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Recommendations

The following is a summary of the fifteen recommendations from the white paper.

Recommendation 1

That all undergraduate programs adopt the following shared La Trobe University graduate capabilities, to be defined in appropriate discipline or field-specific terms, and to be assessed against agreed standards of student achievement:

• Writing
• Speaking
• Inquiry/research
• Critical thinking
• Creative problem-solving
• Team work

Recommendation 2

That student learning be promoted by the explicit adoption of additional discipline or field-specific learning outcomes which are clearly defined at appropriately high standards of achievement.

Recommendation 3

That all programs map the introduction, development, assessment and evaluation of these shared graduate capabilities and discipline- or field-specific learning outcomes within and across their constituent subjects.

Recommendation 4

That all programs develop and offer ‘cornerstone’ subjects – or provide the equivalent – in the first semester of enrolment, which will provide all students with a strong foundation for academic success and enable:
a) the identification of students at risk in terms of general academic literacy;
b) the identification of students at risk in terms of their specific preparation for the
program of study; and
c) the provision, as required, of early support for students identified as being at risk.

Recommendation 5

That all programs assess student progress against agreed program outcomes and University-level graduate capabilities mid-program (at the end of first year, or at an appropriate point in second year) to provide staff and students with formative feedback needed to improve curriculum and teaching effectiveness and student learning success.

Recommendation 6

That all programs develop and offer a final year ‘capstone’ subject, or equivalent, to provide an effective culmination point for programs as well as to offer students orientation to opportunities for further study, employment and career development.

Recommendation 7

That programs and faculties be encouraged to identify and develop, with support from the University, appropriate ways to educate students about the challenges to individuals and communities posed by climate change, globalisation and inequality, with particular attention paid to how these phenomena may affect students’ chosen careers and lives as educated citizens.

Recommendation 8

That programs and faculties be encouraged to identify and develop, with support from the University, appropriate ways to educate students about the history and culture of Australia’s Indigenous peoples, and the broader significance of cultural diversity.

Recommendation 9

That all programs employ meaningful, measurable and transparent key indicators and standards of academic quality, student learning, and student success in ongoing monitoring, annual evaluation and planning processes, program reviews, and other similar processes.

Recommendation 10

That the University’s Orientation and first-year experience programs should be designed, coordinated, and evaluated by a University-wide steering group, including student representation, reporting to the Deputy Vice Chancellor.

Recommendation 11

That academic and language support resources and staff be embedded in the Faculties, as far as practicable, and allocated strategically to support and develop the capacities of those students with the greatest need.

Recommendation 12

That the University provides student administration and services across the spectrum, including enrolment, career services, and alumni service, in a co-ordinated and learning-centred way.

Recommendation 13

That the University ensure that the development of teaching and learning technologies and learning spaces, both real and virtual, be undertaken in a co-ordinated and learning-centred way.

Recommendation 14

That central funding be provided to encourage Schools and Faculties to support the participation of their teaching staff in the range of staff development programs on offer.

Recommendation 15

That all continuing and casual academic staff and relevant library staff engaged in teaching, tutoring, and/or providing academic support be required to complete the appropriate University programs on effective, research-based teaching and learning, unless they have already successfully completed an equivalent program elsewhere.

Further, that all new academic teaching and academic support staff be required to complete the relevant program(s) during their first twelve months of full-time employment. It is also recommended specifically that:

• All casual lecturers and tutors be required to participate in a three-hour workshop on effective teaching.
• All continuing academic staff with teaching responsibilities be required to participate in a three-day workshop on principles and practices of effective teaching and subject design at La Trobe University.