What is a FYI?

A First Year initiative is any attempt to engage with commencing students at UWA and the provision of support to this cohort of students in their transition to University study.

See three examples of First Year Initiatives, undertaken by staff at UWA

An initiative can come from any staff member at UWA. The process of transition into First Year at University is a multi-faceted experience, and the provision of transition support can come from all areas of the University. Whether it be simply giving a First Year student some sound advice on using the library (or where to find the library, for that matter), or putting in place a full program identifying a particular learning skills issue, for example. We want to hear about any initiative, be it big or small.

A First Year student’s transition to University can be viewed as a series of adjustments: personal, academic, administrative.

• Personal adjustment: to issues which can include feelings of isolation, the loss of old networks and the need to make new friends, the need to be more financially independent, and the responsibility for managing their own study and other commitments.
• Academic adjustment: to more independent and demanding learning and assessment structures
• Administrative adjustment: to being responsible for their own administration in terms of enrolment, HECS liabilities and progress etc.; and to identifying their own needs and seeking suitable assistance

If you feel that you do anything to assist first year students in making any of the above adjustments we are interested to hear from you at the UWA First Year Initiative Project. We intend to identify and publicise initiatives that may be going unnoticed around the University. These initiatives increase student satisfaction with their course and assist students in making progress in their studies.

You may do things for first year students that you don’t give much thought to, like:

• Giving them simple advice to help them with an administrative issue, i.e. giving them directions to student administration, showing them how to use a photocopier
• Pointing them in the direction of appropriate support i.e. directing them to a section of Student Services, or to a Faculty academic adviser.
• Translating University or Faculty jargon

You may also be creating more formal initiatives in response to particular issues for First Years, for example:

• Creating early links for first year students to fellow students in their faculty
• Allowing students the opportunity to meet faculty teaching and administrative staff
• Providing students who are new to the university with a set of basic skills with which to tackle first year subjects
• Familiarising students with the services available to them and how to seek help