Connectedness and belonging
Regardless of their age, Sally believes all international students share one important need. “I’ve read a lot of studies about what is important for student success, and what strikes me most is the need for connectedness – a feeling of belonging,” she says. “I remember one study concluding that if, after orientation, a student knew the name of one fellow student and just one teacher, they were far mor likely to continue with their studies and succeed.”
For Sally, that’s one reason activities like Welcome Week (orientation) are so important for new students to UTS College. “You’re meeting your teachers and you’re meeting your peers. You experience some group work. And we show you where to get help if you need it. All those things are a great stepping-stone towards that sense of connectedness and belonging. And of course, our Academic Coordinators are senior academics with discipline expertise and a shared commitment to students’ success.”
How parents can help
Sally also thinks parents can do a lot to help their child make an easier transition. “I encourage parents to find out as much as they can about living arrangements. Practical stuff is important. Is your child used to cooking and cleaning for themselves? Help them prepare to live more independently so there are fewer shocks when they get here.”
She says parents can also support their child academically. “Find out as much as you can about what the expectations are for a student. As a parent, I’d try and get to know the syllabus and look at the subjects they're studying and when their assignments are due. Not to be overprotective, but just so I could understand and get some sense of whether the child understands that expectation the same way.”
Empathy and understanding
Her own experiences as both a teacher and parent have influenced Sally’s approach to her role as Dean. “I think having different perspectives that come from being a parent, having been a student, having moved around lots of jobs in IT before I started teaching, all those things have given me some empathy. It’s helped me understand how study fits into the real world – that balance of practice and theory.”
A unique opportunity
One of Sally’s most exciting challenges as Dean has been her role in setting up the new Cambridge International team. “Justin and Wilhelmina, our principal and deputy principal are very focused on how to bring our best out for Cambridge International. We’ve designed it to be different from other Cambridge International programs,” she says. “For example, we have built-in diploma subjects to give students a taste of first-year university. That’s a unique opportunity. And they’ll have access to world-class university facilities like the Science Superlab on the UTS Campus. They’ll also get used to the style of study – so many things that will make a transition to university so much easier. It’s really a seamless way of doing it.”
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