visitors to the site were local and


international. The website will remain a key marketing and information tool for the Orientation
program. A copy of the full Report is available in Appendix E.

Through both e-surveys in 2009 and 2010, the majority of students reported that attending
the Orientation enabled them to feel a sense of belonging to the University (more than 65%
Agree (A) or Strongly agreed (SA) ), to identify sources of support on campus (59% A or SA),
to find their way around campus (84% A or SA), to enjoy their first few weeks on campus
(67% A or SA) and to feel more comfortable on campus (83% A or SA).

Moreover, specific seminars are delivered to provide an increase in academic and
intrapersonal skills to assist adaptation to new study environment. More than 95.4% of
students who participated in the 2010 transition seminars reported that the session was
informative and helpful, and 93% reported that they would recommend the session to future
students.

As a new student who is slightly older than the norm, and returning from a few years in
another country this type of strategy-oriented talk was very beneficial, not just for at uni for
in life as well. Friends and Contacts seminar participant

Welcomes and Orientation activities are provided to specifically target the needs of each of
the following cohorts: Broadway scheme students; Rural and Interstate students; Mature age
and Part time students. Transition seminars and academic skills workshops enable all
students to develop academic, personal and social skills to achieve to their potential at
University level.

Over 38.6% of first year students who completed the e-survey for the 2010 program reported
being from a Non-English Speaking Background (NESB). One quarter (24.5%) of all students
were the first in their family to attend university, and 8.3% were Australian rural students. Of
the rural students, close to 45 % attended a rural public school, and 6.6% attended the TAFE
sector. More than 10% of all respondents were more than 22 years old.

In the 2010 e-survey, more than 70% of non-attendees to the Orientation program reported
in retrospect that they should have attended. Please see Appendix D for a full copy of the
Orientation 2010 survey. Recommendations stemming from the student survey will be
included in the overall recommendations and planning for the 2011 cycle.


Links with the University of Sydney Union (USU) and other student groups
In the week proceeding Semester One, the Orientation 2010 Program continued to be
provided in parallel with USU O-Week 10. This parallel programming continues to recognise
the value of the total University of Sydney experience and the importance of the integration
of academic and social, cultural and sporting activities in student life at the University.
To facilitate the programming of activities, key USU representatives are invited to attend
Orientation Project Group meetings. Each year the Convenor of the Orientation Project
Group liaises with USU staff as well as the O-Week Directors to ensure effective
collaboration between Orientation and O-Week activities. The staff from University services
and Campus Infrastructure Services are also closely involved in facilitating and supporting
Orientation and O-Week activities.
In 2010 and under the banner of O-Week 10: A Space O-dyssey stalls were available on
the Front Lawn and Eastern Avenue for three days (Wednesday-Friday) while other activities
were held at Manning House. Other entertainment events were held in the evenings
throughout the three days.
The USU worked cooperatively with the Orientation Project Group to ensure cross promotion
of events through the Semester One Orientation period. The Orientation 2010 booklet and
website included promotion of O-Week 10 activities. The Orientation website included
information on all student organisations and provided links to the USU, the Students
Representative Council, Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association and
Sydney University Sport
Similarly, the O-Week 10 website included links to the Orientation 2010 website. The
promotional mail out to first year students was jointly funded by the Orientation Program and
the USU. During O-Week 10 the USU distributed additional copies of Orientation booklets
from Information tents on the Front Lawn and to USU Student Point of Contact (SPOC)
volunteers at O-Week training sessions.

Specific Programs
The intensive Orientation to the University program was provided over three days, 24-26
February 2010, and included the University Welcome to New Students, Faculty Welcomes
and Information Sessions, and academic skills and transition seminars. More detailed
descriptions of the programs offered can be found at Appendices A and B.

The University Welcome, and the Faculty and School Welcomes continue to be integrated
into the Orientation program due to the key importance of commencing students feeling


connected with the academic staff of their Faculty and Departments and being integrated into
the academic life of the University, and to positively impact upon student retention. The
Faculties of Arts, Science, Economics and Business, and Veterinary Science continued to
provide extended Orientation activities held in addition to their Faculty Welcomes. The
faculties of Health Sciences, the SCA and SCM run independent Orientation programs
containing Faculty welcomes.

The 2010 Program included extended activities by the University of Sydney Library, the
Learning Centre and Counselling Service as outlined in Appendix A. Based on feedback from
the 2009 evaluations and survey, ICT undertook a review of service provision and developed
an orientation program team to initiate changes to service provision within the Orientation
period. Students were encouraged to drop into one of the ICT Computer Access Labs for
free essential computing skills courses, activate their UniKey account to access email and
explore the MyUni student portal. The ICT report is included in Appendix F

The Koori Centre held open days across the Orientation program. The Financial Assistance
Service offered information sessions. The Mathematics Learning Centre, Disability Services
and the Careers Centre held open days. The International Office provided seminars on
Student Exchange opportunities whilst studying at Sydney. The International Student
Support Unit offered a session for International students within the Orientation program, in
addition to the Daily Arrival sessions conducted for students from early January 2010 as
international students arrived on campus and International Student Orientation Program.

Outcomes and future directions
The Orientation Program contributes significantly to the Universitys welcome to new
students. Attendance at all activities continues to be strong, and has increased at a number
of activities. Feedback from students attending workshops indicated a high level of
satisfaction with the Program. An outline of the various activities involved and the level of
attendance at activities, where available, is provided in Appendix A.

A review of the Orientation 2010 Program by the members of the Project Group was held on
8 April 2010. The review indicated a successful outcome for 2010, endorsed the program
developments trialled this year, and looked at ways of taking forward the support of students
during 2010.


The Project Group notes that developments of the Program will need to be informed by the
University of Sydney White paper, as well as responding to demands for increased support
and assistance to students from diverse equity cohorts. The development of Virtual Colleges
will be watched with interest. Many of the faculty welcomes and cohort welcomes offered in
the Orientation program could function as a launching pad for connection within the Virtual
colleges structure, linking students to senior peers and academic staff from their first days as
an enrolled student at the University.

The Project Group affirmed the value of the continuation of the program to meet the needs of
undergraduate students in transition to tertiary study at the University of Sydney.

Jordi Austin
Acting Director, Student Support Services
Convenor Orientation 2010 Project Group

May 2010


APPENDIX A - SUPPORT SERVICES

The University Library
In 2010 Library staff welcomed students and introduced them to the Library as the
starting point for information and research.
12 multidisciplinary libraries had welcome banners and lollies at each information
desk. The Library provided handy credit card sized Express Student Guides which
provide information about the University of Sydney library including location maps
to direct students to the appropriate library.
The web quiz from 24
th
Feb to 9
th
March attracted 2269 completed entries and
allowed students to explore information about their libraries and subject areas in
an attempt to win one of 3 i-Pod Nanos or 11 i-Tune gift cards.
Students were encouraged to visit the libraries related to their faculties or subject
areas and were provided with information about all the different libraries. Several
thousand students attended introductory sessions in libraries. Tailored classes,
aligned with Units of Study and specific information skill sets, also began in O-
week and will continue to run throughout the year. Orientation week tours were
offered in some libraries and were well attended.
Faculty Liaison Librarians participated in welcome functions arranged by Faculties
and departments and for specific programs. There were academic orientations for
Architecture, Arts, Engineering and IT, Science and Veterinary Science first year
students. The library participated in the welcomes for new Undergraduate and
Postgraduate International Students. Librarians also made presentations to
Postgraduates in Architecture, Arts, Law, Engineering and IT, Science, Sydney
College of the Arts and Vet Sciences.
Information about the Library and its services was included in welcome packs for
incoming students.

The Library also provided online support through Getting started podcasts, and a
range of online i-Research learning modules such as Plagiarism and academic
honesty; Finding items on your reading list; Finding journals using databases and
Search smarter:search faster.


ICT Computer Access Labs
The primary ICT objective of the Orientation 2010 program was to consolidate and
promote knowledge of student computing services on campus amongst the student
population of the University. Focus was placed on the new intake of students for the
2010 academic year. The secondary objective was to form a template of activities for
further development across future orientation periods.

To this end, four key programs were offered:

o general introductory lectures for new students (including faculty welcomes),

o ICT information sessions covering four key areas (Basic IT skills, How to use
an ICT Access Lab, How to use MyUni and How to use eLearning),

o wireless setup assistance and,

o an information stall at the USU O-week event to engage with students
regarding ICT student provisions.

These events were attended by both ICT Access Labs staff and members of the ICT
from various service portfolios.

The introductory lectures were anecdotally well received, working in partnership with
the ISSU at Main and FHS campuses. We additionally had an opportunity to provide
ICT content across all Faculty welcomes through the general Orientation program.
Our hope is to have content available online in the form of information videos which
can be made available for students to peruse through at their leisure.

ICT Information sessions had a low turnout rate of only 25 students over 25 classes,
leading to satisfaction ratings, received from feedback forms, of 90 percent. Further
demand exists in holding these types of sessions periodically during semester. With
regards to wireless setup assistance, on average, 75 laptops were serviced per day
during the orientation period.

At the USU stall, over 200 wireless setup guides were handed out, with a similar
amount of FAQs disseminated upon request. From a customer connection point of


view, this level of interaction proved to be of most value for ICT members who
normally dont have direct contact with students. The peak period of activity at the
stall was between 10am to 12pm.

Between 15th February to the 26th of February 2010, we experienced the following
volume of students utilising computers at the ICT Access labs locations at Main,
FHS, Camden, SCA, Nursing, and The Conservatorium campuses. These figures
reflect time intervals of 8am to 6pm on weekdays:

o A total of 4524 students
o A total of 11622 login attempts
o Average time of 46 mins spent on computers

Overall, these orientation events gave us a fair indication of where we need to be as
a service group.

Careers Centre
During Orientation Week, the Careers Centre had a number of student career
ambassadors on campus who handed out promotional material and encouraged
students to sign up for job vacancies through the Job Alert system. During
Orientation, 392 students signed up for Job Alert and in Weeks 1 & 2, a further 2563
students signed up. The Careers Centre attributes the sign-up rate in Weeks 1 & 2
to both the promotion of the service during Orientation and to the lunchtime drop-in
sessions that the Careers Centre conducted during Orientation and Weeks 1 & 2 of
First Semester.

The drop-in sessions (where students could talk with a careers adviser and were
shown around the Resource Centre) were popular with students. We saw a total of
34 students in O-Week and a further 92 students in Weeks 1 & 2.

The Careers Centre also conducted the following sessions:
Casual Employment Wednesday 24 February, attended by 85 students
Casual Employment - Thursday 25 February, attended by 60 students

Careers staff did not personally participate in Faculty Welcomes but contributed a
slide to the presentation on Services to Students conducted by student ambassadors


at all Faculty Welcomes. A slide about our services was also given to the Office of
Graduate Studies to present on behalf of the Careers Centre at the Induction
Program for Postgraduate Students.

The Careers Centre staffed a booth at the BBQ lunchtime fair that followed the
Engineering & IT Faculty welcome, speaking to 65 students at that session. Careers
Centre staff presented at the ISSU welcome session for Full Degree Students
Orientation Program attended by 350 students and staffed a table at the Welcome
lunch and morning tea, speaking to a total of 235 students across the 2 days.

Counselling Service
The Counselling Service presented workshops and seminars across an array of
topics and issues relevant to commencing students. Written feedback, in the form of
standardized evaluation questionnaires, indicated that the seminars were useful and
relevant, in an appropriate format, and that respondents would recommend the
seminars to future commencing students. The majority of students found out about
the seminars via the Orientation booklet. There was a mix of undergraduate and
postgraduate students in all seminars. The number of international students was
higher than previous years with the majority of evaluations coming from students who
identified as international.

In terms of attendance and feedback while every attempt is made to get students to
fill in evaluations forms depending on the time the workshop is scheduled audience
members may be rushing to the next event and the number of evaluations may not
accurately reflect the numbers attending.

In 2010, seminars were provided on the following topics plus new programs*

Friends and Contacts: to help students establish a support network by
developing new friendships, joining clubs and societies, and liaising with
University staff. 6 students filled in evaluations forms.
Have I made the right choice to help students clarify their decisions about
university, course choice and to provide transfer information. 28 students
filled in evaluations forms.
Succeeding at Sydney: to help students develop realistic strategies for
coping with the transition to independent study, and to develop skills for
success. 68 students filled in evaluation forms.


Coping with Stress: to help students recognise sources and signs of stress
and to help them develop effective coping strategies. 51 students evaluated
this seminar.
*Happiness: exploring sources of motivation in the face of challenge and
opportunity of the academic environment. 37 students provided evaluations.
*Counselling Service staff coordinated student ambassadors to participated in
Faculty Welcomes at most undergraduate faculty welcomes. Student
ambassadors introduced students to issues that they may confront through
their studies, and directed them to the range of support services available on
campus, including Services for Students, Careers and Scholarships.
*Presentations were provided to the Residential Colleges. A student
ambassador visited most Residential Colleges during the course of the
Orientation Program.
Residential Advisor training was provided to some residential Colleges where
invited.

In 2010, the highly successful Mature Age and Part-time Students Welcome was run
by the Counselling Service for the fifth year. Students were contacted individually by
email and were invited to attend an information seminar and social activity. The
program included a presentation by the Counselling Service on Surviving and
Thriving as a Mature Age Student,and both the Learning Centre and the Financial
Assistance Service provided key information relevant to this student group. In
addition, a senior year mature age student shared his experiences and strategies for
coping at University. Further presentations were provided by the SRC and Student
Union and, to conclude the session, a Q and A panel (which included a
representative from Fisher Library) answered questions arising from the audience.
Approximately 100 students participated in the event. Feedback was highly positive,
with all respondents indicating that they would recommend the event to future mature
age students. The University of Sydney Union provided a social event after the
information session that was extremely well attended.

The Broadway Welcome was re-introduced this year providing an orientation
program for students entering the university under the Broadway scheme. In 2009
this program had been part of the SOAR Welcome that had included Commonwealth
Learning Scholarship students. Changes in the scholarship funding structure for
2010 however resulted in a decision to revise the target group for this orientation
program.


All commencing students entering Broadway scheme were contacted individually via
email. Approximately 35 students attended on the day. The Broadway program is
held in the week before Orientation to ensure privacy, as students have expressed
concern about being identified as a Broadway student by other commencing
students. Student Ambassadors gave presentations to commencing students about
accessing university resources and their experience in managing the transition to
university. Other presentations through the afternoon included addresses on coping
with change and time and stress management from the Counselling Service, along
with information from the Learning Centre, Financial Assistance Service, and the
Students Representative Council. A Q and A panel also included participants from
the Library and the Student Union. Students were given the opportunity to meet
other students through organized activities and social events built into the days
program.

In 2010, the Country and Interstate Welcome also became a high profile activity
within the Orientation program. For the first time, rural/interstate students were
identified and contacted individually via email to invite them to attend the two hour
welcome program. Over 80 students attended the session that included: practical
information about transport and activities in Sydney, ideas for managing transitions
into new learning and social communities, information about financial support options
from the Financial Assistance Service and advice from a Student Ambassador,
himself a rural student, about coping with the first year student experience. The
information session was followed by a luncheon provided by the University of Sydney
Union which facilitated social support networking among these students.

The student presentation presentations for both the Mature Age and the Country and
Interstate programs have subsequently been uploaded as podcasts available to all
students on the university Orientation website.

Innovation 2010
In recent years, the Counselling Service provided talks about Student Support
Services at the various Faculty Welcomes. The aims of these talks have been to
raise the profile of the range of services available and to encourage new students to
seek help early if they begin to get into any difficulties. This is a key task in the
pursuit of making student support services as accessible as possible to students in
need. Counsellors had traditionally delivered these talks, however, the feedback last


year indicated that students would find the material more meaningful and engaging if
it were provided by other students. This valuable feedback was the catalyst for a
fresh approach. Initially, the presentation package was revised through a process of
consultation with Student Ambassadors. A group of Student Ambassadors were then
provided with training by the Counselling Service in how to deliver the new
presentation from a personal perspective and to convey key messages relating to the
importance of seeking help proactively and early. Talks were offered to all faculties
and residential colleges and the vast majority scheduled space for this in their
welcome events. Informal feedback indicated that these were generally very well
received by students and event organisers alike, the latter suggesting that the new
model was a significant improvement on the previous and provided clear information
and got the key messages across effectively.

Accommodation Service
The Accommodation Service provided two hour-long information sessions. These
included a powerpoint presentation and a question and answer session. The
presentation provided:
A description of the different on-campus options, the application process, and
details of current on-campus vacancies
an overview of resources available to find off-campus accommodation
a description of different types of off-campus accommodation including
current costs
a discussion of the Accommodation Database, including a demonstration
showing how to access and search it
information about tenancy matters and places to get information and
assistance.
information about other assistance and resources the Accommodation
Service provides, including information about using public transport to get to
University and resources to help students set up a home

An information pack was provided which included:
The 2010 Accommodation Service booklet
The University of Sydney Transport Guide
Map of Suburbs around the Camperdown and Darlington Campus with
travelling times.
The SRC Accommodation Checklist with tenancy tips and warnings


The Accommodation Service inspection checklist, listing things to check when
inspection a property
Office of Fair Trading and Tenants Union of NSW information about renting
accommodation, paying a bond, and living in share accommodation

25 students attended on Wednesday 24 February and 10 students attended on
Thursday 25 February. 26 students completed evaluation surveys" The results from
the evaluation survey indicated that of the 26 respondents 9 students strongly agreed
and 16 students agreed that the session was informative and helpful. One student
was undecided.

Feedback included:
Wonderfully comprehensive the speaker was very lucid, engaging and thorough
made everything wonderfully clear! Went through everything in great detail which
was so helpful. Thanks!
and
Very informative, very dynamic. Positive attitude.

Accommodation Information Sessions for international students
From 12 January to 11 March, Accommodation Information Sessions were presented
for newly arrived international students. The sessions were held Monday to Friday,
ran for an hour, and were attended by a total of 530 international students over the
period.

The sessions were interactive and included a powerpoint presentation, question and
answer session and information packs were provided. The sessions addressed the
specific accommodation needs of newly arrived international students.

Students were asked to evaluate the session through a short questionnaire. The
overwhelming majority agreed or strongly agreed that:
The session covered the topics they wanted to know about
The information was presented clearly and was easy to understand
The written information in the information pack was clear and useful
The information provided was sufficient to commence their accommodation
search


Their concerns and questions were effectively addressed by the
Accommodation Officer
They had enough time to interact with the Accommodation Officer

Disability Services
Disability Services held an open morning, where students could informally meet with
a Disability Services Officer and ask questions. One student attended the drop-in
session. The service will look to reverting to the more successful Mentoring Access
Program, as conducted in 2009, for the 2011 Orientation program.

Financial Assistance Service
The Financial Assistance Service provided one information session called Money
Matters. The session was well attended, with 30 students attending on Thursday 25
February.

The session covered financial assistance available at the University and information
regarding Centrelink assistance. Budgeting and debt management, with a particular
focus on credit card debt, were also discussed.

The Financial Assistance Service also gave presentations at the Broadway
Welcome, Mature Age and Part-time Welcome, and the Rural and Interstate
Welcome.

International Exchange Program
The 2010 Orientation program was very successful for the Study Abroad and
Exchange team. Due to cost restraints, we cut back our stall participation to two days
(Thursday and Friday), however, the position of the stall was excellent and we saw a
steady stream of people coming through.

Our presentations were very well attended, with a full house on the Wednesday and
approximately 75 on Thursday. We have seen a great amount of interest at our
events throughout first semester from students who attended these sessions.


International Student Support Unit (ISSU)
In addition to the International Student Orientation held from 15 to 18 February and
the Daily Arrival Information Sessions held from 18 January to 12 March, the
International Student Support Unit delivered seminars during Orientation on 24 and
25 February.

The feedback received from students attending the Daily Arrival Information Sessions
was positive in terms of delivery and content. These Sessions covered information on
student services, accommodation, personal safety, transport, banking and taxation,
student visas, trips and activities, overseas student health cover and adjustment to
life and study in Sydney.

Within the Orientation timeframe, the seminars on 24 and 25 February focused on
adjustment to study and life in Sydney and emphasised strategies to assist with this
adjustment and the support services available. The presentation emphasised
participation and allowed for a question and answer session. Forty-eight students
attended the seminars. While this does not appear to be a large number it should be
noted that these students had not attended a Daily Arrival Information Session or the
International Student Orientation.

ISSU staff believe these late arriving students are a high priority in terms of delivering
the information emphasised during the Orientation seminars. As such, two
orientations were run for late arriving students on the Monday and Tuesday of the
second week of semester. Feedback from the ISSU on-line questionnaire for
evaluating orientation indicates a large number of students arrived too late to attend
the International Student Orientation, and because students who arrive late are
generally disadvantaged. These catch up orientations are required to ensure our
duty of care and legislative responsibilities are satisfied.

Learning Centre
The Learning Centre presented nine introductory Learning to Learn lectures over the
three day Orientation 2010, 24-26 February, one of which was repeated. Over 2600
students from a wide range of Faculties attended these introductory lectures and
student evaluations were very positive. Lecture notes and presentation slides were
accessible for students to download from the Learning Centre website.


The Learning Centre Orientation 2010 lectures and attendances were:
Strategies for Successful Learning c 180 students
Lectures and How to Use them c 250 students
Successful Essay Writing in First Year c 600 students
Developing Critical Thinking Skills c 350 students
Collaborative Learning c 160 students
Report Writing Skills c 420 students
Learning about Plagiarism c 380 students
Developing Oral Presentation Skills c 280 students

Learning Centre funded activities provided for first year students were:
Twenty seven hours of academic skills workshops specifically targeting First
Year students in the LCs Central Program in first semester.

In addition, the LC provided the following support for first year students:
Orientation programs for new students in a number of Faculties and other
Units, such as ISSU, Mature age Welcome and the Broadway Welcome
An Academic Skills Program for new International students at Cumberland
Campus in February.
Teaching and materials for the Koori Centre Academic Skills Program in
February.
Additional study skills resources (Understanding Yourself as a Learner,
Being a More Effective Learner, Using Planners and Plans) published by the
Learning Centre made available on the LC website for downloading.

Finally, as part of the Learning Centres Faculty Program, a range of learning and
teaching activities were provided for first year students. These are supported by
Faculty funding on a cost-recovery basis for teaching and marking:

Diagnostic assessment of students writing, using the MASUS procedure
developed by the Learning Centre. The total first year Semester 1 cohort of
357 students in the Units of Study, ENGG1803 and ENGG1805 in the


Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies was assessed using
MASUS. Follow up language support sessions focusing on academic
communication skills, designed and delivered by LC staff were integrated
into the above-named Units of Study: ENGG1803 and ENGG1805.
LC staff participated in the Staying on Track seminars conducted in March
2010 at both Camperdown and Cumberland campuses.

Mathematics Learning Centre
The Mathematics Learning Centre, together with the School of Mathematics and
Statistics, organised mathematics bridging courses during February. In 2010,
approximately 280 students attended these courses. The Mathematics Learning
Centre invited students to drop-in and meet the Centre's staff during an open day in
Orientation. Mathematics Learning Centre staff participated in the Faculty of
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources orientation program.

Alumni Relations Office: Mentions in 2010 Faculty Welcomes
Goal
This program was built on the 2007 initiative to introduce the concept of alumni and
its significance to new students as soon as they are on campus, and using the
Orientation Faculty Welcomes was an ideal opportunity. We aim to lay the
groundwork for a range of alumni familiarisation and student-alumni engagement
programs, on which we could build as students progress through their university
career, so that by the time they graduate they are a committed and hopefully active
University of Sydney alumni.

Strategy
The ARO contacted all Faculties with the request to use the following text in their
official Orientation Week welcomes:

"As a newly-enrolled student, you are now part of the University of Sydney
community, and when you graduate you will become a life-long member of Sydney's
alumni community ('alumni' is Latin for 'graduates'). Through the Alumni Relations
Office, this community offers a worldwide network of friendship, support, services and
benefits, which I hope you will take advantage of over the years."


In addition the ARO developed for 2010 a PowerPoint display that faculty alumni
representatives or faculty staff can show at new student welcomes and other
functions.

The ARO is continuing to roll out this program, through:
Message and PowerPoint distribution via Deans/Faculties.
Alumni text in Orientation publications and on the Orientation website
Updating of alumni text as new student-alumni engagement programs are
launched, most notably the online mentoring program.


APPENDIX B - FACULTY EVENTS

Faculty of Arts
This year the Faculty of Arts welcomed over 2000 new first year undergraduate
students into our fifteen degree and combined degree programs, and almost half of
these students signed up to participate in the Arts Network Mentoring Program. The
program began this year on Monday 22 February with Welcome Day, an exciting
event incorporating activities such as an interactive role-play about the joys and
challenges of first year, small group activities for students in the same degree
program, and a Must See, Must Have, Must Do tour around campus.
More than 500 of these new students attended our official welcome in Wallace
Theatre on Thursday 25 February. A highlight of this event was a highly voluble
Ancient Greek Debate, in which seven of our academic staff contributed their views
on the true nature of love. The debate gave students the opportunity to begin to learn
about the extremely different and interesting perspectives brought to knowledge and
enquiry by the many different discipline areas represented in our Faculty.
Senior student mentors continued to support first years over the challenging first few
weeks of the semester. We also introduced a new activity in Weeks One and Two
this year: a series of Degree Pathways Forums, designed to ensure that new
students developed clear understandings of both the requirements and the
opportunities of their degree program.
Further transition activities were conducted within lecture and tutorial groups. For
example, over 2,000 students in twenty junior units of study completed an online
tutorial in information literacy skills as part of their preparation for their first
assessment activities. This online resource, ARTS1000 eSearch to Research, has
been developed jointly by the Arts Network Team, the University Library, and the
Sydney eLearning Team.


Faculty of Economics & Business

The Faculty of Economics and Business has undertaken a variety of initiatives to
assist students in their orientation and transition in the Faculty and the University of
Sydney:

1: Ongoing development of an orientation website
(http://www.econ.usyd.edu.au/orientation)
information for students (Workshops, Mentoring Programs, Careers Advice,
Facultys Clubs and Societies)
information for parents/sponsors/agents
information about teaching and learning
information about living in Sydney
links to Sydney Welcome Orientation and Transition (Orientation) website
and University of Sydney Union O-Week

2: 2 ! 3 hour orientation program for Postgraduates and Undergraduates
separately covering a range of resources and interests, introduction to the peer
mentoring program, informal meeting with academic staff.

Topics include:
Student Services Finding your way through the maze
Academic Honesty policy
Lessons on Blackboard (staff & student intranet platform)
Settling in and introduction to the Peer Mentoring Program
Accounting Accreditation (postgraduate)
Careers Advice
Managing Study Expectations Yours and Ours
Accessing Library Services
3: Program-specific and discipline-specific orientation sessions, ranging from one
to two hours, with post-session refreshments provided:
o Bachelor of Commerce
o Bachelor of Economics
o Master of Commerce


o Master of Commerce- Accounting Majors
o Master of Economics + MCom Economics Majors
o MHRMIR, MOrgCoaching + MCom Employment Relations and HRM
Majors
o MCom Transport and Supply Chain + Logistics Management Majors
o Master of International Business + MCom Intl Business Major
o Master of Professional Accounting
o Master of Marketing
o MCom Business Information Systems Major
o GradCert Innovation and Entreneurship Major
4: 4 x 1 hour International Students Sessions during Orientation for
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students
5: 1.5 hour evening welcome event for postgraduate coursework part-time
students in Week 4, including presentations on the special needs of part-timers
and targeted Faculty and University support. Refreshments provided.
6: Eight transition sessions running at various times throughout O Week:
http://www.econ.usyd.edu.au/learning/students/workshops/transition
Succeeding with Groupwork (for UG and PG)
Writing an Academic Essay (one session for UG only and one session
for PG only)
How to be an Independent Learner (for UG and PG)
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants (PG only)
Learning Smarter Not Harder (for UG and PG)
Critical Thinking (for PG only)
Making the Grade (for UG and PG)
7: 3 x Technical Skills Workshops held in Computer Labs during O Week:
Using Spreadsheets (for PG only)
BlackBoard 9- eLearning (Individual sessions for UG and PG Students,
and one session for Non-Accounting Students)
Using Library Resources (Individual sessions for UG and PG Students,
and one session specific for Accounting Students)


8: Further workshops - Students are also encouraged to attend workshops
available within and beyond the Faculty, including:
Skills Workshop for postgraduate students who want to develop aspects of
their learning practice for postgraduate study, week 4.
Maths Learning Centre workshops in algebra, working with graphs, sigma
notation, etc., week 4
Faculty of Economics and Business workshops on examination techniques,
week 6 and 13


Faculty of Science
More than 500 new students and around 120 parents were welcomed to the Faculty
of Science at the Student Transition Workshop and Parents' Program on Sunday,
21
st
February 2010. This workshop, which has been held every year since 1997, is a
wonderful chance for students to meet other new friends and for parents to have
those last minute concerns and questions addressed. The event included welcomes
from the staff, talks from current students including hints on how to survive and
prosper in first-year, formation of peer groups, tours of the campus and a trivia
competition that was run by the student science society SCISOC.

The peer groups were formed on the basis of the students' University timetables,
enabling students to meet those who have similar interests and chosen the same
subjects in an out-of-class setting. These new peer groups grow usually into an
extensive network of friends and contacts during the first semester with students
providing each other with support and assistance throughout the first year and the
succeeding years of their degree.

The Parents' Program included formal welcomes, a short seminar on the challenges
students face in making the transition from school to university, reflections on first
year from two senior students, and a presentation about employment possibilities for
science graduates from the University Careers Service. These were followed by a
very lively question & answer session. The day concluded with afternoon tea in the
main quadrangle. Academic staff from the Faculty acted as workshop leaders and
support persons, ably assisted by a team of student helpers throughout the day.

The event also introduced the Faculty of Sciences new mentoring and leadership
program. This program will provide on-going support and encouragement throughout
the semesters and build active participation and discussion with research staff.

The Science Faculty's Welcome to New Students was held on Wednesday, 24
th

February in the Eastern Avenue Auditorium. The hour-long event was packed out
with over 500 new students queuing outside for a spot. A warm welcome was
expressed by the Acting Dean who then introduced the First Year Directors of each
School in the Faculty. The Directors presented objects chosen to summarize the
nature of their disciplines including a Rubix cube race, a levitating magnet and an
oscillating chemical reaction.


The event concluded with Dr Karl who packed life, death and everything in between
into his advice to the new students.

After a hearty round of applause for the Acting Dean, everyone made the short walk
over to the courtyard at the back of the School of Chemistry for the first SCISOC
barbeque of the semester. The smell of sausages (both meat and vegetarian, of
course) filled the laboratories for the remainder of the day.

Other events run during orientation week for new and returning students were
lunchtime barbeques given by the Schools of the Faculty, a chemistry magic show by
the post-graduates students from Chemistry and a series of introductory talks for
students planning to be involved in the Facultys Talented Students Program.


APPENDIX C

Orientation Project Group
Terms of Reference

The Orientation Project Group is involved in the planning, delivery and review of the
welcome, orientation and transition activities for commencing undergraduate students at the
University of Sydney Camperdown and Darlington campuses.

The first year activities within faculties on the Camperdown and Darlington campuses are
promoted through the Orientation website and booklet.

The welcome orientation and transition activities at other campuses of the University are
included in the Orientation website and booklet.

Terms of Reference
develop the Orientation Strategic Plan for First Year Academic Orientation and
Transition in line with University's Strategic Directions 2006-2010, Learning and
Teaching and The Student Experience, jointly with Faculty Strategic Plans
develop coordinated, visible and active involvement of the University in academic
orientation and transition
develop timetable of activities including Chancellors Welcome, Faculty and
Department Welcomes and the activities of central student support services including
Alumni Relations, ICT Computer Access Labs, International Office (International
Exchange Program), Koori Centre, Learning Centre, Library, Marketing and Student
Recruitment, Mathematics Learning Centre, Sydney Talent, The Sydney Summer
School and Student Administration and Support.
develop the Orientation website and booklet
promote the Orientation Program to prospective students and families, enrolled
students, and staff of the University
determine and organise best publicity options for Orientation, including the Orienation
booklet and website
liaise with the University of Sydney Union regarding O-Week activities
develop a (Re)Orientation Program for Second Semester commencers and other First
Year students
develop ongoing orientation, transition and retention support at the University
throughout the First Year by central student support services including Alumni
Relations, ICT Computer Access Labs, International Office (International Exchange
Program), Koori Centre, Learning Centre, Library, Marketing and Student
Recruitment, Mathematics Learning Centre, Sydney Talent, The Sydney Summer
School and Student Administration and Support, and within Faculties and
Departments.


Orientation Project Group
Membership April 2010

Ex-officio members
Acting Director, Student Support Services
(Ms Jordi Austin) Convenor Orientation 2010
Alumni Relations nominee (Ms Hazel Baker)
Faculty nominees
Faculty of Arts (Dr Nerida Jarkey)
Faculty of Economics and Business (Dr Michael Paton)
Faculty of Pharmacy (Dr Lorraine Smith)
Faculty of Science (Dr Adam Bridgeman)

Information and Communications Technology nominees
Manager, Help Desk Services (to be confirmed)
Manager, Support Services (Ms Madeleine McCabe)
Access Labs Supervisor (Mr Rishikesh Shankar)
Internal Communications nominee
Student Communications Manager (Ms Joanna Cohen)
International Office nominee (Ms Kate Smart)
Koori Centre nominee (Ms Tanya Griffiths)
Koori Centre nominee (Ms Sarina Solar)
Learning Centre Head (Dr Helen Drury)
Learning Centre nominee (Dr Angela Ardington)
Marketing and Student Recruitment
Undergraduate Marketing Manager (Mr Kaveh Ghezel)
Mathematics Learning Centre Head (Ms Jackie Nicholas)
Social Inclusion nominee (Ms Simone Ross)
Student Administration and Support
Careers Centre Head (Ms Inta Heimanis) or nominee (Ms Nitsa Athanassopoulos)
Counselling Service Head (Ms Philomena Renner)
Equity Support Services nominee (Mr Ben Alfred)
International Student Support Unit Head (Ms Lidia Nemitschenko)
Student Centre nominee (Mr Dennis OHare)
The Sydney Summer School Director (Dr Jillian Stewart)
University Library nominees
Manager, Client Services Law Library (Ms Linden Fairbairn)
Team Leader SciTech, Engineering Library (Ms Irene Rossendell)
Invited:
Faculty of Health Sciences nominee (to be confirmed)
University of Sydney Union nominees
Programs Manager (Ms Louise Anthony)
Marketing Manager (Ms Samantha Bala)
Events Manager (Ms Clare Van De Wall)

Support:
Student Experience Coordinator, Student Support Services (Ms Monique Williams)


APPENDIX D
Orientation 10 Survey - See attached

APPENDIX E
Orientation Web Report - See attached

APPENDIX F
ICT Orientation Report See attached
Page 1
Orientation 2010 Survey Orientation 2010 Survey Orientation 2010 Survey Orientation 2010 Survey
Please tick the box below if you agree to the Conditions of Entry for this survey. By agreeing to
participate you will be automatically entered into the draw for a chance to win a $250 Co-op
Bookshop voucher.
Thank you! If you would like to participate in the Orientation 2010 Survey for a chance to win a $250
Co-op Bookshop voucher, please read the Conditions of Entry and enter the survey again through
your email.
1.Thank you for agreeing to participate in the survey
1. I agree to participate in this survey and to be entered into the draw *
2.Thank you!
3.Information about you
1. Please tell us a bit about you. Are you...?
2. Are you...? (tick as many as apply) *
3. Have any of your family studied at University?
4. Have any of your friends studied at University?
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
Male

nmlkj
Female

nmlkj
Local Student

gfedc
International Student

gfedc
Full time

gfedc
Part time

gfedc
Mature Age

gfedc
Non English speaking background

gfedc
Yes, Sydney University

gfedc
Yes, but not at Sydney University

gfedc
No

gfedc
Yes, at Sydney University

gfedc
Yes, but not at Sydney University

gfedc
No

gfedc
Page 2
We are interested in your knowledge of the University before you began, and where you are from.
5. The Uni runs many information days and University Experince days to
help students decide about their course. Did you come to any of the
following?
6. Are you an Australian rural student?
4.Rural student experience
1. Where did you go to school?
5.Information about you
1. What age group are you?
Sydney Uni LIVE! (August)

gfedc
Sydney University Open Day (January)

gfedc
University Experience day (confirm name and dates)

gfedc
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
Rural public school

gfedc
Rural private school

gfedc
Metropolitan public school

gfedc
Metropolitan private school

gfedc
Tafe

gfedc
Other

gfedc
17-18 years

nmlkj
19-21

nmlkj
22-25

nmlkj
26-36

nmlkj
37 +

nmlkj
Page 3
2. What Faculty are you from?
3. Did you come to Orientation 2010 (22-26 February)?
6.Didn't attend Orientation?
1. Please tell us why you did not come to Orientation 2010
(tick as many as apply)
7.Your experience of Orientation 2010
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

gfedc
Architecture

gfedc
Arts

gfedc
Economics and Business

gfedc
Education and Social Work

gfedc
Engineering and Information Technologies

gfedc
Health Sciences

gfedc
Pharmacy

gfedc
Science

gfedc
Sydney College of the Arts

gfedc
Sydney Conservatorium of Music

gfedc
Veterinary Science

gfedc
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
Didn't know about the program

gfedc
Couldn't take time off work

gfedc
Was out of Sydney on holidays

gfedc
Hadn't arrived in Sydney yet

gfedc
The program did not look interesting/relevant to me

gfedc
Attended my residential college orientation instead

gfedc
Attended my campus orientation (SCA, CON, FHS)instead

gfedc
Attended International Student Daily Arrival Session instead

gfedc
Other (please specify)
Page 4
We are interested in what events you attended, how useful you found these events, and what we
could do to improve the Orientation experience.
1. How did you hear about the Orientation 2010 program? (tick as many
as apply)
2. Which days of the program did you attend?(tick all that apply)
University of Sydney Home page

gfedc
Faculty Home page

gfedc
On enrolment day

gfedc
START website

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Orientation postcard

gfedc
Orientation website

gfedc
USU O-Week website

gfedc
Orientation booklet

gfedc
USU O-Week brochure

gfedc
Word of mouth

gfedc
Other (please specify)
Friday 19 Feb

gfedc
Monday 22 Feb

gfedc
Tuesday 23 Feb

gfedc
Wednesday 24 Feb

gfedc
Thursday 25 Feb

gfedc
Friday 26 Feb

gfedc
Page 5
We are also interested in the O-week social activities you may have attended
3. Which events did you attend?
8.USU O-Week events
1. Did you buy an ACCESS card?
2. How many clubs and societies did you join?
3. Did you find the grouping of stalls by category (eg Recreation, Science,
Environment etc) made it easy to navigate your way around the stalls?
Faculty Welcome

gfedc
University Welcome (Great Hall)

gfedc
Academic seminars and Transition information sessions

gfedc
Broadway Welcome

gfedc
Mature age welcome

gfedc
Rural and Interstate welcome

gfedc
Careers Service open day

gfedc
Casual Employment information sessions

gfedc
Library tours

gfedc
ICT lab sessions

gfedc
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
None

nmlkj
1

nmlkj
2-3

nmlkj
4-5

nmlkj
5+

nmlkj
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
Page 6
Please tell us of your expectations about Orientation.
4. Did you attend any of the night time events? and if so, how would you
rate them?
Didn't go Poor Good Excellent
Opening Night Party in
3D
nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj
Comedy Night
Twilight Screening at
Twilight
Band Night
5. Did you feel there was enough variety in the O-Week events (day and
night)?
6. Did you go on the Campus Bus Tour? and if so, how did you rate it?
7. Did you find the SPOC's (O-week Volunteers) Useful for providing
information and directions?
9.Your Transition to Uni
Any comments about the night events?
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
Any Comments?
Didn't go

nmlkj
Poor

nmlkj
Helpful

nmlkj
Very helpful

nmlkj
Yes

nmlkj
No

nmlkj
Didn't know about them

nmlkj
Page 7
Please tell us if attending Orientation 2010 helped you to get to know the uni and to meet fellow
students
Please feel free to provide feedback about the Orientation program. We are keen to hear about what
worked well, and where we can improve.
1. Please rate the following statements about what you may have
expected from Orientation before you came to Uni...Did you expect to...
Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree
meet academic staff
nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj nmlkj
meet fellow students
gain academic skills
be shown around
campus
learn how to use the
library
have fun on campus
join lots of clubs and
societies
2. Any other expectations that you had before attending Orientation
2010?

10.Your experience of Orientation 2010
1. Did attending Orientation 2010 help you to...
Strongly disagree Disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Agree Strongly agree
meet fellow students
meet academic staff
identify academic
skills for success
find my way around
the campus
locate the library
identify and set up
computer resources
become aware of
sources of support on
campus
feel more comfortable
on campus
enjoy my first few
weeks at Uni
feel connected to the
Uni
feel as though I
belong at the Uni
11.Your feedback on the program
Page 8
Thank you!
1. What were the best aspects of Orientation 2010?

2. What aspects are most in need of improvement? Any suggestions?

3. Do you know where to go to...(tick if yes)?
12.Thank You!
Log into MyUni

gfedc
Change your timetable

gfedc
find your faculty office

gfedc
contact your faculty librarian

gfedc
find a computer lab

gfedc
use your unikey

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ICT ORIENTATION 2010 - REPORT

ICT ORIENTATION 2010 REPORT

PDF DOCUMENT

AUTHORS:

MATTHEW ETHERDEN, ICT ORIENTATION COORDINATOR
WILLIAM LAM, ICT ORIENTATION COMMITEE MEMBER
RISHI SHANKAR, TEAM LEADER, ICT ACCESS LABS

3 May 2010

Version 1.3
ICT ORIENTATION COMMITTEE 3 May 2010 Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview 3
Staff volunteer program 4
Student engagement 5
Outcomes and recommendations 6
Conclusion 9
OVERVIEW

2010 Orientation Program

Each year, the University of Sydney, in conjunction with the University of Sydney Union (USU) and other
external campus guilds, runs an orientation program for new and returning students. These activities range
from formal welcomes, faculty information sessions, and on campus social activities.

The Universitys orientation occurs in varying degrees, when the first offers are given out to new students,
until the start of semester. The USU Orientation (O-Week) is held across the last three days of the week
before Semester 1.

ICT objectives

The primary objective of the ICT Orientation 2010 program was to consolidate and promote knowledge of
student computing services on campus amongst the student population of the University. Focus was placed
on the new intake of students for the 2010 academic year.

The secondary objective was to form a template of activities for further development across future orientation
periods.

ICT activities

As ICT continues to innovate in supporting students, it became paramount for us to engage with the student
population face to face. This gave ICT team members an opportunity to communicate the full range of student
services on offer.

The following activities were undertaken:

Staff volunteer program

Organising committee
Stall volunteers

Student engagement

Introductory lectures
Information sessions
Wireless setup assistance
USU O-Week Stall
STAFF VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Organising committee

Given the relative scope of this initiative, it became necessary to form an organising committee to manage the
activities listed below. It is important to note that participation was administered on a voluntary basis, with
some members generously donating their time whilst on annual leave, with casual staff bearing the load of
operational tasks. Planning for this activity commenced in September 2009 with the following teams:

Operational and strategic

Matthew Etherden (Coordinator and Committee Chair)
Glenn Russell (FHS Orientation)
Linda Zhang (Secretary)
Jason Williams (Graphics Designer)
Guy Kabos (Logistics)
Chris Browne (Logistics & Presenter)
William Lam (Documentation, Reporting, Faculty of Heath Science (FHS) Campus Rep.)
Supporting

Joy Enriquez (Communications)
Rishi Shankar (Communications)
Relationship Management (Faculty welcome liaisons)
Jenny Malapetsas (Finance)

Stall attendees

The orientation team were generously supported by ICT staff who volunteered their time at the O-Week ICT
Stall. Attendance was managed through hourly rosters across three days.

To maintain a level of consistency in providing students with relevant information on ICT student services, a
series of training workshops were conducted by the organising committee prior to stall attendance.

Groups which took part as volunteers included:

ICT Executives
Helpdesk Services, Service Management
Infrastructure, Service Management
Field Services, Service Management
Information Security, Service Management
Support Services, Service Management
Enterprise Application and Training, Service Management
Business Analysis, Academic Services
Architecture, Integration and Information Services
Project Management, Academic Services
Relationship Management, Faculty Services
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

It is important to note that promotion of the ICT activities to students was made through the Orientation
website and booklet at http://www.usyd.edu.au/current_students/orientation.shtml in addition to the following
information streams listed below.

Introductory lectures (15
th
Feb. 17
th
Feb.)

Our primary stakeholders, the International Student Support Unit (ISSU), invited ICT to deliver a series of
introductory lectures on student computing. These consisted of 15 to 30 minute presentations, delivering
information on general IT resources offered by ICT to students of the University.
Topics covered were:
student computing labs - ICT Access Labs
Unikey accounts
MyUni
swITch
Sydney Mail
wireless access
college access

Faculty welcomes (22
nd
Feb. 26
th
Feb.)

The University Orientation group assisted with communication of ICTs student services by presenting general
information within all official Faculty Welcome programs. An Information article was also published on the
University bulletin citing ICT student service provisions.

In addition, the ICT Relationship Management team acted as faculty liaisons for the ICT Access Labs team in
delivering information to respective stakeholders at a grassroots level in addition to presentations across
Faculty Welcome programs.

Information Sessions (22
nd
Feb. 2
nd
Mar.)

The objectives of these sessions were to give students a working knowledge of how to utilise the full range of
ICTs student service catalogue. These were offered daily, with two supplemental sets of classes offered in
the first week of semester 1. The each class was conducted across a half hour period and covered the
following topics:
Basic IT skills
How to use an ICT Access Lab
How to use MyUni
How to use eLearning (WebCT)

Wireless setup assistance (22
nd
Feb. 26
th
Feb.)

Wireless sessions were offered daily, assisting students with wireless access on personal laptops.

USU O-Week ICT Stall (24
th
Feb. 26
th
Feb.)

In communication with the USU, an information stall was secured by ICT. The primary objective of this
information stall was to uniformly distribute information about the student computing resources on campus.
Examples included FAQ content for ICT Access Labs and Helpdesk, campus maps and wireless and college
setup guides were amongst the pieces of materials distributed. Stall participation was managed in pairs, with
one Access Lab staff member teamed up with ICT staff.
OUTCOMES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Staff volunteer program

Orientation committee

The committee received invaluable support from ICT staff in developing innovative ways to deliver the
orientation program. The group received a healthy balance of opinions on how to conduct activities, both
strategically and operationally. The committee as a whole worked well together and all members contributed
to the success of the program.
Some recommendations for future Orientation teams include:
planning ahead at least 3 months in advance to secure a budget,
communicating the program in person across team meetings,
participating in the Student Ambassador Program (which allocates 1 member per business unit)
securing branded material at least one month ahead of activities (brochures, merchandise, flyers
etc),
building stall partnerships with University hardware vendors,
request for allocation of stall positioning amongst vendors for a uniform information channel.

Stall attendees

Given the healthy take-up rate of stall volunteers, and the good will shared during attendance, stall volunteers
reported positive outcomes in terms of:
being given the opportunity to share information about student services on campus,
having awareness of frontline teams who support students,
making new networks and creating avenues to share ideas,
gaining knowledge of ICT escalation channels that exist for students.
Some recommendations for future stall volunteer teams include:
providing branded apparel prior to attendance,
requesting confirmations of attendance per daily roster 24 hours beforehand (in case of
emergencies),
requesting information on what volunteers would like to gain from the experience (e.g. discussion
on project ideas for student service delivery).

Student engagement

Introductory lectures

Positive anecdotal feedback was received from both the students and ISSU representatives as to the content
of information provided. Subsequently, a spill over effect occurred after each session with the ICT Access
Labs teams being approached onsite for further information on ICT services.
Sessions at FHS and Camden campuses were conducted in lecture theatres as well as the ICT Access Labs
locales. Familiarising students to the computing environment through a localised setting such as an Access
Lab proved popular and effective.
Some recommendations for future lecture programs include:
closer engagement with Relationship Management for official ICT allocated timeslots for
presentations and/or closer engagement with the University Orientation group for official ICT
allocated timeslots for presentations,
developing an ICT Student Services information video that can be screened in lieu of physical
attendance at Faculty Welcome programs.

Information sessions

Whilst many students took information flyers for these classes and stated their interest, the turnout was
smaller than expected with 25 students in total over 5 days.
As an additional information resource, the classes proved to be of value for students attending.
Some recommendations for future information sessions include:
running these sessions after O-Week activities to avoid conflict with competing events,
extending communication plan to advertise sessions through student portals such as MyUni,
providing further avenues for students to give qualitative feedback (existing feedback forms
reported an average of 90% satisfaction ratings),
expanding the range of sessions to accommodate student groups registered with Disability
Services,
posting content online across mediums such as screen casts.

Wireless setup assistance

The bulk of wireless assistance requests were received at ICT Access Labs locations with an average of 75
personal laptops per day serviced at a one to one basis during USU O-Week. This made the inclusion of a
separated classroom environment for assistance ineffective. Attendance was minimal.
Some recommendations for future wireless assistance include:
securing space within ICT Access Labs locations as wireless setup areas,
allocation of a secondary Technical Assistance ICT orientation site (originally in scope for 2010,
but not pursued to due to logistical issues with staff presence, security, OH&S and secondary
space allocation).

USU O-Week ICT Stall

In terms of dissemination of information, over 200 wireless setup guides were given out over the three days
(in addition to those distributed at ICT Access Labs locations, Faculty Welcomes and other orientation
programs, flyers and leaflets). A similar number of ICT student computing FAQs were distributed.
Student traffic approaching stall attendees varied across the three days, with most frequency earlier in the
week during the 10am to 12pm period.
26 ICT members participated in the program, with the experience reported as a positive one. Anecdotally,
many staff found their attendance to be a valuable one in seeing and experiencing firsthand the impact of ICT
services for students.
A complimentary benefit arising from the stalls activities was cross team communication shared between
frontline members who support students and resolver teams who in turn support the underlying infrastructure
and services used.
Some recommendations for future stall activities include:
recording metrics of how many students approached the stall, with categories of support,
creating a follow-up avenue for students to approach frontline staff with unresolved queries,
in partnership with University vendors, supply all students with USB media, comprising of
electronic information of ICT student service catalogue (FAQs, wireless, email, teaching and
learning etc),
organise branded material at least one month in advance (t-shirts, flyers, banners etc.),
stall attendance feedback form for continuous improvement.

CONCLUSION

The story of the 2009 Orientation

The 2009 University orientation group undertook a feedback program to examine student satisfaction data for
a number of orientation activities.
The relevant feedback for ICT included:
limited amount of support for resources such as MyUni,
WebCT information inefficient, with clearer explanations needed to navigate the portal,
stress and confusion about computing resources on campus,
running of computer information sessions as important,
some complaints on the lack of computers available during peak periods,
increasing the visibility of teaching and learning information during orientation, and during the first
few weeks of semester.

Did we succeed in 2010?

Overall, the ICT Orientation 2010 program aimed to pilot a number of innovative programs to meet the
information and technology needs of students on campus. The organising committee hopes that this activity
progresses exponentially across the next few years, with value being added for ICT to communicate freely
and constructively with students.
We await the 2010 University Orientation Group report to extend on the culture of continuous improvement in
the area of student services. This portfolio has tremendous potential if we build by meeting expectations
outlined by students.
The organising committee would like to thank all members involved with this program. The magnitude of
confidence, support and teamwork received from the ICT Executive Board, Management and members was
heartening.

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