There are a number of areas across the University that support First Year students and/or provide support to 1st year topic coordinators. The following areas have provided a short paragraph indicating the support they offer to both 1st year students and their lecturers. Good practice at Flinders University identifies specific projects academic staff have established to support First Year students.

Careers & Employers Liaison Centre

The Careers & Employer Liaison Centre assists students from the very start of their studies.  Through a variety of programs, students can start to conceptualise their knowledge, put their learning into practice, link the skills they're developing through their studies with the skills employers want, and explore the range of future employment options open to them - all designed to work alongside their studies and produce well rounded Flinders graduates.

For example just some of the programs include:

  • Generic skill development sessions - e.g., teamwork, communication, project management
  • Work experience
  • Career development advice and consultation
  • Degree related undergraduate employment opportunities
  • Mentoring.

We also work closely with teaching staff and provide a range of resources and teaching support to assist students early in their study programs.  We currently run sessions across a range of courses and programs at a first year level.

For example sessions include:

  • Experiential programs on working effectively in teams, communicating in teams etc
  • Career pathway options Planning for career success.

The Careers & Employer Liaison Centre programs and support complement students' studies, and contribute to their success as students, and well rounded future graduates.

Health, Counselling and Disability Services

A range of services are available directly to students and to their lecturers. These include:

  • information on the website in a self help format (from "Want to get off to a good start?" to "Student Placement - Tips for Success") and list a number of external services with their contact details.
  • Involvement in the "Success @Flinders" program where we provide information to first year students about resources on campus, stress management, self-management and time management. These programs are usually held in Orientation Week
  • 10-minute talks from a team member about the services on offer at any of the first lectures attended by commencing students.
  • 30 - 60 minute presentations to first year students covering self-management and time management at university, usually within a lecture or tutorial timeslot.
  • Team members can to talk with your students about support services they may wish to access if your topic covers information that may cause distress or concern.
  • Team availability to talk confidentially with lecturers or tutors regarding concerns they may have about particular students within their topic/tutorial group.
  • Option to have any students referred by academic staff fast-tracked into a counselling appointment.

Inspire Peer Mentor Program

INSPIRE is a Nationally recognized mentoring program of the Careers & Employer Liaison Centre, being a recent recipient of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) awards for excellence in Australian University Teaching.

INSPIRE engages Flinders students as mentors for students and student projects in schools in the Southern suburbs. Flinders mentors bring their own study skills, knowledge, passion and interest in their subject area to the student mentees.

This is a great program for Flinders students to engage in.  Past mentors repeatedly identify that being involved in INSPIRE has:

  • Increased their self confidence
  • Developed important interpersonal communication skills
  • Contributed valuable volunteer community experience
  • Gained enthusiasm and confidence in their own learning
  • Re-energised their interest and passion in the chosen field of study
  • Assisted in gaining competitive advantage in seeking employment
  • Added value to their developing resume!

And that's just the benefits to the mentors! Since its introduction in 2004, the INSPIRE Program has successfully increased the level of school retention rates and developed a stronger culture of learning among high school students in Adelaide's southern suburbs.

Library

When first year students leave your lectures and tutorials they often turn up at one of the library service desks asking for help to complete their assignments. It can enhance their university experience if they encounter library staff who have some advance knowledge of their needs.

The most effective way to ensure this happens is to communicate with the Liaison Librarian for your subject area. The Flinders University Liaison Librarians act as a link between first year students, academics and the library resources for their subject area.

We can help you help first year students by:

  • Providing library tours and workshops tailored to finding information for particular subjects
  • Assisting individual students and staff to use library research tools
  • Helping to identify appropriate information resources to include in topic guides
  • Checking topic reading lists to ensure material is made available to students through the library's Readings and eReadings collections. This includes any topic readers that you send to us
  • Providing via the library icon on your topic pages in FLO, a pathway to eReadings, journals and databases
  • Coordinating the FLO library assignment, a generic introduction to the library suitable for all first year students. We are also very happy to create other quizzes and tutorials designed to teach how to use the print and electronic resources of the library.

At the very least the Liaison Librarians like to receive a copy of any topic guides and/or reading lists you give to students so we can check all references in your reading lists and attempt to order at least one copy of any book listed.  It is very frustrating for students to find that the Flinders Library does not have the material to which they are being referred.

OASIS - Faith, Spirit, Community

OASIS provides an open, friendly space where

  • staff welcome new students
  • individuals drop in to find a quiet place or to chat over a cup of tea or coffee
  • students socialise and meet new people
  • cultural and festive activities occur
  • religious clubs and societies meet
  • chaplains are available for support

Student Learning Centre

The Student Learning Centre (SLC) is an integral component of the University's commitment to provide all students with a learning environment that will enable them to realise their academic potential. The SLC has programs tailored to meet the needs of a diverse range of students from across the University regardless of their level of study and their language backgrounds.

The SLC is an interdisciplinary unit. It has lecturers with expertise in a range of disciplines including education, adult literacy, English literature, TESOL, philosophy, mathematics, IT and biology. In addition to running the University's main transition programs for commencing students, it provides a range of services, including a Writing Centre, a Maths Centre, individual consultations, drop-in sessions and academic, language and research skills programs. Students could attend any or all of these services without appointment.

Transition to University Office

With a primary focus on enhancing student's first year experience at Flinders University the Transition to University Office assists and supports students in their transition and orientation to university studies.  In doing so the Transition to University Office assists and works collaboratively with staff to develop student support programs, coordinates the Flinders University Start Smart Orientation and Tour Guide Programs, Degree Transfer Information Days, and is involved in various mentoring programs, Open Days and other initiatives. For more information visit or contact the Transition to University Office.

Transition to University Office - Mentoring Programs

The mentoring programs offered through the Transition office are based on a Flinders award winning model. Over the past three years the Office has worked collaboratively with the School of Law, School of International Studies, School of Education, School of Social Work and Social Planning, School of Nursing & Midwifery, and the Careers Employer Liaison Centre (Centrally based Transition Mentoring Program) to develop and implement first year school or degree based peer mentoring programs.

Mentors are generally recruited from second to fourth year students from the same or similar degree who have a wealth of untapped expertise on how to successfully transition to university. Amongst other findings, evaluations indicate such programs are a cost effective way to increase a sense of community and interaction between student year levels, increase retention rates, increase graduate skills, facilitate a quicker transition for students, and decrease minor queries for staff. For more information on how to implement a mentoring program within your degree or School, including training (provided by the Transition Office and CELC), recruitment, research, monitoring, evaluation, book vouchers, t-shirts and certificates, visit or contact the Transition to University Office.

Yunggorendi

Tjilbruke Student Services provides academic support and counselling for Indigenous students throughout the course of their degree studies at the University.  In particular, Yunggorendi works closely with first year students to assist them to develop their academic skills and attributes to ensure that their experience at University is a positive and successful one.  To this end Tjilbruke Student Services coordinates an Orientation Program for first year Indigenous students in February of each year.  The program aims to provide an introduction to university, affirm Indigenous cultural identity and connect students.  Tjilbruke Student Services is part of the Yunggorendi First Nations Centre for Higher Education and Research.

Contact the Centre for University Teaching if there are other resources you wish to add to this site, if you would like further information, if you are interested in participating in the Inspiring Achievement in First Year University Students Working Party or if you would like to know the details of the next Forum.